Aston Villa's blunt response to 'grotesque' proposal still resonates

Easter Monday will mark exactly one year since Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all conspired with six other clubs to bring about an all-new European Super League. As we know, the plans were quashed within hours after an angry backlash from football supporters.

Aston Villa were one of many who went public with their disgust at such proposals which aimed at creating a new midweek football competition - putting the Premier League in a state of total disrepute given the hundreds of millions of pounds that would have been on offer for the new 'ESL'.

Speaking at the time, Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said: "The scheme is designed to take away that uncertainty (relegation) and to give predictability to their businesses so that if they’re badly managed or have a poor year, they’re still in the premier tournament.

"Does that sound like sport or football to you? To me it sounds like a grotesque concept."

He added: "Aston Villa are one-time winners of the pinnacle of European football, the European Cup. English and European football has always been about living the dream, beating big teams, climbing up the ladder."

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As for manager at the time, Dean Smith, he too was totally against such plans coming to fruition, and said: "Where I stand on it: I am deeply, deeply saddened by it and disappointed in all honesty.

"There have been some strong statements that have come out already from some clubs within the Premier League and England itself.

"I think the one thing from where I look at it...I was born in 1971, 50 years ago, and at that time Villa were a third division club.

"Eleven years later I watched them