Neville: Battle for Villa isn't over yet

Aug 14 2006 By Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail

VILLA bidder Michael Neville today refused to throw in the towel over the takeover saga - despite Randy Lerner's apparent victory.

The lifelong Villa fan said he would redouble efforts by his consortium to buy the club, with the 21-day period of grace still available to other bidders under City regulations.

The club has been at the centre of takeover speculation since last September, when a bid by Irish property tycoons the Comer brothers was first revealed.

A concrete bid by the Comers - spearheaded by Mr Neville - never materialised, clearing the path for Mr Lerner.

But today Mr Neville insisted: "This is not over by a long way - everyone else now has 21 days to act.

"I have been working on this for 11 months now, all unpaid, and I am not going to give up the ghost now."

He quashed rumours that he had sought to bolster his bid by linking up with a rival consortium led by Nicholas Padfield QC.

"There's no truth in that - I have no links with Mr Padfield at all," he said.

The Solihull businessman was first linked with a Villa takeover when he emerged as frontman for the Comer brothers.

But months of talks which led to due diligence investigations from club and bidder failed to trigger a firm offer from the Comers - leaving their proposed takeover dead in the water.

Mr Neville later emerged with unnamed backers in the latest round of talks to end the Ellis era -but was today facing defeat at the hands of the US billionaire.

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