collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Tourists at Villa Park  (Read 12236 times)

Offline KevinGage

  • Member
  • Posts: 13350
  • Location: Singing from under the floorboards
  • GM : 20.09.20
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #60 on: February 14, 2013, 08:02:19 PM »

Curious. Nondescript was about the last.word I'd use to describe the old Trinity, even taking into account its emotional connotations for us.

By football ground standards it was magnificent architecture but as Simon Inglis said, in a wider context it had no more merit than a late Victorian town hall.

I might be missing the point, but frankly I don't understand this argument. There are good and bad late Victorian town halls, and some of the better ones are worthy of being retained and even adapted to suit changing requirements. There are also good and bad late Victorian (or interwar) factory buildings. The old Trinity Rd stand was a football stand, built in the early 20th Century, and so can only really be judged in that context. The stand was a reflection of the grandeur of the institution (at the time it was built), and a celebration of the event of the match. It was commonly acknowledged to be, along with Ibrox, the best example of a football stand of that era.

I think you are also underestimating the average football tourist, who I believe would be more interested in the main stand and cottage at Craven Cottage for example, than the main stand at Loftus Rd. Whether this manifests itself in taking photographs in front of the stand, or attending games I don't know. I do believe however that a contemporary tourist is entirely capable of being seduced in the same way that many of us were by the old Trinity Rd stand. I think UK Redsox touched on this, as I'm sure that Fenway Park is more visited by tourists than Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for example.

Kevin likes this.

Offline Californian Villain

  • Member
  • Posts: 872
  • Location: Berkeley
    • Mustang 68
  • GM : Apr, 2012
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #61 on: February 14, 2013, 08:23:24 PM »
At Stamford Bridge, for example, you see huge numbers of foreign visitors with their brand new shirts and bags of club merchandise, and there are always at least 20 coaches from Holland and Belgium parked outside the ground. We're never going to attract that sort of interest, especially from the glory-hunting types of fans.
The foreign support we do have is, for the most part, loyal and committed. I've written more than once in H&V about my connection with the German Villans, who come to home and away games regularly and will continue to do so, whichever league we end up in. Archie from the Latin Lions is a regular contributor to this website and his members are passionate Villa supporters. A group of us, including John Gregory, Rob Bishop and Alan Perrins, are attending their annual reunion in Padua later in the season and the restaurant will be filled with claret and blue and much noise. Those of you with a strong constititution have taken part in and perhaps survived the notorious visits of Edvard and his Faroese Lions. Our fans from Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Ireland come to Villa Park several times a season.
We're not a global brand, which may or may not be a good thing, but what it does mean is that our foreign supporters have deliberately chosen us rather than just jumping on the latest bandwagon. They care about Villa and suffer when we suffer. They love coming to Villa Park and we should welcome them and appreciate their loyalty.

Great post....Whenever I make it back to VP, which isn't often, I always buy a pile of merch before the game etc....generally though, the treatment I get from other fans/season ticket holders is in keeping with the comment below. It's always very disappointing, but I've come to ignore it.

Let's be honest - they're not here to see the Villa. They're here to watch what they doubtless call the EPL.

Offline Witton Warrior

  • Member
  • Posts: 3662
  • Location: Back in K3
  • GM : Feb, 2014
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #62 on: February 14, 2013, 08:47:35 PM »

Great post....Whenever I make it back to VP, which isn't often, I always buy a pile of merch before the game etc....generally though, the treatment I get from other fans/season ticket holders is in keeping with the comment below. It's always very disappointing, but I've come to ignore it.

Let's be honest - they're not here to see the Villa. They're here to watch what they doubtless call the EPL.

That's a real shame CaliVilla - drop us a line the next time you are over for a more positive experience!

Offline Archie

  • Member
  • Posts: 1106
  • Location: Italy (Villa Park with the heart)
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #63 on: February 14, 2013, 11:52:54 PM »
Great post Frank, as usual!

Offline cheltenhamlion

  • Member
  • Posts: 18734
  • Location: Pedmore, Stourbridge
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #64 on: February 15, 2013, 08:01:55 AM »
I have met loads of foreign lads up The Bartons. The Germans, the Italians, the Gers, Garyth from NZ as well as some riotous nights out with the Scandinavians.


Offline Ads

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 39424
  • Location: The Breeze
  • GM : 17.04.2024
Re: Tourists at Villa Park
« Reply #65 on: February 15, 2013, 08:54:58 AM »
Fenway Park was a bit like the Goodison of baseball ground world. You might get nostalgic over it and comment on how lovely it is, until you go inside and remember what a shit hole it is.

The Trinity looked very elegant from the outside, but on the inside it was old and decrepit, then onto the seating area it was cramped, with a pillar here and there blocking your view, while it was also too small and feeble looking compared to the Holte, with the lower tier being taller than the entire stand.

The stand that has replaced it is impressive from my view in the Holte, as its pretty big and imposing. Its fairly bland from the Trinity Road itself mind and non-descript. The rear of the Holte End is very impressive and it’s a pity that a similar finish could not have been applied to the new Trinity Road stand.

One day they will re-build the North stand carbuncle and I expect it will be interesting to see how they go with it; a bastion of modernity with plate glass everywhere or something harking back to the age of yore.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal