This is my very first article ever, and could be my last…..I have tried to be as none judgmental as possible, but here goes
There has been much speculation over the last few days and I personally think the writing is on the wall, as they say, “Rumors only come about to prepare us for the outcome”
Red Bull is an Austrian owned business, its high level drink was created in 1987 and was the inspiration to improve performance of high extreme sports, since then the company has gone onto purchasing many sports business’s which have had significant impact in their sports areas, the most notable one being Formula 1, however it has increased its branding in most sports, all of its sports teams have to include the Red Bull name due to its branding status. Another notable item that includes the brand name is the sport home or venue, for example Red Bull Leipzig FC plays at its home stadium Red Bull Arena, and New York Red Bulls home is also Red Bull Arena. If you focus on Football alone it has four current teams in leagues in Austria, Germany, Ghana, and Brazil, all at top level within the designated country.
It would benefit the brand greatly if it gained a premiership team or a championship team which would graduate to the premiership in a short spell
I have tried to get some financial reports on the business but because it’s a privately owned business it does not have to declare its P&L, saying this it has 40% of the drinks market and sold around 5 billion cans in 2012. (That alone is a lot of money)
With all of its branding products it does have a very attractive portfolio when it comes to injecting finances into its projects, 2.2 billion on Formula 1 in 2012.
So I guess the outstanding question is as Villa fans and a product of our own for 140 years, would we accept a dramatic change in Colours, Team Name, and Ground Name, and a New Club Strategy.
Now before any of you go off on one, this site has bemoaned continually for Lerner, Faulkner, and Lamberts head over the past 2 months, some for the past 3 years, so at what price are you prepared to go to, so you are happy with the club? Remember change is always inevitable in our ever demanding society but at what cost is it acceptable.
One more thing to think about no other business has been linked with Villa except Red Bull.
Agree vtid I would love to see it if it means we can compete again.
Yes please where do we sign the contract , Aston Villa Red Bulls sounds pretty good tbh
I belong to the Automotive trade and I have knowledge that Red Bull want a well known team local to their Milton Keynes facility, which they can inject a new strategy with some income, but will give good returns in the sporting / footballing world.
I do see this as being AVFC.
More likely Watford !
Thought about that ooh but gold and black to red, white and blue to distant….lol
Progress guys, we all hate it but we are being left behind by others who have done it ….. The Emirates, The Etihad, Sports Direct Arena etc
It will always be Villa Park to us so let’s get them in and get back in with the big boys !!
There’s a big difference between us and say New York or a 3rd division German team, we already have huge exposure due to playing in the prem, they could possibly look to buy us and not need to make these wholesale changes, i can accept the shirt sponsorship, at a push i can accept sponsoring the ground because to us it will always be called villa park regardless, touch the name or the kit though and i’m done
I know it doesn’t fit with their business plan but then again neither does buying a club of our stature, I’m not instantly writing it off
We also have rules in the prem, the shirt sponsor that the other RB teams have for example, its too big for the regulations
Aston Villa FC is Aston Villa FC. Villa Park is Villa Park. end of discussion. It`s like selling your soul to get some results. Dont the club history mean anything for the fans?
Red Bull Villa? Are you kidding me? Fuck that!
I think its a little early tobe putting a name to any potential buyers dont you.? I mean apart from a collymore rumour tweet, what proof is there exactly that we are for sale?
It’s only my thoughts, which I’ve had over the past 9 months now, too many variables going on, and to many strange happenings at the Park.
I don’t think they would need to change the name or stadia just invest money and have their name on the shirt.But knowing Red Bull they would want everything.I would hate to lose the kings colours UTV
Said many times before I’d happily do it.
First of all the name Aston Villa will remain in the club title, so we just become Aston Villa Red Bulls. Don’t see the problem tbh. Second, the stadium, most grounds are being named after sponsors, if we want to compete we will have to follow suit, we’ll still all call it Villa Park even if it is Red Bull Park, in the same way Newcastle fans say St James Park, not Sports Direct Arena. Then I’d imagine with colours the kit would remain pretty much the same. So what is people’s problem.
We’d have a successful corporation supporting us all the way, we would be rid of Lamberk, Faulkner and Lerner and the club would become better know globally and in turn we would be able to compete for Europa League football at least with increased financial backing.
Its a win, win. Life is short, I’m happy to compromise to get us out of this vicious circle of doom and gloom that we are in. We have to break that cycle and total change in ownership, management and approach is the way to do it IMO.
I embrace the possibility of Red Bull and hope the rest of Villa fans see the potential here, what future or potential do we have under the current set up?
Good analogy and thoughts Belcs, one thing to think about Red White & Blue colours, and a bull badge not Lion……….
Thing is Red Bull have normally gone for small teams with little fans like Leipzig or Salzburg, so they can implement there wholesale changes with relative ease and more control. If RB were interested in Villa it could be a different approach as they wouldn’t be taking over small fry but one of the biggest clubs in the country. Who knows what they’d want, if they are interested the very least we should do it listen. We need a lifeline and this could be it, or of course it could all me made up bollocks on twitter. Who knows
Belcs, you are right. R.B. know if they are changing a big club it brings a lot of negative response to them. That´s not good for the business. And in the end such a concept isn´t a private thing from Mateschitz. If they are planning to buy a club they would go for a smaller one (Div1) with good potential, even in terms of future fan base.
Fuck off Red Bull, Lerner and anyone else who wants to change ANY of the following:
Aston Villa
Villa Park
Claret and Blue
I hope it doesnt happen in my lifetime!
