Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust would like to place on record its thanks to Christian Purslow after recently leaving his position as Chief Executive at the Club. Whilst some fans have pointed to the recent debacle of the season ticket increases and the ill-fated appointment of Steven Gerard as recent failures, the Trust believe this is too simplistic given what he has achieved in his 5-year tenure.
After his appointment in 2018 by the ownership of Nassef Sawiris & Wes Edens (NSWE), he has overseen a transformation in our fortunes both on and off the field.
While he has led the Club from the Championship to European football, the upward trajectory has been far from smooth. The enforced managerial change last year was pivotal in kick-starting our season. Though on balance, he has arguably made or contributed more good decisions than bad, hence our progress.
Under Purslow’s stewardship, we have made great strides behind the scenes. However, some of this would not have been possible without the investment of NSWE. He has restructured all departments to put us on a firmer footing to support growth on the football side, from the academy and through to senior scouting networks. Combined with improved commercial networks has seen imported revenues from numerous sponsorship deals.
He leaves the Club with world-class training facilities, a new inner-city academy opening this summer and a competitive Women’s team. In addition, the legacy of securing planning permission for the expansion and modernisation of Villa Park.
He has represented the Club well on numerous Premier League committees, a fact recognised by his peers on the news of his departure. With a strong media presence, he came across as a great ambassador for the Club.
The Trust is also grateful for his support at our AGMs by making himself available to our members and his willingness to engage with the Fan Advisory Board (formerly Fan Consultation Group). We wish him well in his future ventures.
Whilst we have every confidence in the new senior management structure, given the recent high-profile announcements, the Club must continue with full and meaningful consultation with the Fan Advisory Board. The perception was that our last meeting was ‘cut and dried‘ before we entered the room, with everything already decided. We must strengthen dialogue and increase fan involvement in decision-making processes, and this not merely be a tick-box exercise.
We look forward to the next Fan Advisory Board meeting and forging new relationships.