Aston Villa News 24/7You’ll already be aware that Aston Villa issued an official statement earlier this evening confirming the intention to interview Alex McLeish. Birmingham City have issued their own statement declaring their intention to take legal action in response.
Both statements in full:
Aston Villa Football Club
This is a message to the fans of Aston Villa.The Club has been reluctant to elaborate publicly on our search for a new manager and, in particular, to confirm or deny our interest in specific candidates.
This is not a new policy, indeed it is the approach that we have taken both in regard to managerial prospects, and potential player signings.
The Club understands that Alex McLeish is a free agent. We therefore intend to interview him imminently in order to make a decision regarding his candidacy to become Villa manager.
From the beginning of our search, we have set out criteria based on proven Premier League experience, compelling leadership, an ethic for hard work and, most importantly, sharing our vision for Aston Villa as we know that without a shared vision any appointment, however attractive, will ultimately fail.
Since 2006 we have approached our custodianship of Villa based on a broad-based strategy of significant investment to improve the squad, the training ground and Villa Park. We feel it is essential to select a manager who understands and supports our strategy for the Club to grow and to be sustainable. Otherwise, the natural tensions and competitive pressures that are involved with every season will ultimately cause instability and make continuity impossible.
We would, however, like to emphasise that in deciding to interview Alex McLeish, the Board has taken his tenure at our local rivals and the strong emotions associated with this very seriously.
We are determined, still, not to allow that three-and-a-half year post to disqualify him should he be the best candidate for the role of Aston Villa manager.
Birmingham City Football Club
Birmingham City Football Club finds Aston Villa’s announcement today (Tuesday) to proceed with an interview with Alex McLeish a contempt of Premier League and FA rules.The club feel this will taint football and give the game and the footballing authorities a bad name if this is allowed to materialise. The club will do what is within its powers to prevent this and will lodge a formal complaint to the authorities tomorrow as there is now not the slightest doubt remaining about this tap up attempt.
Birmingham City FC stresses that this conduct, if condoned, will open up flood gates and set a very bad precedent. This is also an attack against the intelligence and integrity of not only the Villa fans, but most importantly our fans who are badly let down after having just been relegated. It is definitely a bitter pill to swallow for all fans concerned, both here and across the city. Never have the two clubs seen such a strong unity between their rival fans and this unity is based on humility and integrity and what is right and fair.
The LMA’s announcement today is refuted as the club has a very rigid approval system where only players formally identified, and with approval forms signed and sanctioned by the manager personally are brought in. The chief scout was sacked only after Mr McLeish was informed who at that time had chosen not to comment.
The allegations against the club, president Carson Yeung and the Board are frivolous excuses and without foundation.
The matter is now with Birmingham City FC’s lawyers and no further comments will be made.
Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? No, hang on… we’re being Punk’d, right? Where are the cameras?
A simply astonishing turn of events. I wouldn’t mind if he was worth fighting over.
Unbelievable.
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11 Comments to “Official statements from both Aston Villa and Birmingham City”
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I am just flabbergasted, are Randy and Peter Pannu really trying to start an all out football war in the city? Are Villa really about to appoint such a poor manager just as a massive Fuck You to our moaning fans? I just don’t see how this can be good for either club, for either set of fans or for the future of Villa particularly.
I don’t care if McLeish is from City. I care that he is a poor manager, who plays dull football and who seems to spend substantial amounts of money on washed up footballers who cannot hack the premier league. If McLeish had just won the title with City playing great football I would snap him up, but he hasn’t, he has just led them to relegation.
I have been a football fan for 30 years and I have never seen such bloody minded and bizarre behaviour by a club. Randy Lerner, if he appoints McLeish is starting to make Mike Ashley look sensible.
