Actually, this isn’t the third part of a monster blog post – it’s a rather tabloid-like attempt at a headline based on an old Ian Dury song. Sorry, won’t happen again. And if hearing that song again doesn’t cheer you up, maybe news that Aston Villa are top of the table might…

Ooops, I’ve done it again – not the Premiership table, natch – I’m talking about the “Stewardship Table” compiled by business think tank Tomorrow’s Company. Here’s the concept behind the table from founding director Mark Goyder, an Arsenal season ticket holder.

Stewardship means handing something on to the next generation in better shape that you inherited it, and not just the next quarter’s results you see it in the best family businesses and in employee-owned businesses like John Lewis. The footballing parallels are clubs with a long-term view who see beyond wheeling and dealing, clubs which focus on management continuity, youth development, improved facilities, and the club giving something back to the community it comes from.

We all too rarely see stewardship exercised by the big investors and the pension funds who own our companies – something that Tomorrow’s Company is working to change by developing a stewardship scorecard. Fans who care about their clubs should prize and praise good stewardship.

Here’s the 5 criteria the Premiership teams were assessed on and Villa’s scores out of 10. You can get a full explanation and see the scorecard for all the clubs here.

1. Putting the Club First – 7/10
2. Long-termism – 8/10
3. Clarity of purpose, role and responsibilities – 8/10
4. Engagement with fans and community – 7/10
5. Passion commitment and conviction – 7/10

And here’s the table:-

This might not be overly important, but it’s nice to see the view that Randy Lerner is one of the best owners out there vindicated. It also goes some way to confirming my view of the small section of supporters who remain deeply distrustful of Lerner, to the point of conspiracy theories:-