Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on February 25, 2024, 10:51:24 PM
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Apologies for the short notice but there's á meeting on Wednesday so if you have anything you'd like bringing up let us know ASAP. Ta.
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Hi Dave, In light of dreadfully delivered ‘communication’ of the cancellation of the North Stand redevelopment are their any plans for the club to deliver a professional update to the fans on what is planned - also they mentioned significant investment in the existing facilities to bring them up to standard…can they detail what that will be and give updates stand by stand on what will be done? Sitting in the Witton Lane Upper there hasn’t been any investment in a decade or more…toilets are on a disgusting state for instance. Cheers for representing the forum
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Taxis and cars parked near the traffic lights under the flyover near Aston Street church at full time causing problems with fans trying to pass
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Obvious ones are badge and kit update. North Stand (mentioned above) has gone very quiet. The allegations against Heck and staff although that might be impossible for them to discuss if there is any possible litigation tied to it. Other than a dodgy 150th year logo what is the committee working on to make this massive?
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Would be nice to be able to get Wi-Fi around the stadium and also a coffee, without having to stand in the queue for nigh on half an hour. Just one other thing, can the ridiculous noise/build up to the match be turned right down so the fans can be heard creating the atmosphere?
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Is it still the intention to try and add additional seating to increase capacity to around 45,000? Also, is the 'pause' in the North Stand redevelopment only temporary?
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Could they start being a bit more honest about injuries?
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
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can we have the Half Time Zorb racing back
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Taxis and cars parked near the traffic lights under the flyover near Aston Street church at full time causing problems with fans trying to pass
Just buy some of these for the next match.
https://yplac.co.uk/product/yplac-mini-stickers/
In all seriousness, if cars are all on the pavements blocking them off for pedestrians, in theory the Police should be involved. You could take pictures and send them to the WMP traffic violation portal. Or get some house keys and "accidently" catch the cars whilst squeezing through.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
You're right, it's shit. I remember thinking the same at Wolves last season - impossible to build an atmosphere because of ridiculously loud music and now we're doing the same.
But in the scheme of things whether we want to tie up a FAB meeting with this sort of stuff I'm not so sure. I'd rather hear about redevelopment etc.
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Taxis and cars parked near the traffic lights under the flyover near Aston Street church at full time causing problems with fans trying to pass
Just buy some of these for the next match.
https://yplac.co.uk/product/yplac-mini-stickers/
In all seriousness, if cars are all on the pavements blocking them off for pedestrians, in theory the Police should be involved. You could take pictures and send them to the WMP traffic violation portal. Or get some house keys and "accidently" catch the cars whilst squeezing through.
It's the same on the Trinity Road as you head away from the ground towards the Ratpan.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
You're right, it's shit. I remember thinking the same at Wolves last season - impossible to build an atmosphere because of ridiculously loud music and now we're doing the same.
But in the scheme of things whether we want to tie up a FAB meeting with this sort of stuff I'm not so sure. I'd rather hear about redevelopment etc.
Agreed, I think the redevelopment and the badge should be the main talking points.
Redevelopment - if we're not building the stand, how are we going to compete long term especially as our FFP situation seems to be a bit close to the wire. Are they still planning to fit extra seats in, if so where, and have plans been drawn up/submitted yet? If we don't go ahead with a rebuild, are there any exploratory plans to look at a new stadium on a new site? How do we plan to be competitive long term in the top 7 with a stadium that will soon be in the bottom half of the Premier League size wise?
The badge - the whole situation has been really badly handled. How does the club plan to comply with FA rules over the matter seeing as absolutely nobody thinks that they have? Why have we ended up with a crap reworking of the Lerner badge when it was apparent that it really doesn't work as a main logo?
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Is there a glitch in the online ticketing system? There are always seats empty in Lower Trinity but there was no availability all last week. This is every match. When we had reason tickets in L6 there was a whole row always empty in front of us.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
You're right, it's shit. I remember thinking the same at Wolves last season - impossible to build an atmosphere because of ridiculously loud music and now we're doing the same.
But in the scheme of things whether we want to tie up a FAB meeting with this sort of stuff I'm not so sure. I'd rather hear about redevelopment etc.
In my opinion it should be bought up, it pisses me off no end. I cant hear a fucking thing every game. I like a chat with those around me, but no chance pre game. Its like walking into your favourite pub and someone is blasting out shit music from their phone. Unnecessary, poor quality and deeply annoying for everyone.
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Another vote for asking what is happening with the North Stand redevelopment, and why it was just dismissed in a throwaway comment in an interview rather than a proper statement.
I'd also like to ask if anything can be done to the ticketing system to stop so many single seats being left, especially in the family sections - I understand it's unavoidable to an extent, but in family areas there has to be a better system. Currently we end up with effectively unsellable seats as adults can't buy without also getting a child's seat, but if you can't get two together then you will end up sitting miles apart.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
You're right, it's shit. I remember thinking the same at Wolves last season - impossible to build an atmosphere because of ridiculously loud music and now we're doing the same.
But in the scheme of things whether we want to tie up a FAB meeting with this sort of stuff I'm not so sure. I'd rather hear about redevelopment etc.
Agreed, I think the redevelopment and the badge should be the main talking points.
Redevelopment - if we're not building the stand, how are we going to compete long term especially as our FFP situation seems to be a bit close to the wire. Are they still planning to fit extra seats in, if so where, and have plans been drawn up/submitted yet? If we don't go ahead with a rebuild, are there any exploratory plans to look at a new stadium on a new site? How do we plan to be competitive long term in the top 7 with a stadium that will soon be in the bottom half of the Premier League size wise?
The badge - the whole situation has been really badly handled. How does the club plan to comply with FA rules over the matter seeing as absolutely nobody thinks that they have? Why have we ended up with a crap reworking of the Lerner badge when it was apparent that it really doesn't work as a main logo?
Seconded
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agree, its an assault to the ears and does nothing to help the atmosphere, in fact tit drowns it out.
Please make it stop.
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I can't be the only who thinks of Thunderbirds whenever Dave starts one of these threads.
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Is anything being done regarding the traffic issues around VP following a match, appreciate that this isn't specifically down to the club, but surely they must be in conversation with the local authorities about making the experience better as it is sometimes taking up to 2 hours to get out of the area
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Is anything being done regarding the traffic issues around VP following a match, appreciate that this isn't specifically down to the club, but surely they must be in conversation with the local authorities about making the experience better as it is sometimes taking up to 2 hours to get out of the area
It seemed especially bad after Forest. Took us 90 minutes just to get to the junction with Aston station.
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Is anything being done regarding the traffic issues around VP following a match, appreciate that this isn't specifically down to the club, but surely they must be in conversation with the local authorities about making the experience better as it is sometimes taking up to 2 hours to get out of the area
It seemed especially bad after Forest. Took us 90 minutes just to get to the junction with Aston station.
It took me 2 hours just to get out of the Y International car park, probably an incident somewhere further up this week, but it's not been a great experience over the last 5 years or so
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
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Agree entirely Peter
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
That sounds like it would certainly alleviate some of the issues around the area
I think someone mentioned that it seems to have got worse since traffic lights were installed on the Salford Circus roundabout, surely these could be taken out of the systems for a period of time on a matchday, I appreciate this is a local authority thing, but surely the club must talk to them about making the experience better for travellers
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
That sounds like it would certainly alleviate some of the issues around the area
I think someone mentioned that it seems to have got worse since traffic lights were installed on the Salford Circus roundabout, surely these could be taken out of the systems for a period of time on a matchday, I appreciate this is a local authority thing, but surely the club must talk to them about making the experience better for travellers
We said that on Saturday. Also relax the restrictions on the bus lanes, which you can't use until 7pm, and alter the traffic light durations at key junctions. Basically just get as many people away from the ground in the first hour as quickly as possible. After a night game, people using the bus lanes make it noticeably quicker to get away. As above, I realise that a lot of this isn't in the control of the club, but there needs to be communication between the club, police and council.
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
That sounds like it would certainly alleviate some of the issues around the area
I think someone mentioned that it seems to have got worse since traffic lights were installed on the Salford Circus roundabout, surely these could be taken out of the systems for a period of time on a matchday, I appreciate this is a local authority thing, but surely the club must talk to them about making the experience better for travellers
We said that on Saturday. Also relax the restrictions on the bus lanes, which you can't use until 7pm, and alter the traffic light durations at key junctions. Basically just get as many people away from the ground in the first hour as quickly as possible. After a night game, people using the bus lanes make it noticeably quicker to get away. As above, I realise that a lot of this isn't in the control of the club, but there needs to be communication between the club, police and council.
Agree but no one is spending money on the way out so the club couldn’t care less once we leave the stadium grounds. Definitely easier at nights with the bus lanes
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Are we moving to a 'bowl' over by the NEC?
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I am not sure it would be fair to disclose anything but I hope the Club are at least investigating the possible purchase of land at Aston Hall, grounds and Park given Birmingham City Council's expected sale of assets.
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
That sounds like it would certainly alleviate some of the issues around the area
I think someone mentioned that it seems to have got worse since traffic lights were installed on the Salford Circus roundabout, surely these could be taken out of the systems for a period of time on a matchday, I appreciate this is a local authority thing, but surely the club must talk to them about making the experience better for travellers
We said that on Saturday. Also relax the restrictions on the bus lanes, which you can't use until 7pm, and alter the traffic light durations at key junctions. Basically just get as many people away from the ground in the first hour as quickly as possible. After a night game, people using the bus lanes make it noticeably quicker to get away. As above, I realise that a lot of this isn't in the control of the club, but there needs to be communication between the club, police and council.
The thing about these ideas though, is that it benefits the whole community, and the police as well as the fans to dissipate crowds more quickly, with less frustration and anger building up. I just don't get why they don't sort it.
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The thing about these ideas though, is that it benefits the whole community, and the police as well as the fans to dissipate crowds more quickly, with less frustration and anger building up. I just don't get why they don't sort it.
Yes, it must be an absolute bastard living anywhere near VP after a game. There's just no attempt at traffic management at all
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Anyone noticed how ever since these meetings started, we’ve been having these threads and more or less the same things get raised every single time, yet never fixed?
Loudness of PA, inability to buy food and drinks, post match traffic. These are the same things we were asking General Krulak on here over 15 years ago and they STILL haven’t been addressed.
There’s no point even raising much of this stuff with them.
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Anyone noticed how ever since these meetings started, we’ve been having these threads and more or less the same things get raised every single time, yet never fixed?
Loudness of PA, inability to buy food and drinks, post match traffic. These are the same things we were asking General Krulak on here over 15 years ago and they STILL haven’t been addressed.
There’s no point even raising much of this stuff with them.
Good point, maybe they should just not turn up.
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They have to have the meetings, but there doesn't appear to be any compunction to actually do anything about any of the items raised. Also, it does seem that reading between the lines, that some of the people going along (absolutely not Dave, for clarity) are a bit in awe of the surroundings.
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I bet that MoMs bloke just talks about himself in that annoying sneery tone of his.
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Loudness of PA, inability to buy food and drinks, post match traffic. These are the same things we were asking General Krulak on here over 15 years ago and they STILL haven’t been addressed.
There’s no point even raising much of this stuff with them.
Maybe we should ask something different like, "Can we please have Purslow back?"
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Maybe ask if there could be an agreed list of Actions. That can then be followed up at the next meeting.
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I bet that MoMs bloke just talks about himself in that annoying sneery tone of his.
His Podcasts may be a bit of an acquired taste, but in fairness to the bloke I have heard more than once that he is one of the few at these meetings who really challenges the club on various fan issues.
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I bet that MoMs bloke just talks about himself in that annoying sneery tone of his.
His Podcasts may be a bit of an acquired taste, but in fairness to the bloke I have heard more than once that he is one of the few at these meetings who really challenges the club on various fan issues.
According to that apparent leak, Mo Razaq has challenged them enough to be on Chris Heck’s hit list.
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I bet that MoMs bloke just talks about himself in that annoying sneery tone of his.
His Podcasts may be a bit of an acquired taste, but in fairness to the bloke I have heard more than once that he is one of the few at these meetings who really challenges the club on various fan issues.
According to that apparent leak, Mo Razaq has challenged them enough to be on Chris Heck’s hit list.
Clearly I haven't been trying hard enough.
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Not for me , because I simply won’t ever attempt to buy a drink before the game or half time again. But for those that want one, and god forbid some food , they could really look at having a decent system and some decent staff/leadership on the bars ?
Cheltenham starts in a few weeks. Ask them so pop there and see how they manage to bang the drinks out instantly ( even Guinness)
( spoiler. They have staff pre pouring them constantly )
Also the lift to upper trinity. Every game it gets stupidly delayed as its settings are slightly off. Which I turn every week leads to people shouting there’s too many people on board ( there isn’t )
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It's got to be the North Stand. Whatever about the crest- and it's bad - the North Stand issue is far more of a concern for any number of reasons:
a) does it mean they aren't as ambitious as previously
b) does it mean they want to squeeze every penny out of what's there currently
c) does it mean they want to move us from our home of 125 years
d) why were the comms around it so bad.
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My solution to (some of) the travel issues - make the Grosvenor Road / Queens Road / Church Road loop one way. All of the inside roads could still be serviced easily and would stop the bottleneck on Church Road in particular where you've got cars meeting head on when there is only room for one vehicle due to parked cars on both sides of the road. Would get everyone onto the Lichfield Road and away much quicker eg: Church Road at the lights left lane towards M6 right lane towards city centre.
That sounds like it would certainly alleviate some of the issues around the area
I think someone mentioned that it seems to have got worse since traffic lights were installed on the Salford Circus roundabout, surely these could be taken out of the systems for a period of time on a matchday, I appreciate this is a local authority thing, but surely the club must talk to them about making the experience better for travellers
We said that on Saturday. Also relax the restrictions on the bus lanes, which you can't use until 7pm, and alter the traffic light durations at key junctions. Basically just get as many people away from the ground in the first hour as quickly as possible. After a night game, people using the bus lanes make it noticeably quicker to get away. As above, I realise that a lot of this isn't in the control of the club, but there needs to be communication between the club, police and council.
