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It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings

They say in America that it 'ain't over until the fat lady sings'.

Well, according to Cleveland Browns spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz, the fat lady is singing.

He said on the Lerner interest in Aston Villa: 'His interest is over.'

Lerner, as we all know, approached Villa with a major interest in the club but having become disillusioned with negotiations following a meeting with Doug Ellis, abruptly put a halt to proceedings.

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Writer: J P Fear

Date:Friday July 28 2006

Time: 11:31AM

Your Comments

Wish we knew the truth about this. Some say Randy objected to the banker being present (no not Doug - the banker) in which case I think Doug was right. Others say Doug upped the anti, whilst others reckon he wanted to retain some control. In which case he remains the real problem and we will never be shut of him until the Grim Reaper comes calling. Are Grim Reapers listed in yellow pages?

Gordonsleftboot

What can we do to oust Ellis out for good. He is not running the club for the good of us supporters and it is very worrying. We are on the bring of getting rid once and for all. What can we do to finally rid of him.

PaulG

Fact is that Ellis has never valued the fans - except those in corporate boxes. He cannot conceive that the club means as much to us as it does. He believes he is the only one to care because he is chairman. I remember seeing the board sacked in the early 60's and reading the promise that one man would never have the same control again. Then this conceited chap arrives. he has done a good, but limited, job. However he thinks he walks on water. Perhaps the drought will find him out.

Gordonsleftboot

This is so frustrating. I am spending all day on news sites and Villa sites just hoping for some news, any news. I really hope Lerner will come back to the negotiation table. UP The VILLA

xfranc

Not so concerned about Lerner pulling out (we'd have been saddled with debt and dunkin' donuts at half time - I'm a traditionalist, I prefer no debt and a Balti pie) but what does concern me is Deadly Herbert's negotiating stance. His alleged insistence on a post-takeover 'role' will alienate all bids bar Neville's which, it seems, is the weakest in terms of finance available. Is Deadly working in the best interests of the club ? Of the shareholders ? Unfortunately, I think not.

pongogidman

Does anyone in Villa land know what this new consortium mentioned in the Evening Mail is? I'm in Chester and there is no news of it here.

Gordonsleftboot

Another day, another consortium...this one is called AV06 and is London-based and led by a international lawyer named Pdfield. Evidently he helped set up the Serbian government in 2001...useful experience, I'd have thought, when tackling the post-takeover mess of Deadly Herbert's reign!

pongogidman

typical..were all biting our nails and the club have come and said......nothing...maybe we should bombard their site with emails asking for an explanation

tylervilla

and if you want..sent your note to webmaster@astonvilla-fc.co.uk

tylervilla

Thanks, pongogidman

Gordonsleftboot

Yes Lerner has pulled out, but let's not forget that Neville hasn't met with the Coffin Dodger yet. If he adopts the same ignorant and un-coperative stance with Neville, we'll end up stuck with Ellis. The more I read about his dealings with Lerner and his attitude towards the whole thing, the more angry it makes me. We all thought we were on the brink of getting rid of him and now he's digging his tennis shoes in again

DougInABox

Have followed tylervilla's suggestion and sent this e-mail marked FAO The "Chairman"! I am writing to ask you for an update on the situation regarding the takeover. As usual Aston Villa treats it's supporters with the usual level of contempt and we are all being kept in the dark over what is going on at what is OUR club. I realise that the club's hands are tied to a certain extent, but I'm sure the club could make a statement to clarify things further. It seems clear that the club are happy to let supporters rely on rumour and gossip in the media, rather than being pro-active and informing us themselves. Therefore, any information which you could pass on to me would be most gratefully received Let's see if there's any response. I'm thinking not!

