Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: thomas on August 12, 2010, 10:25:41 PM

Title: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: thomas on August 12, 2010, 10:25:41 PM
Hello all,

I was wandering if anyone on here had any experience of the bike racks at Villa Park.

Is it outside the ground? So local scrotes will know that the bikes locked up will be unattended for over an hour? Or is it behind the gates or something?

Hope you can help, Cheers!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: villa `cross the mersey on August 12, 2010, 10:30:29 PM
Ellis invented the bicycle rack you know !!!

They are mounted on the left hand wall at back of players car parking area - heading from main office entrance towards the club shop.

Not exactly secure and thousands pass the bikes entering and leaving the stadium.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: TimTheVillain on August 12, 2010, 10:49:02 PM
Man with glasses, short thinning hair, a polo shirt with a number 31 on the front and with a northern Irish brogue seem hastily pedaling away from Villa Park on Monday.


Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: UK Redsox on August 12, 2010, 11:17:13 PM
Ellis invented the bicycle rack you know !!!

They are mounted on the left hand wall at back of players car parking area - heading from main office entrance towards the club shop.

Not exactly secure and thousands pass the bikes entering and leaving the stadium.

I've only ever seen a couple of bikes there but I do tend to get to my seat early. The racks do seem like a good idea. Do they get used much ?
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Leighton on August 12, 2010, 11:22:46 PM
Surely most of the bikes are found hanging around the players lounge after the game?
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: not3bad on August 12, 2010, 11:37:27 PM
I was wandering if anyone on here had any experience of the bike racks at Villa Park.

The bicycle racks are just behind the North Stand.  A couple of years ago I came up the Villa on my bike.  We were playing Liverpool that day and I had a bit of banter with the scousers as I was hanging my bike up (you have to do that). 

Funnily enough I've had my bike nicked twice in Reading since then.  Bloody southerners!!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: JJ-AV on August 12, 2010, 11:40:41 PM
Ellis invented the bicycle rack you know !!!

Hahaha
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: eamonn on August 13, 2010, 02:17:31 AM
Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate
Will nature make a man of me yet?

or

I wouldn't give a shit if your bicycle's in bits
I think I'm going to heaven on it
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on August 13, 2010, 08:56:52 AM
Didnt even know we had bicycle racks at VP. With the pathetic police traffic control after games, its an interesting option. Just dont get your scarf tangled in the spokes when you tie it from your saddle.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Guy M on August 13, 2010, 09:51:17 AM
They are mounted on the left hand wall at back of players car parking area - heading from main office entrance towards the club shop.

Not exactly secure and thousands pass the bikes entering and leaving the stadium.
I'd have said they were in about as secure a place as they could be. Just outside the caged area for players' and officials' vehicles in the North Stand car-park, there'll be someone within viewing distance for most of the afternoon I'd say.

Worth calling the club and asking but I'd assume there are security cameras too: 0121 326 1599 and follow the options.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Hookeysmith on August 13, 2010, 10:19:53 AM
They are where folk say they are  - the good thing is as it is adjacent to the players car park there are staff on duty all through the game
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: thomas on August 13, 2010, 01:09:27 PM
Thanks for the help everyone!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: deero83 on August 15, 2013, 01:27:27 PM
I'm thinking about using the bike racks, after spotting that we have some in the info that came with my season ticket.
Although I'm not so sure about cycling home through 40,000 people after the game, never mind locking it up at the opposite end of the ground to where my seat is (Holte End)!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: stubbsyandy on August 15, 2013, 01:33:13 PM
Ellis invented the bicycle rack you know !!!

Hahaha

Indeed!!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: wozwebs on August 15, 2013, 01:56:58 PM
Walked past on Saturday and for the first time I actually saw a bike on there. Tied high up with large chain.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Malandro on August 15, 2013, 02:27:31 PM
Walked past on Saturday and for the first time I actually saw a bike on there. Tied high up with large chain.