The thing about these ideas though, is that it benefits the whole community, and the police as well as the fans to dissipate crowds more quickly, with less frustration and anger building up. I just don't get why they don't sort it.
Well even of the Council wanted to do this, I doubt they can afford the cost of the how many people it would need to alter lights and close roads.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agreed. That music needs to be sent for a Burton.
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Anyone noticed how ever since these meetings started, we’ve been having these threads and more or less the same things get raised every single time, yet never fixed?
Loudness of PA, inability to buy food and drinks, post match traffic. These are the same things we were asking General Krulak on here over 15 years ago and they STILL haven’t been addressed. ery
There’s no point even raising much of this stuff with them.
Who was the poor woman Krulak kept referring everyone to about ticketing? Is she still with us?
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Nicky Keye and I think she left years ago.
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Nicky Keye and I think she left years ago.
Thanks, poor woman.
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It's got to be the North Stand. Whatever about the crest- and it's bad - the North Stand issue is far more of a concern for any number of reasons:
a) does it mean they aren't as ambitious as previously
b) does it mean they want to squeeze every penny out of what's there currently
c) does it mean they want to move us from our home of 125 years
d) why were the comms around it so bad.
Seconded
P.S We got into the Witton Upper early about 2.25 pm on Saturday and was surprised that there was only 1 person in front of us at the bar at the end nearest the away fans and had our pints in hand by 2.30 pm. Never seen such 'quick' service before !
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Nicky Keye and I think she left years ago.
Left on a free transfer to West Ham.
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I bet that MoMs bloke just talks about himself in that annoying sneery tone of his.
His Podcasts may be a bit of an acquired taste, but in fairness to the bloke I have heard more than once that he is one of the few at these meetings who really challenges the club on various fan issues.
According to that apparent leak, Mo Razaq has challenged them enough to be on Chris Heck’s hit list.
I imagine Heck's list like Richard Nixons "enemies" list.
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agreed. That music needs to be sent for a Burton.
There’s a premier league anthem??!!
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agreed. That music needs to be sent for a Burton.
There’s a premier league anthem??!!
It is farted out on the PA system when the two teams line up for photos (pre handshakes) on the pitch in front of the wanky cardboard thing.
https://youtu.be/UFXRlCgykrw?si=ILXwUaDP-thXVE4W
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agreed. That music needs to be sent for a Burton.
There’s a premier league anthem??!!
It is farted out on the PA system when the two teams line up for photos (pre handshakes) on the pitch in front of the wanky cardboard thing.
https://youtu.be/UFXRlCgykrw?si=ILXwUaDP-thXVE4W
I genuinely don’t think I have ever heard that before.
High praise at last for the shit PA system at Villa Park
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Not for me , because I simply won’t ever attempt to buy a drink before the game or half time again. But for those that want one, and god forbid some food , they could really look at having a decent system and some decent staff/leadership on the bars ?
Cheltenham starts in a few weeks. Ask them so pop there and see how they manage to bang the drinks out instantly ( even Guinness)
( spoiler. They have staff pre pouring them constantly )
Also the lift to upper trinity. Every game it gets stupidly delayed as its settings are slightly off. Which I turn every week leads to people shouting there’s too many people on board ( there isn’t )
I didn't even know that lift was for fan use. I'd always assumed it was for employees and officials only. Would have saved a couple of jelly legged walks up 346 flights of steps...
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Not a question for FAB, but one thing I would say in terms of feedback is that it's now easy to get a pint before the game in the Holte upper. They've opened a couple of pop-up bars in the lower section near the toilets and there's no queue at all. They've also got a few pies in there. So if all you want is a pie and a pint you're sorted. Not tried it at half time though.
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In light of the announcement about the Midlands getting some of the unused HS2 budget, is it worth asking whether there will be any chance of using some for improving Witton and Aston stations?
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Not for me , because I simply won’t ever attempt to buy a drink before the game or half time again. But for those that want one, and god forbid some food , they could really look at having a decent system and some decent staff/leadership on the bars ?
Cheltenham starts in a few weeks. Ask them so pop there and see how they manage to bang the drinks out instantly ( even Guinness)
( spoiler. They have staff pre pouring them constantly )
Also the lift to upper trinity. Every game it gets stupidly delayed as its settings are slightly off. Which I turn every week leads to people shouting there’s too many people on board ( there isn’t )
Totally. I think there's more stair there then the middle. Its bloody Knackering! but actually quicker than using that lift.
I didn't even know that lift was for fan use. I'd always assumed it was for employees and officials only. Would have saved a couple of jelly legged walks up 346 flights of steps...
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FAB Scott.
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The food/drink experience is terrible in the Lower Doug Ellis stand. The toilets also desperately need an upgrade. I had the Lower Grounds experience last Saturday and I have to say it was very good. Plenty of food/drink and quick service. The toilets are nice and clean. I had two complimentary tickets from the club and took my granddaughter.
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Complimentary tickets eh, are you friends with Gavin McCann or someone ?!
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Can we please ask that the Nathan Dawe inspired pre match routine is cancelled with immediate effect. I’d like the crowd to make the atmosphere not the PA system and one blokes version of what he thinks is “spine tingling and atmosphere building” is just a load of noise, I’m at a Football match not a fucking nightclub. Also I know they have to play it but can we have the nonsense Premier League anthem played at the lowest possible volume so again the crowd can
Make themselves heard.
Agreed. That music needs to be sent for a Burton.
Wholeheartedly agree. The fans always make the pre-match atmosphere. If music is required turn it down a few levels and let the support drown it out. Shite music doesn't generate an atmosphere it just annoys people.
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Might be a little late, but WTF is going on with away ticket allocation??
Ajax away advertised as 2600 allocation, but total number put on sale at 5pm was only 2210.... Could you ask where the fuck the other 390 tickets have disappeared to please.... ie. 15% of our total allocation!?
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To those that attended, can anything be fed back yet?
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72 hr embargo innit.
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Hopefully it'll be some time today.
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Thanks Dave.
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I still don't see what on earth gives them the right to insist on any sort of embargo, or to have to give the OK to the minutes of the meeting.
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In my experience it’s standard practice to get minutes formally signed off before release to ensure all parties are in agreement.
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In my experience it’s standard practice to get minutes formally signed off before release to ensure all parties are in agreement.
That works when it's a single company's board meeting minutes. This is supposed to be a two way process between the club and the FAB according to a set of rules agreed by all Premier League clubs. Which don't, from what I can see, include the club controlling the flow of information. They've already proved that they can't be trusted in this situation in any case, by pretending that the new badge had been agreed at the last meeting, when it absolutely had not.
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The meeting ended at around 8.30 last night. You can't really expect Lee to go home and type up the minutes then so it has to be done today, amongst all his other work.
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I was going to post something similar. The meeting was only last night. The minutes will be out at some point soon.
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The meeting ended at around 8.30 last night. You can't really expect Lee to go home and type up the minutes then so it has to be done today, amongst all his other work.
I never said he should. But at every single one of the last few meetings, minutes haven't released until the club have said so, and given their go ahead as to how it's reported. The fans don't need notes of the meeting produced by the club, the group should report back directly as they see fit, and when they see fit.
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This will sound strange but I have this creeping dread we will get these one day and it will say they are moving us to a new stadium. Imagine it. Urgh.
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This will sound strange but I have this creeping dread we will get these one day and it will say they are moving us to a new stadium. Imagine it. Urgh.
It would probably be announced via a meme or a TikTok reel too.
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I’m another one that would like them to turn that almighty fucking racket down pre match. Completely unnecessary. My ears are usually ringing by the time it goes off, I’ve been to quieter rock concerts.
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My ears are ringing at the claret & blue....
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The meeting ended at around 8.30 last night. You can't really expect Lee to go home and type up the minutes then so it has to be done today, amongst all his other work.
I never said he should. But at every single one of the last few meetings, minutes haven't released until the club have said so, and given their go ahead as to how it's reported. The fans don't need notes of the meeting produced by the club, the group should report back directly as they see fit, and when they see fit.
The meeting ended at around 8.30 last night. You can't really expect Lee to go home and type up the minutes then so it has to be done today, amongst all his other work.
I never said he should. But at every single one of the last few meetings, minutes haven't released until the club have said so, and given their go ahead as to how it's reported. The fans don't need notes of the meeting produced by the club, the group should report back directly as they see fit, and when they see fit.
The group also have lives.
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It would probably be announced via a meme or a TikTok reel too.
Chris Heck sitting at his desk...
"Alexa, where is Villa Stadium ?"
"Marston Green" is the reply.
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This will sound strange but I have this creeping dread we will get these one day and it will say they are moving us to a new stadium. Imagine it. Urgh.
"The Club are delighted to announce the purchase of a prime site in South Birmingham with excellent transport links to both road, rail and air"
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This will sound strange but I have this creeping dread we will get these one day and it will say they are moving us to a new stadium. Imagine it. Urgh.
"The Club are delighted to announce the purchase of a prime site in South Birmingham with excellent transport links to both road, rail and air"
The Club should announce the hiring of a copywriter too, then, because “both” can not refer to three things.
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The group also have lives.
Jesus. I'm not bothered by the timescale of the minutes being reported. I don't think I could really have explained it any more clearly to be honest.
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This will sound strange but I have this creeping dread we will get these one day and it will say they are moving us to a new stadium. Imagine it. Urgh.
"The Club are delighted to announce the purchase of a prime site in South Birmingham with excellent transport links to both road, rail and air"
The Club should announce the hiring of a copywriter too, then, because “both” can not refer to three things.
Ha!
(I am available if the club needs a copywriter.)
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I would love to see some more of our successes in the players tunnel. I did the tour recently and couldnt believe when we did the tunnel part no images of past players success on the walls just the left side lion. Something for them to think about to make it abit more intimidating for opposition teams
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I still don't see what on earth gives them the right to insist on any sort of embargo, or to have to give the OK to the minutes of the meeting.
I don't think there is an embargo. As for giving the OK, what happens if someone totally misheard something and posted out the wrong thing in the minutes? Surely the club are only confirming the minutes are what was discussed and not someone stating something that didn't happen. These minutes will probably also be used in the next press conference with the manager as well so nice to be warned about something incoming depending how they are written.
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I would love to see some more of our successes in the players tunnel. I did the tour recently and couldnt believe when we did the tunnel part no images of past players success on the walls just the left side lion. Something for them to think about to make it abit more intimidating for opposition teams
The new stand was meant to play host to a new dressing rooms and player tunnel in the corner complete with see through VIP area above it. The existing tunnel was to be filled in as part of the Trinity's expanded seating capacity.
As with everything else we had planned for the development, who knows where any of this is now at.
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The group also have lives.
Jesus. I'm not bothered by the timescale of the minutes being reported. I don't think I could really have explained it any more clearly to be honest.
He definitely doesn't have a life.
I'd say that it's a two-way process, that all present would want to ratify; particularly the club. If people go shooting their mouths off, then the trust will have gone and less would be said.
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It would not be the first time that minutes of a meeting have no relation to what was actually discussed.
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The group also have lives.
Jesus. I'm not bothered by the timescale of the minutes being reported. I don't think I could really have explained it any more clearly to be honest.
He definitely doesn't have a life.
I'd say that it's a two-way process, that all present would want to ratify; particularly the club. If people go shooting their mouths off, then the trust will have gone and less would be said.
What like last time, when the club basically said that that the FAB group were happy with the new badge, and the Trust came out and said actually, that's bollocks?
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Risso is being demanding, which should be applauded.
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Yeah nothing wrong with putting a it of pressure on. Think he has raised some valid points personally
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It would not be the first time that minutes of a meeting have no relation to what was actually discussed.
sounds like our office
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They let you work in an OFFICE?!
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They let you work in an OFFICE?!
i just sneak in and out
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Risso is being demanding, which should be applauded.
He’s having good moments in this thread.
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Risso is being demanding, which should be applauded.
He’s having good moments in this thread.
Connecting with all of our posters
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Risso is being demanding, which should be applauded.
He’s having good moments in this thread.
Connecting with all of our posters
Although there are seven posters better than him.
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They let you work in an OFFICE?!
i just sneak in and out
The dust from the ducting must be a bugger for the launderette machines.
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It would not be the first time that minutes of a meeting have no relation to what was actually discussed.
Anything controversial or that we wouldn’t want disclosed doesn’t go in our partnership minutes because the minute taker (i.e. me) makes sure of it.
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So what was discussed last night then?
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So what was discussed last night then?
The causes of the Spanish Civil War, the best recipe for hummus and whatever happened to the African Car Reverser.
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And how how long they can go without releasing the minutes until Risso pops.
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Just saw this on twitter for those who can't wait....
https://myoldmansaid.com/villa-fan-advisory-board-notes-clubs-stance-on-crest-ffp-logistics-north-stand-and-more/
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Just saw this on twitter for those who can't wait....
https://myoldmansaid.com/villa-fan-advisory-board-notes-clubs-stance-on-crest-ffp-logistics-north-stand-and-more/
Those answers from the club are incredibly sniffy and a sign that they really don't value the meetings.
"There's no such thing as FFP decisions." Yes there are, you snotty set of twats. Decisions that will impact on our FFP positions. Buying players, selling players, contract extensions, season ticket prices. The FAB guys should write back and say "could you stop being so rude please, we're not Heck's employees you know".
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Just saw this on twitter for those who can't wait....
https://myoldmansaid.com/villa-fan-advisory-board-notes-clubs-stance-on-crest-ffp-logistics-north-stand-and-more/
Those answers from the club are incredibly sniffy and a sign that they really don't value the meetings.
