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A Case Study of Aston Villa Football Club

Article  in  Journal of Public Relations Research · June 2012

DOI: 10.1080/1062726X.2012.671985

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Journal of Public Relations Research, 24: 201–221, 2012
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1062-726X print/1532-754X online
DOI: 10.1080/1062726X.2012.671985

A Case Study of Aston Villa Football Club

Danielle Sarver Coombs

Kent State University
Anne Osborne
Louisiana State University

With his purchase of Aston Villa Football Club (AVFC) in 2006, Randy Lerner joined the growing
ranks of foreign—and specifically American—owners in Barclays Premier League. During a
year-long investigation spanning the 2008–2009 season, we conducted extensive participant obser-
vation among fans, interviews with a variety of sources (including club officials, journalists, and fans),
and fan Web-site monitoring to understand the broader implications of Lerner’s takeover. A consist-
ently recurring theme during initial data analysis was the role of public relations in creating positive
perceptions of Lerner as an owner. This ran contrary to the experiences of his American counterparts
at other clubs. The British press, as well as academic researchers of sport globalization, has warned
against the loss of localized rituals and institutions in the wake of the ‘‘foreign invasion’’ (Osborne &
Coombs, 2009). Critics fear that foreign ownership of culturally rooted institutions such as English
football clubs will create schisms between supporters’ fan identities and their national or local iden-
tities. This article uses AVFC to examine the real-world context for two public relations theories—
relationship management and excellence theory—to demonstrate that well-managed public relations
may allow fans to maintain their commitment to their club while embracing globalization.

Football (better known as soccer in the United States) is on its way to becoming the world’s
‘‘truly universal sport’’ (Bairner, 2001, p. 13). It also is big business. A report by Deloitte’s
Sports Business Group places the value of the 2007–2008 European football market at 414.6
billion (approximately $20.5 billion). Nowhere is football more a fabric of the culture and econ-
omy than in the United Kingdom. English professional football generates £860 million in taxes
and £2.5 billion in revenue and seven of the world’s top 20 professional football revenue earners
are members of England’s Premier League (Jones, 2009). In recent years, television deals and
corporate sponsorships have become the norm, and even the league’s name changed from
English Premier League to Barclays Premier League. As the league has grown, it has become
increasingly multinational, with owners, managers, and players from countries and cultures all
over the world joining British clubs.
Despite numerous changes within the Premier League, very little research has looked at the
internal workings of clubs, particularly in terms of how communication strategies are used to

Correspondence should be sent to Danielle Sarver Coombs, Kent State University, Journalism and Mass Communi-
cation, 550 Hilltop Dr., Franklin Hall Room 204, Kent, OH 44242. E-mail: dcoombs@kent.edu
202 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

help clubs successfully navigate their progression from locally-rooted, community-based orga-
nizations to global brands with worldwide recognition and appeal. Where research on sport
and marketing communications intersect, scholars generally focus on how corporations can best
use sport within their marketing mixes, rather than how sport organizations employ public rela-
tions as part of their business functions (see e.g., Fullerton & Mertz, 2008; Raynaud & Bolos,
2008;). In fact, Hopwood (2007) noted, ‘‘Public relations is arguably the least understood and
most under-utilised of all the tools available to contemporary sports business’’ (p. 1).
Although researchers have paid little notice to the public relations functions of Premier Lea-
gue clubs, the business practices, particularly of foreign owners, have drawn attention and often
criticism from both fans and commentators. At the time of this writing, foreign nationals own or
hold substantial shares in 11 of the 2009–2010 Premier League teams. Americans outright own
two of the teams considered the Big Four (Manchester United and Liverpool) and have a sub-
stantial stake in a third (Arsenal), clubs that are cited as perennial powerhouses who regularly
compete with the best teams in Europe. A fourth American-owned team—Aston Villa—is
threatening to break into this elite group, as well. This influx of American owners—indeed, a
full quarter of Premier League clubs are now at least partially American-owned1—has led to fear
that American business practices could erode the traditions of English football. Public relations
practices sit front and center in this criticism. A Birmingham Post article titled ‘‘Greed is not
good for football,’’ for example, exclaimed:

The omens are not favourable. We are belaboured by phrases such as ‘global brands’ and ‘maximis-
ing revenue streams’. American-style marketing gobbledegook. Now we know why so many
Premier League clubs are owned by Americans, why half of them are in foreign hands. Their public
relations whizzkids tell them to bang on about the traditions of the clubs they vacuum up but, to
them, it’s a product, not a cause. Franchise United is now a major player. (Murphy, 2008)

One might suspect that success on the pitch is the highest priority for fans, trumping variables
such as ownership. The case of Manchester United, however, brings this into question. Malcolm
Glazer—owner of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers—and his sons purchased Manchester Uni-
ted in 2005. From the beginning, fans expressed concern rising to hostility toward the Glazer
family’s management of the club. Despite winning the league for the third year in a row and
taking home silverware during the 2008–2009 season (including winning the Football Associ-
ation Cup, the Community Shield, and the FIFA Club World Cup), fan opposition to the club’s
American owners grew. By the end of the 2009–2010 season (when the team finished only one
point off league winners Chelsea), the supporter-organized Green and Gold campaign symboliz-
ing active resistance to the Glazer family had earned mainstream attention and support. In this
instance, continued success on the pitch did not lead to acceptance of owners; rather, supporter
outrage grew. Liverpool owners Tom Hicks, who owns the Dallas Stars (NHL) and formerly
owned the Texas Rangers (MLB) and George Gillett, who also own NASCAR racing team
Richard Petty Motorsports, have faced similar fan opposition and negative press despite the
club’s continued success on the pitch (Osborne & Coombs, 2009).
Randy Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns, purchased Aston Villa Football Club (AVFC)
in August 2006 for £62.6 million. Whereas other American owners met resistance from fans,

1
American Ellis Short purchased Sunderland AFC in late 2008 and assumed 100% control of the club in May 2009.
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 203

Lerner was welcomed with open arms. His acceptance likely had more to do with attitudes toward
the previous owner, Doug Ellis, than any particular fondness for Lerner. Fans actively campaigned
to get Ellis out, organizing protests at matches and displaying banners proclaiming ‘‘We’re not
fickle, we just don’t like you.’’ This discontent with Ellis and the manager at that time, David
O’Leary, could explain why news coverage of Lerner’s purchase was overwhelmingly positive
(Osborne & Coombs, 2009). Since then, Aston Villa has become the model of a successful foreign
investment in the Premier League. In fact, an online subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting, Ltd.,
Football365.com, recently named Randy Lerner the top Premier League chairman, stating:

