Yep, in 21 days – any major disasters aside – Randy Lerner will officially be chairman of Aston Villa!!!
When the takeover first came around I was behind Michael Neville, on the basis of him being a Villa fan and would consequently know more about the club. However, as it soon became apparent that his financial clout was not all that it should be, then Randy Lerner quickly became the man.
AV06 have never really got off the ground, and as Adhole Still is Svens agent, that scared me to death!
I gather Michael Neville has not admitted defeat just yet, but unless he has something extraordinary up his sleeve, it is time for him to leave it be. Plus if he really is a Villa fan, I think he will know this is almost certainly best for the club.
For example, when you look at the directors we have coming as well, it starts to show just how exciting it could be, mainly because of Bob Kain. This is because he is president and co-chief executive of IMG. A quick glance at Wikipedia show you why that is so relevant:
IMG, originally known as the “International Management Group” is a leading global talent agency and production company. It was founded by Mark McCormack and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
McCormack was an American lawyer who spotted the potential for athletes to make large incomes from endorsement in the television age, and signed golfer Arnold Palmer as his first client. He died in 2003. Bob Kain and Alastair Johnston took over as co-CEOs.
IMG is the world’s premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm, with more than 2,200 staff in 70 offices across 30 countries.
TWI, IMG’s television division, is the largest independent distributor and producer of televised sports, managing a library of more than 150,000 hours. TWI annually produces and distributes 6,500 hours of original programming to more than 200 countries covering 200+ sports, as well as being a global leader in digital sports and entertainment.
IMG is also commercially involved in an average of 11 major sports and cultural events around the world every day; represents the interests of major corporations; is the world’s largest non-character licensing firm, and is a leading literary agency and book packager.
In addition, IMG Artists is a top global performing arts management firm; IMG owns and operates top sports and fitness academies, and IMG Models is the world’s number one international model management firm. IMG Consulting works with many of the world’s largest corporations on marketing and sponsorship programs, and its stadium and arena group works with leagues and franchises world wide.
IMG’s global clients include the Australian Rally Championship, Jennifer Capriati, Sidney Crosby, Chris Evert, Sergei Fedorov, Sergio Garcia, Gisele, Jeff Gordon, the GRAMMYS®, Scott Hamilton, Elizabeth Hurley, the International Olympic Committee, Michael Johnson, Major League Baseball, Manchester United, John McEnroe, Jack Nicklaus, the Nobel Foundation, Oxford University, Arnold Palmer, Itzhak Perlman, Philips, Roger Federer, Ronaldo, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the Royal Horticultural Society, Rugby World Cup, Pete Sampras, Michael Schumacher, Maria Sharapova, Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam, Picabo Street, the Sydney Opera House, Liv Tyler, the Spanish Riding School, USGA, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Wembley Stadium, Venus Williams, Wimbledon and Tiger Woods.
Wow. What a list of names. This could be huge. I know the directors will not have a hands-on role as such, but the list of contacts, the experience of business strategy, the right people that I am sure they will be appointing…. man, I’m getting goose bumps!
Like most reasonable Villa fans, I do not expect overnight success. I hardly expect a Chelsea-style bank roll.
But make no mistake, the new era at Villa Park is beginning, and when I look at the people directing the future both on and off the pitch, even those that hate the Villa will have to admit that it looks very good for us.
I tell ya, Monday 14th August 2006 will always be a day that I will remember.
UP THE VILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