Exactly the vibe I was getting from the answers. Seems like a complete waste of time, sadly.
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Certainly seem a bit brusque in that write up.
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I’m none the wiser after having read that, to be honest.
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Nor me.
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I’m none the wiser after having read that, to be honest.
Politician answers. They told us absolutely nothing really.
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Fan Advisory Board 28th February 2024 Villa Park
Fan Representatives
Joanne McKibbens – Aston Villa Disabled Supporters Association (AVDSA)
John Gillett – Lions Clubs
Ravinder Ubhi – Punjabi Villans
Mo Razzaq – Aston Villa Supporters Trust
Ian Stokes – Vital Villa
Ben Redding – My Old Man Said
Dave Woodhall – Heroes & Villans
Nilesh Chauhan – Villans Together
Lena Curran – Fan Representative
Apologies
Scott Jones – Villa Talk
Sarah Breslin – Villa Bellas
Connor Smith – Fan Representative
Sam Timms – Villa & Proud
Nick Sanders – Avillafan.com
Steve Gough – Independent Supporters Clubs
Club representatives
Ben Hatton – Chief Operating Officer
Tommy Jordan – Communications Director
Lee Preece – Supporter Liaison Manager
Agenda items and comments provided by Fan Representatives are in normal text.
Club agenda items or responses are in blue italics.
Aston villa lion design
1. Crest
Given the requirement to consult on heritage assets, the FAB reminding the Club of the FA rules regarding changes to the crest, why did the Club not follow its own Fan Engagement Plan?
The Club has been in extensive discussions with the FA since beginning the process to review the Club Crest. At no stage during those discussions has the FA informed the Club that it is in breach of the Heritage Asset rules. Following the Club’s stated discussions with the FA, what was the outcome and the plans to announce the new crest? The Club will follow the FA’s outlined process requiring the registration of the Club Crest and will roll out its usage thereafter.
2. Accessible Seating
The Club does not meet the Accessible Stadia guide for wheelchair spaces and is somewhat short of the 214 recommended wheelchair bays. It previously shelved plans to remove rows within Lower North for accessible seating and more recently stated that the redevelopment of the new North Stand would improve disabled facilities. How is the Club planning to improve facilities, given it is in breach of the national guidelines? When will it meet its commitment to the Accessible Stadia Guide?
The club are currently undertaking a detailed technical study on seating bowl optimisation including integrating compliant accessible standards in line with the Accessible Stadia Guide, Green guide and a peer review of these plans conducted by Level Playing Field. We are at the mid-point of this study and will have a confirmed strategy by early April. The Club would like to engage with AVDSA following the Level playing field peer review.
3. Financial Fair Play
This season, the Club announced a new management structure with a Sporting Director and a President of Business Operations. Who has ultimate accountability for FFP decisions under the new structure?
The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules set out a process requiring the reporting on an annual basis of each member Club’s financial status. There is no such thing as “FFP decisions”. The Club carries on its business in the ordinary course and reports as required under the aforementioned rules.
The reporting structure the Club has implemented sees the President of Football Operations reporting directly to ownership on football related matters and the President of Business Operations reporting directly to ownership on business related matters.
Fans should note that we have changed our financial reporting year to conclude at the end of June. This is simply to align with other contractual commitments such as players contracts etc.
4. Betting Sponsorship
Growing concerns over the potential harm caused by betting have resulted in Government intervention in some European countries. If the Club qualifies for Europe next season and still has a front-of-shirt gambling sponsor, how will it navigate the rules?
We will follow the same process as has been followed this year. Where it is not possible to show the name of the Club’s principal partner on the front of the playing strip, alternative arrangements will be made.
5. Ticket Pricing 2024 / 2025
Supporters have experienced above-inflation double-digit price increases across the last two seasons sandwiched between a cost-of-living crisis. The FAB calls for the Club to commit to keeping prices affordable and share its plans for 2024/25 as part of a meaningful consultation process and with greater transparency.
It was agreed with FAB Representatives that we will use the next Informal FAB meeting scheduled for Wednesday 20th March to consult on this issue in detail.
6. Ticket Re-sale
Reportedly, when purchasing resale tickets for the Nottingham Forest game, these were only available at an adult price; no concession options were available. If eligible seats, ordinarily on sale, can be purchased at concession prices, why does this not apply to resale seats?
Any seats made available for resale by the club are only sold at adult price, as per the terms and conditions of resale which can be found on the website. This has been the case since we introduced the ticket resale functionality in the 2019/20 Season. If we allow for concessions to be sold, we could refund more to an adult season ticket holder than the price paid by a concession.
7. Seating 2024 / 2025
What stadium changes is the Club planning for next season, including changes to the “seating bowl” and further introduction of general admission plus? When will it start consulting with impacted season ticket holders concerning these changes?
As per question 2, the technical seating bowl optimisation study on additional seats will be completed by the end of March. At which point the club will be able to communicate any proposed changes / additions and alterations and any impact to existing season ticket holders.
In addition, the Club is reviewing the current seating mix in order to ensure that going forwards we have the right balance of GA, GA+ and Hospitality seating. Inevitably this will result in a greater allocation of GA+ and Hospitality seating than we currently have. Changing this mix is an essential part of ensuring we can keep season ticket prices as affordable as possible.
8. 150th
What plans is the 150th Anniversary Board proposing, and how can supporters get involved in the commemorations?
We have had the first introductory meeting of the 150th Anniversary Board. It is our intention to hold monthly meetings and to communicate any resulting plans with the entire fanbase. It is also our intention that as many of our fans as possible are able to be involved in commemorating this momentous anniversary, so all ideas are welcomed. It was suggested that part of our celebrations should involve the City of Birmingham, specifically events with museums, the arts etc.
AOB
Club Shop
The club shop housed at the Villa Village will be overhauled in the summer to greatly increase product availability and footfall, particularly on matchday.
Holte Pub
The Holte Pub has been subject to a major face-lift and additional provision (a second bar has been added upstairs). The facility remains free for season ticket holders and Lions Club members on a first come first served basis, opening three hours prior to each kick-off.
Family Fun Zone / Academy Warehouse
Work will begin on the Academy building in the summer and will take approximately 12 months for the new facility to complete. Once completed, it is intended that the new facility will continue to be free for fans to access on matchday. The club is contemplating moving the family fun activities to the new Inner-City Academy.
Trinity Road Fan Zone
It was noted that the Portaloos in the area are not accessible. The Club will take this away and see what we can do.
Next meeting Wednesday 20th March (see item 5).
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As mentioned by a few on here as worries, it does seem that more GA+ and hospitality seating will be extracted out of the normal seating arrangements.
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Just saw this on twitter for those who can't wait....
https://myoldmansaid.com/villa-fan-advisory-board-notes-clubs-stance-on-crest-ffp-logistics-north-stand-and-more/
Those answers from the club are incredibly sniffy and a sign that they really don't value the meetings.
Exactly the vibe I was getting from the answers. Seems like a complete waste of time, sadly.
We already knew this didn’t we?
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As mentioned by a few on here as worries, it does seem that more GA+ and hospitality seating will be extracted out of the normal seating arrangements.
I was hoping that the suspension of the ground development would result in a delay to the conversion of our seats to GA+. Seems I will be evicted sooner.
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The current execs are a disgrace. Contempt drips through those minutes.
Oh, and I can only deduce that, instead of getting to a 50,000 capacity for 2026, with all the add ons needed for FFP, it's more likely there will be fewer and fewer seats available at our iconic ground unless you are loaded.
If it wasn't for Unai and the squad being out of this world I would be so ticked off with the villa
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As mentioned by a few on here as worries, it does seem that more GA+ and hospitality seating will be extracted out of the normal seating arrangements.
I was hoping that the suspension of the ground development would result in a delay to the conversion of our seats to GA+. Seems I will be evicted sooner.
No good was ever going to come from the suspension of the redevelopment. It was always going to result in them squeezing every penny out of what is already there with the added bonus of making us look small time.
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The tone of that isn’t the best. It sounds like an organisation that knows it can do whatever the fuck it wants.
It’s a shame they’ve managed to introduce this level of fuck you when we’re finally looking good on the pitch.
I mean, those answers to the ffp and crest questions drip with condescension.
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
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Did the subject of that letter not come up then
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I genuinely think the fans need to stop engaging with this entire process.
There is not a single answer there, the content or tone of which, suggests they give a fuck.
The entire tone is “we’re going to do what we want anyway”.
Really disappointing that such great owners seem to have put a pair of narcissistic tossers in charge.
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
I think that's the reality. We need more money and until we're Champions League regulars that's how they want to get it.
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I genuinely think the fans need to stop engaging with this entire process.
There is not a single answer there, the content or tone of which, suggests they give a fuck.
The entire tone is “we’re going to do what we want anyway”.
Really disappointing that such great owners seem to have put a pair of narcissistic tossers in charge.
My thoughts exactly. The answer about the new badge for example is basically a cut and paste from last time.
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Pretty depressing outlook for fans that have supported the club over the past 15 years in particular.
They couldn’t give a shit.
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They have caused a lot of acrimony while the team has been performing . God help them if we take a dip in form
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
I think that's the reality. We need more money and until we're Champions League regulars that's how they want to get it.
I suspect even if we get there, it ain’t going to stop
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I don't think the demand is there for all these £150 seat / mediocre food packages . Hope it all blows up in their faces
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
I think that's the reality. We need more money and until we're Champions League regulars that's how they want to get it.
Having been there last night, what’s your take on it Dave?
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
I think that's the reality. We need more money and until we're Champions League regulars that's how they want to get it.
Having been there last night, what’s your take on it Dave?
We're there because the Premier League say we have to be, otherwise they wouldn't bother. They want success and they think the only way to get it at the moment is by what they're doing. If you're a Premier League supporter you have to compromise your principles.
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I don't think the demand is there for all these £150 seat / mediocre food packages . Hope it all blows up in their faces
If it does, can I have my seat back please Mr Heck
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Cheers. It feels crap though.
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Cheers. It feels crap though.
And yet we're on course for our best season this century and the ground's virtually sold out every match. Strange world, innit?
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Isn’t it just.
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The thing is people saying tehse £150 ssats are not selling. They are. I looked for forest game and there was virtually very few left.
Wanted to try ot out once just to experience it even if expensive
As for the rest of the notes, sorry but it just seems a utter waste of time. Nothing interesting or exciting about. I understand why they are doing the corporate stuff to make more money as we need tk work eith making more money for FFP but i think it shouldn't have been at the expense of less seats at villa park. They should have done a small expansion of villa park just as "posh seats" area
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So nothing about the pre match attack on the eardrums?
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I strongly suspect ‘bowl optimisation’ won’t lead to more seating. It will just lead to more padded seating.
Good luck to anyone in the middle tier of the Trinity and near the halfway line in the Witton. I worry about the middle front of the Holte Upper too.
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Can we move the press box somewhere less salubrious and turn that into paddded seats / overpriced chicken dinner area .
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I suspect they’ll turn those central trinity road areas into top dollar hospitality seats and they’ll be empty most of the times like the ones at Wembley and it’ll look terrible on television.
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I strongly suspect ‘bowl optimisation’ won’t lead to more seating. It will just lead to more padded seating.
Bowels deserve padding.
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What do GA and GA+ mean? Presumably some form of expensive tickets?
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What do GA and GA+ mean? Presumably some form of expensive tickets?
General Admission, and General Admission plus (Terrace View, Lower Grounds).
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What do GA and GA+ mean? Presumably some form of expensive tickets?
General Admission, and General Admission plus (Terrace View, Lower Grounds).
Cheers Gary. Knew I could rely on you to translate for me!
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I wonder where the 400 or so folks behind the dugout will be offered to relocate. There’s no way they’re all going to be able to sit together. Some have been in the same seats for 15 plus seasons and know everyone around em. Scattered around the vacant wings or rear ends of the stands I guess. Assuming the other great seats are taken or GA+.
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What do GA and GA+ mean? Presumably some form of expensive tickets?
General Admission, and General Admission plus (Terrace View, Lower Grounds).
I thought it meant that the club was trying to attract more netball players.
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I'm in the middle of Trinity Upper. If they fuck around with my seat, I'm out.
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I'm in the middle of Trinity Upper. If they fuck around with my seat, I'm out.
Me too, my Wife and I are in A5 front row, certain we will be losing our seats sooner rather than later
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Just our luck that things would click on the pitch and immediately go to absolute shit off it.
Many of us stuck with the club through the lean years, going to games in the Championship when we were mid table there.
Honestly so pissed off about them scrapping the new vision for Villa Park in favour of turning what's there into a GA+ nightmare.
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Was there no discussion of why the North Stand was cancelled and the way the announcement of this was handled? Aside from everything else that is pissing people off this was just amateurish (to add to the badge fiasco) - it doesn't seem reflective of a senior management group who know what they are doing. Say what we like about Purslow, communications were much better generally when he was here.
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The supporters sat in those blocks of the Lower Trinity are exactly the type of fans the club doesn't want.
Low in-ground spending, regularly attending fans, sat in prime seats.
Forget the loyalty through the very recent crap times, or the times when they've offered the bring a friend deals, or the times when the ground has been less than half full - when we've been there...
It will be the same for lots of fans - but myself 40+ years of sitting in that stand, my dad 70+ years, (support for almost half of the club's existence) to find out that we may or not be moved via a third-hand, half-arsed message distributed to fan message boards is shit.
I understand the need for more cash - we need it to compete - but they should at the very least be communicating directly with the fans who are under threat, something like "we are reviewing the seating arrangement in your block" and more importantly where/how we'll be relocated.
But they don't give a flying fcuk about loyalty, fans, support or relationships. Short-term money is the focus... it's like a drug - feed the addiction at all costs.
I can see there being some pushback on this - we've already seen the reaction in the ground to the TV and LG - piss more hardcore, loyal fans off and the reactions might be a little more than booing the screens at halftime and cat-calling people in lanyards. Let alone if it all goes to shit and the daytrippers disappear overnight as happened when we were relegated...
