New Stadiums, Why ?

[TimTheVillain]

Of course there's a need for new stadiums, but VP just requires some attention, a new North Stand and the corners 'filled in' somehow to contain the atmosphere and 'job done' for a number of years of football in B6.

[Ad@m]

After the North Stand redevelopment our only option for further development would be the Witton Lane Stand. But this would only be possible if the Witton Lane and some of the housing on that side were removed. Does anybody here know how possible that is in terms of planning permission etc?

If I remember correctly that would be a bit of a struggle.  The main issue is the road rather than the houses.  I think the original plan when the current Witton Lane stand was built was to divert the road and build the stand out further - at that time we knocked down the row of houses both sides of the road with this in mind.

Just like with the Trinity Road stand though the council wouldn't let us divert the road due to objections from local residents.  That's how we ended up with the Trinity being on stilts, the Witton Lane stand being so narrow (have a look at it on Google Maps), and the little park area on the other side of Witton Lane where the houses used to be.

The more realistic option from an expansion point of view would be the corners.

[darren woolley]

I would like to see a new North Stand and keep the orther's as they are, as Villa Park is a proper ground.

[Dante Lavelli]

What will the capacity be once the North Stand is developed?

In my opinion, if we could get the capacity up to 55k and improve the corporate facilities then that should be sufficient for villa.  Hopefully, this would hopefully allow the club to drop prices a bit and get more fans in each week.

Out of interest what do people think the elasticity of demand (is that the correct term?) is for ticket.  If the match ticket was dropped to an average of £20, would the average attendance increase sufficiently, say ~50,000, to justify the new north stand?

[villa `cross the mersey]

What will the capacity be once the North Stand is developed?

In my opinion, if we could get the capacity up to 55k and improve the corporate facilities then that should be sufficient for villa.  Hopefully, this would hopefully allow the club to drop prices a bit and get more fans in each week.

Out of interest what do people think the elasticity of demand (is that the correct term?) is for ticket.  If the match ticket was dropped to an average of £20, would the average attendance increase sufficiently, say ~50,000, to justify the new north stand?

I `ll answer this one folks as it`s easy to do so: - No, unless we suddenly find another 15K "fans" from somewhere

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

What will the capacity be once the North Stand is developed?

In my opinion, if we could get the capacity up to 55k and improve the corporate facilities then that should be sufficient for villa.  Hopefully, this would hopefully allow the club to drop prices a bit and get more fans in each week.

Out of interest what do people think the elasticity of demand (is that the correct term?) is for ticket.  If the match ticket was dropped to an average of £20, would the average attendance increase sufficiently, say ~50,000, to justify the new north stand?

I `ll answer this one folks as it`s easy to do so: - No, unless we suddenly find another 15K "fans" from somewhere

I disagree, as with other clubs, there are a thousands out there who have been priced out of being able to watch premier league football regularly.

[villa `cross the mersey]

What will the capacity be once the North Stand is developed?

In my opinion, if we could get the capacity up to 55k and improve the corporate facilities then that should be sufficient for villa.  Hopefully, this would hopefully allow the club to drop prices a bit and get more fans in each week.

Out of interest what do people think the elasticity of demand (is that the correct term?) is for ticket.  If the match ticket was dropped to an average of £20, would the average attendance increase sufficiently, say ~50,000, to justify the new north stand?

I `ll answer this one folks as it`s easy to do so: - No, unless we suddenly find another 15K "fans" from somewhere

I disagree, as with other clubs, there are a thousands out there who have been priced out of being able to watch premier league football regularly.

Thats fine, however when have we ever regularly filled the ground even when admission prices were more in line with average wages etc? I think it a myth that we will fill the ground if the price is right - we have tried it recently and are continuing to do so (£10 and £5 tickets) - Continued success may bring in some extra "glory hunter" types but as soon as we revert to type they will leave in droves! As things are going a percentage of season ticket holders will not renew next season as the advantages of having said ticket are no longer that attractive - Do you believe that the club will expand the stadium by 8k and substantially reduce the prices of season tickets and match day tickets? I would dearly love to be proved wrong however I  believe that we have a fan base who are willing to attend, at about 35- 37K

[pestria]

On a sort of related topic I just came across this in the Observer's 10 crappiest grounds - guess where ...

'One of the most mean-spirited,unfriendly and scruffiest stadiums in the land.Not scruffy in a wholesome way,like Goodison Park for example,but in a an extremely tacky,cheap,classless way - a £2-for-a-Mars-bar way.Where do this mob get the brassnecked spivvery to charge visiting fans £52 (Manchester Utd) and £48 (Newcastle)for a view not dissimilar to watching the match through a letterbox? Standing is a necessity.Truly a cesspit of everything that is crass about twenty-first century football.'

'You can't enjoy a game there because you're overwhelmed with the sensation of being ripped off. Foul people.'

(The prices were 2004 I think!!!!)

More of the same as http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2004/oct/10/newsstory.sport2

[Blackcountry Villa]

The New Wembley is boring and souless, and the corporate ring around the middle splitting the stands dilutes the atmosphere (although our fans v Chelsea must be up there as the best to visit). The Emirates has zero atmosphere or character, COMS has terrible acoustics and sounds like theres about 10 of you singing. One of the best 'new' stadiums is Stadium of light, it's a bit bland and 'factory looking' from the outside but inside it's impressive, a bit different and has a good atmosphere. The likes of Derby, Boro, Southampton, Leicester, Coventry, Swansea, Cardiff etc are all the same just with different couloured seats. Give me Villa Park, Goodison, Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane any day, not Anfield though, the most overrated ground in the world. It's a shithole, but not a nice shithole like Goodison, and the atmosphere is shocking despite what the media like to tell us.

[not3bad]

VP just requires some attention, a new North Stand and the corners 'filled in'

I remember reading an article in Heroes & Villains written by someone who was dead against filling in the corners at Villa Park.

[Salsa Party Animal]

It would be interesting to see what kind of design would Archibald Leitch do these days.

is it possible to build old school stadium with modern seats and facilities.

So who are the top dog for stadium design these days ?

It would be interesting to see what kind of stadium would Randy Lerner pick for us ?

[DB]

If you think Highbury is better than the Emirates, your quite mad. Did you ever spend good money on a ticket for a seat on the side bit for away fans (just arond from the clock end? The back 8 rows you were looking at the players feet unless they were on the nearest touchline!

However, that said, it is sad that some of our old grounds have gone, even if they have basically have re-developed most of the site (e.g. like Wolves), there is something good to be still at you old home...

[pauliewalnuts]

VP just requires some attention, a new North Stand and the corners 'filled in'

I remember reading an article in Heroes & Villains written by someone who was dead against filling in the corners at Villa Park.

I wrote that.

Bollocks to the yawn-o-dromes. English football ground = four individual stands.

I want to see the M6, i want to be able to see the greenery of the park between the Holte and Trinity when we're on the telly.

[LeeS]

VP just requires some attention, a new North Stand and the corners 'filled in'

I remember reading an article in Heroes & Villains written by someone who was dead against filling in the corners at Villa Park.

I wrote that.

Bollocks to the yawn-o-dromes. English football ground = four individual stands.

I want to see the M6, i want to be able to see the greenery of the park between the Holte and Trinity when we're on the telly.

Agree 100%. The idea of filling in the corners is an awful one. What we need is a North Stand that is as big and imposing as the Holte. It doesnt need to wrap around at all.

And if we ever move to an out of town 'bowl' then my days as a ST holder are over.

[London Villan]

I think some of the new American stadiums are good models to look at in terms of keeping a stadium's individual character.