Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: john e on January 12, 2012, 02:11:17 PM
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my birthday was yesterday,
my Daughter bought me a VP stadium tour, says it lasts 2 hours, anyone ever been on one and whats it like ?
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About 4 years ago, it was fantastic, walking out the changing rooms and down the tunnel gave me a tingle.
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Went on one around October time was pretty good.Best part is when you get taken out on to the pitch and they playing the music the players walk out too !
The guy taking the tour is really nice and informative too gives you plenty of time to take pictures.
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It is really good - did it last year. Walking down the tunnel out to the pitch is a high point. It was nice to see how the other half live seeing all the renovated Corporate areas.
Biggest disappointment was the lack of a proper trophy room/cabinet.
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sounds good, but i was hoping to get a game TBH,
i can play RB
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Did it with a bunch of kids we brought over on a football tour from Ireland back about 1995. A lot has probably changed since then but it was well worth it. Managed to get a photo taken of my son with Doug. He was most obliging. Our guide was an elderly gent by the name of Reg very knowlegeable about all things Villa. My only regret is that I never got to stand on the pitch which is always something I have wanted to do.
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The guy that did our tour was very good and informative too, can't remember his name but he was a short black guy that is sometimes on the away coaches as a head counter thing.
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I took my ten year old son on the one back in October after the VP training session and legends lunch. Got some great photos of him in the dressing room sat next to his favourite players shirts, in the dug-out, with the tophies, and espicially when he was walking out of the tunnel to the music. I think the day was made even better by the guy who took us round, Mick, obviously loving what he does. We got a feedback questionaire through the post a couple of weeks later so it was nice to give him the credit he deserved.
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Did work experience there last year and ended up wandering around a lot, I ended up latching on to a few tours and it was good, going down the tunnel's a pretty cool experience.
I put on Petrov's shirt as well, bet he wondered what the smell was.
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Of all the players NOT to wonder it is Stan.
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I put on Petrov's shirt as well, bet he wondered what the smell was.
I bet it was drenched.
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Went on it a few years ago.
Had to leave halfway through as I had the worst hangover I have ever had in my life.
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On the bright side, I was told that Petrov has a tradition of frequently making the "support staff" cups of tea, such as the ladies who sort the kit, the people who set up the pitch and everything. I think he's a top bloke for that.
Bastard never made me one though :(
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On the bright side, I was told that Petrov has a tradition of frequently making the "support staff" cups of tea, such as the ladies who sort the kit, the people who set up the pitch and everything. I think he's a top bloke for that.
Bastard never made me one though :(
He comes across as a really solid bloke, and a good ambassador for the club. He's been very good this season. I think Gardner will eventually replace him, but it would be good to have Stan at the club in another capacity as he winds down his career.
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I did the tour in September. I enjoyed it but the lack of a trophy room was a shame.
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I did the tour in September. I enjoyed it but the lack of a trophy room was a shame.
That's the big let down.
Tour is great lack of silverware on show is criminal! It's a massive waste of an opportunity to showcase our achievements
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Do we have silverware on show anywhere? Even if it is just 7 replica FA Cups on a shelf in the kitchen.
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Do we have silverware on show anywhere? Even if it is just 7 replica FA Cups on a shelf in the kitchen.
Nothing at all
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That's shite. I figured we at least had a cabinet somewhere with the big eared one in.
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That's shite. I figured we at least had a cabinet somewhere with the big eared one in.
It's really crap, even the tour guides complain about it
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Have done the tour twice really enjoyed it, nice food as well not sure if its still the same but the first time lunch was in the corner flag 2nd time in the Holte pub which I guess is not happening anymore.
Have been on the Bernabeu and Nou Camp tours but nothing compares to your own club tour!
Agree about the trophy room cant believe we haven't got a replica European Cup In pride of place on display
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On the bright side, I was told that Petrov has a tradition of frequently making the "support staff" cups of tea, such as the ladies who sort the kit, the people who set up the pitch and everything. I think he's a top bloke for that.
Bastard never made me one though :(
He comes across as a really solid bloke, and a good ambassador for the club. He's been very good this season. I think Gardner will eventually replace him, but it would be good to have Stan at the club in another capacity as he winds down his career.
Would love to have him as perhaps a coach or maybe just like you say as some sort of media ambassador, but I get the feeling he'll go the way of Laursen and do a bit of punditry on the odd Villa game on SkySports before going back to his home country :(
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Did the tour on Sunday, was one of my Brothers christmas presents and it was excellent.