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I really feel for the affected fans, lots who first bought season tickets (I've never had a season ticket) when football wasn't a capitalist tiger ride, but collectively we have bought into the Premier League bullshit (me included) and eventually, even your own tiger will come for your face.
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The minutes all seem very vague. Dismissive really. Was there any more chat about the badge and the stand that can be discussed?
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It's not even a drop in the ocean but I am not adding to my extensive merch collection until Heck leaves the club.
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Is the flooging of loads of Iceland food really the way we become competitive with those we look up to commercially?
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Nothing was really answered they've just ticked the box there and patted us on the head.
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Nothing was really answered they've just ticked the box there and patted us on the head.
“It’s far too complicated for your fuzzy little heads, now move along”
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How does Ben Hatton come across as a person
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please tell me there was tea and biscuits for this gig
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please tell me there was tea and biscuits for this gig
There's no such things as tea and biscuits.
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Swap 10000 seats over to corporate , chuck in some street food and £150 job done, i imagine sadly
I think that's the reality. We need more money and until we're Champions League regulars that's how they want to get it.
Totally agree.
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please tell me there was tea and biscuits for this gig
There's no such things as tea and biscuits.
i feel a heated debate coming on
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Disappointing that true fan engagement has clearly dried up but let’s not forget the club is in a million miles better place than the Randy/Tony era and that at least we have a product worth supporting.
I do wonder why the owners felt the need to bring these people in. I can only assume they thought the previous crowd were incompetent or not hard nosed enough to get the business where they think it should be - even if it is at the expense of pandering to the fans…
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Two words: Stephen Gerrard - purslow staked his future on that.
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If they're struggling to sell 200 GA+ tickets every other week, why the hell do they think creating more will increase revenue?
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If they're struggling to sell 200 GA+ tickets every other week, why the hell do they think creating more will increase revenue?
The same way they got folks like me to buy a membership, less seats on general sale = more people who will compromise on price points in order to watch their team.
Sure I got a water bottle, but essentially I paid them £40 to make buying myself a ticket easier.
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The supporters sat in those blocks of the Lower Trinity are exactly the type of fans the club doesn't want.
ETC
Have I missed something? Was there an announcement about reseating in the TR? Or rumours of?
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The supporters sat in those blocks of the Lower Trinity are exactly the type of fans the club doesn't want.
ETC
Have I missed something? Was there an announcement about reseating in the TR? Or rumours of?
" As per question 2, the technical seating bowl optimisation study on additional seats will be completed by the end of March. At which point the club will be able to communicate any proposed changes / additions and alterations and any impact to existing season ticket holders.
In addition, the Club is reviewing the current seating mix in order to ensure that going forwards we have the right balance of GA, GA+ and Hospitality seating. Inevitably this will result in a greater allocation of GA+ and Hospitality seating than we currently have. Changing this mix is an essential part of ensuring we can keep season ticket prices as affordable as possible. "
No announcement yet, but the bit in bold is what has people speculating.
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bowl optimisation study , can't get much more American than that ;D
does this study extend to the Witton Rd aswell
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Whatever they do to add these extra seats, please, please don’t disfigure the ground in doing it. No tatty cramming in like wolves did.
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Whatever they do to add these extra seats, please, please don’t disfigure the ground in doing it. No tatty cramming in like wolves did.
Stamford Bridge!
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I just feel myself getting further and further away from modern football. I just want to go and watch the Villa not have to take part in some continual IT transaction fleecing operation. "Bowl optimisation stud" - Oh do FRO
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I just feel myself getting further and further away from modern football. I just want to go and watch the Villa not have to take part in some continual IT transaction fleecing operation. "Bowl optimisation study" - Oh do FRO
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I saw a post on Twatter the other day where some Villa 'influencer' or whatever they call themselves these days, was asking what game had the best atmosphere they'd seen at Villa Park. So many just reeling off recent games, such as the Everton game when we came back up, and thinking, you poor sods, you haven't lived.
I started properly going in the 90s, and games like the Inter Milan penalty win and Tranmere before it would annihilate anything that has come since, and I'm assuming these weren't as big as the highs of years prior to that.
What I'm trying to say, is that the soul of what makes English football special is literally being priced out of the game. Home atmospheres are crippled, and away fans almost always create more noise than the home crowd. PROPER die hard, mainly working class Villa fans are being replaced with day trippers with more money than sense, fumbling around blocking turnstiles, more interested in taking selfies to post on Instagram, than singing their heart out, supporting their team and going home sounding like Sean Dyche.
Personally, I think Heck has dropped a major bollock here. They should have aimed to increase the capacity to bursting with the North Stand development (and following that, Witton Lane), keep prices low, get the REAL fans back in and turn Villa Park into a cauldron. Match days feel more like luke warm bowls of porridge these days, and our manager and current squad deserve so much better than what they're currently getting.
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Personally, I think Heck has dropped a major bollock here. They should have aimed to increase the capacity to bursting with the North Stand development (and following that, Witton Lane), keep prices low, get the REAL fans back in and turn Villa Park into a cauldron. Match days feel more like luke warm bowls of porridge these days, and our manager and current squad deserve so much better than what they're currently getting.
The best section of a fantastic post. The biggest error NSWE have made. It is simply astonishing to plan for a new stand, that could cater to out GA + needs, get us back among the big boys, and then jettison the project in favour of butchering what is there in the existing stands.
The North Stand needed replacing 20 years ago.
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The supporters sat in those blocks of the Lower Trinity are exactly the type of fans the club doesn't want.
ETC
Have I missed something? Was there an announcement about reseating in the TR? Or rumours of?
This was first announced back in 2022 as part of the North Stand redevelopment:
"As for the Trinity Road Stand, Villa CEO Christian Purslow pointed out that “significant upgrades” will be made to hospitality and corporate offerings. And according to the plans, blocks C4 and C5 will make way for a new, pitchside "General Admission Plus" hospitality area. These blocks currently accommodate 440 supporters, with some seats used as overspill for opposition squads, match officials and medical staff."
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-stadium-plan-purslow-25139143 (https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-stadium-plan-purslow-25139143)
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bowl optimisation study , can't get much more American than that ;D
does this study extend to the Witton Rd aswell
It mentions optimisation so I don’t think we need worry in Witton Upper…it would be the first optimisation since it was thrown up originally
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There's no such thing as a bowl optimisation study.
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Whatever they do to add these extra seats, please, please don’t disfigure the ground in doing it. No tatty cramming in like wolves did.
Agree, Wolves Molineux looks shite the way they've gone about their extra seating.
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Whatever they do to add these extra seats, please, please don’t disfigure the ground in doing it. No tatty cramming in like wolves did.
Agree, Wolves Molineux looks shite the way they've gone about their extra seating.
Molineux is starting to look really shabby on the outside.
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To catch up on his one, what the 'influencer' (and if they do influence anyone it's more than I ever have) said, is right for someone their age. Everton Friday was one of my Great Villa Park Nights and if the atmosphere wasn't as good as Tranmere, Inter II or Atletico Madrid, I daresay those of a certain age would say those in turn weren't as good as the Liverpool 5-1, Manchester United League Cup semi or Bournemouth. We all make our own memories.
I'm confident that redevelopment will be up to the mark because I don't think NSWE would want to be associated with anything that looks shoddy (Terrace View and Lower Grounds look okay if you want to spend daft money).
And to touch on what I said last night, speaking to a couple of people today re-emphasised that I'm sure about 88 sets of supporters would look at us open-gobbed and wonder what the hell we're complaining about.
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I'm confident that redevelopment will be up to the mark because I don't think NSWE would want to be associated with anything that looks shoddy (Terrace View and Lower Grounds look okay if you want to spend daft money).
You are right in what you say about atmosphere and about where we are in the grand scheme of things.
I hope you are right on the redevelopment also. I guess the deferred redevelopment is unsettling though because the decision to defer/cancel is so at odds with everything else NSWE have done. They have been fantastic in terms of growing the club in a way that is in keeping with our traditions. Cancelling the new stand raises fears they will turn the existing into GA+ or worse move us out altogether to a new soulless new build
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Whenever anyone mentions Inter they invariably talk about the 1994 match, I always think I preferred the 1990 one.
I remember them running out - Matthaus, Brehme (RIP), Klinsmann who had just won the World Cup, plus Berti, Walter Zenga and Bergomi who had featured for Italy (the latter a legend) and as they ran out, I remember the chorus of “who the fucking hell are you?”
Also remember Trappatoni smacked his head on the dugout roof and was sporting a massive lump.
34 years ago, Jesus.
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I'm confident that redevelopment will be up to the mark because I don't think NSWE would want to be associated with anything that looks shoddy (Terrace View and Lower Grounds look okay if you want to spend daft money).
And to touch on what I said last night, speaking to a couple of people today re-emphasised that I'm sure about 88 sets of supporters would look at us open-gobbed and wonder what the hell we're complaining about.
I generally agree with you most of the time Dave, but I honestly think this is blinkered optimism in this instance, hoodwinked by how good the footballing side of things has been.
On the non-footballing side, I’m interested to know why you’re so confident they’ll ’get it right’?
What have they done so far on that front to give you such confidence?
Re. Terrace View and Lower Grounds - They may be filling up and making a few extra quid, but they’ve stuck two fingers up at lifelong fans, displacing people who have sat there for years alongside friends and family. Season ticket holders can no longer meet up with mates in the holte suite unless they pay through the nose…. Looks like those of us in the Trinity are next in line!
And the tone of those minutes only emphasises their feelings towards the fan base.
If showing a total lack of respect and compassion for our fans is what must be done to be successful, do we really want to be ‘that club’?
WE’RE Aston Villa. Not the manager, not the players, not the owners and their hangers on, not the bricks and mortar.
https://youtu.be/uAY54jvd8Eg?si=olF1zliC7P7NBi76
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I'm confident that redevelopment will be up to the mark because I don't think NSWE would want to be associated with anything that looks shoddy (Terrace View and Lower Grounds look okay if you want to spend daft money).
And to touch on what I said last night, speaking to a couple of people today re-emphasised that I'm sure about 88 sets of supporters would look at us open-gobbed and wonder what the hell we're complaining about.
I generally agree with you most of the time Dave, but I honestly think this is blinkered optimism in this instance, hoodwinked by how good the footballing side of things has been.
On the non-footballing side, I’m interested to know why you’re so confident they’ll ’get it right’?
What have they done so far on that front to give you such confidence?
Re. Terrace View and Lower Grounds - They may be filling up and making a few extra quid, but they’ve stuck two fingers up at lifelong fans, displacing people who have sat there for years alongside friends and family. Season ticket holders can no longer meet up with mates in the holte suite unless they pay through the nose…. Looks like those of us in the Trinity are next in line!
And the tone of those minutes only emphasises their feelings towards the fan base.
If showing a total lack of respect and compassion for our fans is what must be done to be successful, do we really want to be ‘that club’?
WE’RE Aston Villa. Not the manager, not the players, not the owners and their hangers on, not the bricks and mortar.
https://youtu.be/uAY54jvd8Eg?si=olF1zliC7P7NBi76
I don't agree with what they've done with the Holte and I know full well their attitude towards supporters, but ultimately it doesn't really matter. As someone put it, they're here to make money, not friends, because that's the only way to success. If you support a Premier League club you have to leave your principles at the turnstile and accept that it isn't your club and in reality it hasn't been for a long time.
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Whenever anyone mentions Inter they invariably talk about the 1994 match, I always think I preferred the 1990 one.
I remember them running out - Matthaus, Brehme (RIP), Klinsmann who had just won the World Cup, plus Berti, Walter Zenga and Bergomi who had featured for Italy (the latter a legend) and as they ran out, I remember the chorus of “who the fucking hell are you?”
Also remember Trappatoni smacked his head on the dugout roof and was sporting a massive lump.
34 years ago, Jesus.
Same here. What a team they had and we beat them 2-0. Shame about the return but still. Brehme and Matthaus are in my personal best world 11 since I started watching football, along with Paul McGrath obviously.
The 94 game was great as well as we did knock them out, but it didn’t have the star quality of the opposition. They had an upcoming Bergkamp and an exotic South American in Ruben Sosa (which you didn’t see very often back then) but I don’t remember much else.
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I don't agree with what they've done with the Holte and I know full well their attitude towards supporters, but ultimately it doesn't really matter. As someone put it, they're here to make money, not friends, because that's the only way to success. If you support a Premier League club you have to leave your principles at the turnstile and accept that it isn't your club and in reality it hasn't been for a long time.
Yes, it's the tension between wanting to get the club competitive with the other leading English clubs and trying to remain faithful to the "soul of the club" (for want of a better phrase).
Doug never seemed able to bring us that close to being truly competitive with the leading clubs of the 1990's and 2000's because he couldn't bring himself to spend enough to do so: I still claim that - had he done so - we could have been in a different place now (because the 'cost of entry' to the top table in that era was probably lower than it is now - the stakes are higher now). We now have owners that have the dosh and - I think - the intent to get us there. The price? - we ain't all going to be happy! and some of us will not be part of 'the project' (I, for one, will probably not renew next season regardless: the game-times, travel complexities and other commitments are beginning to tip the balance away from live viewing*).
* This is something I've said for about the last 5 years, by the way!
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I think a lot of us are fully on board with that.
The issue is we don't see how the new, new badge fiasco and the cancelled redevelopment are part of some master plan to gate crash the top four. It doesn't fit.
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I saw a post on Twatter the other day where some Villa 'influencer' or whatever they call themselves these days, was asking what game had the best atmosphere they'd seen at Villa Park. So many just reeling off recent games, such as the Everton game when we came back up, and thinking, you poor sods, you haven't lived.
I started properly going in the 90s, and games like the Inter Milan penalty win and Tranmere before it would annihilate anything that has come since, and I'm assuming these weren't as big as the highs before that.
I filled that out and the two I went for were Inter Milan I in 1990 and the Tranmere semi-final.
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I think a lot of us are fully on board with that.
The issue is we don't see how the new, new badge fiasco and the cancelled redevelopment are part of some master plan to gate crash the top four. It doesn't fit.
Agree, the aspirations of the club does not have to be at the expense of all of the other stuff that the club is supposed to stand for.
We know there are going to be changes to maximise the commercial opportunities and some supporters will be impacted, but it is the way you go about it starting with communication or you just piss off lots more people than is necessary.
This Heck bloke just doesn’t get it and I fear what he will come up with next.
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I think a lot of us are fully on board with that.
The issue is we don't see how the new, new badge fiasco and the cancelled redevelopment are part of some master plan to gate crash the top four. It doesn't fit.
Agree, the aspirations of the club does not have to be at the expense of all of the other stuff that the club is supposed to stand for.
We know there are going to be changes to maximise the commercial opportunities and some supporters will be impacted, but it is the way you go about it starting with communication or you just piss off lots more people than is necessary.
This Heck bloke just doesn’t get it and I fear what he will come up with next.
I think the more worrying thing for me is Heck knows he doesn't get it, and doesn't give a fuck. As far as he's concerned he has one job - increase revenue, and anyone who complains or tries to get in the way of that can fuck off.
I can't remember if it was someone on here (might have been MOMs) that said Hatton literally said in an earlier FAB meeting 'our job is to increase revenue, not make friends, and we don't care if we upset people doing it'.
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I think a lot of us are fully on board with that.
The issue is we don't see how the new, new badge fiasco and the cancelled redevelopment are part of some master plan to gate crash the top four. It doesn't fit.
Agree, the aspirations of the club does not have to be at the expense of all of the other stuff that the club is supposed to stand for.
We know there are going to be changes to maximise the commercial opportunities and some supporters will be impacted, but it is the way you go about it starting with communication or you just piss off lots more people than is necessary.
This Heck bloke just doesn’t get it and I fear what he will come up with next.
I think the more worrying thing for me is Heck knows he doesn't get it, and doesn't give a fuck. As far as he's concerned he has one job - increase revenue, and anyone who complains or tries to get in the way of that can fuck off.
I can't remember if it was someone on here (might have been MOMs) that said Hatton literally said in an earlier FAB meeting 'our job is to increase revenue, not make friends, and we don't care if we upset people doing it'.
If he said that he should be nowhere near any business. I get that in business sometimes you have to be ruthless but smart business people seek to achieve their goals with the least amount of conflict possible.
That is just plain nasty and looks like they are spoiling for a fight.
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Whatever happened to 'keep your customers happy'?
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I think some of the recent atmospheres have been right up there with the Tranmere, Madrid and Inter games. The whole ground sings as it rarely did back then.
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Whatever happened to 'keep your customers happy'?
We're not customers, we won't take our business anywhere else. But Football Clubs would like to replace fans with customers who spend vast amounts of cash in the club shop or on catering. They don't want people like me. I haven't bought anything from the club shop for 10 years at least (I don't really wear colours to be fair) and while I buy the odd pint I never eat at the ground. I'll only be valuable when there are empty seats.
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If they're struggling to sell 200 GA+ tickets every other week, why the hell do they think creating more will increase revenue?
The same way they got folks like me to buy a membership, less seats on general sale = more people who will compromise on price points in order to watch their team.
Sure I got a water bottle, but essentially I paid them £40 to make buying myself a ticket easier.
I think there's quite a difference between us paying £40 over a season to be at the front of the queue for buying tickets and having to fork out £150 for a ticket with a couple of hotdogs, some pissy lager and the luxury of wi-fi coverage chucked in. I've been to about 12 or 13 games this season thanks to having membership, but I wouldn't pay GA+ prices, even if it was the only option. Not because it's unaffordable but purely out of principle. Paying over the odds for Category A games is bad enough.
If they think people will be battering the door down for GA+ in future because there's 5-10,000 fewer tickets available they're probably in for a rude awakening.
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Whatever happened to 'keep your customers happy'?
Depends on the type of customer. They want day trippers who spend a shed load in the store and in the ground. Spurs is full of Koreans for example, who pack out the shop every match. For us who just pay for the ticket, maybe have a pint, that no good for making £££....forgetting we are the ones who support through thick and thin, create the atmosphere. We could turn out like Liverpool, I read they have highest % of Corp attendance in the PL and lowest local attendance.
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This is all fine and dandy while we are doing well. If we start sliding again they’ll be plenty of padded seats available.
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This is all fine and dandy while we are doing well. If we start sliding again they’ll be plenty of padded seats available.
This 100%
Lets give them the benefit of the doubt for a minute and assume a) that we're actually able to do what virtually no club has done in the modern (ie post City takeover) era by breaking into the top 4 and staying there and that b) we end up with lots of tourists/daytrippers packing out the GA+ and club shop. The 'slide' down from that point will be entirely relative - it won't take a relegation to see swathes of empty seats, all it would take is a drop back into mid table. The tourists wont care any more and the people who would've been filling the ground previously will have been driven away.
It might make a few more quid in the short to medium term but its eroding the very foundations of long term success for the club.
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Not sure if I missed it, but was the North Stand discussed in detail at the meeting, has it actually been binned off or was it just mentioned that options are being explored still??
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Whenever anyone mentions Inter they invariably talk about the 1994 match, I always think I preferred the 1990 one.
I remember them running out - Matthaus, Brehme (RIP), Klinsmann who had just won the World Cup, plus Berti, Walter Zenga and Bergomi who had featured for Italy (the latter a legend) and as they ran out, I remember the chorus of “who the fucking hell are you?”
Also remember Trappatoni smacked his head on the dugout roof and was sporting a massive lump.
34 years ago, Jesus.
Glad you mentioned that game, Paulie, it is one of my favourite Villa games. Italia 90 was my first world cup and my dad had bought a colour telly to watch it on (we'd had an old B&W one up to that point), was absolutely in awe of the West Germany team & seeing all these stars I'd watched on the telly a few months before was incredible. Seeing the Villa beat them, even more so.
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JCxcXRv1HQo
Magic night.
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Dave, was the meeting reflective of the minutes? Or are they redacted and summarised so we're not seeing the full discussion?
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Dave, was the meeting reflective of the minutes? Or are they redacted and summarised so we're not seeing the full discussion?
That was pretty much it.
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There's no such thing as a bowl optimisation study.
Well, it's on America's tortured brow.
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Dave, was the meeting reflective of the minutes? Or are they redacted and summarised so we're not seeing the full discussion?
That was pretty much it.
Well, it certainly seems like there could be good reasons for the Trust to push for increased membership again.
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Has there been another meeting?
I assume that the refurb was discussed - what can you tell us?
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Has there been another meeting?
I assume that the refurb was discussed - what can you tell us?
See the redevelopment thread.
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Has there been another meeting?
I assume that the refurb was discussed - what can you tell us?
Nobody knows what’s going on other than hearsay.
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Just read the notes on the latest meeting - if like me you don't have a mobile phone we may have to pay an additional fee to get a season ticket card for next season, I will see what happens when i renew.
Club response below:
We are moving to digital only so that will be the default. Only by exception will a card be issued, and an online form will need completing to request a card. Any fee for this service is TBC.
Clearly elderly or disabled who have a medical requirement will be given a card free of charge, and we will identify how fans can apply.
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Just read them. Safe to say a proper redevelopment is not on the agenda this decade which is disappointing of course.
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Here are the notes:
Club representatives
Ben Hatton Chief Operating Officer
Chris Hornbuckle Vice President, Business Development & Fan Engagement
Lee Preece Supporter Liaison Manager
Agenda items and comments provided by FAB Representatives are shown in normal text.
Club agenda items or responses are shown in blue italics.
The FAB wished to place the following statement on record:
On behalf of the Villa fanbase we would like to extend our appreciation and thanks to Unai Emery and his staff for their efforts this season. Getting the club into the Champions League is a fabulous achievement and thank you also for allowing us to dream again.
A further acknowledgement and thanks to club owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, for being true to their word.
Upon meeting with the Villa Fan Advisory Board in 2018, when they bought the club, they were asked why they chose Aston Villa over a MLS venture they had been attached to at the time - the first two words they answered in response were “Champions League”.
1. Communication
First of all, we are disappointed that Chris Heck, the President of Business Operations, can’t attend the end of season FAB meeting. Since this consultation group started eight years ago, Villa CEO’s (or the equivalent position) have always found time to attend such timely meetings. With the amount of transformation expected at Villa Park over the summer, it would have been a key time to communicate to supporters directly.
Ben Hatton is Club Chief Operating Officer and the best placed individual to communicate the current changes to the FAB. Chris will attend a meeting at the start of the season to lay out the strategic priorities for the next 12-months.
2. Club communications
There are concerns over the consistency of the club’s communication to supporters. Announcement of Aston Villa Football Club deals, achievements etc on personal social media accounts are inappropriate and unprofessional and should be shared principally on Aston Villa channels first. For example, the season ticket price increase was dropped in mid-conversation in a staged PR video, as opposed to a formal club release, that this group has to respect the embargo of.
Chris has taken part in two club interviews this season which we believe is the right number. One earlier in the season as a way to an introduction to supporters and the most recent one with Gabby Agbonlahor to update the wider fan base on various topics. The interview seemed to be well received and was viewed by over 82,000 fans. There will be times when the club decides to publish information directly in a similar way moving forward – as most clubs do.
It was noted from feedback that such videos should include subtitles and/or be accompanied by a transcript to ensure the information is accessible for all.
3. Avoidance of consultation on heritage assets
Heritage assets are the most important factor when it comes to supporter consultation, as highlighted in the government’s fan-led review. The right to such supporter consultation has been entrenched in FA Rules, the Premier League's Fan Engagement Standard, and the club’s own fan engagement plan related to this FAB for the 2023/24 season.
Yet, despite repeated requests for these basic rights of consultation to be upheld on the latest badge change - that marked a move away from a badge that had recently received a supporter mandate through a consultation process - they were refused.
Why was this?
The Club is of the opinion that there has been no breach of the FA Rules as they relate to Heritage Assets. There has certainly been no suggestion from the FA that there has been a breach.
Our consultation process, whilst different from the previous process was no less robust. We sent the survey to more than 85,000 fans – season ticket holders, members, waiting list members and the FAB – and we received more response than were received the first time around. We also consulted with a wider stakeholder group including staff, commercial partners and the ownership group before embarking on a redesign exercise based upon the output from that consultation process.
Given the feedback, would the club reconsider its approach to consultation on Heritage assets in the future?
Whilst further changes to Heritage Assets are extremely unlikely, we acknowledge that certain groups of fans believe that the consultation process should have been run differently. We will take these views into account should we find ourselves in this position again in the future.
4. Villa Park
Please could provide clarity on the timeline of works on Villa Park and expected capacity for the start of next season.
Works have already started and will be largely complete by the start of the 24/25 season.
The list of seating works as follows:
Holte Lower – rail seating above vomitories and seating / gangway re-alignment.
Holte Upper – rail seating above vomitories.
North Upper – seating / gangway re-alignment.
Doug Ellis Lower (away fans) – rail seating.
The seating works will see a marginal overall increase in capacity to approximately 42,900.
Other Projects across the summer include:
Increase of 1,300 Hospitality spaces, a new club shop, a new Fan Zone (housing up to 1,500 fans – replacing the Trinity Road Fan Zone) and LEDS inside Villa Park. Work will also commence on the Academy building with a view to completion towards the end of 2025.
We note the advice given by the FAB that we should consider communicating significant changes outside of the FAB meeting minutes to provide clarity for fans and avoid unnecessary speculation.
With the North Stand rebuild not happening, can supporters expect ‘fit for purpose’ facilities next season?
It is an old building and therefore comes with some insurmountable challenges. However, we are looking to improve the environment for GA ticket holders in all stands to the extent we can. Adding additional premium seating has the knock-on effect of relieving over capacity in certain areas.
We are also removing all betting kiosks from the stadium and are looking to use these spaces to enhance the concourse experience.
Will the Warehouse project be open for the start of the 2024/25 season?
No. The work to convert the Academy building is extensive and the new facilities will not be available until part way through the 2025/2026 season. We are looking to provide a space that will allow multi-use as a ticketed venue space with capacity of circa 3,000 people.
Supporters would appreciate clarity on the 900-seat displacement, which has caused some panic. Some supporters have suggested it would have been good to know their situation before the last game of the season, so they could say goodbye or inform their immediate ‘Villa family’, who they’ve sat next to for several years.
Our priority has been to ensure that those who will need to be relocated have been notified by the club, and have not found out through social media etc.
Letters have now been sent to all affected season ticket holders and explains the process on how we will find them alternative seats. We have worked as fast as we could to identify them. Unfortunately, we were not able to complete this work ahead of the end of the current season.
For clarity, everyone that needs to relocate will be offered a seat for the 2024/2025 season.
In what has been a frustrating legacy issue for this group, can the club please provide supporters with a hard deadline as to when they will be compliant with Premier League rules for wheelchair bays and accessibility seating.
As this group is aware, we are working towards compliance. We are aiming to be fully compliant by the start of the 27/28 season.
Also, for the purposes of the meeting notes, can you please confirm that the club has no intentions of moving from Villa Park.
We have no intentions of moving from Villa Park.
5. Ticketing
While a 5% season ticket increase has finally been announced, will there be any further category or zone shifts?
There are no further category changes or zone shifts. A number of U18 and U14 prices will see an increase of more than 5% although their price for 2024/2025 will still represent a significant concession.
Can the club clarify the locations of the blocks where season ticket holders will be asked to move this summer in order to put those season ticket holders who aren’t moving at ease?
As above, all fans affected have now been sent letters to inform them of the need to relocate.
