Thank you, Mr Ellis.

No, you haven't bought the wrong magazine. It's just that we're all into Faustian pacts here and at the end of 120 minutes on April 2nd I swore that if we got through I'd print, where the world could see it, the statement at the top of the page.

But I didn't say I had to mean it.

Trouble is, there's not much to have a go at him about. Not only has the Grand Obsession been achieved, well in part at least, but there's also the ticket prices.

 There's a man somewhere who wrote to us at the start of the season saying that Villa would get to the cup final and reduce season ticket prices. We haven't heard much from him since then, because they aren't allowed sharp instruments where he ended up, but he's expected to be released soon.

Because these two Tales of the Unexpected have happened. Wembley has been done to death (although that won't stop us going on about it a bit more), and almost as significant is the fact that we will be paying on average a fair bit less to watch the Villa next season.

I know that there will be some complaints that existing season tickets holders aren't getting such a good deal as people who will be buying new tickets. Maybe, but at least it's a start. In any case, surely nobody can complain about more season tickets being sold.

There will also be the cynical amongst us who see this as a way of ensuring that the new Trinity Road stand won't be embarrassingly empty. The even more cynical might think that Sky are having a quiet word with a few clubs about the effect of low crowds and negligible atmosphere. Not that we would dream of saying such a thing. Oh no. Not at all.

The plain, simple truth is probably much simpler. Much as they'll never admit it, they got it wrong last year. Despite Doug's recent prevaricating on WM, crowds this season are down because they made a mistake. Now they're doing something to put it right. And for that we should all be grateful.

It says something about the club's PR that Steve Stride has to put out qualifying statement saying 'There are no catches’ but for once I'm applauding what they're doing.

The cheap seats option is also a good idea. Apparently Small Heath have a younger average support than us, based almost entirely on their kids for quid scheme. For a couple of years now they've been attracting new support who can't afford the Villa. Now we've got the chance to win back those floating fans. And I've said time and again, it's alright saying we only want 100% committed supporters who wouldn't ever dream of going anywhere else, but in the real world you have to compromise. I'd rather have a thousand people who are here because it's cheap than see the seats going empty.

The cup final and the price reductions. They're both a start. And although Villa are very good at starts and not so clever when it comes to continuing this time will be different. Won't it?

And so onto other matters. As you might expect, much of this issue is up taken up with the events of April 2nd. That's only to be expected. However disappointing the match might have been, I couldn't care less about how we won and I doubt if many other people could have either. We've had more than our fair share of bad luck in the FA Cup so it was our turn to get the run of the ball for a change.

The reason we're all so wound up about this is the fact that it's the first time in two generations that we can sing along to Abide with Me without the neighbours banging on the walls telling us to turn the television down. And that's not good enough. In fact, it's downright embarrassing. But we're there now, so let's enjoy it.

Of course, there are still a couple of reservations in the way the team are playing. Two defeats in 26 matches is as good a record as anybody, but we've also been riding our luck a bit lately. Playing with five at the back obviously suits the team but it also means that we're never going to destroy the opposition (except Spurs every so often) and every player has to be on top form. Without a top quality goalscorer we're never going to be completely comfortable whoever the opposition might be.

Despite what might be said elsewhere, the only way the Villa are going to improve the team during the summer is by spending big money. What we don't want is to hear the excuse that we can't afford it because ticket revenues are low.

23rd March: The transfer deadline comes and goes, with the signature 'Benito Carbone' noticeably absent from any new contract. Better luck for lan Taylor though, who gets the money he deserves.

25th March: Villa 2 Derby 0. Not the most entertaining match ever, but you knew who was going to score the first. And after he did so it was interesting to see that the immediate reaction was to blame Ellis for all the ills of the world. Long may it continue. Paul Merson continues his run of form that's making him the bets player in the country. If Beni's worth £35k a week or whatever, what's the man who creates 80% of our goals according to the Opta ratings (I know, I know) worth? And what does he think of all this money talk? After the match Anglo-Italian relations are turned up a notch as Beni says the Villa are a joke. The way things are going, he can get away with saying anything now. And will probably try. Did anybody see what was really on his shirt?

