Big Bill is in town
Bill Bonsiewicz is in town.
Who?
The Cleveland Browns vice president of communications.
Why?
Not altogether sure, but I believe it might be something to do with Villa learning from the Americans how best to handle the media.
I had the fortune of meeting Bonsiewicz last week, and an extremely charming man he appears to be.
We had a fascinating chat about how open the locker rooms have to be in the NFL with regards to reporters, and how the rules stipulate how often a coach has to talk to the media. Six days a week, it appears, the press are hounding the Browns with just one day off prior to the game to allow for preparation.
Eight years ago, and for two or three years, I used to sit in my car at Bodymoor Heath and wait for three, four or five hours at times for the players to come out. And then not- so- much plead for an interview, but certainly ask nicely.
The likes of Gareth Southgate, David James, Mark Delaney, Alan Wright, Ian Taylor and Paul Merson rarely, if ever refused. Ugo Ehiogu was good value- though not in the hours that preceded his move to Middlesbrough. I remember the Villa first team coach had driven off without him prior to one particular match during that period of uncertainty.
George Boateng was a nice chap whom I got to know pretty well. Hassan Kachloul became a good friend. He once almost got past me, driving out of the front gates in a battered old red Renault which he had rented so as not to draw attention to himself.
Julian Joachim often used to stop his giant 4x4 monster truck. His feet probably dangling a good two or three inches above his pedals.
If you got to the training ground quickly enough you might even stop Lee Hendrie before he had whistled past you, a minute after the session had ended, on his way to the golf course.
Gareth Barry- someone I hold a lot of respect and admiration for- has always been excellent, right from those very first days when he was incredibly shy whenever interviewed.
Through the years many players, like Juan Pablo Angel, have kept in touch. JPA called my mobile for a chat from America in the hours after being named MVP in a Red Bulls game against Celtic.
Not every player wants to speak. Dion Dublin rarely spoke to the media, but he was such a popular figure within the dressing room that you could actually understand his reasoning.
Then there are others: David Ginola wouldn't waste his breath. Peter Schmeichel neither. Always poor that. Because I like to think I represent the Villa fans in my role at the Mail. How laughable is it when some of these names appear as media pundits in the years that follow?
There are actually a small number of current players that I wouldn't waste my breath on. You can generally spot them leaving the training ground with a "squared off" potato piece on their shoulder.
But in the main the current squad are exceptionally receptive to an interview request with the best of all definitely Barry and the soon-to-be departing Olof Mellberg. Gabby Agbonlahor is always good value, Curtis Davies will, I'm sure, be the voice of Villa for years to come. He really does not mind a camera or a tape-recorder one bit. Almost thrives on it in fact.
So Villa don't need any help, at the moment, surely?
Not when you're sixth in the league, when you have a winning team and a manager and a chairman that 99.9 per cent of the fans love. That's when everything looks after itself.
Villa's profile at the moment hangs on Martin O'Neill. His every last word, his every sentence is gulped up in bucketloads by the likes of me. (And may I add that you can buy me in packets of ten) "He is", as one national reporter told me in the car park outside The Hawthorns- of all places- on Monday night, "a winning manager". End of story. The papers therefore need him just as much- and probably a lot more besides- as he needs them.
I actually spoke to Martin on the telephone yesterday afternoon for some length of time, although he was rushing in his car between personal engagements.
Where would Villa be without him? Nowhere near sixth, that's for sure.
Without O'Neill's time and effort far less words would appear in print about Villa and far less seconds of air time, regardless of their good season.
It's when results turn and the pressure is on that the club relies on its many relationships with the newspaper men and the radio and TV reporters that cover them in so finite a detail.
And perhaps that is where Bonsiewicz comes into play?
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Bill Howell
Mail man Bill Howell’s view of what’s going on at Aston Villa FC.
"It's when results turn and the pressure is on that the club relies on its many relationships with the newspaper men and the radio and TV reporters that cover them in so finite a detail."
I'm trying to fathom out what on earth this sentence means. Does it actually make sense? (Why is it so long - are you fined a tenner for every full-stop you use?) Why is it suggesting bad times are around the corner? What is the purpose of unsettling your audience?
On the theme of the media and football, I genuinely believe that the media has created several "chosen" clubs for its own ends. In so doing, these clubs have prospered. The rest don't matter. This attitude of the media is destroying the traditional English game as a fair competition. Unfortunately, local Midlands reporters have rarely done anything of note to put forward the cause of local clubs to a wider, national audience. For example, Mr.Howell, I believe that you have played your part in unsettling Gareth Barry through your sensationalist articles of late.
I can't imagine how you might actually believe that Aston Villa F.C. would ever "rely" upon a relationship with people such as yourself -especially when you contrive to destroy and unsettle at every given opportunity.
"I like to think I represent the Villa fans in my role at the Mail."
You may like to think so but the reality is you couldn't be further from what it is to represent Aston Villa supporters. The message boards haven't a good word to say about you, some 'representation' you're undertaking that is...
