Randy Lerner And CEO Paul Faulkner Speak

Here we go, a report straight from the horses mouth. Not that I'm calling Randy a horse you understand?

A report in the Independent today Randy Lerner: 'I have long-term plans, but as a fan I crave instant results' by Tom Watt has the straight but seldom talking Villa owner/Chairman Randy Lerner as well as CEO Paul Faulkner explaining all things Villa.

Makes for fascinating reading as Randy sees that the English game is at a 'crossroads' and also talks about the seldom mentioned 'geek' Paul Faulkner (sorry, his words not mine!!!!) who runs the club day to day.

On buying Villa, having looked at many clubs, Randy said: 'When we heard that Villa was a club here that might be available, I had a strong feeling that a team in the West Midlands could be the chance to create something very special.'

PF adding 'Football's about people coming together and if you forget that, if you start thinking the fans don't matter because you'll get money from TV or whatever, you're sort of ripping the soul out of the thing.'

Must admit I think this is bang on, not just Villa fans but many fans of clubs across the leagues: 'I think there's a palpable frustration among football fans right now that I believe we in the football business should be conscious of. Fans see TV revenues going up, wages going up, the price of their tickets going up and they're thinking: 'Hey, it's the same round ball, the same number of players and still two 45-minute halves. We don't get it.' Winning supporters over can only really be achieved by what you do, not what you say. It's no use just smiling and shaking hands and getting quoted with witty one-liners. We'll be judged by our actions: ticket prices, conditions inside the ground, how good our hospitality is and, of course, how the team develops. I'm not in this to win a popularity contest and I guess that's why I keep a relatively low profile. Winning our fans' approval will come from all of us doing the right things for the right reasons, me included.'

As said, full article and quotes are available here: www.independent.co.uk

Another report which seems to be getting top views on newsnow but with no direct access and I'd argue a number of 2+2=5's in there. Sometimes in business, I know I've done it, you shuffle finances from one place to another for best tax gains etc, not for sinister reasons, not all loans are re-called, some are turned to equity etc and the finance in this case are loaned until 2016 and aren't then necessarily repayable. Without details you can look at accounts any which way you wish: http://bleacherreport.com

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