Plea for trio to end Villa 'limbo'

Jan 6 2006 By Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail

VILLA chairman Doug Ellis and Irish property tycoons Luke and Brian Comer were challenged today to lay their cards on the table over the long-running takeover battle.

Aston Villa Shareholders' Association chairman Jonathan Fear said the current state of uncertainty over the future of the Midlands' biggest club was "unhealthy for everyone at the club.".

Villa are still waiting to receive a concrete offer from the Irish consortium fronted by Solihull businessman and lifelong fan Michael Neville amid reports a possible deal is on the verge of collapse.

Fear is calling on both sides - Villa chairman and major shareholder Doug Ellis and Irish property developers the Comer brothers - to make their intentions clear to shareholders.

He said: "The club is left in limbo with the way things stand. All the quotes you see regarding a possible takeover appear to be conflicting and confusing.

"It would certainly be nice if there was better communication from both parties and they made statements and said what stage the takeover is at.

"It would also be nice to hear whether Doug Ellis would welcome other approaches if the current one does not become something concrete.

"At the annual general meeting in October Doug claimed he hoped to be in a position to let shareholders know whether the takeover proposals were viable within a month and officially we have heard nothing since.

"But it would be good if this current situation was resolved one way or the other, sooner rather than later.

"This current situation is unhealthy. Portsmouth have shown the way to conduct a takeover with everything being virtually signed, sealed and delivered before it became public."

Ellis has been reluctant to make any public comment on any takeover bid but he is said to be fast approaching the stage when he believes Neville and the Comers should "put up or shut up".

Mr Neville told the Mail earlier this week that no clear-cut development over the takeover would happen before mid-January as due diligence - sifting through the accounts - continues.