And as for those commenting on the lack of trophies being on display ........
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/913/imag0696.jpg)
Got pictures of us both holding the European Cup, FA Cup and League Cup
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Best part is when you get taken out on to the pitch and they playing the music the players walk out too !
I'd imagine its not quite the same feeling with the current funeral bells being played!
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There is no trophy cabinet with all the replica cups etc ??????? Honest? FGS.
Someone write to the Club or start a petition or something. That is just criminal.
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Did the tour on Sunday, was one of my Brothers christmas presents and it was excellent.
And as for those commenting on the lack of trophies being on display ........
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/913/imag0696.jpg)
Got pictures of us both holding the European Cup, FA Cup and League Cup
What? No Peace Cup On display............disgraceful.
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I did the tour in September. I enjoyed it but the lack of a trophy room was a shame.
I did the tour in September. I enjoyed it but the lack of a trophy room was a shame.
It was a brilliant experience completed with a meal in the Holte pub watching us win at Wolves. Goood timing. I don't think the lack of a trophy room is a problem as such as there are several dotted around the magnificent 'other half' areas in the Trinity.
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There should be a trophy area displaying every trophy we've won in the club's entire history in the museum. Whatever happened to the museum idea?
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There should be a trophy area displaying every trophy we've won in the club's entire history in the museum. Whatever happened to the museum idea?
It was mentioned in that last consultation with supporters.
Apparently it needs to be financially feasible (ie pay for itself) now
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It isn't going to happen then.
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So....we can pay Beye 40k a,week but we can't afford a flatpack display cabinet from Ikea ....priceless
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Incidentally, how any other English clubs have got a museum?
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Surely the supporters would visit it?
Even if we can't put together a museum, surely it is not beyond us to put together something like this in the Trinity Road and charge the supporters a couple of quid to take a few photos?
http://www.oleole.com/pictures/wolverhamptonwanderers/wolvestrophyroom/mp54xo.asp
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Why didn't they say that in the first place, then?
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Incidentally, how any other English clubs have got a museum?
Wolves have their trophies in the Reception area of the Waterloo Road stand. We had a chat with a couple of players last March when I was there for a "do" and they asked where the Villa one was. Said I didn't know. It is quite impressive to see all that silverware - ours would look even more so as we have so much more!
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I agree that the only disappointing thing about the stadium tour is not seeing the trophies!
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Haven't been on one yet. Is there some sort of incentive for ST holders?
Also, if you want to go to an amazing stadium tour, go to the Camp Nou. Their trophy cabinet is mahoooosive! One day, we will match them, one day....... :-\
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Surely the supporters would visit it?
Even if we can't put together a museum, surely it is not beyond us to put together something like this in the Trinity Road and charge the supporters a couple of quid to take a few photos?
http://www.oleole.com/pictures/wolverhamptonwanderers/wolvestrophyroom/mp54xo.asp
That's a really good idea, and the experience of the Holte Hotel would indicate that not enough supporters would visit it. Unfortunately, one of the by-products of the Premier League era is that too many modern supporters don't care for anything from last year, never mind 1897.
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The club should have an easy and free to access area (only needs to be a window display or something similar) that will show all the silverware we have won.
It would get a massive attendance on match days and would show our competitors what we are about
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Surely the Holte Hotel has ongoing running costs that a simple room containing our trophies doesn't?
Randy speaks so often about safeguarding and respecting out history, you'd think some single place where all the trophies we've run can be viewed might be worth considering (and, in fact, that's what they told us they were doing).
I find it really, really hard to believe that Wolves can have something like that *points above* yet we can't, because financial circumstances dictate it.
The club should have an easy and free to access area (only needs to be a window display or something similar) that will show all the silverware we have won.
It would get a massive attendance on match days and would show our competitors what we are about
Absolutely. It doesn't have to be the British Museum, just a room, some cabinets, and a lot of trophies.
I reckon that'd cost less than 1 week of Habib Beye's wages.
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There's a difference between a trophy room (which we should have and I'm surprised we haven't) and a proper museum (for which I honestly don't think there's enough demand, otherwise every club would have one).
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There's a difference between a trophy room (which we should have and I'm surprised we haven't) and a proper museum (for which I honestly don't think there's enough demand, otherwise every club would have one).
