This article was submitted by Casey Moore. He had an internship with Aston Villa and got the chance to go behind the scenes of our football club. Here is his experience and why we, fans should be excited about our clubs future.
Being a kid growing up through the 90’s in the South-Eastern part of the United States you didn’t get to dream of being a superstar footballer. Hell, didn’t even know what a superstar footballer was until 1994 and the US World Cup. So for you to tell me that I would be living in England working, for free, at football clubs in England twenty years later? I most likely would have just given you a quizzical look and a chuckle and went back to playing Contra on my Nintendo. I moved to Sheffield, England in August of 2012 and did a week work experience at Villa the following July.
To tell you how this all came about we have to go back to June when I first met Paul Faulkner, the Chief Executive of the club. This is when I was shooting my documentary, “Get Up, Stand Up: Standing Supporters Past, Present and Future”, and I had lined up an interview with Mr. Faulkner during the 2012 Supporters Summit at St. George’s Park. Before the interview while I waiting for Mr. Faulkner to arrive, palms sweaty and nerves shaken, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew about the man was that at 33 years old he was now the youngest Chief Executive in the most powerful football league in the world. You would think a man in his position with his accomplishments that he might be someone that could be difficult to deal with. I was so very, very wrong. He greeted me with a smile, a firm handshake and was one of the nicest, most accommodating individual I have ever met. After the interview was over and we just chatted a bit he offered me the chance of a lifetime to come down to Birmingham and work with their marketing department, needless to say, I gladly accepted.
So there I was a month later hopping off a train at Aston station and making the walk like many supporters had done week-in, week-out for years upon years. Seeing that ground in the distance made me well with pride knowing I had a chance to get a look in at a club I had watched on television for years. Not to mention a chance to get a much stick as my Hammers supporting mates back home could fit on facebook.
So you want to know what it is like and why you should be hopeful huh?
Working at a football club is like working at any other business, just with a better view. Just so you know, the best time to walk around the ground or take a tour is right before the season begins. An untouched, recently laid pitch is something of pure beauty. I could have kissed it if it wouldn’t get me thrown out of the club. Walking down those hallowed hallways where the first inklings of creating a league and league table by William McGregor is slightly overwhelming, especially when looking out at the pitch. However the view of the marketing office can be a bit dower on cloudy days considering you are looking at the parking lot.
The guys and girls that make up the marketing department are amazing. They love the club and they were very warm and welcoming. They want nothing more than to see the club progress, even if they support another club… say West Brom. Even if you don’t support the club you work for, which a lot of people don’t, it grows on you. And you never want the place you work to do badly. This marketing department is one of the best in the league. Certainly the best among the clubs I had the chance to learn from. Why? It is a simple idea. Change. They aren’t afraid to evolve and try new things. A lot of clubs in the league are stuck in their ways and never want to change how they do things. The greatest thing about this club is they want to grow but they are willing to risk everything for it like some clubs, I.E. Portsmouth. A great American expression I think that goes with football nowadays is they aren’t “writing checks their ass can’t cash.”
You want a reason to feel good about the future?
It is that willingness to evolve the business. If the business evolves and if it can do it parallel to the evolution of the first team then you put yourself in such an amazing position for the future. The club has an intelligent hard-man in Paul Lambert at the helm. The average age of the squad is only 24.6 and the talent he is bringing in is something special. Not just Benteke but Bacuna and Helenius as well. Right now you have some great results to keep building on after Arsenal and Man City.
At the end of the day you have a great owner in Randy Lerner. He is a true American football fan and Anglophile. Randy studied in England when he was younger and fell in love with the game. He is in constant contact with Paul and he brings his knowledge of the NFL and the American sports world that he can combine to create a successful hybrid business model taking the best of both worlds. This, to me, is what is going to give you an advantage in the years to come.
There are a few photos for you. Let me know what you think.
Whilst Faulkner may have done a lot for the club off the pitch such as investment in infrastructure/ training ground, support to acorns, community initiatives, etc, ultimately the everyday fan judges the club on the pitch, and that’s where we have fallen badly short for a sustained period of time now.
It’s nice to have a state of the art training ground, the holte done up, etc but I’m sure we’d all swap that for a successful team and we are a million miles off having that. And that is why the board come in for flak on a weekly basis.
Agreed Richie I’d rather have a ground like small heaths and have a successful team than have a poxy pub done up ffs
And what does Lerner being American have to do with the price of fish? Nationality doesn’t and shouldn’t matter. Football is the business, what a surprise…
For all comments and article the other day about how supporters should never turn on fellow supporters and showing unity as a community some of these comments are pretty shameful. Way to crucify the kid for being excited about the sport and club as a whole, top notch.
How many successful American owners in the uk are there. Lerner is shit, Liverpool owners not the brighest remember Dalglish their MON! A lot of utd fans can’t stand the glaziers and they can no longer compete for the big names like they used to. The glazers took over a successful era for utd now that era has ended lets see what happens now.
