Microsoft co-founder interested in the Villa; It can’t be true can it?

Here’s a good news story for us, even if it’s the usual load of baloney that comes out of the papers.
Basically one of Microsoft’s co-founders is interested in buying the club;

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-gossip-microsoft-billionaire-8482194

Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft along with Bill Gates and as you’d guess, he’s worth a load of money.
$17 billion apparently or £11.22 billion in proper money.

While I’d absolutely love this to be true, you have to question it, if Tom Fox’s spiel not long ago saying that Randy Lerner is revitalised and keen for us to push on, is supposed to be true.
My opinion is that if Lerner was indeed revitalised, he’d have put his hand in his pocket and we would be signing at least a couple of decent proven players in this window.
Given that there’s no sign of this happening and indeed Lambert has said we can’t even afford Scott Sinclair, I think Tom Fox was talking rubbish.

So, if that’s the case, a sale is probably still on the cards at the right sort of price.

I’ve noticed a fair bit of debate on here recently about financial fair play and why it would be pointless for an owner to buy the club and pile a load of money in.
My take is that we all know there are ways around this, Manchester City’s stupidly massive sponsorship being the classic example.
Even then, what exactly is the punishment if you break the rules?
I believe you get banned from European competitions.
I’m playing Devil’s advocate here, but would that really be so bad?
Just think; a team that wins the league, but is banned from Europe would surely have a better chance of winning the title next season, wouldn’t it?
I suppose it depends on how important you think the Champions league is, but I’d be quite happy to be challenging for the title and put the CL on the back burner. Then when you’ve got a decent team, you start to comply and eventually get allowed into Europe.
The point is, you build a really good base to work from, with a top quality squad and all the best prospects in the academy.

All that said, it’s probably a fanciful notion and I’m sure you’ll tell me why.

Paul Allen buying the club is probably also a pie in the sky idea, but I’d so much love it to be true.
And even though I’ve previously said I don’t want Villa Park renamed, I think I could actually just about live with “Microsoft Villa Park”. Not that I’d expect Microsoft need to advertise in football.

107 Comments

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  1. Adam
    Adam January 23, 2015 at 11:09 am . Reply

    If we sign fletcher in any way shape or form I would be livid. The guy is well past it and a total waste of money, we have one united reject in Cleverly we don’t want another!

    1. saddened
      saddened January 23, 2015 at 11:46 am . Reply

      Well said that man, why to we have to contemplate has-beens, and if anyone younger shows any glimmer of talent they are put out on loan or bench warm !!

    2. GarethVilla
      GarethVilla January 23, 2015 at 12:07 pm . Reply

      Just like Joe Cole but we still signed him!

  2. Hitchens 60
    Hitchens 60 January 23, 2015 at 12:10 pm . Reply

    Very good piece by Robbie Savage on BBC web site today about our lack of creativity / goals. Apparently we have the lowest number of goals in the top nine tiers of English football – another unwanted record. Most revealing is Benteke’s loss of form – getting the chances but not taking them.

    1. BWS
      BWS January 23, 2015 at 12:34 pm . Reply

      H60 you forgot to mention also the lowest number of goals in any of Europe’s major leagues – England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
      Good job Roy Castle ain’t around, Lambert would have been straight on record breakers!

      1. Hitchens 60
        Hitchens 60 January 23, 2015 at 1:02 pm . Reply

        🙂

      2. Bill Pearson
        Bill Pearson January 23, 2015 at 1:08 pm . Reply

        What blowing his trumpet, remember BWS we still have kids that don’t even know him on here.

        1. BWS
          BWS January 23, 2015 at 1:12 pm . Reply

          Lol giving my age away Bill.

      3. steve
        steve January 23, 2015 at 1:08 pm . Reply

        If Lambert was on record breakers it would be a 1 hour special.
        I’ve come to the conclusion that with these past it and unknowns he thinks he is managing in Scotland.

        1. BWS
          BWS January 23, 2015 at 1:22 pm . Reply

          1 hour special, I like that ((-:

          1. Bill Pearson
            Bill Pearson January 23, 2015 at 1:31 pm . Reply

            Nay, it would cost to much, you’ll need a interpreter, an phycologists, mathematical genius, and then after go out after midnight might frighten the kids.

  3. pat57
    pat57 January 23, 2015 at 12:18 pm . Reply

    How depressing! Nearing the end of the month and a quick look at the transfer gossip only reveals that Jack G might go out on loan…Milner wants out of MC yet nothing about him returning to the Villa or anyone else coming in.

    My dad took me to my first match in 1956 so I’ve been a fan ever since. Never regretted that until this season… never been so depressed and bored in my life. Guess I’ll have to watch this again I suppose…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxfqFrCBqQ

    1. Andrew
      Andrew January 24, 2015 at 3:01 am . Reply

      Your complaint about nothing about wanting Milner to return should really be focused on the papers then, as they make up stories quite often so they should definitely be making up stories that we have a chance to get Milner back.

  4. Adam
    Adam January 23, 2015 at 1:59 pm . Reply

    Considering United can play Wilson sometimes with their strike force and he isn’t exactly anything special as yet, but we cant put Robinson or Grealish on instead of Weimann or Gabby lol It’s a joke.

