April 19 – Just days after being relegated for the first time in 28 years with a month of the season still to play, Aston Villa have been plunged into yet more turmoil with two board members resigning.
The exits of former English FA chairman David Bernstein (pictured right), who only joined last month as part of boardroom shakeup, and former Bank of England governor Mervyn King (pictured top left) leaves a massive void at the helm of the troubled club, heaping even more pressure on American owner Randy Lerner.
At the same time as the two resignations, Villa revealed they were in “extensive negotiations” to sell the club with Lerner’s asking price reportedly slashed to about £75 million.
Bernstein, whose sudden departure was quickly followed by that of King, a lifelong Villa fan who joined the board in February, is reported to have become frustrated at the delay in appointing a new manager in succession to Frenchman Remy Garde who lasted a mere four months.
“Unfortunately it had proved impossible to implement the agreed structure and my position has quickly become untenable,” the BBC quoted Bernstein as saying in a resignation letter.
“The issues at the club are fundamental and the solutions are radical and do not lend themselves to compromise.”
A Villa statement read: “It is with regret that Aston Villa announces the resignations of Mervyn King and David Bernstein as directors of the club. A search to appoint a new manager remains a priority. “
The former European champions and seven-times champions of England last played outside the top flight in 1988 but have won only three league games all season.
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