Aston Villa to tour America and bid for Bardsley
Sunday, 18 February 07, 07:00 PM
Aston Villa will be touring America this summer according to a post General Charles C Krulak has made on one of the forums and according to a few papers, manager Martin O'Neill will make a ?1.5mn. bid for on-loan defender Phil Bardsley.
First things first and the American tour this summer. Nothing is confirmed yet as to where and when but I wouldn't be surprised if Cleveland was included at some point for the squad and who knows, maybe a trip to LA and a possible match against Beckham United could well be on the cards.
I have a feeling that this tour might see quite a few people deciding to have summer holidays somewhere else this year.
Onto Bardsley. The News of the World are saying ?1.5mn and if United are willing to accept that I'd say pay the cash now. He's shown himself to be a decent enough defender and what can you get these days for ?1.5mn. in the world of football?
Not really much else going on at the moment because of this long break. We will have someone in Spain next week sending us the news and the odd photo of Villa in training and if any of them are remotely interesting we'll publish them. Apart from that, expect a few rumours but nothing much else for a few days.
Comments (7)
Cleveland should definitely be a stop on the tour, but really, any major city in the US will generate a pretty good crowd. Americans, such as myself, are really into going to games featuring our European heroes (or if not exactly heroes, then at least those we admire). I live in NY, but am from the Cleveland area so I've been to games at the Browns stadium and several at the Meadowlands. Every one of them has generated a pretty solid crowd (sold out when Barcelona played the Red Bulls last summer).
I'd imagine Villa will come here, go to Cleveland, and should also try to arrange a games with Mexican league team in Mexico or near the border in the southern US and also play Houston, LA, or Dallas of the MLS. That would create a larger fan base within the region.
Last time I saw Villa play live was back in the late 90's when they toured the US with Brian Little in charge. The match was against the LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl and Stan Collymore was in the line-up having just signed weeks earlier. Pretty sure there will be a game against the Galaxy again but I wouldn't mind making the trip to Cleveland.
A BIG hello to our US fans
This should be good for the squad! For the last few seasons we've targeted extremely poor teams to play on tour and haven't exactly been anywhere inspiring!
Playing in the U.S will be a big eye opener for a lot of the players, the game, atmosphere and lifestyle is so different over there and I am sure it will be of more value than another trip to Scandanavia!
The tour is definately a business thing as much as it is a playing thing. There is so much scope to expand the fanbase over there and that can only be good for business!
On another note, I hope we do sign Bardsley. That price is nothing for a player like him, especially when players like Upson are going for £6 million!
going on tour in the usa would be a great opportunity for the villa. an inspiring trip could mean that we get a bigger fan base. now that nike, a popualr american make are sponsors of our kit, it will certainly make us more recognised. and it will also boost people watching the english premier league, up the Villa!!!
Maybe we should buy an American player? Just a thought...might help with selling our new Nike shirts.
Truth, Justice and The Villa way.
Shame that we didn't even bid on the best two American players we could have gotten this January (Owenyu and Dempsey).