    1. GarethVilla
      GarethVilla January 23, 2015 at 3:14 pm . Reply

      Lambert says the Scott Sinclair deal is ‘dead’ and that its ‘highly unlikely’ we will make anymore signings during this window.
      Championship here we come!!!

      1. Dave67
        Dave67 January 23, 2015 at 3:23 pm . Reply

        Am just after reading that and Lambert saying Lerner will back him on transfers. They are filling us fans with bullshits again.

        1. GarethVilla
          GarethVilla January 23, 2015 at 3:37 pm . Reply

          They always do Dave.
          Look at last January’s ‘signings’ –
          Ryan Bertrand and Grant Holt.
          One previous to that – Sylla and Dawkins.
          Its awful.
          They are pinning all their hopes on Gil, a 22-year-old who had 2 assists from 33 games last season.
          Concede goals and can’t score = relegation.

    2. Colonius81
      Colonius81 January 24, 2015 at 8:14 pm . Reply

      a very good point adam, with the quality reputation and sheer expense of the strike force ahead of Wilson .. there really isn’t any excuse for Villa not to try something a little different, whats the worst that can happen we lose? … again .. no change there then. whatever about robinson, I understood not giving grealish a go earlier on if they were adopting a softly softly approach but every time he has come on he has looked very lively. so considering we are the least attacking team in 4 divisions and probably most of europe .. whats the harm?
      I think criticism is warranted there.

  5. turv32
    turv32 January 23, 2015 at 3:20 pm . Reply

    At least we will have some derby games against the Noses!!!

  6. Adam
    Adam January 23, 2015 at 4:04 pm . Reply

    Bet Gabby is laughing his head off, no competition, no need to perform. Agreed, we our on our way down sadly.

  7. Hitchens 60
    Hitchens 60 January 23, 2015 at 4:11 pm . Reply

    Yep, sadly have to agree – we’re f**ked

  8. GIDDYVILLAN
    GIDDYVILLAN January 23, 2015 at 4:40 pm . Reply

    Can’t see anyone else coming in,too much depending on gil imo.the only way is down.

  9. Dave67
    Dave67 January 23, 2015 at 5:12 pm . Reply

    Lambert can’t see any more signings .If we don’t get a result on Sunday I can see Villa Park turning on him. Lerner and Lambert out.

  10. bencey83
    bencey83 January 23, 2015 at 6:09 pm . Reply

    We need more creativity and a goalscorer, not Darren Fletcher!!!

  11. VillaAwayInDiv3
    VillaAwayInDiv3 January 23, 2015 at 6:35 pm . Reply

    Thanks Pat57…for this link………
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxfqFrCBqQ
    Will be off for another look in a minute and then find other similar ones….Brilliant stuff.
    Thats why I chose Villa in Div 3 as it was just brill….I was 17 plus and went all over the country …mainly on my own but once we got to a new town you would all be pushed together by the police and it was just a marching choir as we sung all the way to the grounds….and back. Got ambushed a lot by the other fans but a spot of running keeps you fit….LOL.
    We may as well look back and enjoy as we aint gonna change anything in the near future…….might miss the Blues if we cross over.

    1. pat57
      pat57 January 25, 2015 at 12:31 pm . Reply

      The away game I remember most vividly was away to Mansfield where we needed a point to be sure of promotion and that’s what we got thanks to Geoff Vowden (if I remember right).
      Must have been way over 10,000 Villa fans there that night and we just took the whole town over. Doubt we’ll ever see times like that again (sigh)

  12. #HELENIUS
    #HELENIUS January 23, 2015 at 6:55 pm . Reply

    Just when I think I’ve heard it all!!

  13. VillaAwayInDiv3
    VillaAwayInDiv3 January 23, 2015 at 7:03 pm . Reply

    Coming up……going down…………..

  14. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson January 23, 2015 at 7:13 pm . Reply

    That was in the time we had a groundsman that sowed the grass seeds upside down, we had the worst pitch any club could have. It was dug up twice needless to say groundsman got the sack. Happy days Helenius.

  15. VillaAwayInDiv3
    VillaAwayInDiv3 January 23, 2015 at 7:32 pm . Reply

    Can you imagine the mamby pamby so called footballers on those pitches with those balls…….teams would never scorer. !!!!!
    .blimey I sound like me grandad…LOL

    1. GIDDYVILLAN
      GIDDYVILLAN January 23, 2015 at 7:39 pm . Reply

      We don’t score on fucking decent pitches.

  16. Hitchens 60
    Hitchens 60 January 23, 2015 at 8:02 pm . Reply

    Resigned to relegation now so no longer worried about results. Forget the Villa and enjoy the weekends again; that’s what I intend to do.

    1. BWS
      BWS January 23, 2015 at 8:19 pm . Reply

      How bab are things when you are sitting there watching Cambridge and thinking if only we could play like this.

      1. Bill Pearson
        Bill Pearson January 23, 2015 at 8:32 pm . Reply

        Doing the same, how many times have Cambridge been on goal, I bet its more times than Villa have all season.

        1. BWS
          BWS January 23, 2015 at 8:48 pm . Reply

          Bad ain’t it Bill.

          1. Bill Pearson
            Bill Pearson January 23, 2015 at 8:59 pm . Reply

            Bad isn’t the word Bill, its disgusting, I think Sunday is when people will react but like always to late.

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