Lerner purchased Aston Villa a little more than a year before two other American financiers with
their fingers in sporting pies took over Liverpool, but they have offered lessons in how to and
how not to carefully run a football club. If nothing else, Lerner is a PR expert. (Miller, 2009)

Business think tank Tomorrow’s Company ranked Aston Villa at the top of its Premier
League table. According to think tank member Mark Goyder, this ‘‘stewardship table’’ was
designed to recognize those who work toward ‘‘handing something on to the next generation
in better shape than you inherited it, and not just the next quarter’s results’’ (Shore, 2009).
Given the anecdotal evidence that Aston Villa Football Club acts as an exemplar for Premier
League public relations, we set out to place its PR practices within the context of existent litera-
ture on effective public relations management. What we found is that the club’s PR activities align
with relationship management theory (Ledingham, 2006; Ledingham & Bruning, 1998) as well as
Excellence theory (J. E. Grunig & L. A. Grunig, 2000; J. E. Grunig, L. A. Grunig, & Dozier,
2006; Grunig & Repper, 1992). Our results also suggest how public relations practices can best
meet the unique demands of sport organizations, particularly in the context of globalization.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Globalization and Americanization

This investigation of Aston Villa Football Club’s public relations practices must be understood
within the context of recent research on the effects of increased globalization, particularly Amer-
icanization (or what Ritzer & Malone, 2000, have termed McDonaldization of sport). Globaliza-
tion literature related to sport has examined the complex interplay between globalism,
nationalism, and localism (see, e.g., Bairner, 2001; Giulianotti, 2005; Giulianotti & Robertson,
2007). Increased emphasis on economic concerns brought about by globalization and commercia-
lization, research suggests, results in the fans’ loss of local and national identities. Sport no longer
acts as a culturally executed and experienced ritual for its fans, but as profit centers for corpora-
tions. Miller, Lawrence, McKay, Rowe (2001) wrote that ‘‘contemporary sport amounts to a con-
tinuing spiral into ultra-market, ultra-chauvinist, ultra-American forms of life. This association of
the culture industries with the US is crucial’’ (p. 14). They further argued that ‘‘in the process of
attaining that cosmopolitanism, teams lose first their regional and then their national identities’’
(p. 27). In the introduction to the August 2000 issue of Soccer & Society, devoted to changes in
ownership structures in the Premier League, Hamil, Michie, Oughton, & Warby (2000) warned
against the erosion of fan support and involvement: ‘‘Faced with [financial] pressures, there is a
204 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

danger that football might develop in ways that serve the interests of those outside the game and
weaken the links between football clubs, supporters and their local communities’’ (p. 2).
Although critics pointed to weakening ties between fans and their clubs, others argued that
sport’s cultural rootedness may actually be the very thing that makes sport an attractive capitalist
venture. Smart (2007) wrote, ‘‘the distinctive qualities sport and its participants possessed, notably
its popular culture appeal and unrivalled aura of authenticity, were of potential value in the increas-
ingly competitive process of capital accumulation in a fully fledged consumer society’’ (p. 7). In
fact, sport has been particularly useful for examining Americanization largely because of its ability
to resist change. Bairner (2001) contended that, whereas American suppliers have dominated other
culture industries, America has both imported and exported sport. The debate over sport’s globa-
lization and the potential dangers of foreign infiltration into culturally rooted phenomena such as
English football make Randy Lerner’s success particularly significant and worthy of study.

Sport Public Relations

Although the field is growing, not much research exists on sport public relations. What little
there is attests to the importance and power of public relations for sport organizations. One com-
mon stream of research has examined crisis communication responses to various sporting scan-
dals including sexual assault of fans (Dimitrov, 2008; Fortunato, 2008), the Australian rugby
league salary cap controversy (Bruce & Tini, 2008), and diverse cases of bad behavior among
players (Jerome, 2008; Wilson, Stavros, & Westberg, 2008). To many, the influx of foreign
owners into the Premier League might be considered a crisis. Certainly, the literature on the
Americanization of sport sounds an alarm bell. Our investigation suggests that a proactive public
relations effort may help an organization navigate choppy foreign waters.
Another research stream credits PR with growing and redefining entire sport organizations,
ranging from the American Football League (Anderson, 2006) to English First Class County
cricket (Hopwood, 2005) to the National Hockey League (Batchelor & Formentin, 2008) to
the National Basketball Association (Fortunato, 2000). Boyle and Haynes (2006) looked specifi-
cally at the growth of public relations within English football, noting that public relations is a
fairly recent addition to many football clubs. The authors suggested that, though clubs histori-
cally have taken fan support for granted, they must now engage in public relations to manage
their global brands and to communicate with their numerous new stakeholders while striving
to maintain the loyalty of their local fans.
A review of the research underscores the central role public relations has played in sport and
points to a need to better understand how clubs manage their PR activities. This article offers a
case study of one club’s public relations practices focused around the question:

RQ: What role did public relations play in American Randy Lerner’s successful takeover of Aston
Villa Football Club?

THEORY

Current public relations theory stresses PR’s management, rather than tactical function within an
organization. Two theories—relationship management and excellence theory—provide a
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 205

relevant framework for us to explore the meaning in our data. Our research did not set out to test
these theories. As is common in qualitative inquiry, theory brings explanatory power to our data.
Relationship management and excellence theory are particularly relevant to our findings insofar
as they provide well-accepted models for how organizations can best manage the development
and maintenance of relationships with diverse public. Once our analysis called to light the
importance of public relations within our data, we turned to excellence and relationship manage-
ment theories to translate the data into theoretical terms to better organize and understand it.
Where data fail to fit these theories, we are able to see the unique challenges of sport PR. Before
detailing the findings, it may be helpful to review these theories.

Relationship Management

Relationship management theory provides a framework for the study and practice of public rela-
tions. Ledingham (2003) wrote, ‘‘Relationship management theory specifies how to build sym-
metry (managing organizational–public relationships around common interests and shared goals)
and when to apply that approach (over time)’’ (p. 192).
Ledingham and Bruning (1998) identified five dimensions of effective organization–public
relationships. There must be trust and openness between the parties. They must understand each
other’s goals and trust that each will follow through on commitments made. Additionally, the
organization must demonstrate involvement in the community through investment of time and
energy in the community’s well-being and a commitment to maintaining a relationship.
Ledingham and Bruning’s (1998) research suggested that an organization that ranks well on
these dimensions is more likely to enjoy the loyalty of its key publics.
Ledingham (2006) stressed that relationship management is an ongoing process by which
both the organization’s and the publics’ needs are identified and met. Communication is often
essential but ‘‘is not the sole instrument of relationship building’’ (p. 478). To better explicate
this process, Ledingham (2006) developed the SMARTS model, according to which an organi-
zation must scan, map, act, rollout, track, and steward. This process can take years for strong
organization–public relationships to build.