Successful American owners? Looking at the table this morning quite a few – Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd. All pretty successful over the past decade if we are gauging by results?
I think Man Utd has finished either 1st or 2nd for the past 8 seasons? I could be wrong with that stat though. Sure the success could be down to Ferguson, but he also wasn’t cutting the checks. They started their takeover in 2003-2004? Anyways, I think the purchase of RVP is a pretty good example of their intent for seasons to come. I agree the fans may be divided on the Glaziers but you can’t deny they have been successful overall. To write them off completely now that Moyes is manager would be pretty ill advised.
The same could be said for Liverpool, who I personally can’t stand, but the new owners definitely know what they are doing now. It’s true they backed the wrong horse with Dalglish, but he was also caretaker when their takeover happened, and a fan favorite. At the very least you must admit they’ve learned from their mistakes by firing him swiftly and appointing Rodgers. I can’t see them challenging for the title at the end of the season, but they could be a real threat in a season or two.
Overall though, I could care less if any fan has an issue with Lerner as an owner. You can dislike him for a whole list of reasons, the appointment of McLeish stands out to me, but I do think it is close minded and offensive if someone’s main complaint is that Lerner is American. It’s just not an appropriate excuse to criticize Lerner or anyone for that matter.
Yep but those American owners took over successful teams on the first place Lerner took over a pile of shit tried to build us up for 3 years then realised there’s no point so gone the opposite way!
That argument don’t hold piss! How were Man U, Arsenal doing before they (Americans) threw their hat(s) into the ring?
Man U had dominated the Premier League since its conception and won that unprecedented treble in 1998/9, so we can safely say they were doing quite nicely thank you very much.
Arsenal Kroenke completed the takeover of Arsenal in 2011 so what did he have to do with the Invincibles of 2003/4 or the qualification for the Champions league for the past 11 years?
Liverpool, you forgetting the Gillett and Hicks fiasco? And what have they won since the Yanks took over?
BWS if that argument doesn’t hold piss then i am very skeptical about the urine containment ability of your anti-Lerner arguments.
your logic is that the american owners of Arsenal, Liverpool or Man Utd do not deserve credit for maintaining those clubs continued relative success. due to the position they found those clubs in when they bought them.
So what was our average finish in the prem league before Lerner .. and what is it after?
surely as he had inherited a mid table club then he can’t be blamed for maintaining our mid table status?
by the way i am not overly pro Lerner, i think he has made mistakes .. but i also don’t know of an alternative to him right now.
I am also 100 % certain there have been worse owners in the premiership era.
Exactly what’s the fuckin point of mid table finishes tge whole ethos of Lerner taking over was to make us great again not the laughing stock of the prem ffs
COLONIUS81 I think their continued success (Man U particularly ) is in spite of the owners and not because of them.
Not really they havnt competed for the big names most of them were at utd before they came and they had an exceptional manager in fergie. Rvp is there only world class signing in a long time
Morning all, Marvin not having ago at Casey at all, good luck to his future at Villa Park, you have to think he’s now in a bubble with people doing wishes of how Lerner wants things to go at the club, I’m sure your not happy at the moment with our club , I’m not, only a few more games might make people see we are on the wrong track till then only god knows what will happen, Marvin if people are looked on as moaners now to what’s going on, would therefore be people to come on and say sorry to them if they was right? They ain’t around any more today. I love my club to care about them, I’m worried Marvin.
To be honest, the guys like Casey are the future of the club – the young foreigner. Some of us are born into the club and some adopt it, in either case lets not scare the nice folks away. It’s just great to hear him talk about his honeymoon with the club.
As supporters, of any club, we do moan a lot. I myself didn’t have anything good to say when McLeish was in charge. On reflection I’m not sure what I was hoping to accomplish, but it was a trying season. Although, it ok to be worried.
Personally, I’m content. The club is pretty much where I thought we would be at this point in the season. Villa still have a good number of games coming up which are easily winnable, regardless of our current form. While some may see doom, I predict Villa to be fine come the new year. Then again, I predicted we would finish 12th this season. If we do get relegated I will say I was wrong though.
