Villa director's listening to the fans

Nov 8 2006 By Lisa Smith, Birmingham Mail

IT was enough to have Villa fans scratching their heads in amazement wondering whether they were the subject of a cruel wind-up.

Their comments on an internet forum were, it seemed, being responded to by none other than Villa director General Charles Krulak.

Randy Lerner's right-hand man was replying to remarks made on a whole host of subjects on www.heroesandvillains.info, from overcrowding at food outlets on match days to the need to revamp the old Holte Inn in the shadow of Villa Park.

And if fans doubted it was the former Commandant of the US Marine Corps they will soon be in no doubt. Because the net surfer, decorated for his role in Operation Desert Storm and the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, aims to put his plans into practice.

Krulak took over the reins at Villa Park at the start of this season alongside Lerner.

A spokesman for Aston Villa said today: "General Krulak has been corresponding with fans on the website. He is very keen to deal with fans directly and gauge their views on a whole manner of subjects."

Villa fans who use the site welcomed the General's comments and his openness with them.

Leighton Castle, from Walsall, said: "When I first saw the posts in the name C Krulak I admit I thought it was a wind-up.

"But when I read into them and realised they had to be from the man himself. It is so refreshing to have a Villa director so closely involved with the fans and so great to have someone keeping us informed of what is going on at the club."

Among the General's posts are promises that Mr Lerner is looking at improving the ground. He also reveals that he recently watched a game from the Holte End to sample life as a fan.

He wrote on the web: "One of the reasons I went to the Holte End two games ago was to see for myself and Randy what the 'experience' was at half-time.

"OUCH!!! I met some great people but...VERY crowded and VERY difficult to get food. We are already looking at ways to ease this problem."

* Have your say on this story at www.birminghammail.net/villa/yourshout