A museum, IMO, would be great. The one at the Nou camp is ace (not saying villa should create one of that size). The only place I can see them creating a museum would be if they redevelopment the north stand and made it in there. But you are right about demand. Barca is a world wide brand and cant attract the crowds. We wouldnt be able to attract as many people.
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Haven't been on one yet. Is there some sort of incentive for ST holders?
Also, if you want to go to an amazing stadium tour, go to the Camp Nou. Their trophy cabinet is mahoooosive! One day, we will match them, one day....... :-\
yes i went there when we played Athletico in the UAFA cup,
it was free then, and they had a massive glass cabinet with 6 or 7 European cups in it, there will be even more in there now, but they were obviously only copies of the real thing so there is no reason we cant do the same.
loads of pictures of De Stafano and Puskas on the wall, you really got the feel you were walking through some sort of football history as they are the most decorated team of all times.
really cant believe we dont have a proper trophy cabinet/room
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I have always wanted to do a stadium tour. However, it's quite restrictive for fans like myself. If I fly over for a game I tend to just stay a night in Birmingham and generally tours can't take place either on the day of a game or on the day before. Staying for a tour would involve taking an extra day and it can be awkward to get the time off and to afford another night's stay.
I am hoping to get one in before the end of this season though.
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I think they only bring out the European Cup, League Cup and FA Cup the odd time. They were on show in the small indoor arena between the North Stand and the Villa Village before the Everton home game last season and you could get your pic taken (which I did). There was also big photo boards where you could stick your head in a hole and appear alongside the rest of the '81 squad or pretend you'd signed for Villa.
I went to the Camp Nou in 2002 when Barca had as many European Cups as we did, yet theirs was proudly on display with pride of place.
None of us expect a museum but the lack of a trophy room is fucking stupid.
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I have always wanted to do a stadium tour. However, it's quite restrictive for fans like myself. If I fly over for a game I tend to just stay a night in Birmingham and generally tours can't take place either on the day of a game or on the day before. Staying for a tour would involve taking an extra day and it can be awkward to get the time off and to afford another night's stay.
I am hoping to get one in before the end of this season though.
I normally stay 2 nights but before this seasons trip the times never suited to do the tour.
This time around I landed in Birmingham very early on the Friday and made it out to Villa Park for 10a.m. to catch the start of the tour.
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Haven't been on one yet. Is there some sort of incentive for ST holders?
Also, if you want to go to an amazing stadium tour, go to the Camp Nou. Their trophy cabinet is mahoooosive! One day, we will match them, one day....... :-\
yes i went there when we played Athletico in the UAFA cup,
it was free then, and they had a massive glass cabinet with 6 or 7 European cups in it, there will be even more in there now, but they were obviously only copies of the real thing so there is no reason we cant do the same.
loads of pictures of De Stafano and Puskas on the wall, you really got the feel you were walking through some sort of football history as they are the most decorated team of all times.
really cant believe we dont have a proper trophy cabinet/room
sorry, just realised my mistake, you were talking about the Nou Camp and i'm going on about Real Madrid.
my bad, as they say
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Not having at least a trophy room is bonkers.
I bet the shit down the road have one.
Well when I say room more like a box.
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Incidentally, how any other English clubs have got a museum?
Genuine question - Who paid for the McGregor statue - that's a monument to the club's heritage just like a museum would be. That aside, as has been said, when we're paying Habib Beye £200k a month give or take, I'm sure the budget could be found to turn a corner of the stadium in to a small museum.
And as for questioning how many other clubs have museums - well, how many clubs have our history? Chelsea have got a museum FFS and their history started in 2003 when Abramovich turned up. Man City have got a museum and they've got even less history. Arsenal have got a museum and no European Cup to house in it. Man Utd and Liverpool have both got museums but you'd expect that.
Looking at it another way, I'd say that pretty much makes us the "largest" club in England to NOT have a museum.
Like others have said, we're not talking about anything spectacular. There would be set up costs of course but the ongoing running costs of dusting a load of display cabinets is hardly going to be prohibitive.
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Or to put it another way, the club should pay for something not enough supporters can be arsed to visit.
Incidentally, how any other English clubs have got a museum?
Genuine question - Who paid for the McGregor statue - that's a monument to the club's heritage just like a museum would be.
The Supporters Trust raised the funds with Randy making a more than generous donation.
