The Villa Times - 13/07/2008

Unoial Villa News...

If you want your photo taken in the new shirt and added to all other fans AND the team for a giant mural, then Click Here

Ticket news: Villa's season card holders have two days to claim their home Intertoto Cup tickets at our special reduced prices. Tickets are now on sale to season card holders from £10 (adults) and £5 (under-16s). But the prices go up on Tuesday July 15 when tickets go on general sale. They are then available from £15 (adults) and £8 (under-16s). The game takes place on Saturday July 26, with a 5.15pm kick-off. Full details: Click Here We have also added a section to our site to remind fans of the ticket office info: Click Here

Alan Perrins, who some of you might remember was nominated as one of the football fans of the year a while back in a nationwide search and others might know as the Lions Club co-ordinator, has come up with a plan which has now come to fruition to set up a British Forces Lions Club. Full info: Click Here

Martin O'Neill spoke to the official site after the 2-1 pre-season match loss to FC Zurich and re-stated it isn't the result that matters, just building the fitness. 'I was very pleased with the game. We're 10 days into pre-season so I won't get too concerned with the result. Overall I thought we were a wee bit untidy and we can improve vastly on that performance. But you have to remember that we're changing the team around, with lots of substitutions and this is what pre-season is like. I think that was Zurich's seventh game so they're pretty fit. Their season's just upon them. So it was a great workout but we're still pretty rusty.' Adding, 'The Intertoto will soon be upon us and we're trying to get into competitive mode very early on. So it was important that we were able to step up the quality of the opposition from Thursday night.'

The transfer gossip today is thin on the ground, The Sunday Mercury claim Villa are after French midfielder Nicolas Marin. Various papers are reporting the deal struck for Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan. The price differs from £1million to £2million depending on which paper you read! Rob Beasley of the News Of The World says 'The bitter war of words' between Villa and Liverpool could well scupper any dream Gareth Barry and according to Vital Blackburn, Brad Friedel will be going nowhere Click Here

Martin O'Neill said to Sky Sports about the Barry situation: 'We're entering a new season at the moment and the future is still uncertain. Nothing much has changed, but I'm sure like most situations in football it will resolve itself at some stage. We don't want to lose players, we're not really in a position to do so but we have the ambition and the determination to drive forward this season and get the squad that we feel the club deserves.'

Steve Sidwell has said he was happy to be back on the pitch and playing following the pre-season appearance against FC Zurich on Saturday. He also says that Villa Park is 'fantastic' and talks of the great tradition here, adding in a very clever way (!) 'The fans have always been tremendous when I have visited with other clubs but I am looking forward to putting on a Villa shirt and playing for them now.' Nice move Ginger Ninja! Full quotes: Steve Sidwell Excited To Play For Villa Fans

Thought for the day: 'How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn't live there?'

Join Vital Villa

It's easy to register for Vital Villa, simply click the link and enjoy getting involved! Message Board. To visit the Vital Villa message board, click here.

Get involved and suggest an article. This website is your website and we are looking for people to contribute. So if you attend a game, full or reserves and have an opinion, why not write a match report, or have your say on any issue you wish Villa related. Perhaps you are a budding journalist or even just someone who is very opinionated? Well why not join our team? If this interests you please contact Vital Villa.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.