Thats Benteke's bike (He's commuting from his croft) that is also no chain, its a pair of his spare laces
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: PeterWithesShin on August 15, 2013, 03:25:42 PM
I've seen plenty of bikes down the Villa. Mainly when the Zulu 'ladies' are visiting us.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: ez on August 15, 2013, 05:54:52 PM
A bit off topic but when I used to walk to my bus stop after the game I used to see car owners passing money to kids presumably for keeping an eye on their cars. I would wonder how they knew the kid had been there for the whole game.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: eamonn on August 15, 2013, 06:12:37 PM
Didn't matter as long as the car had its hubcaps and there was no sign of gobbing down the windscreen.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Pete on August 15, 2013, 06:28:35 PM
A bit off topic but when I used to walk to my bus stop after the game I used to see car owners passing money to kids presumably for keeping an eye on their cars. I would wonder how they knew the kid had been there for the whole game.

They wouldn't know. And the kid had probably gone home and come back just before full time. That's how it worked years ago, anyway.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Leighton on August 15, 2013, 08:24:46 PM
Has anybody mentioned Gareth Barry's arse yet?

Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: rob_bridge on August 15, 2013, 10:02:33 PM
Ellis invented the bicycle rack you know !!!

Hahaha

Indeed!!

You do him a dis-service. He invented the bicycle and then gave it a kick. Maybe he really invented the Motorcycle. He has the bicycle rack patented.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: rob_bridge on August 15, 2013, 10:11:36 PM
A bit off topic but when I used to walk to my bus stop after the game I used to see car owners passing money to kids presumably for keeping an eye on their cars. I would wonder how they knew the kid had been there for the whole game.

They wouldn't know. And the kid had probably gone home and come back just before full time. That's how it worked years ago, anyway.

Ahh the good old days when parking cost 50p, not that I drove. Rather than a fiver nowadays. Give the scrote 50p and you know it would not have bricked the windscreen/let the tyres down when you got back - rather some other poor sod who refused on naievity or general principles. I did park somewhere past the Aston station (away from ground) when I drove to England Wales U21 game a few years back. There were no kids asking for £2 to look after a 10 year old Astra - probably playing on their games consoles or smoking wacky backy or both. Or didn't want to be seen near an 'un-sick' car.

 
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: deero83 on September 26, 2013, 02:12:30 PM
Quite seriously, does anyone use the racks? Are they remotely safe?
Do you get to them from Witton Lane entrance presumably?
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: UK Redsox on September 26, 2013, 02:19:58 PM
Quite seriously, does anyone use the racks? Are they remotely safe?
Do you get to them from Witton Lane entrance presumably?

You can get to them from Trinity Road (down the steps/slope by the statue), from Witton Road (ie the entrance that brings you in behind the shop) or from Witton Lane (main North Stand Car Park entrance). The first two are probably easiest.

I've no info on security.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Hookeysmith on September 26, 2013, 03:15:31 PM
Considering there is usually around a Million quids worth of cars parked in there during the game there is always a presence of match day staff. If someone walks up and walks off with a bike not sure anyone would do anything - if anyone looked suspicious then i am sure they would get asked what they were doing

Try mailing the club to ask for the arrangements - i am sure though they would give the standard answer "Bicyles left here are done so by the owner and the club accepts no................"
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: Rich6by7 on September 26, 2013, 05:44:26 PM
There is no way I'd leave my bike on those flimsy, exposed racks. No way on Earth. At last season's kit launch event, I had a chat with the Bike Doctor guys who had a tent there- they took one look at the facility and laughed. I'd be amazed if I came back to them after another disappointing performance to find all of the bike still there, undamaged.

A better option might be to use the racks at Tesco by Witton Square. Not the ones on the pavement; there are a few that can be accessed from the car park. Or, if you don't mind the walk along Aston Lane, at BCU- there's on-site security there, not sure if they have CCTV covering the racks though.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: saunders_heroes on September 26, 2013, 05:46:15 PM
I counted 3 bikes using the racks after the Newcastle game.
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: deero83 on September 27, 2013, 08:53:55 AM
Hmm.... still doesn't sound the best. I'll keep getting the train I think!!
Title: Re: Bicycle Facilities at Villa Park
Post by: adrenachrome on September 27, 2013, 12:09:09 PM
Hmm.... still doesn't sound the best. I'll keep getting the train I think!!

When Jimmy Saviile said this is the age of the train, he was kidding around.
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