Will single match day ticket pricing match the 5% raise in season ticket prices?
No. As discussed at the consultation meeting there will need to be a bigger increase in match-by-match pricing in order to support our ability to limit the rise in season ticket prices to 5%. As we committed to in that meeting, we will ensure that the blended average price increase is kept to 12%.
Are the club able to provide the traditional ‘grid’ of season ticket prices, ideally for all supporters, or if not, to the group?
We will share in the coming days.
In terms of the physical season card, the FAB is concerned about a proposed charge for hard copy cards. Considering some supporters like the elderly would struggle with phone season tickets and the fact there’s been issues with scanning some phones, it’s not really on for supporters to have a price increase and then expect to pay a fee on top of that.
We propose an opt-in type box to receive a card at no extra charge, with small-print detailing environmental benefits to encourage not having a physical card.
We are moving to digital only so that will be the default. Only by exception will a card be issued, and an online form will need completing to request a card. Any fee for this service is TBC.
Clearly elderly or disabled who have a medical requirement will be given a card free of charge, and we will identify how fans can apply.
What is the current number of season ticket holders, compared to two seasons ago?
We have 27,000 season ticket holders (this figure does not include GA+ or hospitality season ticket holders). Two years ago, we had 29,000. As a result of the small net reduction in GA ticket availability for the 2024/25 season we will not be offering new season tickets to those on the waiting list this summer. We will however be offering a dedicated sales window for match by match tickets to ensure that waiting list members are prioritised before tickets go on general sale.
6. Champions League Pricing
The new format lends itself well to the Categorisation of tickets used in the Premier League. Will the Pot numbering reflect ticket prices and categorisation of tickets in any way? We would hope that a high-profile Champions League game (Barcelona, Real Madrid etc) wouldn’t be more expensive than a Cat A Premier League game.
There will be no categorisation. There will be one price for the League stages of the Champions League played at Villa Park.
Will there be any ‘bundle’ benefits as seen in the Conference League. This was widely appreciated by the fanbase.
We have not discussed this yet, but it is unlikely.
Are the club exploring different options for the membership structure, particularly as it will become increasingly difficult to obtain non-hospitality tickets, which is one of the main selling points of memberships?
There are wholesale changes to our membership scheme on the horizon.
7. FFP / PSR – Champions League Squad Improvement
With the increase in related revenue from improved performances in the 2023/24 and with a projected increase from CL football, are there any FFP or PSR concerns in the short-term? Should we measure expectations?
FFP and PSR is at the forefront of everyone’s minds and is always a consideration from a planning perspective.
It was noted that Villa decided to vote against the new rule structure along with the Manchester clubs, please can you provide clarity behind why this was?
How each Club voted at Premier League meetings on any issue is confidential and as such we have no comment to make on this.
8. VAR
Wolves have recently tabled a vote for VAR to be scrapped at the next Premier League meeting. While this shouldn’t necessarily be a binary issue, it has impacted on match-going supporters’ enjoyment of football and has improved over subsequent seasons. What is the club’s feeling on the issue?
As per item 7, how each Club vote on individual matters raised at Premier League meetings is confidential and as such we have no comment to make on this.
9. Aston Villa Women
After much progress from the previous season, there has been a drop off from last season in terms of momentum and the team also needs a new manager.
What’s the outlook in terms of investment compared to the previous summer? What are the short-term aims and the bigger picture for the women’s team?
Aston Villa Women are an important part of the football club. We are focussed on how to grow the business of women’s football, generating important additional revenue streams, and are working closely with the WSL to ensure we maximise the potential.
The football department, led by the President of Football Operations Monchi and supported by existing members of the Women’s football management department, are currently working their way through a list of potential candidates. There have been a lot of meetings across at BMH dedicated to ensuring the Women’s team flourish again next season and beyond.
Does investment in the Women’s team impact FFP / PSR?
Investments in the Women’s team and operations are allowable expenses.
10 AOB questions
1. Will Villa Park be a host stadium of Euro 2028? It was our understanding that the capacity and travel upgrades were a vital factor of this.
Yes. We continue to be in liaison with the UEFA and relevant authorities. This includes the newly elected Mayor who has expressed his support for our aims to support Euro 2028.
2. We have consulted with the West Midlands Police football unit and have been told that Aston Villa fans have been great on their travels in Europe this season.
We’d like to pass on our thanks to the club’s ticketing department for organising some first-rate ticket pick-up venues, especially in Amsterdam and Lille.
It would be good to have a quick summation from the club on their experiences of Villa’s away games in Europe.
As expressed by the Manager and Players, our support in Europe was fantastic and our fans did the club proud. The thanks for our ticketing department and the additional work required to support our campaign is noted and appreciated.
The ECL experience was very positive and a great learning curve as we head for Champions League Football.
The club will provide a travel option for away Champions League matches.
3. Aston Villa Women had a season closer at Villa Park, yet the club shop was already closed for a refit after the men’s Liverpool game and stadium seats had started to be ripped out - which arguably wasn’t a good look for players and fans. The thought processes behind those decisions would be good to hear.
This was not an easy decision to make but we were already two weeks behind where we would like to be in order to be confident that we can open the new store ahead of the first game of the 24/25 season.
4. Birmingham Senior Cup…the concourse situation seemed to exemplify what has become a legacy issue for the group. Only one kiosk was opened on two fronts, and the queues were quickly frankly ridiculous - both a hundred long and snaking around the concourse.
It’s disrespectful on what should be a pleasant evening supporting the U-21’s in one of the West Midland’s longest traditions.
Is it true that players were only given two complimentary tickets (on the Racing Club Warwick side, at least). Why not increase that number’s attendance and open more kiosks?
We echo the disappointment at the lack of catering provision for the event. We have taken this up with LEVY for future events.
Racing Club Warwick have contacted us after the event to share their appreciation for our hospitality and the great memories we provided. Birmingham County FA have also contacted us to thank us for hosting the final, the level of support received from all at Villa Park and are happy with the number of complimentary tickets that were issued to each club.
5. Can the club summarise their thoughts on the atmosphere in the final two home games, specifically with the displays in mind. Is this something they would look to be continue regularly?
The atmosphere was phenomenal and most definitely something we’d like to continue with. New LED will only serve to enhance this.
6. Are there any thoughts of an extension to the current fan zone area pre-game (particularly with the coach introductions, which is seemingly a huge success). If so, where?
Yes. We are building a new structure in the current players car park which should accommodate up to 1,500 fans.
7. What is the club doing about the general state of the facilities in washrooms around the ground - who is responsible for this on matchdays and are they sufficiently staffed and empowered - for our last home game there were flooded urinals in both the Upper and Lower Holte from some time before kick-off. Also, the disabled toilets have been in poor condition.
As per item 4 in the main agenda “..we are looking to improve the environment for GA ticket holders in all stands..”. We also have a programme of maintenance planned for the summer.
8. Attendances - why has the club stopped announcing them? Why is the figure in the programme different to the figure provided to the Premier league and published on their website? After years of being simple, what's changed that's made this suddenly so secretive?
There is a difference in approach as to what number is actually announced by what clubs and so we don’t feel that announcing the number is additive. We don’t believe that there is a difference in the numbers presented but if there is then please show us and we will dig in.
9. Access and egress - supporters are reporting safety concerns over access and egress, in particular around the use of the smaller staircase in the Holte car park pre-game as a result of the Holte End fan area, congestion at the exit of the Holte End car park to the Trinity Road post-match and at the exit of the North Stand where the stairway has been closed off post-match causing bottlenecks on the ramp.
How can the group and supporters work with the club to help solve resolve problem around these pinch points?
The club has noted these concerns and will review accordingly.
10. What is the club’s thinking as to the Lions Club network going forward, as they have no home at VP anymore and with all the GA+ add ons the chance of a home is looking unlikely.
We have plans for the Lions Club network in line with the development of our membership program. The club will consult with the appropriate Lions club representatives in due course.
11. For each match, there are many seats that become available only a couple of days before the match. Are these GA+ seats that are unsold?
Our selling procedures for the sale of GA+ has improved greatly from the start of the season. Any unsold seats are drip fed back to GA and made available dependent on demand.
The largest release of seats near to a fixture is when we switch on season ticket re-sale, which is not activated until we have sold out.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
On the pitch: A+
Off the pitch: D-
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Interesting that ST have now reduced to 27k with no more being offered this summer.
People on the waiting list are suffering because any seating that is becoming available is being held back to increase GA+ capacity, particularly in the Holte upper where it's almost impossible to get a match day ticket.
I have mentioned before the biggest problem I see with not developing the North and increasing capacity isn't necessarily the short-term match-day income, it is accommodating day-to-day fans and fans of the future. It will be ever harder to secure a seat. Obvioulsy increasing the scarcity makes it easier to push the prices up.
The club have made it clear they don't really care about the floating 5-10k of supporters and they're the ones who are now going to feel the squeeze.
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The club have made it clear they don't really care about the floating 5-10k of supporters and they're the ones who are now going to feel the squeeze.
We finally get it right on the pitch and we start getting it so, so wrong off it. Honestly such a crap strategy they are pursuing this past 6-12 months and so out of keeping with the Villa.
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I'm so glad I got my season ticket before there was a queue. I think I'd struggle for motivation as a casual supporter, particularly if I was looking at a spending decision of £65-70 for most games and knowing I'd never get a seat in the Holte. The thought of trying to introduce kids to the club would seem pointless when the chances of getting seats together would be almost nil.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
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I may be reading something into this that’s not there but when asked about improvements inside the ground they seem more concerned about GA areas. With the reduction in season ticket numbers I am concerned what’s coming down the line.
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Get rid of season tickets altogether and just let people apply for GA probably. At a premium.
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Will single match day ticket pricing match the 5% raise in season ticket prices?
No. As discussed at the consultation meeting there will need to be a bigger increase in match-by-match pricing in order to support our ability to limit the rise in season ticket prices to 5%. As we committed to in that meeting, we will ensure that the blended average price increase is kept to 12%.
Seriously 12%............
Whilst I was happy that ST's were being kept at 5%, I didn't expect it to be at the expense of the rest of us who already pay approx 25% more already for matchday tickets
As I presume most of the FAB members are ST's, was anything said about this price increase???
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I may be reading something into this that’s not there but when asked about improvements inside the ground they seem more concerned about GA areas. With the reduction in season ticket numbers I am concerned what’s coming down the line.
That's been the direction since they put the North Stand development off. We need more revenue, we need to catch up with clubs like Spurs. We were doing it one way, they ditched that so now we are going down the Chelsea in B6 route.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
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I may be reading something into this that’s not there but when asked about improvements inside the ground they seem more concerned about GA areas. With the reduction in season ticket numbers I am concerned what’s coming down the line.
That's been the direction since they put the North Stand development off. We need more revenue, we need to catch up with clubs like Spurs. We were doing it one way, they ditched that so now we are going down the Chelsea in B6 route.
It appears so. It’s all a bit worrying and if we were to have another decent season next season then I fear what’s in the pipeline.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
I don't know how verbatim the minutes are, but they definitely don't read like a group of people looking to work together. And it takes two to tango, as it were.
As someone who has done his fair share of rag-losing in meetings, I've learned that you have a better chance of constructive discussion if you don't tell people they're disrespectful or unprofessional.
Or if you do, you do it in a way where you suggest something could come across as those things, rather then telling them that's what they are. I guess it's being tactful and diplomatic.
It reads like two sides, rather than a single group. One side is coming in on the defensive from the start and therefore seem like they don't give a toss, the other side is coming in on the attack because they feel like they're being ignored. And neither will change because it's a vicious circle.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Not sure that achieves anything to be honest.
On a wider note though, It's interesting that the whole Membership/Lions Club thing is getting a complete overhaul. I'm in both schemes, and frankly, whilst the chance of getting tickets via the Lions Club is small, it's ok for me via the Membership route if I'm organised.
I guess the price of that membership will go up too, on top of a 25% (??) increase in ticket prices, and a place on the season ticket waiting list that is actually getting further away, relatively speaking. Before there was a 1 in 29000 chance of a season ticket being given up, now it's a 1 in 27000 chance and clearly I've not moved any closer to the top of the list.
Of course I could go GA+ Season Ticket, but that's steep, especially when I want to go with my lad, who wouldn't partake in as much food and drink and would then drop back down again to the bottom of the waiting list if it wasn't up to much.
Ah, the price of success. And people still seem to want more of the fancy stuff to be introduced.
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I'm so glad I got my season ticket before there was a queue. I think I'd struggle for motivation as a casual supporter, particularly if I was looking at a spending decision of £65-70 for most games and knowing I'd never get a seat in the Holte. The thought of trying to introduce kids to the club would seem pointless when the chances of getting seats together would be almost nil.
I agree. Fortunately we have had STs for years, but it's becoming almost impossible for any new people to get a season ticket.
The only viable way to introduce new family members is to share out the existing STs for those who have them, but the club are always trying to clamp down on that as well.
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Not sure that achieves anything to be honest.
I don't think the current approach achieves anything either. It's not a consultaton, it's the club telling people that it's their way or no way. There was supposed to be a meeting about season ticket prices. Didn't happen.
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Not sure that achieves anything to be honest.
I don't think the current approach achieves anything either. It's not a consultaton, it's the club telling people that it's their way or no way. There was supposed to be a meeting about season ticket prices. Didn't happen.
If every group/attendee did the same, we'd then just get an occasional briefing via Heck's Twitter feed, at least this way there's the chance to ask some questions.
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Still find it annoying that they won't give a straight answer to questions about which sections are affected by the '900'.
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I'm so glad I got my season ticket before there was a queue. I think I'd struggle for motivation as a casual supporter, particularly if I was looking at a spending decision of £65-70 for most games and knowing I'd never get a seat in the Holte. The thought of trying to introduce kids to the club would seem pointless when the chances of getting seats together would be almost nil.
