Right, this started when Chico on the previous post alerted me to a story that Qatar Petroleum wanted to buy Blackburn, so I started looking around the web. I found out that according to the chicken farmers Blackburn wasn't for sale and that they had no idea how the story started.
Which led me to speculate, more wildly than normal, that there is no smoke without fire. Look at it this way; Qatar Petroleum is owned by the state and they have the World Cup coming up - what better way to make friends with the footballing community than owning a successful club in the most popular league in the world. I Tweeted and responses were mixed.
First, a disclaimer
I've got to get this out of the way; I think the game is broken and it needs to be fixed. I actually hope that one day it happens, but deep down, I don't think it will any time soon unless the supporters make it happen and that will only happen if we all, not just supporters from three or four clubs, but supporters from all clubs in the Premier League stand up and walk out.
And not just for one match, but for several and we have to stop paying money to TV companies and we have to stop buying endorsed products and we basically have to say enough is enough. But is that going to happen? I want it to happen but I think it would take a miracle.
So disclaimer out of the way - would I want a multi-billionaire oil baron owner at Aston Villa, here simply to buy success? Simple answer is yes and part of me would feel sick about it, but I have a feeling I'd soon get over that. Is that wrong?
What I mean is, if there is no smoke without fire and Qatar Petroleum are serious about getting into football and end up buying Blackburn or Everton, I can say with a little certainty, that they'll be playing top four football in two or three seasons and just like Manchester CIty, probably competing for silverware on a regular basis. I think that would make me just as sick - how we missed the train.
Change shoes
So for a minute - put yourself in the shoes of a Chelsea or Manchester City fan. Both of those club have gone from nothing to something simply because of an owner willing to buy silverware. Do you think many of their fans are that concerned about it?
The thing is, it is the new playing field and you know from reading above that I think it is wrong, but what has really changed for us over the past few years? Sure, Randy has made a lot of people feel good about the club, but what is football about? Is it about feeling good or is it about winning.
Football is almost about having the wealthiest owner these days. Sure, it is about the football and winning things, but good football and success is impossible without huge amounts of cash to throw away. And don't get me started on Financial Fair Play - I'd happily win the Premier League every season (FFP is a European thing, not a Premier League thing) and with every rule there is always a loophole.
Smoke without fire then
So, this is I guess, is about would you welcome a multi-billionaire oil baron owner (or country in the instance of Qatar Petroleum) to Aston Villa if the chances of us winning silverware on a regular basis went from extremely slim to extremely likely?
Or, are you going to stand up and walk out at half time in the next game? I'd love it if everyone did, but I can't see it happening and I hate writing it, but this is the game we are playing right now, so if the opportunity came about and it was an owner with deep enough pockets, I'd have to say, reluctantly to begin with, hello and welcome. I mean, what is the worst that can happen?
And that is a serious question. We have absolutely no chance of winning the league as things stand. So what is the worst that can happen with a new owner? Our chances increase or we stay the exact same. After all, football is about winning ... isn't it?
The game is broken
I've written it above and a few times on the site, but it deserves to be written. If I had the chance to accept one of two things, first, a multi-billionaire owner who was basically going to guarantee success for us or second, the ability to fix the game and make it fair and even for all sides in the Premier League, I'd take the latter.
The thing is, it isn't going to happen, so if I want to see success at Villa Park, I have to accept that unless things chance, we need this multi billionaire oil baron to show his cards now. I just don't think it will ever happen to our club.