28th March: Merson backs Doug. He wouldn't pay Mr Carbone that sort of money. Greedy little..... etc.

29th March: But one or two of the players would. Anyone thinking that they're saying it because they want to start earning similar should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

30th: And as the trouble-free build up to the club's biggest match for eighteen years continues, John 'Diplomatic Service' Gregory fires a salvo off in the direction of Ugo's agent.

2nd April: Villa 0 Bolton 0 (or 4-1). Yes, it was crap wasn't it? Villa's formation relies on everybody being on top form and when a few players have an off day this is the inevitable result. Ugo had his worst match for years, Merson never got going. Beni was off the ball (ask your dad). Joachim is way, way off form. Only Southgate and especially Boateng came out of the 120 minutes with their reputations enhanced, although Alan Wright did himself no harm either. Then the penalties, and the script was preordained. We're there.

5th April: After launching an attack on his previous club Beni gets dropped for Sheffield Wednesday 0 Villa 1. A match chiefly notable for the appearance of many players previously thought missing or dead, plus Dion's further reappearance and a very, very late goal from Alan Thompson. Which is the sort of thing that happens when you're playing a club bottom of the league. Wednesday are surely doomed, but with other things understandably on their minds the team did well to get all three points. The bonus two might well come in handy at the end of the season. And next season's ticket prices are announced. Mass fainting greets the news that most of them are staying the same and the rest are actually going down. For which sincere thanks are due to Doug and the rest of the board.

6th April: Waking up to find out that two football supporters have been murdered abroad is not the best way to start the morning. Before anyone thinks ft was Leeds and they must have got what was coming, cast your mind back to the flares being fired into our end in Milan, the baton-happy cops in La Coruna and the lad who had his skull fractured in Madrid to name but a few. Yet again, there but for the grace of God .....

9th April: Villa 1 Leeds 0 was a difficult one under the circumstances. The minute's silence was immaculately respected, just as you'd expect, and the tributes placed by both sets of supporters outside the Witton End were deeply moving. As for the match, Villa have obviously got the measure of Leeds this season. Their first time passing was countered by our closing down and there seemed to be a lot of poor bail control. Maybe both teams are finding themselves coming to the end of a long, hard season and concentration is slipping. Somebody definitely slipped when letting Julian through for a one on one with Nigel Martyn shortly before half time and at the fifth attempt in three matches he managed to score. Second half we were a bit lucky, but we deserve some of that. A Holdsworthian miss, some fine saves by David James and another three points were ours. Fifth place might not be so far off as we thought. Elsewhere, the nation is spared six weeks of melodramatic nonsense about good old Bobby, the fanatical Toon Army, no trophies for forty years and the Holy Shearer as the question 'Can Newcastle lose at Wembley three years in a row' is met with a firm 'Yes'. Shame.

11th April: Haim Revivo's name is mentioned again in an attempt to go for the world 'How many times can one player be linked with a team and still not sign' record (current holder: Steve Bull, runner-up: Robbie Keane).

12th April. I could have sworn April Fool’s Day was weeks ago. Story today 'James & Bosnich’ in swap link’. Naturally, like all good April 1^st stories it was denied in the afternoon. Emmanuel Petit gets fined five grand and Arsene Wenger goes into one about how Villa Park is such a horrible place for away teams because the supporters are so close to the dugouts. Unlike the palatial and splendid Higbury of course. Why not just teach your players to keep their gobs shut and their gesturing fingers to themselves? And if Villa Park is the hotbed of racism that everyone seems to be falling over themselves to claim that it is, exactly where does it take place?

14th April: Julian Joachim gets on a plane headed for St Vincent ready to play for them in the World Cup. While he's in the air FIFA inform his adopted country that he's inelligible for them. Still, he'll get a few days holiday of it. And the club who pay his wages. Well what do we count?