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Go on the tour, it is a great 2 hour trip through all things Villa... you will love it!
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Great Stadium, great memories, you can see plenty photos of the trophies we have won....but not the trophies themselves.
I met Ken McNaught (shameless name dropping) after the tour I did and even he said ...."All it's missing is a museum".
When the present is as uninspiring as it is you'd think Randy would extenuate the positives we have as a club, namely the glorious past we have.
I don't get the whole " We have to make it pay for itself " argument either, a wooden structure with a glass front doesn't need too much upkeep.
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Realise no updates for a couple of years.
Anyone been on one recently? Me and Missus going for Anniversary Tour in a few weeks.
Did a trophy cabinet ever materialise.?
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I thought it was strange at the time we didn't have a trophy room to show off during the tour and I last went on it in 2006!
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I've done the tour twice and thoroughly enjoyed them , particulary the last one ayear ago when John Carew was back at the ground filming for TV. Enjoyed seeing how it all works and visiting parts of the ground I don't normally get to see, but the real joy is chatting to the tour leaders-they really know their stuff and were great for swapping Villa tales from back in the day which definitely aren't in the official script . With Jack Watts' recent passing it's good to see his legacy continues through these guys.
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I asked the General about a Museum, he said it was coming...that was years ago. How can a club with our history not have one?
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I asked the General about a Museum, he said it was coming...that was years ago. How can a club with our history not have one?
Krulak in telling fans what they want to hear shocker......
As said before I can understand the lack of a museum a bit but you have to show off proudly what you've achieved in the game.
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Museum would help the club to generate more income and increase sales in restaurants, cafe, ticket office and club shop. I been to one in Amsterdam Arena, Nou Camp and Bernabéu stadium. It would also help to encourage visitors to fall in love with Aston Villa heritages.
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A museum has to be cost effective. Wolves have one (and very good it is) but it is only open on Fridays ,Saturdays and Sundays for a few hours
only. I enquired as to any chance of a museum being set up at Villa Park. The answer was not very encouraging. This was two seasons ago.
A pity really. But costs are all important these days. Perhaps when we get taken over it may be considered again.
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The museum and trophy room are real no brainers for a club like Villa. The thing is, I'm sure getting such things done would also inspire players to add their bit to the Club's history. (The addition of the Clubs's achievements in the tunnel area is brilliant and I hope this motivates the players in the same way.)
What the club needs to do is have a look around Europe at how other clubs do this and then go and make Villa's the best of the lot: have a section on the "Birthplace of League Football", McGregor, Ramsay, Rinder and so on; have another area that focuses on the Billy Walker, Eric Houghton, Pongo Waring eras including a big part about the Nazi salute story and so on. There's plenty to cover before we get to the trophies.
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The museum and trophy room are real no brainers for a club like Villa. The thing is, I'm sure getting such things done would also inspire players to add their bit to the Club's history. (The addition of the Clubs's achievements in the tunnel area is brilliant and I hope this motivates the players in the same way.)
What the club needs to do is have a look around Europe at how other clubs do this and then go and make Villa's the best of the lot: have a section on the "Birthplace of League Football", McGregor, Ramsay, Rinder and so on; have another area that focuses on the Billy Walker, Eric Houghton, Pongo Waring eras including a big part about the Nazi salute story and so on. There's plenty to cover before we get to the trophies.
And we'd get, if we were lucky, a few more visitors than Wolves do.
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The museum and trophy room are real no brainers for a club like Villa. The thing is, I'm sure getting such things done would also inspire players to add their bit to the Club's history. (The addition of the Clubs's achievements in the tunnel area is brilliant and I hope this motivates the players in the same way.)
What the club needs to do is have a look around Europe at how other clubs do this and then go and make Villa's the best of the lot: have a section on the "Birthplace of League Football", McGregor, Ramsay, Rinder and so on; have another area that focuses on the Billy Walker, Eric Houghton, Pongo Waring eras including a big part about the Nazi salute story and so on. There's plenty to cover before we get to the trophies.
And we'd get, if we were lucky, a few more visitors than Wolves do.
It's value wouldn't solely have to be realized through visitor numbers, it could be used as part of corporate hospitality, club PR and so on. At the end of the day it's symbolic and would capture the soul and essence of the club.
