Villa up for sale

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As expected, owner Randy Lerner has put Aston Villa up for sale after a disappointing season.  His statement reveals a certain weariness about the struggle to make a success of the club.

The anticipated asking price is around £200m, but whoever acquires the club would need to make funds available to acquire players if the club is not to get sucked into a relegation battle next year.   For Lerner, such a sale price would mean that he would recoup £100m less than his total investment in the club.

B league plan unpopular

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Among the proposals from Greg Dyke’s FA Commission, that for a new league for B teams has attracted most controversy.   A not uncommon response is why the lower leagues should be expected to sort out problems caused by the Premiership’s ‘greed’.

Under the plan there would be a new League 3 from 2016-17 with ten ‘B’ teams from top sides and ten Conference sides.   There would be promotion and relegation, but ‘B’ teams could not be promoted beyond League 1.  

Gambling clampdown will hit top clubs

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Premier League clubs face a substantial loss of income because of action by the gambling regulator on online betting operators that use the league’s international popularity to promote their websites to Asian audiences.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool are among a number of top clubs that have sponsorship deals with online operators that take very few bets from UK customers but benefit from the Premier League’s popularity in Asian betting markets.

Why is City fine so large?

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It appears that Manchester City are to be fined €60m or around £50m for breaches of Uefa’s financial fair play rules.   It is not clear whether the fine would take a phased reduction of Champions League prize money as some reports are suggesting.  In addition they are likely to face a cap on the size of their squad and possibly a wages cap as well.

City and Uefa far apart

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It was expected that an agreement between Uefa and Manchester City FC on the sanctions to be applied for breaches of financial fair play rules would be announced last Friday, but negotiations are continuing with the two sides far apart.

Uefa has proposed that City, along with Paris Saint-Germain and a handful of other clubs, agree to a heavy fine and a reduction in the number of players they can register for next season’s Champions League.

What future for Villa?

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Aston Villa effectively secured Premiership survival with their win over Hull City yesterday.  But what is the future for the club?  Do they have a strategy that will enable them to tap into the potential to be the leading club in the Midlands?

Of course, Midlands football is in a sorry state, notwithstanding Wolves winning League 1.  Birmingham City survived by the skin of their teeth yesterday.   West Bromwich Albion will end up not far above the relegation zone.