I agree. Fortunately we have had STs for years, but it's becoming almost impossible for any new people to get a season ticket.
The only viable way to introduce new family members is to share out the existing STs for those who have them, but the club are always trying to clamp down on that as well.
The move to compulsory digital season tickets will be a major hindrance to ST sharing, even within families.
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Interesting the amount of work on the Warehouse is over a year? Seems long for what is essentially an interior change.
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Still find it annoying that they won't give a straight answer to questions about which sections are affected by the '900'.
Yup, as I said, very Sir Humphrey Appleby. The whole thing also reminds me of how some US corporations deal with the unions, i.e. we really don't want to but as we must..tell them as little as possible, they can't be trusted. It's such a shame they choose to ignore the opportunity of good communication with the fans. It also has me thinking was that Heck success story about his time at Philadelphia engaging with the fans from Day 1 was just a personal PR exercise?
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So, FAB correctly bring up that the facilities in the North are a load of shite, to which they reply:
"It is an old building and therefore comes with some insurmountable challenges."
Which is exactly why they were going to knock it down and replace it, you absolute set of fucking idiots!
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So, FAB correctly bring up that the facilities in the North are a load of shite, to which they reply:
"It is an old building and therefore comes with some insurmountable challenges."
Which is exactly why they were going to knock it down and replace it, you absolute set of fucking idiots!
Indeed.
Like, honestly. We have seen the ups and downs. if they continue on this path and, for whatever reason, things take a downward turn on the pitch (we know from bitter experience in the 90s, 00s, 2010s this can happen in football!) the Heck approach will have driven away people through price increases and mucked up a chance to get the next generation hooked on going every week.
My attitude is we can't get the brilliance of the football side cloud our judgment about how badly things off the pitch have been going. Because one day they might not be going well on the pitch.
And the damned North Stand will still be there!
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Interesting the amount of work on the Warehouse is over a year? Seems long for what is essentially an interior change.
It's remarkable. It would be disappointing if it took that long to knock a building down, clear the site and rebuild it from scratch in that timescale, let alone a bit of a refurb.
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It's going badly off the pitch for Everton, it's going well for us - we're just not happy that some things aren't being done the way we want.
The thing with the stadium is that they've had a choice - spend £100m and increase revenue in 2 seasons time, or spend a fraction of that, and increase revenue starting in August. They've chosen the latter.
As soon as it gets to the point where the gains from doing things like this are too little they will have to deal with the stadium itself. But until then, it's perfectly understandable that they took this decision, even if personally we might have fancied biting the bullet now.
Most of the other stuff, the badge, the lion, the way announcements are made, are often mountains out of molehills. And the stuff that is big - pricing people out, chasing the GA+ and hospitality revenue at the cost of lifelong match-goers - is pretty much the football landscape and where it's been heading since the early 1990s.
Catering, people should definitely swing for the catering.
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These responses are why the club will probably hate doing the FAB meetings. Every minor detail gets picked over, complained about etc. I'm not saying people are wrong to have the concerns they do, but it's no wonder the club want to ratify the minutes before they are sent out.
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These responses are why the club will probably hate doing the FAB meetings. Every minor detail gets picked over, complained about etc. I'm not saying people are wrong to have the concerns they do, but it's no wonder the club want to ratify the minutes before they are sent out.
The club are required by Premier League rules to hold them, so whether they want to do them or not, or whether they find them useful or interesting is beside the point.
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It's going badly off the pitch for Everton, it's going well for us - we're just not happy that some things aren't being done the way we want.
The thing with the stadium is that they've had a choice - spend £100m and increase revenue in 2 seasons time, or spend a fraction of that, and increase revenue starting in August. They've chosen the latter.
As soon as it gets to the point where the gains from doing things like this are too little they will have to deal with the stadium itself. But until then, it's perfectly understandable that they took this decision, even if personally we might have fancied biting the bullet now.
As I've said before, it's such a short term way of looking at things. Even if they'd gone ahead with the North Stand project, there was absolutely nothing stopping them increasing the number of premium places in the other three stands, so it's not a choice between doing one or the other. Then in two years time they'd have had a whole new stand with 10,000 more places to have as many expensive corporate and GA+ tickets as they like. We'd then have had tens of millions of pounds more income in that year, and every year thereafter.
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As I've said before, it's such a short term way of looking at things. Even if they'd gone ahead with the North Stand project, there was absolutely nothing stopping them increasing the number of premium places in the other three stands, so it's not a choice between doing one or the other. Then in two years time they'd have had a whole new stand with 10,000 more places to have as many expensive corporate and GA+ tickets as they like. We'd then have had tens of millions of pounds more income in that year, and every year thereafter.
I do agree, but there's something else being factored in somewhere.
If I'm cynical, I could easily imagine Chris Heck has been given a revenue target and a deadline to achieve it by, with a tasty bonus attached to hitting it. In this scenario, he wouldn't be eager to knock it down if it hinders his short term objective.
But I just can't see him getting that decision past the owners without a really good business case. And as you point out, a few more GA+ seats is not a good business case for it.
I keep thinking that it has something to do with the Doug. Part of me wonders if they have looked at that and realised there is very little more that can be done with it and it needs to go. Especially as halfway line seats are typically the most expensive and therefore a huge missed opportunity.
The New North was going to be integrated with the Trinity. If they knock down the Doug, I suspect they would also want to integrate that with the North.
So I do wonder whether or not they're going back to the drawing board because they need to have a plan in place for the future of the Doug, but with the space limitations that's a much trickier thing than the North.
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There's no way that the owners would let Heck can the North so that he could prop up his bonus.
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Well if they are going back to the drawing board and intend for it to involve the Trinity it won't be in Emery's timescale at the club. And probably not soon enough for the owners to see the long-term benefits either given their ages.
I think the best we can now hope for is a new North Stand development to start right after the Euros, but even that seems unlikely as things stand.
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As I've said before, it's such a short term way of looking at things. Even if they'd gone ahead with the North Stand project, there was absolutely nothing stopping them increasing the number of premium places in the other three stands, so it's not a choice between doing one or the other. Then in two years time they'd have had a whole new stand with 10,000 more places to have as many expensive corporate and GA+ tickets as they like. We'd then have had tens of millions of pounds more income in that year, and every year thereafter.
I do agree, but there's something else being factored in somewhere.
If I'm cynical, I could easily imagine Chris Heck has been given a revenue target and a deadline to achieve it by, with a tasty bonus attached to hitting it. In this scenario, he wouldn't be eager to knock it down if it hinders his short term objective.
But I just can't see him getting that decision past the owners without a really good business case. And as you point out, a few more GA+ seats is not a good business case for it.
I keep thinking that it has something to do with the Doug. Part of me wonders if they have looked at that and realised there is very little more that can be done with it and it needs to go. Especially as halfway line seats are typically the most expensive and therefore a huge missed opportunity.
The New North was going to be integrated with the Trinity. If they knock down the Doug, I suspect they would also want to integrate that with the North.
So I do wonder whether or not they're going back to the drawing board because they need to have a plan in place for the future of the Doug, but with the space limitations that's a much trickier thing than the North.
In which case I really can't see the issue in saying that. Nobody's going to argue too strongly with a statement along the lines of:
"Having analysed plans for the future of Villa Park in more detail, it is now apparent that the Doug Ellis Stand is also dated and has poor facilities. We'll therefore pause plans for the North Stand redevelopment to ensure that they allow for redevelopment of the Doug Ellis stand, whether at the same time or more likely, at a later date. Our long term objective remains to have a Villa Park that offers fans the best experience in the Premier League, and provides Unai Emery with the backing required to challenge at the top of the Premier League and in Europe blah blah blah."
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Yep, but then they don’t like telling us what they’re doing when we actually know they’re doing it, so god knows!
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I'm so glad I got my season ticket before there was a queue. I think I'd struggle for motivation as a casual supporter, particularly if I was looking at a spending decision of £65-70 for most games and knowing I'd never get a seat in the Holte. The thought of trying to introduce kids to the club would seem pointless when the chances of getting seats together would be almost nil.
I agree. Fortunately we have had STs for years, but it's becoming almost impossible for any new people to get a season ticket.
The only viable way to introduce new family members is to share out the existing STs for those who have them, but the club are always trying to clamp down on that as well.
The move to compulsory digital season tickets will be a major hindrance to ST sharing, even within families.
It shouldn’t do, what’s to stop both loading it into their Apple Wallet or android equivalent? As long as they both try and attend the same game of course.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
Interesting choice of word "vomitories"
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It's a weird word, dunno why God invented it.
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So by the sounds of it there's a new fan park building which I had assumed would be the warehouse, but it seems not. I would have thought they'd need planning permission for this, so I'm not quite sure what they have in mind?
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I'm so glad I got my season ticket before there was a queue. I think I'd struggle for motivation as a casual supporter, particularly if I was looking at a spending decision of £65-70 for most games and knowing I'd never get a seat in the Holte. The thought of trying to introduce kids to the club would seem pointless when the chances of getting seats together would be almost nil.
I agree. Fortunately we have had STs for years, but it's becoming almost impossible for any new people to get a season ticket.
The only viable way to introduce new family members is to share out the existing STs for those who have them, but the club are always trying to clamp down on that as well.
The move to compulsory digital season tickets will be a major hindrance to ST sharing, even within families.
It shouldn’t do, what’s to stop both loading it into their Apple Wallet or android equivalent? As long as they both try and attend the same game of course.
The RFU introduced digital ticketing a few years ago. Works brilliantly well, touts can’t sell them and sharing tickets with other app holders is quick and easy. The technology is there it’s whether we implement it.
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So by the sounds of it there's a new fan park building which I had assumed would be the warehouse, but it seems not. I would have thought they'd need planning permission for this, so I'm not quite sure what they have in mind?
Where have you heard about that, if not through a planning application?
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Semi permanent marquee i reckon.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Should I do that? It's a serious question.
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When you get such condescending responses and little actual dialogue, let alone changes made following consultation, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if you did.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Should I do that? It's a serious question.
For 5 years it felt like a journey, club and fans united. Everything was positive. There were a couple of bumps on the road of course but we had found our way back to Europe and there were big plans afoot for the club. Yes, there were hints that all was not rosey behind the scenes at time but all in all it was great!
The last twelve months has felt different. The tone has been different. Things have been more cloak and dagger. The fans have become a bit of an afterthought. Big decisions have been made but no real explanation given. Fans were looking forward to a future-proofed, redeveloped stadium and it quietly got shelved.
It's as if we got to where we are and now they have determined that by spending very little they can tart up parts of the ground and get in a fan who will spend more. I hate it. They aren't even pretending to care.
I have found the past year or so quite concerning and I am really hoping that some of the things we are doing don't come back to haunt us in a few years.
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Personally I’d always prefer to keep any dialogue channels open but express my displeasure at the current level of comms and “consultation”. It may fall on deaf ears but at least you’ve made your feelings known.
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Should I do that? It's a serious question.
Completely up to you of course. It just sounds like there's a really confrontational edge to proceedings and the basic message coming out is they can do what they like. Under those circumstances it seems a bit pointless to me.
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I applaud anyone who takes the time , effort and commitment to go to these meetings . I'm not sure the club would lose any sleep if the fans walked away . They'd probably put a spin on it saying a bunch of militants were attending anyway. It's a tough one but I don't think the club see it as anything more than a tick box exercise sadly . They really don't care.
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I applaud anyone who takes the time , effort and commitment to go to these meetings . I'm not sure the club would lose any sleep if the fans walked away . They'd probably put a spin on it saying a bunch of militants were attending anyway. It's a tough one but I don't think the club see it as anything more than a tick box exercise sadly . They really don't care.
They have to hold them, under the new Premier League rules. I guess they don't have to pretend to care about any questions or points made though.
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Is it me or do they always come across as ‘sniffy’?
I'd go further and say actually confrontational.
At best, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Worst - take your pick, they certainly sound like these meetings are a waste of their time and who are these plebs to question them. Heck may have found an excuse to no longer attend the meetings but he is personally responsible for the tone of his team unless new COO Ben Hatton is some kind of narcissist.
I do wonder about the future of these meetings. The Club will probably hang on in there before the fans drop them completely. Nobody can accuse the Club of blowing smoke up the arse of the fans, I'll give them that.
I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Should I do that? It's a serious question.
My first reaction is no. Better to keep talking than not to but I haven’t been there so don’t know what the atmosphere is like.
If they come across as being interested in what the support thinks then that’s something to work on and develop.
Anything less then what’s the point?
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I applaud anyone who takes the time , effort and commitment to go to these meetings . I'm not sure the club would lose any sleep if the fans walked away . They'd probably put a spin on it saying a bunch of militants were attending anyway. It's a tough one but I don't think the club see it as anything more than a tick box exercise sadly . They really don't care.
They have to hold them, under the new Premier League rules. I guess they don't have to pretend to care about any questions or points made though.
Ok I didn't realise that. I guess they see them as a complete inconvenience. Hence why Heck has sent a couple of his flunkies instead of attending himself.
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Should I do that? It's a serious question.
Completely up to you of course. It just sounds like there's a really confrontational edge to proceedings and the basic message coming out is they can do what they like. Under those circumstances it seems a bit pointless to me.
I think you should withdraw, Dave.
Let’s not forget - they do these things because the league forces them to, but there is zero real consultation.
My vote is to stop engaging. What’s the point?
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From a write up elsewhere it sounds like the meeting was a lot more positive dialogue than the minutes make out. Obviously Dave can give his own view on whether he felt the same.
As For your question Dave, only you can answer that. I appreciate the work you all do getting over the fans views and also feeding back to us a bit more detail than we’d get otherwise. I feel it’s worthwhile and it’s better having a dialogue than not, but obviously it’s your call on whether you think the club are being constructive enough to make it worth your (and everyone else’s) time.
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Someone called Scott should attend. Then everyone could say ‘FAB Scott.’
