Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Monday December 4 2006
Time: 11:59AM
UK time is: 11:22:27
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Ron Saunders 'Coming Home' +++
General Charles Krulak has revealed that Randy Lerner
'has invited, and Ron Saunders has excepted, to be our guest at the Aston Villa-ManU game on 23 December. Ron is coming home.'
I believe there could also be a presentation to Ron at half time.
Doesn't get any better than this does it?
Oh, and hot off the press, I believe a £7million re-development of the 'tired' Holte Suite is under way or about to get under way.
So, we might have Doug on every radio show that will have him and in every paper with quotes as to how well he's done BUT for me, ACTION speaks so much louder than words.
So what have we had now?
A new owner who shuns the publicity as he doesn't want to be Mr Aston Villa, he wants the attention to be on the club not himself.
The Bodymoor training ground re-development has been re-started and plans improved.
Free transport was given to fans taking them to the Chelsea game (although I'm still waiting for payment of my limo hire bill!)
A happy manager with the promise of a proper war chest.
A legendary manager about to be brought back and honoured.
Plans for statues.
The Holte Hotel restored.
Fans representatives being listened to.
£7million refurb of the Holte Suite (if my sources are correct)
Still no cushioned, heated seat with pop up umbrella and drinks dispenser for me though.
Lerner Out!
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Your Comments
It just gets better and better doesn't it. My dad was showing me his Ron Saunders book over the weekend "Look its God". I did have to explain that there was only one god in my eyes tho and he's black and Irish!
DeanoVilla
This year will go down as a milestone in the history of our club. And what way to end the year than to honour one of our greatest ever managers. Another superb move from Randy.... I think I am beginning to like the bloke :-)
jonah
A brilliant PR initiative. It doesn't take much to keep the regular fan happy. Something DHE's pride wouldn't allow.
Gazvilla
Be great to see Ron again. Hope he has 'accepted' and not 'excepted' though, otherwise it will be disappointing!
Gordonsleftboot
How true Gaz, and yes it could be just a pr initiative, personaly I prefer to think of it as the act of a management who understand just how much history we have and just how proud we are of that, must admit to a certain amount of negative bias regarding our cousins across the pond, but slowly and surely these chaps are impressing me more and more, UTV
steff_the_villan
It's good news after good news. I'm starting to get used to this. Will be great to see Ron back at VP- a long time overdue. Great game to choose to do it as well. It'll be a full house and his appearance should give everyone a lift
Geordie_Villa
You are all so right, it is good news that the new management team have sufficient understanding and intelligence to work with the supporters not against them as that previous ego maniac did. I am so glad I have not heard him holding forth on the radio Iwould have switched off if I had. It makes you wonder at the intelligence of these programme and newspaper editors if all they can do is go after a hasbeen. Can't they find anything better to fill their pages?
DoogieTyBrenin
Interesting feature on Ellis on the BBC website, where he says he deliberately hasn't interfered with Randy. Really Doug?! Why is that? Because you can't? Because the only position you now hold at Villa was given to you to shut you up? It's amazing that the bloke still thinks he holds some sort of influence at VP! He's now trying to make it look like he is giving Randy £7m from the sale of the Serpentine. It belonged to the club, Doug, not you! Good riddance!
Geordie_Villa
Stefftthevillan: Try not to think about the moron that is George W. Bush, and most of those negative bias against us "cousins" will go away!
gmvillan
Great article in 442 magazine December edition this month. Says about how doug took in wages and earnings £29,000,000 out of villa! Also does see Krulak lose a bit of front when asked about their intentions for villa when asked if they wanted to do it for financial reasons... well why are all these foreign investors getting involved??? Oh and people like Randy don't get rich by throwing money around for fun to be fair, though perhaps he's hoping he can make money out of us and us from him... which is fine in truth.
Bit disturbing though.
