Martin O'Neill to host dinner at Aston Villa for upset Moscow trip fans

Feb 28 2009 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail

VILLA boss Martin O’Neill has vowed to host a slap-up meal at Villa Park for every fan who travelled to Moscow to witness the club’s controversial exit from the UEFA Cup.

He made the extraordinary pledge to a small band of loyal fans as they flew home with the team, having paid a hefty £1,495 to travel with the squad for the game against CSKA Moscow.

O’Neill sat with them to explain his controversial squad choice and told them the team had been “the victim of its own success.” More than 500 followers took time off work and splashed out to travel to Russia to see a severely-weakened Villa side bow out of the competition 3-1 on aggregate on Thursday night.

O’Neill’s decision to rest star names Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey and James Milner has seen a massive backlash from angry fans.

Ian Harris was one of the fans who arrived back with the squad on the chartered flight at Birmingham International Airport.

The 42-year-old auditor from Brackley in Northamptonshire, said: “We were obviously disappointed by the weaker team that he decided to field and the result.

“He came to speak to us at the back of the plane, which I think was very good of him. He told us that he understood our disappointment and I think that went a long way to making amends.

“He also said that he was going to arrange for a meal at Villa Park for all of the fans that travelled to Moscow.

“He said he had to clear it with Randy Lerner and it would probably be at the end of the season at the Holte Suite, but I think it was a nice gesture. He got a round of applause.

“If we do finish in the top three I think all of this will be forgotten by most of the fans.”