doug ellis/witton lane stand

[KRS]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47687411

The above is a link to a video showing the new White Hart Lane. Not worth it's own thread, but could have some relevance to the general Villa Park discussions.  About 00.08 seconds in. Is that safe standing via the back door?

Looks like safe standing to me but it’s not been mentioned in any of the media coverage as far as I’m aware. Fairplay to them and hope it paves the way for other clubs to follow suit.

[hilts_coolerking]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47687411

The above is a link to a video showing the new White Hart Lane. Not worth it's own thread, but could have some relevance to the general Villa Park discussions.  About 00.08 seconds in. Is that safe standing via the back door?

Looks like safe standing to me but it’s not been mentioned in any of the media coverage as far as I’m aware. Fairplay to them and hope it paves the way for other clubs to follow suit.

I read somewhere that they'd install rails in some areas in anticipation of safe standing.

[Damo70]

Even as someone who probably cuts Doug more slack than most I have never agreed with the fact it is called the Doug Ellis stand. A decision that was apparently nothing to do with Doug and came as a total surprise to him when sprung on him as a suggestion at a board meeting which he humbly went along with as it was clearly the will of the people. Those people who he employed. I can think of a few names I would have preferred the stand to have been named after but after his long connection with the club and his passing away we would look quite spiteful if we renamed it now.

[VILLA MOLE]

Even as someone who probably cuts Doug more slack than most I have never agreed with the fact it is called the Doug Ellis stand. A decision that was apparently nothing to do with Doug and came as a total surprise to him when sprung on him as a suggestion at a board meeting which he humbly went along with as it was clearly the will of the people. Those people who he employed. I can think of a few names I would have preferred the stand to have been named after but after his long connection with the club and his passing away we would look quite spiteful if we renamed it now.

I would like to see a Ron Saunders way leading to the Tony Barton Stand when they finally upgrade it

[The Edge]

Even as someone who probably cuts Doug more slack than most I have never agreed with the fact it is called the Doug Ellis stand. A decision that was apparently nothing to do with Doug and came as a total surprise to him when sprung on him as a suggestion at a board meeting which he humbly went along with as it was clearly the will of the people. Those people who he employed. I can think of a few names I would have preferred the stand to have been named after but after his long connection with the club and his passing away we would look quite spiteful if we renamed it now.

I would like to see a Ron Saunders way leading to the Tony Barton Stand when they finally upgrade it

I'm not a fan of naming stands after individuals unless it's something that unites the fans 100% eg: The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand & The Bobby Moore Stand but that really isn't the case with the DE stand. Maybe The Doug Ellis Way? Suggestions anyone?

[Toronto Villa]

I do wonder what else can be done in the current setting given the number of homes close by and the sheer chaos it caused to the local communities the last time we redeveloped? I imagine there would be opposition to us engaging in a significant project. I no longer know the area well enough but is a move close by even possible and if so would it be considered and/or supported?

[DB]

The main issue is the North stand. Plenty of room behind there but as people have stated, some long term bigger view is needed, not just a stand at a time. The Witton not far behind to be re-developed.

[Luffbralion]

Even as someone who probably cuts Doug more slack than most I have never agreed with the fact it is called the Doug Ellis stand. A decision that was apparently nothing to do with Doug and came as a total surprise to him when sprung on him as a suggestion at a board meeting which he humbly went along with as it was clearly the will of the people. Those people who he employed. I can think of a few names I would have preferred the stand to have been named after but after his long connection with the club and his passing away we would look quite spiteful if we renamed it now.

I would like to see a Ron Saunders way leading to the Tony Barton Stand when they finally upgrade it

I would like to see it re-named to acknowledge our greatest moment as a collective triumph: the Rotterdam Stand or the 1982 Stand

[dave.woodhall]

I do wonder what else can be done in the current setting given the number of homes close by and the sheer chaos it caused to the local communities the last time we redeveloped? I imagine there would be opposition to us engaging in a significant project. I no longer know the area well enough but is a move close by even possible and if so would it be considered and/or supported?

The one bright spot in this potential problem is that we work better with the local community now. When we were doing the other three stands the club’s attitude was embarrassing.

[Roysmert]

Form memory, Witton Lane was diverted a bit to make more space but we couldn't get all the land we needed due to the ancient lights regulations. The whole thing was built around the existing tier of the old stand, thereby fitting in with the club ethos of the time, namely "How much for cash?" A year or so later it was found to everyone's amazement that new seats on old terrace ruined the sightlines, so the bottom tier had to be relaid, at which point asbestos was found, causing a delay and reducing capacity at the start of 1995-96. Doug being penny wise, pound foolish. Who'da thought it?

What are/were the ancient lights regulations please Dave

According to a bit of Googling, if a window has enjoyed natural sunlight for twenty years nothing can be built that blocks out the light. It might also have helped if we hadn't been virtually at war with the locals for years.

thanks mate, I didn't know that.

[DB]

That won't impact the Boggies then as they been in our shadow for years

[olaftab]

The houses in Witton Lane have now disappeared replaced by the nice garden. We could buy that land and do a Trinity road type of rebuild I suppose?

[dave.woodhall]

The houses in Witton Lane have now disappeared replaced by the nice garden. We could buy that land and do a Trinity road type of rebuild I suppose?

See the bit above about light. And I think, but I'm not certain, that any increase in capacity is dependent on better transport links.

[Roysmert]

and bus stops, and train line, and regeneration of the locality, and road access and parking. not to mention we would need another 100 or so extra matchday stewards that ain't easy to oget

[maidstonevillain]

The houses in Witton Lane have now disappeared replaced by the nice garden. We could buy that land and do a Trinity road type of rebuild I suppose?

See the bit above about light. And I think, but I'm not certain, that any increase in capacity is dependent on better transport links.

Which is a bit ironic when you consider they are not really increasing the capacity. Just reinstating it back to what it used to be not that many years ago.