Excellence Theory

Like relationship management, excellence theory emphasizes that public relations should strive
for the mutual satisfaction of an organization’s, and its publics’, goals. Effective ‘‘public rela-
tions contributes to strategic management by building relationships with publics that it affects
or is affected by—publics that support the mission of the organization or that can divert it from
its mission’’ (J. E. Grunig & L. A. Grunig, 2000, p. 310). This theory stresses the management
function of public relations, contending that for PR to excel, it must be core to the organization’s
strategic management and, itself, be strategically managed. To hold a central role in organiza-
tional management, the PR manager should be a member of the dominant coalition within the
organization or have direct access to chief decision makers. The PR manager should also enjoy
relative autonomy to make decisions without a lengthy review process (J. E. Grunig et al., 2006).
J. E. Grunig and Repper (1992) explained that there are three stages to strategic public rela-
tions: stakeholders, publics, and issues. In the first stage, strategic PR identifies an organization’s
206 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

stakeholders, those affected by or who may affect the organization. The organization can then
map its stakeholders and those who are most active are treated as publics. The Grunigs’s situa-
tional theory of publics has stated that

publics are more likely to be active when the people who make them up perceive that what an organi-
zation does involves them (level of involvement), that the consequences of what an organization
does is a problem (problem recognition), and that they are not constrained from doing something
about the problem (constraint recognition). (J. E. Grunig & L. A. Grunig, 2000, p. 312)

In the third stage, ‘‘issues arise because publics create them—i.e., publics make issues out of
problems’’ (p. 312). Issues are best managed by involving publics in the decision-making pro-
cess. Excellence theory has suggested that a ‘‘turbulent, complex environment with pressure
from activist groups stimulates an organization to develop an excellent public relations func-
tion’’ (J. E. Grunig et al., 2006, p. 51). For this process to take place, excellent public relations
must be research-based. Research includes formal research, as well as environment scanning. PR
must vary its techniques to fit changing situations and provide a means of formal or informal
evaluation of success (J. E. Grunig et al., 2006).
Our study looks at how Aston Villa Football Club worked to identify the shared goals
between itself and its key publics and the degree to which it has successfully fostered trust, open-
ness, and involvement with those publics. It also examines the organization’s efforts to map sta-
keholders and identify publics, as well as the use of research in the management of its publics.

METHOD

For this study, we employed an embedded, single-case design (Yin, 2003). Data were collected
as part of a broader study of the effects of foreign ownership on Premier League fans, clubs, and
journalists. Qualitative methods were most appropriate for this type of investigation because they
allow the researchers to delve deeply into the subject matter at hand, affording flexibility in pur-
suing emergent lines of inquiry. To that end, we did not set out to test specific hypotheses or to
apply particular theories, and public relations was not an area of focus. However, upon analyzing
the data, it became clear that public relations was an important aspect of Aston Villa’s transition
from its previous owner to Randy Lerner. Thus, this article investigates the PR activity of Randy
Lerner and Aston Villa Football Club.
Yin (2003) suggested five reasons that justify a single case design. Aston Villa Football Club
offers a unique and revelatory case. It is unique insofar as Randy Lerner has become the standard
by which other Premier League foreign owners are judged (Osborne & Coombs, 2009). A rev-
elatory case ‘‘exists when an investigator has an opportunity to observe and analyze a phenom-
enon previously inaccessible to scientific investigation’’ (Yin, 2003, p. 42). As our discussion of
our sampling procedure explains, we were afforded unparalleled access to club executives, staff,
and fans. This study, thus, represents the most extensive look at Premier League club manage-
ment to date.
Our sampling procedures followed the parameters of ‘‘within case’’ sampling as defined by
Miles and Huberman (1994), meaning our sample is nested, theoretically-driven (in our case,
emergent), and iterative (p. 29). Over the course of 1 year, spanning the end of the
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 207

2007–2008 and beginning of the 2008–2009 seasons, we attended more than a dozen prematch
press conferences and postmatch tunnel wrap-ups at Villa Park, the home of AVFC. Our obser-
vations in these contexts allowed us to explore and understand the relationships between the club
(including its press officers and the manager) and journalists. Through snowballing of contacts,
we obtained unprecedented access to the middle- and upper-management of AVFC, interviewing
30 club personnel from a range of departments and levels, including top-tier directors who had
not previously spoken about their experiences at the club.
To triangulate this club data, we established relationships with a substantial number of AVFC
fans, communicating with them both in-person (both on and off match days) and via an online
fan-run Web site. We also conducted participant observational fieldwork to better understand the
experiences and opinions of fans. Participant observation among fans allowed us to better assess
the effectiveness of Aston Villa’s public relations efforts. We attended approximately 15
matches over the time period of this research, including matches against Premier League oppo-
nents, intracity archrivals (or derby matches, as known vernacularly), and European opposition
as part of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Intertoto Cup (which qualified
Aston Villa to play in the UEFA Cup during the regular season). In addition to attending
matches, we met with fans before and after matches at nearby pubs known to Aston Villa sup-
porters as Villa locals. Throughout these events, we conducted informal interviews with fans,
ranging from self-described ‘‘super-fans’’ who travel to attend every match (including Vienna
and Moscow during our time period) to the taxi drivers who transported us from location to
location. These extensive data collection experiences allowed us to explore both the explicit
and tacit aspects of AVFC supporter culture (DeWalt & DeWalt, 2002). These in-person embed-
ded participant observation exercises were supported through use of a fan-run Web site. The use
of this site—one of the largest AVFC-specific sites and part of the largest network of Premier
League fan sites in the United Kingdom—provided unique opportunities for American research-
ers to understand the experiences of AVFC fans with minimal risk of reactivity. On numerous
occasions, we conducted informal interviews with the owner=operator of the online fan Web
site, who is also the spokesperson for Villa Fans Combined, an organization dedicated to a
change of ownership at AVFC during the Doug Ellis years.
Semistructured interviews that allowed for flexible questioning and promoted a conver-
sational dynamic lasted between 30 min and 2 hr. In most cases, interviews with AVFC person-
nel were taped and later transcribed. When impromptu interviews occurred, we took notes
during and after the interviews. Throughout participant observations, we each took notes on
our observations and met routinely to compare findings.
As stated earlier, our initial analysis of the data did not seek connections to public relations;
our attention was on examining data within the context of our broader research question (the
impact of foreign owners on Premier League football). Using the analytical techniques outlined
in Glaser and Strauss’s seminal 1967 work on grounded theory, we used the constant compara-
tive method to identify the phenomenon and setting of interest, identify features of interest, make
decisions regarding initial collection of data based on our understanding of the phenomenon, and
engage in theoretical sampling. As per this method of analysis, we sought to build theory
through our data. Over the course of our examinations, however, we realized the parallels
between what we were seeing (and hearing) in our data and the existing public relations theories.
At that time, excellence and relationship management theories emerged as relevant frameworks
for discussing the role of public relations for Aston Villa and Randy Lerner.
208 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

Once these connections were made, we then examined transcripts and field notes for instances
in Aston Villa’s communication efforts that both aligned with and departed from these theories.
We developed an initial coding scheme that included theoretic propositions such as: trust building,
openness, organizational investment and commitment, formal and informal research, involvement
of publics, problem recognition, constraint recognition, strategic management, and two-way com-
munication. This schema allowed us to assess the degree to which AVFC communication practices
embody PR theory. We then looked at data points referenced by multiple participants, which did
not fit any of these coding categories. These departures shed light on how AVFC’s case provides
insight into the unique demands of sport and cross-national PR.