Makes me laugh all this backside licking fans who want to have 'the General's' babies. Billy boy does an excellent job and takes no bull from the nationals and sets the agenda. Sensationlist re Barry? Come on, Barry wants out, doesn't matter what Bill writes or Berger says (which was very funny). I only take him to task on his bit where another hack says O'Neill is a 'winning manager'. Too many in the media are blind to O'Neill's failings and fall over themselves to fete him. I think he's out of his depth and will be found out. Helping a small club over achieve like Leicester or managing in Scotland (goodness, even Strachan looks like he can manage) is more for O'Neill and his blarney.
I thought that was a very in-depth and informative blog post no matter what people's opinions of Bill (or O'Neill) are. It's interesting to hear about the 'real' side of players that a lot of the time fans don't get to see because they are wrapped in cotton wall by today's over-protective press officers.
FAO - bob,
Not being funny but what do people on mesage boards know? It's people waveing their youknowhats around and brown noseing general krulak. all of them think they are experts.
Fact is bill speaks to oneill and has relationships with people at the club. Most people on message boards are so wrapped up in their own self importance that they wouldnt understand that.
Those who dislike bill are obviously just bitter because he gets the access they can only dream of
Too right Jack, well said.
How on earth Macca thinks Gareth Barry could be "unsettled" by reading something in the Birmingham Mail is beyond me.
Fact is Barry wants out, and will go, that's football.
Nothing Bill says or writes will do anything about that.
Interesting Macca that you question why Villa would want to have any sort of relationship with Bill.
And then reading today's story I note O'Neill actually contacted him personally to have a go at Benitez.
It's the Villa fans on the messageboards who are out of touch, not Howell.
Villa fans on messageboards don't half make me laugh.
When they've gone through everyone else who could possibly be to blame, they then turn on the local reporter.
All this will fawning over the General like some lovesick schoolgirl. Arf.
Seems like a few desperate championship club supporters who wreck their own ground along with Birmingham Mail staffers (probably even Howell himself) have been posting replies...
'Jack' - aren't the fans on the message boards the very people Howell is claiming to 'represent' - the fans? Is he not therefore equally clueless?
The reaction to Krulak is sycophantic even I'd agree with that but let's put it into perspective, for years the fans had Ellis who didn't care about their viewpoint, now they have ownership that is willing to listen to them anytime they want. Is that not very appealing to fans of any football club?
As for the fans being jealous of Howell's 'access'. I had to laugh at this because the question in the General's thread regarding the journalist was to request he was stripped of access because he writes garbbage. Me thinks somehow jealousy definately doesn't come into it, does anyone honestly believe Martin O'Neill cares if Bill Howell is around to ask him questions?
A quick repsonse to Ray. It is interesting how O'Neill contacted Mr. Howell in order to address the Benitez situation but then again what else could he (O'Neill) do? Bill Howell is the Villa correspondent of the local paper. The assigned club correspondent from your local paper should be your first port of call if you wish to set a matter straight as quickly as possible with your local fanbase. I would view Mr. Howell as a tool at O'Neill's disposal. (I'm sure, on reading his articles and blogs, that that is how Mr. Howell views O'Neill and Villa.)
As an analogy, imagine if you needed to hang a picture and the only hammer you had at your disposal was a clumsy, loose-headed mallet that had rested at the back of your shed for the past thirty-odd years. If it's the only one you've got you will use it to hammer in the nail.
Mr. Howell is, if you'll forgive me, the hammer at O'Neill's disposal. Loose-headed, clumsy and prone to causing more harm than good, it is, nevertheless, a tool that I'm sure O'Neill is prepared to put up with until something a little truer and more reliable comes along.
It is not a matter of being "out of touch" that I have an issue with. It is how Mr. Howell interprets the information he has access to...it is the constant negativity that is threaded through his articles. It is high time that someone who has a genuine respect and love for Aston Villa became The Mail's Aston Villa club correspondent.
Look at how Mr. Howell ends the above piece:
"It's when results turn and the pressure is on that the club relies on its many relationships with the newspaper men and the radio and TV reporters that cover them in so finite a detail.
And perhaps that is where Bonsiewicz comes into play?"
Sh*%-stirring of the highest order, written in a sneakily suggestive manner implying bad times ahead for Villa. This is not the way a club reporter should be writing about a club. Mr. Howell should remember that his role centres around his relationship with the fans as well as with the club. He may well feel he is serving the latter well but he is clearly treating the former with contempt. He delights in the negative spin. This has reached the point whereby such lack of integrity in Mr. Howell's Villa Park portrayals is seriously undermining any useful purpose in his work.
That, to say the least, is a shame and immensely disappointing, leading to many Villa fans shunning their local paper.
Macca, some interesting points.
However, having read some of Bill's blogs he talks about lengthy phone calls and meetings with O' Neill on a weekly basis.
Now O'Neill wouldn't be doing that if he at least had some respect for him.
I think the way club websites operate these days I'm sure O'Neill could just get away with talking to his own press people.
There wouldn't be any need to talk to Howell, and if he felt he constantly took a negative line or misquoted him he wouldn't do it.
I don't want Barry to go, like every Villa fan I'm sure.
But I think it's going to happen.
O' Neill is quite clearly never going to say so publically, it would make him look bad and would perhaps make other teams think they can get him on the cheap.
What O'Neill says to Howell, and what Howell is getting from other sources - probably even Barry himself - might be very different.
Howell's not doing his job properly if he doesn't try and find a balance between the two.