At a wonderful service yesterday, led by Andrew Watson, Bishop of Aston, and Canon Brian Hall, Rector of St Marys Handsworth William McGregor’s grave was rededicated. Andrew and Brian were accompanied by representatives from the United Reformed Church, The Methodist Conference and the Church of Scotland with Canon Ken Baker ( Chaplain to Aston Villa) also playing a prominent part.
Peter Lupson who led the project gave a marvellous eulogy to William and Lord Mawhinney, President of The Football League, also paid tribute to William McGregor
There was a very good congregation who joined togetner at the graveside to redeicate the grave and view the marvellous restoration work
The Trust would like to say thank you to all who made donations and to all those who attended to pay tribite to this great man. Great thanks to the Club who agreed that the project could proceed and for hosting a reception at Villa Park
December 20th marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the great man, William McGregor, and to mark this event Heroes and Villains fanzine and the Supporters Trust are raising funds to have his grave in St Mary’s (Handsworth Wood) renovated.
Much of the preliminary work has been done by historian and author Peter Lupson, who has obtained a quote for the work of around £1,100. We hope we can get this money raised in good enough time to be completed by the anniversary itself, when there will be a service at the church with representatives from the 12 founder members and from the Football League in attendance.
As with the recent fundraising for the memorial plaque, donations can be made via the Paypal button on the left navigation bar (Paypal or Credit Card) or by cheque to Aston Villa Supporters Trust, 2 Coton Rd, Walton on Trent, Derbys, DE12 8NL.
“I was one of a group of supporter representatives and web site hosts invited to a meeting with Alex McLeish at Bodymoor Heath earlier today ( 22 June). Also present were Paul Faulkner and Brian Doogan.. Such an opportunity is unheard of and signifies that the Club recognise that our views are important.
There were no red lines for the meeting although any discussion on possible legal matters were embargoed and there was no discussion on available transfer budgets.
The discussion was very wide ranging covering the challenges of moving across the City (Alex cited his experiences at Rangers) and convincing the Villa fans that being an ex-Birmingham City manager was not the main issue – there was general agreement on this.
He thought that we had a good squad with many promising youngsters coming through and that there was a need to bring back within the fold those players who for one reason or another were not available for selection last season.
We were agreed that our priority is to recruit a top class goalkeeper and that we must retain Stewart Downing. No issues were ducked and Alex was very open.
We did discuss his playing style and the absence of goals scored by Birmingham City and whilst there were mitigating factors re injuries it was apparent that he thought that squad standards, or absence thereof, was a major factor.
The discussions lasted circa 75 minutes and personally I left encouraged by the amount of ground he had covered within the Club in a relatively short period. He realises that results will be the governing factor and I believe that all Villa fans should give him their support. Our Club is a major part of our lives and that must come before any personal misgivings.
Whilst the Aston Villa Supporter’s Trust has previously expressed its views on the potential employment of Alex McLeish it acknowledges that he is the chosen appointee. No doubt he will still meet with opposition but The Trust now calls on all Aston Villa supporters to do that which they enjoy most. Let us get behind our team, attend our matches and ensure that we play our part in ensuring a successful season.
We need to show the Board that Villa supporters believe Alex McLeish should not be considered for the vacant managers position and the Board should widen its search for a candidate that echoes the fans values and aspirations for the club.
The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust is disappointed at the decision of the Board to interview Alex McLeish for the vacant position of manager at Aston Villa FC. Alex McLeish’s record as a Premier League manager is not of the standard required for this football club, where his teams have had a poor goal scoring record and where the team has failed to be motivated after winning a trophy leading to relegation for the second time in a short period of time. Furthermore, his record of buying players leaves much to be desired. Although we support the Board’s ambition to find the right candidate that meets the criteria, we do not believe that Alex McLeish meets this criteria, and if Alex McLeish is appointed, then it will alienate a large section of the fan base against the manager leading to lost revenue. We feel that Aston Villa FC should widen its search criteria to extend beyond that of Premier League experience to get the right manager for Aston Villa FC.
Following Gerard Houllier’s exit, the rumour mill is in full flow, especially this evening’s news that Mark Hughes has resigned from Fulham. Peter Warrilow has been busy with the Press Association and Central News yesterday, and has conducted a further 2 interviews today with Central News.
Naturally, we would like to express our thanks to Gerard Houllier and wish him all the best in a full recovery. The attention now switches to the speculation of the new manager:
Our latest issue of our Newsletter has just been published which includes an exclusive interview with Gerard Houllier. He talks candidly about the club, the season so far and as we enter a critical part of the season, the fans support as the 12th man will be vital.
Written and contributed by villa fans it’s a must read, so don’t miss out and join today!