FINDINGS

Our findings are presented in a chronological and descriptive manner, as this seemed the best
way to tell AVFC’s story. To ensure the anonymity of participants, when providing quotes
we have indicated only the level of the employee (Senior executive, Mid-level staffer, or
Entry-level staffer) and in a few cases the department.

Internal Relations: Renewed Energy and Open Dialogue

Aston Villa finished the 2005–2006 season in 16th place in the Premier League, only one spot
out of the relegation zone.2 Just before Lerner’s purchase, however, Ellis brought in one of the
most highly rated managers in European football, former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill. Although
this happened under Ellis’s reign, internally executives acknowledge that O’Neill came in with
the understanding that Ellis would soon be selling to the American. Having a top manager in
place gave a strong indication that a new dawn was coming to Villa Park, and fans had a
renewed optimism that their team would not only survive the season by staying in the Premier
League, they would also begin to regain some of the former glory of Aston Villa Football Club.3
Said one fan, ‘‘I could not believe we signed Martin O’Neill. Now that is a top manager. That
shows our intent.’’
Randy Lerner’s takeover at Aston Villa was met with resounding cheers from supporters who
voiced relief at the end of the Ellis era. Unlike other Premier League teams, Villa fans embraced
their owner’s American-ness, bringing American flags to matches in celebration and chanting
‘‘U.S.A.’’ in full voice. Little consternation registered about the citizenship of their new owner;
after all, as one fan commented, ‘‘I would have taken anyone if it meant that Ellis was done.’’
The reception among AVFC employees was more cautious, with several noting that they had
mixed feelings about the arrival of someone new. One senior executive commented, ‘‘Is this guy
going to bring this new vision, this new energy . . . which the club desperately needed, or is there
2
England’s 92-team Football League is structured into four competitive leagues: Barclays Premier League, the
Coca-Cola Championship League, League One, and League Two. Each season, teams move within and between these
leagues, with the bottom teams relegated to the league below and the top teams moving up. Because of the global rec-
ognition of the Premier League, the financial repercussions of relegation are significant.
3
Aston Villa Football Club was one of the founders of the Football League, and historically enjoyed great success. In
1982, during a gap in Ellis’s ownership, the team won the most coveted trophy in European football—the European
Cup—an honor only a handful of English teams have enjoyed.
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 209

going to be an element of (shrugs)? From a selfish perspective, better the devil you know than
the one you don’t.’’ Staffers also noted they had clear expectations for what an American would
be like, rooted in their extant stereotypes. ‘‘I hate to say it, but we all knew what Americans are
supposed to be like. You expect a loud, screaming cowboy . . . someone who is going to make
his voice heard’’ (Mid-level staffer). This perception colored their reception to Lerner, since this
type of personality would mean nothing—including their jobs—was certain.
Lerner and his team allayed these fears relatively quickly through actions that indicated that
they did not intend to make wholesale changes. Instead, they made clear they would take the
time to let current employees excel (or fail) in the new environment. A renewed sense of opti-
mism and a move to empowering democratic participation defined the Lerner administration to
most employees with whom we spoke. A mid-level staff member noted his ability to move for-
ward with ideas that would have fallen on deaf ears under Ellis.

I thought, well this is the perfect time to actually say what I think is a good idea. We should do this.
And I basically put together an internal communications presentation just about the fact that it was
appalling before and the fact that we should improve it.

An entry-level employee offered additional examples,

There’s quite a lot moving forward and it’s quite exciting. The developments with the video side of
things, it’s really, it’s taken off. And taking things like the Web site further. I think there’s a lot of
excitement; there’s a lot of hope in the developments.

This same employee noted that these changes may be unnerving for some of the ‘‘people who
have been here an awful long time.’’ By allowing employees with ideas and energy to initiate
change, the Lerner team fostered an entrepreneurial environment that marked a significant
change. At the same time, this new environment made clear that those who were treading water
or resisted improvements either needed to adapt or leave.
Within this context, employees across all levels reported a renewed sense of energy and vigor
within the organization. One mid-level employee summarized his feelings with, ‘‘I feel totally
uplifted working here now.’’ Employees felt they would have the opportunity to do their jobs
to the best of their abilities, rather than being limited by what had ‘‘always been.’’ For example,
one senior executive commented,

You can look at things with a view to sort of saying, ‘Okay, we can make things better, but there’s
going to be a cost incurred.’ But the cost that’s incurred is, and I’m not being flippant about it, is a lot
easier now to negotiate than it was before. So it does broaden your horizons.

Employees reported that Lerner’s team consciously fostered a sense of entrepreneurship, along
with a ‘‘team spirit.’’ One staffer remembered his experience under Ellis:

It was all, you should be lucky to work at Aston Villa Football Club. For what you’re doing, why
should I even pay you any money. There was no incentive to work hard. There was no reward
system. There was no . . . you just felt like you were just working, and that was it really. (Mid-level
staffer)
210 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

Although Lerner did not immediately initiate major staffing changes, he did give the green
light to a much-needed image overhaul. During its first year under Lerner, the marketing depart-
ment redesigned the club’s crest and developed a new branding campaign. In an effort to recog-
nize and reinforce the importance of acceptance across all levels of the club, executives launched
the brand initiative internally in the days before the official public introduction. All employees,
including those who only provide support on game days (stewards, concessions, etc.), were
invited to attend a presentation at Villa Park. Club leadership spoke to the entire organization,
walking them through the rebranding process and explaining the meaning behind the revamped
crest and the newly identified brand values. This meeting served two important purposes: First, it
exemplified the Lerner administration’s commitment to AVFC as an organization, from the
highest level to the lowest. Second, it reinforced how much Lerner and his team prioritized
and stood by this rebranding (discussed in greater detail in the following). Explaining the
significance of the new crest, a mid-level employee said,

It’s almost to me a sign. It’s a beacon. It’s almost like this is Randy’s club now. The crest came in
and it’s like that is a new start for the club. And people will say, ‘Well, it’s only a crest. It’s not on
the field. It’s not about football on the field.’ But as a symbol, I think it’s quite an important message
that things have changed.