I love the way some people come on here and say we are all moaners then moan them selves lol plus all football fans moan when there clubs are doing shit look at Chelsea and man u fans had it good for years yet are still moaning villa have won nothing snice 1996 and been in relegation battles for 4 years had the worst thrashing last year get played off the park every week we have every right to be moaning at the present
I Spent a year and a half in the Villa kitchens and I have to say it was my favourite of all the places I have worked within the catering sector.It is a grand place to work and a great club.Im glad you had the chance to work at AVFC to.Not everybody shares the positive vibes that you portray in your post.Im glad to hear your views and it is a refreshing post thankyou.UTV
Little off topic but all these people saying support lambert seem to have sort memories remember last December when we couldn’t score and got beat loads of times and lambert didn’t have a clue want to do and yet this season In November its the same again cant score lambert has no clue difference this season lambert done it yearly than last season so in fact we are worst than last season but the lemmings carry on like there nothing wrong makes me think fans dont want villa to do great
Hahahaha, so because we are having a bad patch earlier we are worse? Great logic there especially when this bad patch includes beating man c and arsenal! And then even better Lambert didn’t know how to fix it last year? I think he did fix it and we went on to finish the season strongly so sorry i might be a lemming but at least im not full of complete bollox! Oh ya and i definitely don’t want villa to do great i want man utd to win everything that’s why im a villa fan haha
To the contrary, your the most of full of bollox poster I’ve ever had the displeasure to read on this site.
Worse than me ? I take that as an insult lol !
Lol very amusing Mr Vaze.
Bloody hell Bill , Kerry lost the plot with me, he wants me to go to the UN now, what should I do? Its only a football game.
All a touch OTT imo BP.
Well that’s an Irish fan for ya, don’t know one thing from another. Keep it up Kerryvillan can’t stop laughing.
Ya because i support the team i don’t know one thing from another, because i can put a reasoned argument against a post that was completely wrong all you can do is resort to racism! I thought that wasn’t allowed on this site or now is it just anything goes? Cause bein Irish and all i could say a fair bit about the mighty English but i won’t go down to your level. Great debate though i would love to see you at the UN im sure all your racist remarks could change the world!
Hang on Kerryvillan, your taking that to far, all my family are Irish so don’t go there, typicle remarks to use on a loss argument may I add, grow up and don’t be silly.
Again i didn’t lose any argument cause i was debating what villa1996 said and your argument was i must be wrong because im just an Irish fool, so if your gonna be racist at least be man enough to back up your racist remarks besides the fact your relatives happen to be from Ireland so its not possible to be racist, i know plenty of people who have half African half Irish or Asian Irish relatives but always talk shit about African and Asians yet still claim not to be racist, just like you! So i might add grow up, man up or stop being racist and just debate the football like i was before your derogatory comments.
Ha Kerry Villan I am Irish too (it was refreshing to lose an all ireland final to some else this year…:-(
I hear ya but no lets calm the passion with the racism thing.
it would be too funny anyway supporting an English club with a Scottish lion rampant on its crest which refers to one of its most famous players as god .. who happens to be Irish.
I know you are frustrated with the negative vibes on here, I have a similar reaction when i read the same 5/6 negative posters are the first to comment multiple times on every article.
I think some is genuine criticism, some is fan venting, which we all need to do and some of it i think is just designed to spark debate and traffic on the site. whatever we all enjoy it.
keep putting your points across. keep sharing your thoughts. in my honest opinion the lambert out argument is still very very weak.
the Lerner out thing is more about venting than anything else. I see his mistakes too. but in reality. the alternative is oust him and hope that we get a one in a billion chance of landing a sheikh/ oligarch.
its a non starter for me.
UTV
Thanks Coloniuse, it was meant as a banter, Jesus wept,
I give up,, I will give my two Irish grandkids a big kiss tonight when they go to bed.
I actually have no problem with the negative posters colonius, thats their opinion but if i feel they are wrong i will put my argument forward and actually love a debate! I just don’t like somebody who’s only comeback is to say my argument is null and void simply because of where im from, and then to go on and tell me i have lost an argument because i didn’t just accept being racially abused and that i need km grow up because i stood up for myself and my fellow Irish villa fans. I have no problem being called an idiot, that my views are stupid or im just plane wrong, but saying my views shoulda discounted because im Irish! That i just can’t accept!
Kerryvillan let it go now, enough ,to me it now sounds that your using your nationality as an argument, I have never had anyone say what you said to me, I’m a racialist person, I did not even call or said that you was a fool, you sounds very educated person to me , you think your way, I will do it my way, Villa is my love, and its yours also, I will say sorry if it sounded a racial remark was not meant to be. Please let it go.
Hang on how come its now Kerryvillane and was Kellyvillan. ?
Shut the fuck up Bill you racist twat
lol innit
Fair enough bill lets keep it to football so ya?
Sayin you were racist when obviously your not was of coarse a bit extreme but i just wanted u to know its not right to say i know nothing cause im Irish, like i said call me an idiot or anything u want but just don’t say my i know nothin cause of where im from, so i apologise for sayin it.
Talking of Ireland what do you think of 2 Sunderland rejects managing the team!
Fair play Kerryvillan, will do that, UTV.
Clam down lads if anything will blame lambert for not winning enough games its his fault I be much happier if we where winning I think want got on everyone nerves is the fact at the end of last season we were playing well and look like to go somewhere then this season someone put the brakes on and were playing anti football and lambert has abboned his style