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Steal as much stuff as you can when there. Half a dozen Villa pens will teach them!
Seriously it depends on whether you think it's worth your time or not. Sod what we think, it's your free time.
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Also - and this isn't a dig - I don't think I've ever first read the summary of a FAB meeting anywhere that isn't Villatalk.
I don't really see what's in it for us in any way - there's no actual consultation, there's no sense of willing involvement from the club, it's a diktat laid down by them, and we don't even read about it here first.
What's the point in Dave or any other representative wasting their time?
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Also - and this isn't a dig - I don't think I've ever first read the summary of a FAB meeting anywhere that isn't Villatalk.
I don't really see what's in it for us in any way - there's no actual consultation, there's no sense of willing involvement from the club, it's a diktat laid down by them, and we don't even read about it here first.
What's the point in Dave or any other representative wasting their time?
I've learned that capacity is going up to approx. 42,900 next season.
I've learned that I'll have to use a digital season card next season.
I've learned that a deal to buy all four CL home games as a package is unlikely to happen.
I've learned that where I sit I'll be getting rail seating.
I've learned that there seems to be almost no point being on the season card waiting list (luckily, I'm not).
All that said, I realise we'd learn about all of it eventually.
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And for the love of god, what is GA?
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Here is a great example of what fucks me off about their attitude.
7. What is the club doing about the general state of the facilities in washrooms around the ground - who is responsible for this on matchdays and are they sufficiently staffed and empowered - for our last home game there were flooded urinals in both the Upper and Lower Holte from some time before kick-off. Also, the disabled toilets have been in poor condition.
As per item 4 in the main agenda “..we are looking to improve the environment for GA ticket holders in all stands..”. We also have a programme of maintenance planned for the summer.
'As per item 4 in the main agenda “..we are looking to improve the environment for GA ticket holders in all stands"
Jesus Christ. We're not asking for marble floors in the toilets, we're asking to be able to go for a slash without wading through pools of piss.
These are 1980s level toilet facilities for people paying 65 quid a ticket.
They should be utterly ashamed of this, but it's "as we said before, we're trying to improve things for you pleb ticket holders".
That's absolutely disgraceful, and they barely try to hide it.
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And for the love of god, what is GA?
GA = General Admission, so Trinity, Lower/Upper Holte, etc.
GA+ = Lower Grounds and Terrace View.
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And for the love of god, what is GA?
General admission. Your ticket. As opposed to GA+, which is stuff like Lower Grounds.
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And for the love of god, what is GA?
Game attendance. Your ticket. As opposed to GA+, which is stuff like Lower Grounds.
Game Attendance + Pick 'n Mix.
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Of course it’s up to you.
But what I would say is it’s been obvious for a while these aren’t two way conversations and it’s not doing what it says in the tin.
You’re far more intelligent than they are and have far greater knowledge of the Villa. It’s demeaning to you!
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Thanks Chris, Dave n Paulie
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GA = Economy seating.
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Dave I believe you should go or send someone else. I'll go if you don't want to.
There's no point withdrawing, unless there's a unanimous decision with all fan reps, but I still don't think it's the way to go.
Better would be to I evolve the FSA wouldn't it? Walk away when complaints have been made and other bodies involved.
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Should I do that? It's a serious question.
I think it is a matter of whether you see it as better being 'sort of' on the inside with minimal influence or being outside the whole thing with no influence at all. If you don't see the meetings as a good use of your, or any other H&V rep's time, time the decision is fairly obvious. From the outside however it may look as 'flouncing off' (horrible term - sorry) and something which could be used against you/H&V in the future should the meetings become relevant again.
As a disclaimer the idea of Dave flouncing off from anything is ludicrous as I just can't imagine it at all.
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How about turning up but placing in a letter of complaint about how you feel the last meeting went?
You could publicly release the letter on here & any responses you might get, be they verbal or otherwise.
If you felt the last one went poorly, of course.
That way, you are still keeping the dialogue open but you are forcing them to deal with any potential issues you see arise...
I don't know, maybe that only works if everybody does it.
Either way, if you feel unhappy about how they are going, that needs to be highlighted to the club somehow, in a way that allows for transparency on behalf of everybody involved...
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I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Should I do that? It's a serious question.
Hi, i hardly ever post on here but have been reading the site pretty much every day for many years.
I think it's important that H&V have a representative at the table, even if Villa don't treat the meetings seriously.
Over time you'd hope certain messages and sentiment get through to Villa management and it's better to be involved in that process rather than not.
Of course, if you don't have time or the inclination, that's fine... but i'd hope that someone else from H&V could take up the 'position' on your behalf.
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I know Jon Fear gets a bad rap at times, but he's got the right idea in my opinion and told them that his group will have nothing more to do with the meetings.
Should I do that? It's a serious question.
Hi, i hardly ever post on here but have been reading the site pretty much every day for many years.
I think it's important that H&V have a representative at the table, even if Villa don't treat the meetings seriously.
Over time you'd hope certain messages and sentiment get through to Villa management and it's better to be involved in that process rather than not.
Of course, if you don't have time or the inclination, that's fine... but i'd hope that someone else from H&V could take up the 'position' on your behalf.
I agree, not to go could be accused of not being interested.
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How about turning up but placing in a letter of complaint about how you feel the last meeting went?
Personally, I feel that these things will only make the situation worse. If the meeting is to become productive then there needs to be a movement toward de-escalation.
If you're seen as the enemy, you get treated like the enemy. And that's true for both camps.
It seems to me the whole group is trapped in the whatever we do, they're just going to complain / whatever we say, they're not going to listen cycle.
When I've been in situations like this I have always tried to have open and honest conversations with people about what is going wrong. I also make effort to be supportive and positive wherever possible and to be diplomatic and tactful where there are problems.
But it takes time and commitment to build up the trust and relationships required to work together.
The question I would have is whether the different fan group representatives are capable of working like this and together? Or do they have their own agendas and do some of them want to be seen to be fighting the good fight?
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Should I do that? It's a serious question.
Personally, I think we should still have a H&V representative attend. However, I would let it be known through whatever media outlets available that the site and its posters do not like the manner and tone in which the meetings are conducted.
In the case of topics which are highlighted as high priority, could the minutes not include points made and to whom is accountable for its actions? Then re-visited at the next meeting before aob is discussed?
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Does anyone know if other clubs fanbases are happy with their versions of these types of meetings and the output they receive from them?
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How about turning up but placing in a letter of complaint about how you feel the last meeting went?
Personally, I feel that these things will only make the situation worse. If the meeting is to become productive then there needs to be a movement toward de-escalation.
If you're seen as the enemy, you get treated like the enemy. And that's true for both camps.
It seems to me the whole group is trapped in the whatever we do, they're just going to complain / whatever we say, they're not going to listen cycle.
When I've been in situations like this I have always tried to have open and honest conversations with people about what is going wrong. I also make effort to be supportive and positive wherever possible and to be diplomatic and tactful where there are problems.
But it takes time and commitment to build up the trust and relationships required to work together.
The question I would have is whether the different fan group representatives are capable of working like this and together? Or do they have their own agendas and do some of them want to be seen to be fighting the good fight?
Oh, absolutely, some tact would be needed.
But I do think that if they are unaware of any potential unhappiness, even if it is fairly obvious, they can always fall back on "we didn't know there was a problem".
Communication is key, but it has to be honest.
From both sides...
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How about turning up but placing in a letter of complaint about how you feel the last meeting went?
Personally, I feel that these things will only make the situation worse. If the meeting is to become productive then there needs to be a movement toward de-escalation.
If you're seen as the enemy, you get treated like the enemy. And that's true for both camps.
It seems to me the whole group is trapped in the whatever we do, they're just going to complain / whatever we say, they're not going to listen cycle.
When I've been in situations like this I have always tried to have open and honest conversations with people about what is going wrong. I also make effort to be supportive and positive wherever possible and to be diplomatic and tactful where there are problems.
But it takes time and commitment to build up the trust and relationships required to work together.
The question I would have is whether the different fan group representatives are capable of working like this and together? Or do they have their own agendas and do some of them want to be seen to be fighting the good fight?
Given the premier league insist on the meetings and open communication with fans as part of good governance, do they have a role to play as an independent arbiter to ensure these issues are resolved, or at least addressed? It feels like the fans have nowhere to go if they feel the FAB is not serving its purpose.
I can’t believe we are the only club where the meetings have failed to achieve their objective.
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I think we should find another way to protest.
Like, send Tim as our representative.
only joking, Tim.
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Let's send Team Footy.
Agenda item 1 - a ban on all smut, filth, innuendo and general ribaldry at all times in the stands. A huge klaxon to be installed to cover up the swears.
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Let's send Team Footy.
Agenda item 1 - a ban on all smut, filth, innuendo and general ribaldry at all times in the stands. A huge klaxon to be installed to cover up the swears.
Ability to share one season ticket amongst five people, much like a H&V login.
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A transfer policy where we only sign completely wholesome players. Immediately sell Martinez for disrespectfully shagging a trophy.
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i agree with the letter idea, not a complaint but the issues and questions raised on here.
Regarding your attendance Dave, I think that we should have someone there even if that isn't you.
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i agree with the letter idea, not a complaint but the issues and questions raised on here.
Regarding your attendance Dave, I think that we should have someone there even if that isn't you.
That is a positive solution that is non confrontational. I like it.
And it would give us the answer definitively whether they are interested or not in the whole process.
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Let's get tough. The time for talking is over. Call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit them hard and hit them fast with a major, and I mean major, leaflet campaign, and while they're reeling from that, we'd follow up with a whist drive, a car boot sale, some street theatre and possibly even some benefit concerts.
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CLITORIS?
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It's definitely a time to make sure fan representation is kept up. Whether you personally have a desire for that Dave, only you can answer. The club have to do it, we know if they didn't it would cease to exist in a heartbeat.
My take is that fan groups find a unified stance, and ideally escalate that representation within the allowed FAB framework. The FSA are seeing, and reporting on, a wide number of clubs who are taking fans for a ride. The more unified the response to that, the better. If we haven't already engaged the FSA on our issues with the way the club are riding roughshod over us, now is certainly the time. Everything from the way Heck 'consulted' and 'followed the process' for this monstrosity of a badge, to the way they've ripped out long-standing season ticket holders with laughable communication. Stand firm, or they'll push us away even more.
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What about if the FAB try and meet without the club before each official meeting to develop a co-ordinated approach to the issues being raised?
I know it’s difficult to get everyone together, but a virtual meeting on Teams a couple of nights before might help to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
Maybe even if each time all the different reps could pick out and agree on one specific issue out of the agenda that they will not be letting go, and how they will go about doing that.
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What about if the FAB try and meet without the club before each official meeting to develop a co-ordinated approach to the issues being raised?
I know it’s difficult to get everyone together, but a virtual meeting on Teams a couple of nights before might help to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
Maybe even if each time all the different reps could pick out and agree on one specific issue out of the agenda that they will not be letting go, and how they will go about doing that.
Make it the Villa Tavern and I’m in.
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I'm not sure the club are taking us for a ride. They are meeting fans and explaining to some extent what they are doing. They're not really interested in fan opinions as they feel they know best.
The reality is they want to increase income and some of the decisions to try to do that annoy many of us day to day fans. But they're going to do it anyway.
They can't listen to every opinion. When you do that you end up with stuff like a lamp shaped badge and 50 different walk-out songs, mostly heavy metal and suggested by middle-aged forum dwellers. They would definitely move and never move, definitely knock down the North and keep the iconic stand. It's impossible.
There's a clear direction of travel now. It's an amazing manager, Champions League and the best team we've seen in 40 years. It's also a big squeeze on day-to-day fans, reduced season ticket availability and less general sale too. The football is amazing and the increase in corporate a bit shit. Building the North would have solved a lot of the problems, but the cold hard numbers didn't stack up. I'm a bit pissed off, but excited for next season.
They're still the best owners we've had in my lifetime.
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50 different walk-out songs, mostly heavy metal and suggested by middle-aged forum dwellers.
Oy - I'm old aged.
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I'm not sure the club are taking us for a ride. They are meeting fans and explaining to some extent what they are doing. They're not really interested in fan opinions as they feel they know best.
The reality is they want to increase income and some of the decisions to try to do that annoy many of us day to day fans. But they're going to do it anyway.
They can't listen to every opinion. When you do that you end up with stuff like a lamp shaped badge and 50 different walk-out songs, mostly heavy metal and suggested by middle-aged forum dwellers. They would definitely move and never move, definitely knock down the North and keep the iconic stand. It's impossible.
There's a clear direction of travel now. It's an amazing manager, Champions League and the best team we've seen in 40 years. It's also a big squeeze on day-to-day fans, reduced season ticket availability and less general sale too. The football is amazing and the increase in corporate a bit shit. Building the North would have solved a lot of the problems, but the cold hard numbers didn't stack up. I'm a bit pissed off, but excited for next season.
They're still the best owners we've had in my lifetime.
I agree with a lot of this and it can come across a bit ‘what did the Romans ever do for us…’. But i also think we have to be careful with thinking there is nothing we can do about anything and its all tough shit.
One or two points of principle to focus on and to create some common ground and a united front amongst fan groups would be more pointed abd potentially powerful than the wide range of things you mention. That point of principle could be pricing long standing season ticket holders out, they may not care about handfuls of individuals bleating, but representatives of 20,000 odd might make them think if it was the same message. The point of principle could be the toilets, the point remains the same, make them work to do the things they want to do that are not always in our interests.
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Let's get tough. The time for talking is over. Call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit them hard and hit them fast with a major, and I mean major, leaflet campaign, and while they're reeling from that, we'd follow up with a whist drive, a car boot sale, some street theatre and possibly even some benefit concerts.
Brilliant
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One or two points of principle sounds like a good idea.
Maybe just make number one, to stop treating us like we are an inconvenience?