The new crest and updated club colors (claret and blue) now hold prominent positions on all
AVFC communications and beyond. An employee within the marketing department explained
that everything—from the fan magazine, Claret and Blue, to the Villa Yearbook, to the Web
site, to stationary and business cards—were redesigned to reflect the club’s new branding.
Branding did not stop there, however; for Lerner, it became quite personal:

Probably the most random we did was—do you know Randy Lerner has a tattoo? We actually, we
provide the artwork for that one. So technically, that came from us. I think it was Paul Faulkner [the
chief operating officer] requested the crest without saying exactly what is was for. Then suddenly
you hear rumors, and then we see the article in the newspaper and it was like, ‘‘Oh, so that crest
we sent out was actually for Randy’s ankle.’’ (Mid-level staffer)

External Relations: Focus on the Fan Experience

For departmental directors, the change to Lerner marked an opportunity to focus on reestablish-
ing relationships with fans, developing and prioritizing customer service across various touch
points. One senior executive related an anecdote about how his department has changed its
customer interactions based on Lerner’s instructions:

In the past, if we had a complaint cross our desk, we would just, you know, maybe send a form letter
a few months down the road. Now, we pick up the phone and actually call that person. We want to
make sure that we’ve made them happy. That’s the American model to customer service, right? It’s
like when I visited Disney World. Everyone works to make you happy. That’s what we’re trying to
do now. (Senior executive)
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 211

Fans expected that having an American owner—particularly one who was wealthy and had
experience with sport team ownership—would almost automatically improve the branding of
Aston Villa. Fans generally considered this a positive, given the noted importance of branding
in the modern football environment.

We can’t just sit back and watch other teams like Man United and the Arse [Arsenal] make all the
money. We need to be out there—kids in other countries need to know who we are, and they have to
want to be our fans. That’s how it works nowadays.

Lerner and his team established their authenticity by showing respect for Aston Villa’s long
and, at times, shining history. The restoration of Aston Villa’s heritage had a tangible outlet in
the total refurbishment of the Holte Pub. Once an esteemed landmark at the entrance to Villa
Park, the pub had fallen into disrepair. At the time of Lerner’s purchase, the building was derelict
and in need of complete overhaul. He poured millions into the project, despite the recognition
that the investment would never be profitable. This prioritization of heritage over profit struck
a chord with fans and observers, in part because it is directly and explicitly oppositional to the
experiences fans had witnessed at other American-owned clubs. Fans appreciated this improve-
ment and what it said about Lerner: ‘‘When I used to look at the crumbling monstrosity that used
to be the Holte Pub, it was just depressing. Fixing this, even though I don’t know if I’d go there,
but fixing this shows Lerner gets it [our heritage].’’ Villa Park was no longer considered an
ancillary product that emphasized function and profitability over investment and historical
import, as had been the case under Ellis. Rather, it was now considered a visible reinforcement
of the Aston Villa brand.
Early in Lerner’s tenure, he made clear that fans would be a priority for the club. When the
club played an important Carling Cup match versus Chelsea in April 2007, he organized a con-
voy of 90 buses to transport fans to London to make the trip more affordable for those who
wanted to go. Although the team lost 4–0, this event made an important statement to Villa fans
and outside observers: Lerner was changing the rules of Premier League ownership. This type of
goodwill gesture prioritized the fan experience at a time when fans of many clubs were being
priced out of the game.
These dual emphases on heritage and fan experience came to a culmination during the last
home match of the season against Sheffield United. The club had chosen that day to launch
the new Aston Villa brand promise: proud history, bright future. This position had been
developed through rounds of internal and consumer-focused research, including focus groups
with fans organized by the AVFC marketing department and sessions with representatives of
AVFC supporters groups and organizations. One senior executive explained:

You listen to this mix tape [of focus groups] and all you hear is hours and hours of, ‘‘We are so
proud of our history and heritage,’’ and ‘‘That’s why Aston Villa is so special,’’ and ‘‘We are so
excited about our future,’’ and that everyone kept saying that. So then we pull together our brand
message, which was ‘‘proud history, bright future,’’ and that is the brand message that we launched
the new badge on. (Senior executive)

At the same time that the club was conducting the brand research, the Aston Villa marketing
department was working with a brand consulting firm to establish a new Villa brand identity.
212 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

Lerner and his team had opted for a new crest as a physical symbol of the new era at Aston Villa,
but were cautious about having this change imposed upon fans without appropriate input. To that
end, the marketing department used initial feedback from consumer research to design potential
crest elements. They then posted each element on the team’s Web site and fans were encouraged
to vote for the elements they wanted included on the new badge. Most controversially, the name
on the badge changed from Aston Villa to AVFC. According to executives involved in the
change, the inclusion of FC reflects a renewed emphasis on it being a football club. As pre-
viously noted, all corporate and club communications immediately included the new crest to
present a cohesive and consistent brand image.
Although giveaways at professional sporting events are common practice in the United
States, this was an almost unheard of occurrence in the United Kingdom. Over 40,000 home fans
at the Sheffield United match, upon entrance to Villa Park, received a scarf emblazoned with
‘‘Aston Villa Football Club’’ on one side, and ‘‘Proud History, Bright Future’’ on the other.
The scarves came with specific instructions on key moments when fans would be asked to dem-
onstrate them in unison, including holding them above their heads and swinging them around.
Although these are traditional activities at football matches, the sight of 40,000 fans standing
together, holding claret scarves proudly above their heads, created spectacular visuals, which
have since appeared in numerous promotional materials, and generated tremendous energy
around Villa Park.

I mean it was absolutely breathtaking that everyone held their scarves. It really was just a phenom-
enal, and then we absolutely battered Sheffield. I think we beat them by three or four now. So the
scarves were going continuously, every time [Villa] scored a goal. It was just a special day. (Senior
executive)

Admittedly, for fans, the fact that the team won colored this remembrance. Nonetheless, it
was yet another cue that Lerner and his team ‘‘get it,’’ reflecting a willingness to spend money
on the fan experience. One long-time supporter said, ‘‘We never get free stuff at a match day and
to get this and see everyone standing and holding up the scarves, it really nearly brought tears to
my eyes. I mean, it was brilliant.’’
The highlight of that May day at Villa Park—the reconvening of the 1982 European Cup win-
ning team in its entirety for the first time since the end of that season—further emphasized Ler-
ner’s valuation of Aston Villa’s proud history. Because Aston Villa won the Cup during a short
break in Ellis’s ownership, fans believe he treated it as if it never happened: he never invited the
team nor lauded the players as would be expected. Lerner, however, recognized that fans craved
an opportunity to show appreciation to their heroes, and marked the 25th anniversary of the vic-
tory by bringing the entire team back to Villa Park for an appearance on the pitch. Aston Villa
won that day, finishing the season solidly in eleventh place.