As for Ron Saunders, I thought he was done with all those football days and has nothing to do with any of it any more? If its true thats fantastic, he deserves all the credit that he gets.
thekentvillan
If it's true, what a superb mark of respect - how great it would be if Dennis Mortimore accompanied him -it almost brings tears to your eyes.
villacross
Also can we stop talking about f****ng Ellis. He's had his day, so let him "REST IN PEACE" and allow him to watch how Vlla should have been run for the last 25 years!
villacross
Indeed, hopefully we'll hear less and less from a certain former chairman but i think we can ignore and get on with the positives anyway, does speak volumes that he has to keep trying to convince us what he did when the new lot JUST DO IT!
The Fear
Slightly off topic but if United are valued at £624m, Liverpool at over £400m, the bar codes at £125m and even West Ham at £100+m, Doug did a crap job getting just £64m with £7m left in for goodwill!
Gordonsleftboot
i wonder if randy will tell doug not to show up for that one !!
bobbyfett
Taken 25 years for the Villa Faithful to say a propper Thank You to Ron Saunders, People forget he was manager of Aston Villa for 8 Years unheard of these days, 8 Years and he left without propper recognition. He did wonders at Norwich City before coming to Villa.
The only Manager to go to Three League Cup finals three years running with thre different teams. AND in the complete history of Aston Villa he doe's not get the reference he truely deserves.
col8
RS deserves his moment in the sun. Everytime I recall his fighting talk aimed at the media after Bobby Robson's Ipswich had beaten us 2-1 at VP to swing the Football League Championship race in their favour, a tear comes into the old eyes. The team was down, the supporters deflated, yet in one brief t.v. interview RS had everyone believing again that the Championship trophy was Villa Park bound.
glensider
geordievilla, just read the bbc interview - 'thank god i signed o'neill' says ellis. you did it because randy said you had to. the other one- 'The majority of supporters - if you read the letters that are coming in - are praising me for taking Martin on here.' seriously, he's *****ing me off even after he's left !!
bobbyfett
Always remember his speech after we won the league and people thought Ipswich should have, "Hear the knock of the knocker, until his hammer falls. But remember the act of the knocker, requires no brains at all."
Those were the days, jumpers for goalposts...............................
Gazvilla
gordonsleftboot...i think you may find that the prices banded around for these other clubs include debt repayment as well,also dont forget that although villa were not officially in debt by way of a loan , they did have a £12 million overdraft which was not incorporated into the sale price,so this £7.5million that doug has supposedly sorted for the villa only partly covers this.
JASON
Thanks, Jason
Gordonsleftboot
DeanoVilla. Black, Irish, God = Phil Lynott.
storagematt
Just to be negative but honest. I think Randy is great and we couldn't have been bought by a nicer multi millionaire. But with news of a Liverpool super billionairre in the offing the whole premiership now is ruled by money money money and the top four will bore everyone to bits.
It will never happen but I would give up all Randy's money for a level playing field where everything depended on what happened on the pitch - TV money shared equally between all, no prize money for league places, and all you should get for winning anything (including the Champions League) is a cup. Do it like that and Utd would still be the biggest club - but with the right manager, good signings and a good youth policy, and some luck, teams cpuld again be moulded by the likes of Villa, Derby, Forest and Ipswich who could actually win the leagu. Everyone could then at least dream they might come top of the pile one day. Nowadays we have to dream of coming fifth.
stennyvilla
Wonder if Randy would consider doing up and re-opening the Aston Tavern, that place holds so many good memories.
mackaavfc
This is a really superb announcement from the club. I always thought with sadness that Ron Saunders would die without ever having come back to the club where he gave so much happiness and success. I hope the next time he comes back after the man utd game is to open the stand on Witton Lane - The Ron Saunders stand. The man is a legend and Randy Lerner has done more in a few months than Doug whatshisname done in 30 years.
baros10
Baros10 ..... what do you mean ... Doug Whatsisname????? Surley you must remember it was Doug Out. Soon to be known as Doug Gone and Best Forgotten.
voiceoftheholte
storagematt. Cnut.
voiceoftheholte
voiceoftheholte...couldn't agree more. Complete ****
Geordie_Villa
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