What is the future of Villa Park?

[nick harper]

I would say that the only way the club will redevelop the North Stand now would not be to increase capacity as I don't believe they think they can increase attendances to more than 40k, but to improve the corporate potential - including a museum which has been mooted for years.

Having said that I'm not sure if the club are oversubscribed in this area or whether a museum would be commercially viable.

I think capacity will only be increased if standing is permitted again and then they may for example, turn the Lower Holte into a standing area.

[DB]

The North Stand is a carbuncle, but there is no need for a rebuild. Some refurbishment would be nice as it looks grubby from the outside and sticks out like a sore thumb.

I'm not sure you can just do a refurb, yes from the outside, but inside it look awful / outdated especially when you see some of the other stadiums around now. With the Museum needed, I would re-build to a slightly bigger capacity (but nothing substantial), with option to expand later on if needed - like the SOL in Sunderland.

[TimTheVillain]

I think any ideas of knocking the Ugly Stand down in the short term are on ice again.

The General did say that the screen being taken down was a temporary thing, but it seems permanent now, and Randy certainly isn't going to invest in VP now.

We are where we are, and we are ( as I see it ) back in the £llis days of austerity.

[Villafirst]

It's all a bit chicken and egg with the North Stand and I think it has been like this since the days of Doug.     The question has always been what's the pointt in expanding when the crowds are currently low, and why waste money on a new stand when the money could be invested in building a team?

I think, ideally, the way we should tackle this question is by planning to build both team and stand together in stages and in parallel.  The key word is "planning", here.  Using genuine insight, vision and ambition to drive such a project forward.  As things stand, compared to clubs like Spurs, Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea we are in an incredibly fortunate position: we don't need to relocate or massively rebuild in order to achieve a fifty thousand plus capacity.

 I would strike while we have the advantage over these other clubs and get this project started as soon as possible.  The pros far outweigh the cons in that it shows the football world that we mean business and we are still an ambitious, upwardly mobile club.  Even if, in the short term, we don't always sell out, I am sure the  new facilities we could offer would gain corporate customers and so on.  Maybe the new stand could be sponsored in some way, too?  Maybe the new high speed rail link to Brum could be factored into the plans and add a new dimension to potential corporate customer numbers?

Lerner won't spend money on players so there's zero chance of him expanding the Stadium. He's content to sell-off our better players to claw his investment back and sell the club. We've no chance of Europe with his current way of running the club - we'll just drift along around mid-table with him in charge. Lerner hasn't added one extra seat to the Stadium since he took over in 2006. I'll honestly be glad to see the back of him and hopefully we can have a new owner with drive and ambition to push us forward.

[Chris Harte]

I think the future of Villa Park will be as a giant TV studio.

There will be locations for all the Sky+/HD/3D equipment that they'll need to broadcast from every conceiveable angle, giving the home subscriber the highest quality images and coverage from our latest big game versus Stoke City or whoever.

As for crowds, they will probably be virtual - buy your season ticket and have your image projected into the crowd, so long as you're using your subscription to watch the game from anywhere in the world.

What about those who attend? Don't be daft, that's just sooo last century.

[stubbsyandy]

Ha! Chris Harte that was well observed..

[midnite]

The General did say that the screen being taken down was a temporary thing, but it seems permanent now.

I think randy has a huge screen in the back garden of his house in the US now. BBQ on, beers flowing and a big screen to watch everything on... That's the life!

[mrfuse]

To be honest Im not that bothered about the stands even the North stand. Im a season ticket holder in the North stand and its fine as it is as long as they keep the price low as it is.

With all the cutbacks there is no way any major work is going to be done, I come to villa park to look at the pitch and the players on it and at the minute I don't like what I'm seeing. That is what is currently concerning me

[LeeB]

I think eventually we'll see a 120,000, solar powered hover-dome, capable of relocating to several sites depending on traffic flow allowing easy access for supporters and hot dog vendors.

The site ill include a 57 store high end shopping mall located in the roof, the showpiece being a Greggs resplendant with upholstered seating and waitress service, a glass floor through which to watch the 'action' on the pitch, and also a 500 room hotel with 3 bars, a swimming pool and free porn.

[stubbsyandy]

Only ONE Greggs Lee? How will we cope

[PeterWithesShin]

We can only cope with one Greg.

[pauliewalnuts]

Only ONE Greggs Lee? How will we cope

Don't worry, with the rate of proliferation of Greggs, it can only be 5-10 years before every other building in the country is flogging tepid pasties and "sausage" rolls.

[stubbsyandy]

Four more opened as I type.


Sorry make that five.


Sorry make that six...

[LeeB]

Only ONE Greggs Lee? How will we cope

Seating for 200, the longest baked goods counter in Wester Europe and an industrial sized Supabake 3000 oven powered entirely by dazzygs' hatred of Mcleish.

[Concrete John]

We can only cope with one Greg.

And that's pretty much the only way he'll get a mention on a thread relating to the ground.