Communication: Both One-Way and Two-Way

Optimism ran high as AVFC fans looked forward to their first full season under the new Lerner
regime. ‘‘Proud history, bright future’’ proved to be more than a slogan on a scarf, as every
person who was in the electronic ticketing database was sent a packet of materials designed
to introduce the new face of Aston Villa and, more practically, encourage purchase of season
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 213

tickets. A transparent claret plastic envelope was singularly emblazoned with the new crest, the
only mark on the outside besides the postage rate. Inside was a letter from then-CEO Richard
FitzGerald, commenting:

Following the recent crest unveil; I am delighted to enclose a complimentary brand book and DVD,
which introduces the club’s new vision, values, personality, and message. Establishing a consistent,
customer-orientated brand is a very important stepping stone for Aston Villa Football Club. The
framework was devised by a cross section of supporters, partners and employees and embodies
the essence of what the club stands for and believes in. (2008)

This same letter revealed a reduction in season ticket prices, ‘‘which reaffirms the intention of
the new administration to connect with supporters.’’ One supporter said,

It’s a real problem, you know. I used to go to all the matches but now who can afford that? It was
nice to see that they understand that, you know, that the club’s about the fans, the fans that have
always supported, that supported Aston Villa when we were kids and want to bring our own kids.

This type of direct communication with fans, as opposed to using mass media, became a
characteristic of the Lerner administration. Doug Ellis was renowned for his fondness of micro-
phones and press, always willing to share his opinions and stories on myriad subjects. Lerner, on
the other hand, refused most interviews and press ops, offering journalists the rare opportunity to
speak with him only at the beginning of his tenure and at the opening of the Holte Pub. For jour-
nalists who were used to the regular press availability of Ellis, this marked a significant, and
often unwelcome, change. Rather than having a point person from the club to look to for infor-
mation and quotes, reporters had to rely solely on the manager. The manager, however, is
legendary for his ability to avoid direct answers to questions, particularly those related to the
club’s financial activities. Some reporters expressed the sentiment that Lerner has an obligation
to them to provide access because so much money is given to Premier League teams for broad-
casting rights. According to one long-time sports reporter, ‘‘[the media] put £35 million in the
Premier League and he takes our money but won’t give us the time of day.’’
Although journalists sometimes chafed at this lack of access, fans celebrated this new type of
owner. ‘‘He doesn’t have to talk. He lets his work speak for itself,’’ said one fan. Another
agreed: ‘‘Realistically, Deadly Doug had little to say but spent too much time saying it. Randy
is different. Randy doesn’t talk to the press. He doesn’t play their game.’’ For fans, this emphasis
on action over words underlined Lerner’s prioritization of the club over his own personal image
and interests. As one senior executive said,

I think the fans would love to hear from Randy. But I think that the way that Randy sees it, that it’s not
about Randy Lerner. It’s about Aston Villa Football Club. And I have to tell you the fans love that.

Although some fans recognized the PR value of the actions Lerner and his team and he had
undertaken (the Chelsea buses, the Holte Pub, etc.), these actions were perceived to be done
in the best interest of the fans and the team rather than to burnish the image of the man in charge.
Although Lerner remained silent, one member of AVFC’s Board of Directors quickly became
the fan-centered face of the new administration, both online and in person. General Charles
214 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

Krulak, a retired US Marine and former Commandant of the Marine Corps, began posting on the
four most popular AVFC fan Web sites. Through this medium, General Krulak became a recog-
nizable and accessible figure for AVFC supporters. This rare level of access to a high ranking
club official made fans suspicious of his authenticity at first, particularly among the fan message
board faithful. Once he had convinced online posters of his legitimacy, however, these threads
almost immediately became must reads for Villa fans around the world. In the past, only wealthy
or well-connected supporters had opportunities for direct communication with someone at the
director level. With the presence of General Krulak on the boards, however, Villa fans could
bring compliments and complaints to his attention and see action taken. This had very real ben-
efits for the club. Problems that would have previously gone unaddressed, such as issues with
ticketing or food service, were suddenly mitigated through the General’s influence. This, again,
reinforced for Villa supporters the primacy that was being placed on their relationships with the
club and their experiences with the team. One executive offered his support for this exercise:

The General can relate there; visiting all the Web sites and talking to supporters and . . . individuals
and get feedback and communication, I think that’s been hugely received by the supporters because
they actually feel they’ve got some contact with the club where previously they felt distance as to
what’s going on, and we never get any answers, etc., etc. . . . It is still very, very positive.

General Krulak is not the only AVFC executive engaged in this type of fan relationship main-
tenance. Executives across numerous departments worked to identify areas of concern and trou-
bleshoot solutions through both primary research (organized supporters meetings, focus groups)
and environmental scanning, such as following online conversations. Directors of various
departments reported that they regularly check the main AVFC message boards to remain better
informed about what supporters wanted and needed from the club and identify areas for
improvement and white space for new opportunities. Although they now run an official AVFC
Twitter account and Facebook page through the media department, the club seemed to focus its
energies primarily on their official Web site and fan-fun forums. Notably, despite the media
department running the accounts, they do not provide links to either Facebook or Twitter on their
official Web site. In addition to this type of environmental scanning, AVFC continues to conduct
regular quarterly research by tapping into supporters groups and AVFC-affiliated fan organiza-
tions. The club invites representatives from these entities to give voice to the thoughts and opi-
nions of supporters, identifying potentially problematic areas and brainstorming solutions.
Environmental scanning was not limited to the online environment. During matches, Villa
staff from a variety of levels—including top executives—traveled the stands and local pubs,
chatting with supporters around and during the match to gauge their perceptions of AVFC.
Again, General Krulak led the charge. On game days, fans felt comfortable approaching him
to ‘‘talk Villa’’ or experience one of his bone-crushing handshakes.

I saw General Krulak at a match—he was just walking through the Holte End, and he sat down on
the steps with some blokes in front of me. My mate yelled his name, and he came up and commented
on the match. I was blown away. (Supporter)

Again, this sort of access is almost unheard of in the Premier League, and tales of meeting ‘‘the
General’’ and ‘‘Randy’’ quickly became the stuff of legends online. Department heads and staf-
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 215

fers also shared their tales of spending time conversing with supporters, citing examples of how
these conversations could—and did—directly impact their internal processes and approaches.
Although the club does not engage in formal research on a regular basis, this type of informal
research frequently conducted by a range of participants allows them to maintain close tabs on
the valence of fan opinion.