As others have said, I think the building of a museum/trophy room relies now on the vision of the next custodian of Villa; a bit of ambition and decent marketing would get people into Villa Park. If the North Stand is rebuilt as some kind of state of the art entertainment hub for the local area (I know, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here) then the club might find itself hosting new types of visitors and customers willing to take a look around the ground.
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I went on a tour once. I can't remember when but it was quite a few years ago but strangely i do remember there being a museum although there was not a lot in it.
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I can fully understand why the club won't build a musuem.
Still after all these years not having a single exisiting room in the stadium dedicated to all our trophy wins for people on the ground tour to admire is pretty mind boggling I have to say.
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The Holte pub would make a fantastic museum
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Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.
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Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.
And unused.
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The problem with football club museums is that although a lot of fans will visit and enjoy it, very few will return for a second time. So keeping visitor numbers up after the initial interest is difficult.
Barcelona and Ajax benefit from being in ciities that attract a huge number of tourists, rather than having to rely mainly on their own fans visiting their museums.
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Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.
And unused.
If the museum was also incorporated into the tour, with pics of a replica European Cup (get your photo taken with it) etc. plastered all over the marketing blurb, it might work.
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I can fully understand why the club won't build a musuem.
Still after all these years not having a single exisiting room in the stadium dedicated to all our trophy wins for people on the ground tour to admire is pretty mind boggling I have to say.
Spot on
The lack of even a trophy room is inexcusable.
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Thinking of taking my son on the stadium tour, the website states 10.30am as the time of the tour. Anybody know whether that is the time it opens and you can go round at your own leisure or it is just a 10.30 am time slot only? Going to have to get up before he goes top bed to make it down in time otherwise!
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I think from memory there was more than one tour per day but they were rigid times. The tour is excellent mind you. i'm sure we went later in the day but could be wrong. maybe about midday, 1 ish?
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.... Anybody know whether that is the time it opens and you can go round at your own leisure or it is just a 10.30 am time slot only?... .
It's a guided tour Chris. Well worth your early start though
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The tours are ace
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Thanks all!
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Me and the old fella are on the 19th March tour with lunch included. Cant wait! :)
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I went on a mini-tour as part of Aston Heritage Day. The guide was very enthusiastic but some of their historical stories were total fantasy.
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I went on one recently was great fun with the kids sitting in the dug outs, giving press conferences etc. The guide was funny, one thing he said when we were having photos in the tunnel with the European, FA Cup and Championship trophies was about the Blues stadium tour. Apparently you get to recreate the moment when Mellberg threw the ball to Enckleman! If anything sums up the difference between our clubs it is precisely that.
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Our guide mentioned that Lerner had a couple of the stained glass windows from the old Trinity in his house in America. Wonder if he's still got them?
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The last one I went on was with mike dale a villa park legend, very knowledgeable. Mike mentioned that Lerner put a lot of tradition back into the club during his time so credit where credit due
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Mike is, without doubt, a credit to the Villa.
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I first went on one in the late 90s with the late great Jack Watts.
Haven't actually done one for about 10 years, do you get a meal anymore or is it just turn up and start the tour?
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I wanted to bring my lad up over Easter but when I called they said they're not putting any extra on. You'd have thought it would be a perfect time to put extra ones on.
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I first went on one in the late 90s with the late great Jack Watts.
Haven't actually done one for about 10 years, do you get a meal anymore or is it just turn up and start the tour?
They have set start times and no, there's no meal. Free programmes at the end though.
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I first went on one in the late 90s with the late great Jack Watts.
Haven't actually done one for about 10 years, do you get a meal anymore or is it just turn up and start the tour?
They have set start times and no, there's no meal. Free programmes at the end though.
I was also fortunate enough to have Jack Watts as a guide in the late 90's. Truly a great man who noted my enthusiasm too.
I have since been on a tour during the "Lunch With A Legend" promotion as part of a Christmas present from my wife. It was great. Ken McNaught was the legend
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Really enjoyed the tour today, Diane was an excellent guide and as there was only one tour today we got extra time. I loved being able to stand pitchside at the North Stand and look at the magnificent Holte End.
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Really enjoyed the tour today, Diane was an excellent guide and as there was only one tour today we got extra time. I loved being able to stand pitchside at the North Stand and look at the magnificent Holte End.
Some of the views are fantastic. Also you have to hand Lerner some credit for the restoration work carried out, following Ellis attempting to destroy our history (not for the first time)