I never EVER saw myself supporting the Scum’s version of events…Thanks Randy. Sell up now. We can’t do worse… At least we knew where we stood with Deadly, i.e. In the sh*te… At least he didn’t offer us something we thought we’d never get. His final appointment of Matin O’Neill was head and shoulders abover GH or any other of the low rent candidates you’ve suggested… STOP PRESS “It’s just been reported that Glen’s Autos based in Stirchley have made a £225 offer for the Villa…”
As a relatively new fan of Villa and living in the states, I must ask you Villans on the ground… at the front… what is going on???
Glad to find another Villa fan in the US.
As an American Villa fan, I have learned that when the issue involves City, all reasonable assessment pretty much goes out the window. Fortunately, we have Dan as an exception to all the madness. This situation, however, takes the enmity a step further than the usual passions of this rivalry – City ownership and Villa fans apparently agreeing that this move would be the ultimate national disgrace, if not the end of Western civilization.
I just can’t believe this.
We’ve gone from Randy the English gent to Lerner “I’m going to rob you and do your missus at the same time”.
And then fight in court over it?
It doesn’t make sense.
My heart tells me this is a bit of a wind-up, while we go for our real target….. just a bit of a laugh, know what I mean eh?
But my head tells me the board really do think he’s worth all this trouble.
How out of touch can you possibly be?
A manager no Villa fan wants and a national laughing stock to boot
It does not make sense.
Wigan and Leeds praise our business approach
The filth start slagging us off.
1. He resigned
2. Villa looked to interview a free-agent
3. The filth go apeshit
We do not want Big Eck
Hopefully he has got that message
They want money for a man they couldn’t afford to sack
I am not angry….just disappointed!
Big Eck has always been fair and non-incendiary in the derbies. Even criticising the small mindedness of the blue-noses after their pitch invasion. But he really screwed up in getting them relegated…..and he signed Hleb and Bentley…..and Curtis “Pub Player” Davies. If he signs – season tickets will not be taken up. All that good P.R. work by Mr L will be lost because his advisers do not understand the lie-of-the-land.
yeah, it’s one of those things that the more you think about it, the less it makes sense.
i’m totally flummoxed. no clue what is going on.
Dan,
I read your blogs all of the time. I appreciate your level headed approach. I try not to get caught up in all of the nonsense, but that can be difficult at this time of year. Please continue to keep us informed. Living in the US, I do not get any coverage here except for the nonsense via the web. I look to you for the truth and being the voice of reason. I’m hoping the latest is not true. I don’t see McLeish as the right choice. I was hoping the appointment of a new manager would be our chance to turn the page on the MON saga and the lower than expectations season. Can I still hope???
I have no axe to grind about Alex McLeish on a personal level, i am sure he’s a great guy the sort you could enjoy a pint down the local with,but as a manager i do have an axe to grind, he is simply not good enough for Aston Vills end of.
The Board Lerner and Co have betrayed us,i dont care how much money they have put into the club,how much they have inproved things, this one act of stupidly ignoring the heart felt feelings of the fans,will undo anything they have built.
I have heard that Villa will at the end of the day will have spent something in the region of £20 mil on three managers.
The MON payout,The GH payoff ,and the cost of AM and all his staff to comme in, and also the expense of paying off the staff that will leave Randy Lerner and the General are Business ? men,what a complete joke.
Sell the club,and get someone in who knows what they are doing.
In football the fans are everything, they are your source of all income, of all spirit, of EVERYTHING. If you alienate your fanbase, you are selling your club short and ignoring those who help pay your bills, the players wages and everything else
This is really disheartening, and I hope to wake up tomorrow and find they think AM is a right sticking piece of breaded ham!
The mind boggles and to think they apparently told Mclaren not to bother attending an interview fearing a fan backlash; what did they expect with this!?
Farcical, it’s quite clear now that this is no ‘smoke screen’ as many thought before they made the official announcement of interest, and now the club is being made to look stupid. Earlier on in the week it was the press making us look stupid, now it’s actually the club doing it.
Frank Rijkaard should have been manger last week, and none of this should have happened.
Rubbish