Other Stakeholders: Aston and Villa Park Community Outreach

One area that particularly required attention was minority outreach. Villa Park is located in the
Aston area of Birmingham. This area is notable for its extreme ethnic diversity, including a
significant number of southeast and subcontinent Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants. These
groups have been resistant to Premier League culture, and often felt the brunt of game day
madness. Says one Villa employee:

Imagine you’re trying to plan your child’s birthday party, but no one told you that there was a fixture
change and there would be a game that day. Your guests arrive, and they are stuck in traffic, nowhere
to park. It’s miserable. And then after the game, you have thousands of drunken Englishmen walking
down your street, fighting, (relieving themselves) on your stoop. . . . Even if that’s not the case, that’s
the perception. That’s why they don’t want to come to the game, even though they’re in the shadows
of Villa Park. They think it’s dangerous. That’s what we’re fighting here. (Mid-level staffer)

To counteract this, AVFC developed a plan specifically intended to promote the club to local
minorities. Rather than expecting these potential fans to come of their own accord, Villa sup-
ported research that identified the aforementioned concerns. In an effort to encourage attendance,
Villa invited all residents in their cachement area to a value match during the season. They cre-
ated a separate section that would be alcohol-free and Hallal-friendly. In addition, they began to
create marketing materials that directly reflected cultural holidays for local groups, including
Diwali and the Chinese New Year. These materials often included incentives to attend matches.
One community activist discussed AVFC’s efforts, saying, ‘‘It’s more about engagement, I
think, for them and looking at how they fit into the local communities as opposed to saying
we’re the big business in the area and you should do what we say.’’ Club staffers and managers
indicate anecdotal success of these endeavors, noting that these types of events do increase
match attendance by members of local ethnic populations and seem to have repaired some of
the community relationships that had been damaged over the years.
The physical spaces at Villa Park were tapped in efforts to support community-building, as
well. The club offered its location and facilities to local organizations that needed space to hold
meetings and events, including the parking lot for a community fair. For example, a local com-
munity center turned to AVFC for help with its holiday festival.

We tried to get our Festival of Lights Project funded to have Christmas, Diwali, all the different fes-
tivals covered. One of the issues was maintenance for the festival of lights. Then there’s so much
cost each year with putting up the lights and storing them. Aston Villa said they would pay for that
part of it. (Community activist)
216 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

The club also lent the use of its brand and crest for valuable outreach projects, allowing
lower-profile organizations to tap into the cachet and drawing power of Aston Villa.

Building a Brand, Garnering Press

In European football, teams sign sponsorship deals with corporations—usually worth millions of
pounds—in exchange for wearing the company’s logo on their shirts and prominently displaying
it across various media (including the stadium, programs, etc.). When Lerner purchased Aston
Villa, it had 1 year remaining on its contract with 32Red.com, an online gaming site. Although
Krulak made explicitly clear that this was not the type of sponsor Aston Villa wanted for the
future, executives were unwilling to break the contract. By the summer of 2008, supporters were
anxious for the club to reveal who would, in fact, be the new kit sponsor. AVFC earned world-
wide plaudits when it revealed that, instead of having a corporate sponsor, the team had opted to
partner with Acorns, a Midlands-based hospice for children with life-limiting illnesses. The
reveal was met with universal approval. At the press conference where the partnership was
unveiled, one journalist raised his hand to say, ‘‘As a reporter, we’re expected to look at this
cynically and look for the angle. But this is just amazing. You deserve a hand.’’ With that,
the crowded room of hard-bitten sports journalists burst into applause. This ‘‘stunning display
of generosity’’ (Journalist) made headlines all over the world, and Acorns reported receiving
donations from all corners of the globe in its wake. A senior executive with Acorns explained,
‘‘I think it wouldn’t put too fine a point on it to say the ‘wow’ factor was just huge. Everyone
from children to nurses and every other member of the staff and volunteers just said, ‘God, this is
wonderful.’’’ A mid-level Acorns employee commented, ‘‘We were able to attract the equivalent
of almost a million pounds worth of advertising.’’ Although many fans would have preferred to
have a major national or international corporate sponsorship, they saw this as another show of
the club’s commitment to community.

Yeah, we should be able to compete with Man U and Chelsea for sponsors. I mean, that just says
something about the stature. But I respect Randy not being concerned about the money. It says a
lot about him and I feel good about it.

Ongoing Commitment

The team has continued to reinforce its commitment to its supporters. Management announced in
February 2009 that they were freezing season ticket prices for the next year and expanding the
payment plans available to help ease the burden on families who were suffering in the wide-
spread economic recession. They have also started offering live text on the Web site during
games, earning thanks and well-wishes from Villa supporters around the world who want to feel
like they are part of the action.
Lerner’s personal actions similarly reflect a long-term commitment to the club and its
community. In addition to a tattoo of the Villa lion on his leg, he also now has a home in the
West Midlands, where he and his family spend considerable time. He also has become a regular
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 217

fixture at matches, whether wandering the stands with General Krulak, sharing a pint in the
Holte Pub with supporters, or simply cheering the team on from his Executive Box.
As a result, Lerner continues to garner positive press. In the wake of Lerner’s annual press
conference held in May 2010, a West Midlands-based columnist for The Daily Mail, Neil
Moxley, wrote a column titled ‘‘Cherish Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner, an honest fan among
the cheats, crooks, and conmen of football.’’ Acknowledging Lerner’s notorious shyness, Mox-
ley wrote:

Fortunately, through the medium of an Internet column, we can try to enlighten people as to what the
man is all about. First, he is utterly, utterly devoted to Aston Villa. Unlike Hicks and Gillett at
Liverpool, or the Glazer family at Manchester United, there is no disguising his intentions. It is
not to use Aston Villa as a giant cash-cow, to be milked whenever he fancies it. His investment
stands at £180m and is growing. He has bought a former farm close to Bodymoor Heath and is fully
immersed in the area. Oh, and he has the club crest tattooed on his ankle. Clearly, this is a man
prepared to make Aston Villa his life.

DISCUSSION

Our research finds that, unlike many other foreign owners, Lerner was heralded as a savior when
he purchased the club. Both those within the organization and long-time Aston Villa fans sug-
gest that he offers a model of how owners, particularly foreign owners, can repair existing fan
relations and build new ties to the community. This is in large part due to AVFC’s unconscious
embodiment of relationship management and excellence theories of public relations.

