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Villa Takeover Goes Through


Gemmill
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Lerner to take control of Villa

 

Aston Villa have announced to the Stock Exchange a deal with Randy Lerner for the American billionaire to take control of the Premiership club.

Four consortia had been linked with the Midlands outfit but the Villa board have recommended Lerner's £62.6m bid.

 

Lerner said: "It is my belief and the basis for my bid that Aston Villa can compete at the highest level within the Premiership and in Europe."

 

Outgoing chairman Doug Ellis was at the helm between 1968-75 and from 1982.

 

The 82-year-old has been the target of constant supporter unrest in recent seasons with fans upset at his lack of financial backing.

 

But he said: "It has been my sincere pleasure to have been involved with Aston Villa these many years, both as chairman and as a substantial shareholder.

 

"The club has been an enormous and immensely enjoyable part of my life.

 

"I wish to thank the many staff at Aston Villa over the years for making the club what it has been and what it is.

 

"I am sure this transaction will be the beginning of a new chapter in Aston Villa's proud history."

 

Villa recently appointed Martin O'Neill as manager and each of the groups in the race to buy the club were reported to be happy with his appointment in the midst of the takeover battle.

 

O'Neill is now likely to have more transfer funds available to spend before the transfer window closes on 31 August.

 

Michael Neville, a local businessman and Villa fan, headed one group keen to assume control of the club while another was put together by Nicholas Padfield QC.

 

Athole Still, the agent of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, was also believed to be interested in taking over.

 

Lerner conducted the offer through his company Reform Acquisitions Ltd.

 

He added: "The club has a rich history and a long tradition of passionate fan support."

 

With O'Neill taking over as manager, and now this, it's very possible that Villa will be another team set to overtake and move ahead of us, in the same way that I genuinely believe Spurs are/already have. It won't be long before the higher wages we can offer players cease to outweigh the better career prospects that they have at these other clubs, if we're not careful.

 

Sorry to once again be a bit Rentonesque, but we're definitely in danger of becoming also-rans if these billionaire takeover deals keep going through in the Premiership, with Shepherd digging his heels in and refusing to sell his share. Having said that, it hasn't helped Portsmouth too much of late.

 

Let's hope that Villa don't hijack any of our transfer dealings over the next couple of weeks anyway.

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A month to the day since the "players statement" was released and we were all laughing at their predicament. Now they have Martin O'Neill as manager and a billionaire as chairman.....

 

How times change.

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This is another reason why we should have been completing our transfer business in the last couple of weeks. Everyone knew this was going to go through, so why weren't we getting our targets tied up in case Lerner and O'Neill come in with big money and blow us out the water.

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This is another reason why we should have been completing our transfer business in the last couple of weeks.  Everyone knew this was going to go through, so why weren't we getting our targets tied up in case Lerner and O'Neill come in with big money and blow us out the water.

176672[/snapback]

 

Yup, I'm a bit concerned that O'Neill might suddenly become interested in Bridge and Gravesen. Apparently Portsmouth have put in a £9.5m bid for Martins too.

 

It's all going swimmingly.

 

Fast forward to 11:47 on July 31st and Roeder "I'm still confident we can get three or four players in before the window closes. Damien Duff was not the last bit of business I'll be doing this month."

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This is another reason why we should have been completing our transfer business in the last couple of weeks.  Everyone knew this was going to go through, so why weren't we getting our targets tied up in case Lerner and O'Neill come in with big money and blow us out the water.

176672[/snapback]

 

Yup, I'm a bit concerned that O'Neill might suddenly become interested in Bridge and Gravesen. Apparently Portsmouth have put in a £9.5m bid for Martins too.

 

It's all going swimmingly.

 

Fast forward to 11:47 on July 31st and Roeder "I'm still confident we can get three or four players in before the window closes. Damien Duff was not the last bit of business I'll be doing this month."

176674[/snapback]

 

August 31st. July 31st would require a rewind.

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O'Neill poised to extend contract

 

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is expected to sign a long-term deal if billionaire Randy Lerner takes control of the club, BBC Sport understands.

 

The contract would be the longest held by any current Premiership manager.

 

O'Neill took over at Villa on 4 August after agreeing a 12-month rolling contract with chairman Doug Ellis.

 

But he had already held "detailed discussions" with Lerner and agreed the terms of a contract, a source close to the American told BBC Sport.

 

O'Neill also gained assurances from Ellis that he would relinquish control of the club.

 

The source has told BBC Sport that O'Neill and Lerner struck up a good rapport when they met and that they "share a mutual love of football and American Football".

 

Lerner, who is the chairman of credit card company MBNA, has vowed to provide the resources to turn Villa into one of the top four teams in the Premiership.

 

The 44-year-old has made an offer of £62.6m for the Midlands club, which has been accepted by its board.

 

An emergency general meeting of Villa's shareholders has now been called to discuss the bid.

 

Lerner and his financial adviser Keith Harris, who brokered Roman Abramovich's purchase of Chelsea, had been "thinking through" a deal for Villa for the last two years, according to the source.

 

The American is said to see a lot of similarities between the cities of Cleveland and Birmingham.

 

Lerner took sole control of the Cleveland Browns gridiron team when his father died in 2002 and claims to have turned them into the best supported team in the NFL.

 

Villa finished 16th in the Premiership last season and manager David O'Leary parted company with the club in July.

 

;)

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Lerner, who is the chairman of credit card company MBNA, has vowed to provide the resources to turn Villa into one of the top four teams in the Premiership.

 

I had assumed he made his fortune is sex education videos.

 

Villa now potentially have a better manager and chairman than Newcastle, the potential to fill a ground the size of St. James' and the cash to do it.

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According to the Sun :razz: his targets are -

 

DIRK KUYT (Feyenoord). Age: 26.

Position: Striker. Price: £10million

 

STILIAN PETROV (Celtic). Age: 27.

Position: Midfielder. Price: £5m.

 

MAHAMADOU DIARRA (Lyons) Age: 25.

Position: Midfielder. Price: £8m

 

WILLIAM GALLAS (Chelsea) Age: 28.

Position: Defender. Price: £4m.

 

OBAFEMI MARTINS (Inter) Age: 21.

Position: Striker. Price: £12m.

 

:lol:

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