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.
Comments
73 responses to “Aston Villa Gearing up for the Future”
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