Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[PeterWithesShin]

One CL win is probably pretty much the same as the money made from the price increases. Those wins are more likely with a happy, excited and raucous Villa Park than one where there is discontent at how much being there has cost them as they wade through piss to wait half an hour for an overpriced burger.

[Ads]

A win is worth €2.1m and a draw is €700k.

[Villan82]

This is about the third or fourth time in 12 months that Heck's actions have distracted from the excellent performance of Emery and the team. If they want a re-set then Heck has to be the fall-guy.

At this stage I don't even care what his successor does but it would be nice if for 6 months we could focus on Emery and the team and have this clown nowhere near the club

[dorsetvillian]

It's all so obvious how this should have played out. It's also becoming plain to see that Hecks position is looking increasingly precarious. The owners must be aware how this is following the exact path he took at Red Bull in NY.

[PeterWithesShin]

A win is worth €2.1m and a draw is €700.

700 is hardly worth the bother.

[ChicagoLion]

This is about the third or fourth time in 12 months that Heck's actions have distracted from the excellent performance of Emery and the team. If they want a re-set then Heck has to be the fall-guy.

At this stage I don't even care what his successor does but it would be nice if for 6 months we could focus on Emery and the team and have this clown nowhere near the club

I genuinely believe that he will not be here for long, can you imagine what it is like to work for someone as pig headed and full of his own self importance.

[PeterWithesShin]

If the team is successful and revenues are increasing by a fair chunk then he's doing exactly what they hired him to do. It's not like they won't have known his track record for pissing fans off.

[Ads]

He's doing the gig because his kids are at uni at present, so suspect it was only ever a 3 year job.

[dave.woodhall]

If the team is successful and revenues are increasing by a fair chunk then he's doing exactly what they hired him to do. It's not like they won't have known his track record for pissing fans off.

And that's probably the truest comment on here.

[PeterWithesShin]

Two months ago he said this.

"It's part of the culture of like everything is just so critically important to them. Everything. Philly (Philadelphia) is, I think, the best sports town in the US.

"But it's not even close to the scrutiny that goes on with the clubs here. To be fair to them, they don't have four other sports to dive into. They don't have college sports - that doesn't exist. It's European football that's it. That's what matters. It really is more than lifestyle. It's their family, it's generational and everyone takes it really personally.

"I respect that and you have to be very careful with it, but I also want to win. If your compass is the right compass of win by also being respectful.

"I was reading something last night and every once in a while, and I've been pretty good about getting off social media, but I was getting destroyed yesterday for something.

"I can't even remember what it was, but it was something that has been wildly successful and I'm getting just destroyed on the whole thing. It's like 20/30 people killing you. You're kind of like this is the game, this is the deal. But what I've been saying to everybody is that I'm not claiming to be the expert on the sporting side. I'm an expert on the business side and I'm not apologizing for that.

"I do believe that I surround myself with really good people and I do believe that I will deliver results and I do believe that they'll be happy in the end. Change is tough, change is hard."

[ChicagoLion]

If the team is successful and revenues are increasing by a fair chunk then he's doing exactly what they hired him to do. It's not like they won't have known his track record for pissing fans off.

And that's probably the truest comment on here.

But this has got bigger than just pissing the fans off.

[PeterWithesShin]

And within a couple of weeks there'll be a story about another club and the media will barely mention it again, and it will be the fans that are left pissed off with conditions and prices.

[Footy-Vill]

Former CEO Keith Wyness on Villa.
Saying make 30m to 40m in Champions League

[RamboandBruno]

And within a couple of weeks there'll be a story about another club and the media will barely mention it again, and it will be the fans that are left pissed off with conditions and prices.

This is true and the article you posted is also interesting in terms of the mind set. The quote ‘in the end they’ll be happy’ is presumably referring to the owners not supporters?
In one-way he’s right in that a social media ‘storm’ can be brushed off in a fairly short period of time and the immediate national interest will fade. However, if and it is an if, there are thousands of complaints into the club and protests at the ground, even if its for only a few matches, i think this will be harder to shake off. None of this may play out of course, but if it did, he could be the PR fall guy, which would give some instant gratification, but wouldn't necessarily change the current trajectory.

[boozey182]

A win is worth €2.1m and a draw is €700k.

If it is purely about PSR or whatever, there should be an incentivised scheme - it's £90 (or whatever ridiculous amount) in, but if Villa get a draw, you get £10 back. If we win, you get £30. Could make for a great atmosphere (for the first 10 minutes - then watch the abuse as Diego Carlos misses from a yard out in the last minute).

If they're going to fleece us, they may as well at least add in a bit of jeopardy... The game is becoming less about emotion and more about financial transactions, it's about time the fans got a piece of the action!