Theory in Action

First and foremost, AVFC’s success is rooted in its actions, rather than empty platitudes. The
club quickly identified its key publics, zeroing in on the fans of greatest influence: long-time
season ticket holders, particularly those in the Holte End of the stadium, and the regular posters
on fan message boards. AVFC also recognized that the community surrounding the stadium held
a significant stake in the club; even if its residents did not attend matches, these people influence
and are influenced by game days. As relationship management would suggest, AVFC took steps
to invest in the community and build stronger ties to its residents. These efforts were possible
under Lerner largely because, as excellence theory recommends, public relations is a manage-
ment function and is strategically managed. Managers across numerous departments are actively
engaged in the process. Everyone within the organization is clearly focused on the rebranding
effort and directors routinely engage with fans. Our data clearly show that, also in accordance
with principles of excellence and relationship management, AVFC has conducted research,
formal and informal, to identify the needs of the various publics and has worked to open the
channels of communication in order to anticipate problems rather than simply react.
As noted, part of Lerner’s success may be attributed to fans’ dislike of the previous owner.
Supporters demanded a change and would have been happy with anyone other than Ellis. J. E.
Grunig et al. (2006) suggested that activist groups often push organizations toward excellence.
218 COOMBS AND OSBORNE

Given the level of engagement generally seen with sport fans, particularly in England’s Premier-
ship, one might expect to see excellence among all the clubs. This has not been the case. None-
theless, the activism of AVFC’s fans undoubtedly played a role in the club developing
mechanisms to engage with fans and address their concerns. What appears to set AVFC apart is
the level to which it involves fans and allows them to feel that they are capable of effecting change.

New Insights: Americanization and Sport PR

L’Etang (2006) stressed the need to examine sport PR as a creator of public culture, particularly
in the context of transnational public relations. In noting the dearth of research on sport public
relations, editors of a special issue of Public Relations Review noted, ‘‘Sport is a global cultural
and business practice and thus shapes relationships at diplomatic, political, cultural, economic,
organizational, community and interpersonal levels’’ (L’Etang & Hopwood, 2008, p. 88). Randy
Lerner’s success stands in stark contrast to the public resistance faced by other foreign owners of
Premier League clubs, particularly Glazer at Manchester United and Hicks and Gillett at Liver-
pool. Both press coverage of other foreign takeovers and research on sport globalization warn
that foreign infiltration into culturally rooted phenomena such as English football will mean
the erosion of fan identity and the loss of ritualized cultural experiences. Research suggests that
changes within the Premiership may create a schism between fans’ perceived self-identity and
their perceptions of their club. As a result, fans either face being driven away from their club
(see, e.g., Giulianotti, 2005) or reconceptualizing themselves, as has been the case of Manchester
United fans, who now consider themselves more cosmopolitan (King, 2000). Given these dire
predictions, the success of Randy Lerner and AVFC are particularly significant.
By honoring and respecting the heritage of the team, investing in the local community, prior-
itizing public relations internally, and fostering a customer-first environment, Lerner has won
over both fans of Aston Villa and Premier League observers. Although we absolutely cannot
discount the importance of success on the pitch or the notable impact of manager Martin O’Neill,
data emphasize the importance of high-level introduction and embodiment of public relations
best practices. Although other solely American-owned Premier League teams remain high in
the table, none of these owners are as publicly well-respected or -lauded as Lerner. The club’s
adherence to the dimensions of relationship management—trust, openness, involvement, invest-
ment and commitment—provides at least a partial explanation. Our data underscore that public
relations is one way that a sport organization can manage the fluidity of the process.
As discussed, Lerner’s approach to his takeover at Aston Villa was characterized by respect
and deference to both internal and external stakeholders. He did not come in ‘guns blazing’ as
previous American owners of Premier League clubs had led many to expect an American ‘cow-
boy’ to do (Osborne & Coombs, 2009); instead, he and his team took their time. Employees
responded positively to this approach, citing a renewed energy in their offices and a refreshing
sense that their ideas would be heard and, if considered viable, implemented. Lerner’s manage-
ment team also recognized the importance of managing internal relations with the development
and launch of the new brand identity. Rather than using a heavy-handed approach, dictating
what the brand would be and introducing it via mass media, they consciously utilized staff
and supporters to gain insights and understanding. These actions built trust and created an
atmosphere of openness at a critical juncture in Lerner’s tenure.
 CASE STUDY OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB 219

Ledingham and Bruning (1998) emphasized the need to cultivate trust through open engage-
ment. Interestingly, Randy Lerner is less visible than the previous owner but, because his deci-
sions are openly articulated, fans have accepted his shyness as a mark of personal integrity.
Because Lerner is not as accessible as the previous owner had been, General Krulak’s presence
on Internet message boards has been crucial in building trust externally. Our research suggests
that having a single voice and face of an organization may be particularly important for sport
organizations. Because fans’ personal identities are often intertwined with the perceived identity
of the team, fans must be able to relate to someone at a very high level within the organization
whom they feel embodies the team’s values. Most important, those values must resonate with
their own.
AVFC’s success also suggests that resistance to Americanization, as expressed both in aca-
demic literature and popular press, may be overstated. Data point to numerous instances of
fan-oriented PR efforts by AVFC—organized transport to away matches, promotional give-
aways at home matches, direct mailings to fans—that previously were unheard of in the Premier
League. Aspects of the ‘‘American-style marketing gobbledegook’’ (Murphy, 2008) were
actually well received and much appreciated by AVFC fans.
Finally, relationship management stresses that effective public relations is a process by which
mutual understanding is built and maintained. AVFC, under Lerner, has worked to acknowledge
the needs of its long-time fans while also working to broaden its supporter base. Its investment in
and involvement with the Aston community offer clear examples of this.
As this research suggests, foreign influences in professional sports is an area ripe for inves-
tigation and analysis. Further research is needed to continue exploring this integral arena for
intercultural experiences, including how other foreign owners of Premier League teams have
attempted to utilize public relations with varying degrees of success in the wake of Lerner’s
work at AVFC. Because some of these owners also own American sports teams (including
the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), we recommend investigations comparing
the business and communications practices across countries. Likewise, research is needed to bet-
ter understand the impact and acceptance of non-American owners in traditionally American
sports, such as the National Basketball Association.
This article is not meant to suggest that good public relations is uniquely American. Parti-
cipants within the organization clearly stated that, like fans who felt frustrated by Doug Ellis’
unwillingness to invest in AVFC, managers did not receive support for research and rebranding
efforts they knew were needed. Nonetheless, the focus on the fan experience under Lerner is
more reflective of an American approach to sport marketing. Although research and popular
press have decried what Americanization may mean for Barclays Premier League, Lerner
demonstrates that a balance between the old and the new may be a recipe for success.

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