Dear Editor, The sad fact is that Aston Villa could possibly lose their place in the Premier League. How sad is that? The Premier League is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is being heralded by the media as a great success.

It has certainly generated a multi-million-pound industry with some of the best players in the world being paid several million pounds a year to play for a small elite group of wealthy clubs.

But what about the other clubs who are not, and never will be, part of that group? How have their supporters benefited?

The Premier League title can be bought, as has been shown by Blackburn Rovers in the past, and more recently Chelsea, with Manchester City getting close, after billionaire benefactors have injected the huge sums of money required to attract the necessary mercenary players who will go to the clubs bidding highest to their agents.

Villa’s benefactor has been Randy Lerner, whose contribution has greatly advanced the club and, to date, ensured Premier League survival.

But he has reached his very reasonable limit and cannot or will not compete with oil-rich magnates of one sort or another.

I am on his side because it has become a competition not to determine who has the best team but who has the richest owner with clubs of the stature and tradition of Villa, Wolves and Albion taking part in a competition they cannot win. What is the point of that?

I saw my first Villa game in 1945 and have seen many hundreds since then. During that time I have seen clubs like Burnley, Ipswich, Derby and Nottingham Forest become the best teams in the land.

The days when that would be possible again will never return but there is an alternative to the Premier League and that is the Football League Championship which is a genuine competition with many potential winners.

Since relegation last season the supporters of Birmingham City have had lots of fun. They’ve seen more matches, usually at 3pm on Saturday afternoons, won more matches than not, score plenty of goals (three per home match), and always been in the top half of the table with the prospect of winning their competition or coming close. The downside is that if they are successful they will be promoted to the so-called promised land of the Premier League and there endure a season or two of fear and misery. I know which I prefer.

If the Villa were to be relegated I shall renew my season ticket, which I allowed to lapse in protest to money madness, and once more actually look forward to going to Villa Park and I would take my son and grandchildren with me.

John Ritchie, By email

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Dear Editor, I do hope that Villa escape the drop this year but my frustration with them intensifies as we get closer to the 2012 Olympics.

Why did Villa turn down the opportunity for Birmingham to host Olympic matches? What right did they have to deny my fine city of being a host Olympic city because of possible (now shelved?) plans to extend Villa Park?

We now suffer the embarrassment and shame of Coventry’s league one stadium hosting matches while Birmingham is side lined yet again. This issue was never fully explained and no apology was made then or has since been made.

Rob Seymour, Kings Norton, Birmingham