The Lerner years

[PaulWinch again]

Yes arguably the worst thing was selling to Tony Xia.

[pauliewalnuts]

He also did the tiles on the Holte End that make a lot of football tourists think they're looking at a Leitch masterpiece, rather than something that is probably more modern than their local Homebase.

[VillaTim]

I wonder if he had the tattoo removed or still watches our games ever.

[SoccerHQ]

Yes arguably the worst thing was selling to Tony Xia.

That was Steve Hollis's job wasn't it? He was appointed chairman in the last few months of wretched 15/16 to try to attract a competent bidder with his connections in the business world so that was a big fail with Xia the one who eventually was found.

Can anyone remember who was in the running in summer 2014? Apparently a takeover that summer fell through at the last minute as we were about to sack Lambert then but he then got a reprieve and unbelievably a new contract a few months later.

[brontebilly]

Some blasts from the past there, whatever became of Michael Martin?

Irish PM for a time, brought in smoking ban back in the day.

[darren woolley]

Great read Dave.

[dave.woodhall]

Great read Dave.

Always a pleasure Daz.

[Chico Hamilton III]

It was great for 3/4 years and I have fond memories of many away days in London and the Villa fans I met down there. I remember about 25 London Villa off here turned up at a pub in Marylebone to watch an away against Liverpool, great night. Villa felt dynamic and forward thinking again after a few years of staleness, it was an exciting time to be a Villa fan.

Doug’s unpopularity and the reasons why are spoken about in the article and I’m always amazed at younger supporters seeing him as some old fatherly figure Villa legend rather than a penny pinching mediocrity who failed to grasp the future for Villa when the Prem was founded and ran the place like a corner shop. Then I remember that he sold the club nearly 20 years ago and younger fans probably have no idea how intensely Doug was disliked by a lot of the fanbase. And I feel old.

It was a great period - easy to get tickets, always a big away following, some great sessions in the pubs before and after. Even the Chelsea humiliations. It’s not the same any more.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Lerner's problem was that he put the money in but had zero idea how to get the best out of his investment.

I know I've posted this before, but even Man City, who have as close to an endless source of money as is possible, made sure they appointed the best football administrators in Europe when they struck it rich.

Lerner gave the roles to his dad's best mate, and a bloke who used to run call centres for him but, hey, he was British, so he must understand football.

And then he let MON run the football side of it absolutely unbothered by anyone with any sort of managerial nous..

If memory serves, we had a few top, respected men brought in to run the club before the young Paul Faulkner was gifted the YTS job, but MON basically refused to work with them. Faulkner he accepted as he could run rings around him.

I'm sure Dave can give the details as I recall him talking about it and what he'd heard.