Fans Worried Over Villa Future

[SashasGrandad]

So who out there sees Aston Villa as a major name that they want to be associated with? Even FX Pro - or whatever - dumped us for Fulham.

Was that because their ground is on Heathrow flight path? Or was that Brentford?

Maybe we wanted too much money? Or maybe the FXPro marketing director is a Fulham fan?

I wonder if they will stay with them now they are in the Championship !

Never knew what FXPro sold any way so must have been a crap deal.

[not3bad]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country;

So Doug Ellis didn't run Aston Villa like a cornershop?  His sale of the club wasn't overdue when it finally was sold?

[dave.woodhall]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

[dave shelley]

We've gone from this...



To this...



With apologies to the Shelleys' junior.  I hope it works.

[dave shelley]

Ferk it. Got it wrong again Dad.  I followed the how to instructions too.

[Lucky Eddie]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

You miss understand, we've bettered the deals of the nineties because footballs awash with money, but during this time we've allowed other clubs to catch us up and they now compete with us at a level none of us would have believed possible.

Wigan, Hull, Fulham, Swansea; we're Aston bloomin Villa for Christsake!

[LeeB]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

You miss understand, we've bettered the deals of the nineties because footballs awash with money, but during this time we've allowed other clubs to catch us up and they now compete with us at a level none of us would have believed possible.

Wigan, Hull, Fulham, Swansea; we're Aston bloomin Villa for Christsake!

Wigan and Fulham aren't anymore.

However good your commercial department is, landing £75m for just being in the league is going to dwarf it at mean that most of the teams in the league are on pretty much a level playing field.

[dave.woodhall]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

You miss understand, we've bettered the deals of the nineties because footballs awash with money, but during this time we've allowed other clubs to catch us up and they now compete with us at a level none of us would have believed possible.

Wigan, Hull, Fulham, Swansea; we're Aston bloomin Villa for Christsake!

I don't misunderstand at all but if you could tell me how much those other clubs get paid I'd be grateful.

[SoccerHQ]

I think given the current situation we're going down. Lambert's record hardly inspires confidence does it, Benteke's injury and everything else. Yep I'm worried.

Above all though it's not having a takeover imminent that's the killer. I was quite relaxed when the Lerner statement came out last week, I genuinely thought there were interested parties even if not quite at an advanced stage.

Appears not.

[claret and blue blood]

My frustation and real concern is now turning to anger.Lerner bought our club for whatever reason,spent time and money for a few years but for the last 4 years has presided over the worst period I can remember and I started going regularly in 1968.His total disregard of us as supporters with the horrendous appointment of McCleish,the total lack of any communication (until he thought his intended sale would be jeopardised by relegation) and his non appearances for the last twelve months are bad enough but the gambling in January by no desperately required signings and the apparent pauper's status we go into the close season  compared to the likes of Leicester and Stoke boils my piss.

[Louzie0]

Will I be pretty, will I be rich...

No.

I'm putting on a brave face but I'm crying on the inside.

Know how you feel, brother. 

[Lucky Eddie]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

You miss understand, we've bettered the deals of the nineties because footballs awash with money, but during this time we've allowed other clubs to catch us up and they now compete with us at a level none of us would have believed possible.

Wigan, Hull, Fulham, Swansea; we're Aston bloomin Villa for Christsake!

I don't misunderstand at all but if you could tell me how much those other clubs get paid I'd be grateful.

If by 'get paid' you mean how much they turnover then the point I'm trying to make is that, whatever the figure, it's far too close to our own turnover to consider our commercial performance to have been anything other than disappointing and failing to live up to Randys hype and expectation.

TV money aside what would you list as our commercial successes during his reign?

[dave.woodhall]

Ten years ago we had a commercial department and a football ground to rival the best in the country; the very idea that Wigan, Hull and Swansea would be mentioned commercially in the same breath as Aston Villa was unthinkable!

Earlier today you were saying that beating their deals was no big achievement. Make your mind up.

You miss understand, we've bettered the deals of the nineties because footballs awash with money, but during this time we've allowed other clubs to catch us up and they now compete with us at a level none of us would have believed possible.

Wigan, Hull, Fulham, Swansea; we're Aston bloomin Villa for Christsake!

I don't misunderstand at all but if you could tell me how much those other clubs get paid I'd be grateful.

If by 'get paid' you mean how much they turnover then the point I'm trying to make is that, whatever the figure, it's far too close to our own turnover to consider our commercial performance to have been anything other than disappointing and failing to live up to Randys hype and expectation.

TV money aside what would you list as our commercial successes during his reign?

Give us the figures then. I'd say that record kit and sponsorship deals are decent enough, as is the club's massively improved marketing. I'd also like to know on what planet our commercial department and ground were better ten years ago than they are now.

[aj2k77]

The Genting sponsorship was comfortably the largest in our history and in the top 8 of the division at the time. The current one, not so much.

[Hillbilly]

I can't believe it's been two years and a month since the WorryMobile was last fired up. Either we weren't unduly worried during that time or we were so terrified that this thread couldn't begin to cover it.

Given the inevitability that we will be worried for the foreseeable future, should we start organizing a ten-year anniversary party in October 2015 for this thread? Maybe fancy dress with a great worriers theme. Bagsy Leo Bloom (the Gene Wilder character in The Producers).