VILLA PARK AND THE QUIET AMERICAN

17-04-2008

Never mind those rowing Yank owners at Anfield – Richard Nevin applauds the quiet American Randy Lerner whose takeover at Villa Park is doing far more to enhance the club’s heritage than 20-odd years of local ownership achieved.

Following acquisition by new American owners, there is a boardroom battle ensuing at Liverpool Football Club and what’s more it’s being played out in full view of the media. After all the talk of respect for the clubs history and tradition, the conduct of the two parties is all rather undignified and, I’m sure, pretty frustrating for the supporters.

Travel down the M6 to the West Midlands and you find a similar battle going on just off junction 6. This too involves the owner of a football club who also hails from across the pond, but that’s where the similarity ends.

The battle in question is for the hearts and minds of the club’s supporters, and some would say it has already been won.

Every football supporter believes that their club is special. Regardless of achievement or even lack of it, there’s some reason that sets it apart from the norm and us Aston Villa fans are no different.

Villa have had their fair share of success , albeit at the start of the last century, give or take 1957 and a rather fine blip in the early eighties. But it wasn’t this that thrilled me as a child, nor was it thrills and spills on the pitch.

For me it was the ground, and just beating the mammoth Holte End terrace as number one in my affections was the Trinity Road Stand, stunning frontage, gable and all.

Approaching the ground on the road from which it took it’s name, this structure was breathtaking, all Victorian pomp and superiority (although it was built in the 20th century), it oozed style and dignity, everything a football club should aspire to and it was at MY club.

That’s why I believed Aston Villa were so special, Manchester United had more fans, Liverpool were more successful, Arsenal had marble halls and a bust, but none could match the entrance to Villa Park.

The thing is, this view was not especially shared by the club’s previous owners and as such the stand was demolished and replaced, and coupled with the demise of the old style Holte, the Villa Park of my youth was lost. That is until now.

When Randy Lerner took over at Aston Villa, the history and heritage of the club was identified as an integral part of the club. Long overdue recognition for the 1982 European Cup Winners was a start followed by the stunning transformation of the old Holte Hotel.

But this afternoon at Villa Park, upon the removal of a section of scaffolding from the rear of the “new” Holte End the biggest sign of the current owners intention was laid bare in all it’s glory.

Arguably the finest features of the old Trinity Road Stand were the ornate mosaics that spelt out the clubs name, sadly these were lost forever when the old structure bit the dust, but as I walked up to the ground this afternoon, staring in wonder at the newly installed Holte End mosaic, I suddenly felt that magic again.

No fanfare, no press conference, no spin or sound bites. There’s no need, the old adage was never so apt. Actions speak louder than words.
 
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