Aston Villa to help out children’s hospice

A huge pat on the back is due for Randy Lerner and co for defying the Premiership trend to ‘maximise revenues’. Instead of renewing their shirt sponsorship deal with a large corporation, the West Midlands club have taken a leaf from Barcelona’s book by giving their shirt sponsorship deal to a charity.

Villa have forsaken up a potential £2million deal in order to help out the Acorns children’s hospice, in a move that has made Martin O’Neill ‘very proud’. Awww.

Financial cynics shouldn’t be too concerned by this philanthropic turn, as the constantly inflating Gareth Barry sale price (now at around £15million) and the 7.5 per cent hike in season ticket prices should cover the opportunity cost.