Fuck off Lerner, Red Bull, the Villa is OURS
Nah not having it & i believe the majority wouldn’t either.good effort VTID.
Thanks Giddy appreciate the comment
Bring on Red Bull I say, who gives a shit if Villa Park is called Red Bull Arena or whatever, hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I’m not exactly going to say to a mate, oh are you going down to the Red Bull Stadium tomorrow or something, we’ll all still know it as Villa Park.
Like belcs says time is of the essence, I can’t take another few seasons like the last few, I want some pride back in Villa, if RB can do that, then I say yes.
If it changes then it isn’t the Villa anymore.It wouldn’t be AVFV winning would it.So you would have to give up everything and start again.
I’d say i’m more pro RB then against.
Sure, we don’t want to compromise on our history, but on the other hand we don’t want to limit our future possibilities. Inevitably the stadium name will change in next decade IMO the way things are going, i just wouldn’t want the name Aston Villa to dissapear and surely we’d have to carry on in Claret and Blue.
Still, I think this is all just gossip. Red Bull have never really bought a high profile club straight out, think they are more likely to go for someone like MK Dons near their base and use a smaller team with less of an identity.
It’s not as if MK Dons have any history or much of an identity to lose either. I’m not convinced Milton Keynes has quite the same catchment area as Birmingham though, if I were looking for a place to develop a club into one capable of fighting for the title I’d do it somewhere with a large number of fans and potential fans in the local area.
Good post VTID and well written.
We’ll never all agree and like everything else there’s positives and negatives to take from this ever happening. The question is do the positives of a takeover by a brand out weigh the negatives? I’m defiantly all for it, think it’d put us back on the football map.
Thanks B6 appreciate comment. Must admit there’s a lot of grumbling so down the park, and this only makes for people’s assumptions.
Something is about to change I just hope it beneficial to the 30K supports who have turned out week in week out.
Hi lads if it means we get rid of Lerner Faulkner Lamberk and his cronies relatives and the rest of the shit Lamberk as bought to VP then bring it on i say. No need to change the name that much how about Aston Villa Red Bull Park suit me.
As I’ve pointed out before, Red Bull should change the name of their drinks company to Aston Villa Energy Drinks and change the colour of their cans and the Aston Villa F1 team to claret and blue. Let’s not hear any more about changing the names Aston Villa and Villa Park. While they’re at it there’s a shopping centre in the centre of town they can change to the Aston Villa Ring and a large statue of a bull that needs painting in the correct colours. Maybe give it a new shirt in the new colours every season.
Foxy what great idea council might have a problem with the ‘Villa Ring’ though, but I like your thoughts
Long time reader- first time poster.
I’ve been a Villa fan for about 30 years- from the USA. I have never been to UK to see the Villa play in person. But I have followed them and watched the Villa on TV every year since I was about 8.
Obviously, I dont have the same passionate understanding as season tix holders- but I must say a change in ownership to a corporation like Red Bull would be a financial blessing… provided some iconic Villa traditions didnt change. Obviously this is all just wishful thinking/speculation… but this is a forum board after all ffs
1.AVFC keeps its name. I dont think this is unreasonable and difficult to expect/demand. EPL is a worldly viewed/watched league- with MUCH greater exposure than lower Austrian/Brazilian/etc leagues, so I dont buy the claim that just because RB’s other football teams took on RB name that we would have to. Perhaps the FA would raise a stink about the name change as well. Arent they giving the Hull City owner a tough time about his proposed name change? I thought the FA is allowing support groups/fans to vote on it or something. I would think Villans would protest name change here as well.
2. AVFC keeps its home colors. We typically have 3 sets of kits now anyways, why not keep our home tradition (albeit with the RB logo on the chest- instead of a gambling company), then we can have a white kit that matches all the other football kits from RB, our 3rd kit can be the crazy kit (neon green/checkerboard purple/etc). I dont really see anything wrong with that proposition.
3. Villa Park is renamed to fit the Red Bull brand. Getting a corporate stadium sponsor is inevitable, whether its RL selling the name for extra $$ ala Newcastle; or RB buys AVFC and just puts their own name on Villa Park. Anyone who thinks it will remain Villa Park forever is not living in reality. It will still be Villa Park to all the fans. I can even see RB renaming one stand ‘Red Bull Stand’ (preferably the Ellis Stand… lol)
Personally I hope the rumors are true- I would love to see a financially competitive AVFC in my lifetime. I too would be very disappointed/upset if the name and colors changed, but frankly I dont see that happening… despite what the RB website shows for their sports teams. sorry for the long post- thanks for reading.
VTID
Nice post EJS1111, but I think RB need to make sure their sponsorship is totally focused on their name, so I imagine they would want to brand everything like for like
EJS1111. Nice to see that we have Villa Fans that care in the states, and welcome to the site no doubt you’ve been keeping up with our misfortunes but hopefully happy days ahead, I hope that one day you will see Aston Villa in all its glory,
Good points EJS and good have someone from abroad putting a different slant on things. I agree with you but not sure if a) this will happen and b) if it does do they have the financial clout to mix it with Chelsea etc and if they do would they release 100s of millions anyway. Iv a feeling that they would turn us into a comfortable mid table team that has a good cup run every now and then. The problem is they would have to spend at £200m on players just to get us competing in the top 8 never mind the top 4 as we have fallen so far behind.
Hey TJ thought you was never going to respond, bit of a surprise though, you accepting the name changes, not sure if I could embrace all the changes RB would make, but sure would look forward to its rewards