DougInABox

First time poster. Distraught villa fan here. Constantly visiting websites trying to find positive news on the lerner bid, untill this. I was reeled in by ellis, yet again. Even though i know nothing about lerner and his proposals, just the thought of challenging with the big boys again, spending big money on big players, and now the dream is over. A businessman like lerner is a winner, he would have wanted us to be the best. I just can't feel positive about any other bids knowing we possibly could have had the best. Hearing on ssn o'neill had agreed to be manager and the deal was very close, untill the meeting went 'negative', just rubs salt into the wounds. Ellis, i didnt renew my season ticket, just one of many more. Thanks, Jonathan.

Its All Over FC

if lerner is a winner why is his current team perenial strugglers.(aka fox news)

JASON

Here is the response to my e-mail to the club for clarification on the takeover. Not much of a surprise really. "This is the official website of Aston Villa FC and Aston Villa PLC. As such, we are restricted to what we can actually publish regarding the takeover situation. Basically I cannot publish anything regarding a possible takeover other than the announcements made to the stock exchange. That is not an attempt to downplay or ignore the speculation, but as a club/company we cannot be seen to be fuelling the speculation. I may find that frustrating as a journalist, but rules are rules and as a PLC we must abide by them. One thing you can be sure of: once we have any real news and not just the endless speculation seen elsewhere, we will report it here on www.avfc.co.uk. Cheers Geoff Coleman (editor www.avfc.co.uk / Villa World)"

DougInABox

If Lerner is so easily scared off by a bumbling old fool who lives in cloud cookoo land, then I'm glad Doug did what he did. I'm not in any way excusing Doug but we need a strong leader, not a whimp. People talk about Lerner as a sucessfull business man but all he's actually achieved is outliving his father, something that the majority of people do. Now if Warren Buffet, the world's most sucessfull investor ever, were to show and interest..........

Villain Of The North

Douginabox, I know that they can't fuel speculation but are there any rules that say they cannot act to crush unfounded roumors? That would help immensely!

Villain Of The North

That's what I asked him VOTN, but it seems that they are unable/unwilling to comment on anything. I had a discussion with someone heavily involved in the matchday programme on the train back from White Hart Lane in 2001, who said that the club would not allow them to comment directly or indirectly on anything said in the media. So I guess the website is the same. According to this gentleman, it all came from the chairman

DougInABox

Any announcement regarding rumours Villa have to make will be made through Bill Howell.

Steve W

VOTN That email response is a standardised one as I have had it also. I have sent another one back just asking for the facts of the situation as i too would hate to fuel speculation. I also invited him to look at this site to get an idea of how miffed we all are. IMHO its not right to announce a bid and not give us any sort of statement after 2 days. Once again the fans needs are last on the to do list of the current regime.

tylervilla

Well what a load of poo the official site is then!!!!!!

Villain Of The North

tylervilla, I thought my reply had come back too quickly for the editor to have sat and typed it. I have e-mailed back too saying that all I wanted was some clarification of the rumours in the press not to start any more, so we'll see what we get back!

DougInABox

To be totally fair, this isn't the official sites fault, if they printed what they might want to, they would lose their jobs. I must say the best official site is Man Utd's because they won't spin, they put up paper links etc as well. The beauty this sort of site is that we are far freer to say what we think. So maybe direct the anger at the club and not the official site?

The Fear

It's still poo though :o) as is the board!!!!

Villain Of The North

I can understand the official site's stance Jonathon and as you say, they are only doing their jobs. As I've said above, it is the club who imposes the restrictions on the site and it is the club who won't comment

DougInABox

Everton rumour than Lerner interested in buying them. Wonder if their Chairman will act like an idiot

Steve W

he'll be linked with every club looking for investement now Ellis has made sure we won't see any of his millions

DougInABox

It seemed the perfect way forward for the club, yet once again the old boy has proved that all of his thinking is centred around number one, not AVFC. The sad part about it all is that you are left with the distinct feeling now, that whoever should finally succeed in ousting the old man from Villa Park, we'll only be getting second best. That might not of course prove to be the case in the long run, but as of right now, all you can focus on is the fact that we've just *****ed away an unbelievable opportunity.

glensider

Makes me wonder if Dougs been doing all this for show. He's a T****R

Burnsy

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Writer: J P Fear

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