Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on April 03, 2025, 10:23:57 PM

Title: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: dave.woodhall on April 03, 2025, 10:23:57 PM
Lee Marshall's take on it all.

https://heroesandvillains.info/2025/04/03/unhappy-at-the-happiest-of-times/
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: VillaTim on April 03, 2025, 10:37:46 PM
We did partner with viagaogo before for fans to resell .
This sounds different ?
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Legion on April 03, 2025, 10:46:13 PM
Done. Great article.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: PeterWithesShin on April 03, 2025, 11:02:28 PM
I doubt the clubs will be selling £12 tickets like we used to on Seatwave/Viagogo.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: amfy on April 03, 2025, 11:30:57 PM
We did partner with viagaogo before for fans to resell .
This sounds different ?

We did it at a time when the going rate for a resold ticket at Villa which had originally cost between £20-£30, was about £5.60!
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Vegas on April 04, 2025, 07:47:24 AM
Good article. But I can’t help thinking Heck’s getting a lot of heat for something that’s not his doing. Football has changed, in many ways for the better but in some ways - community, loyalty - for the worse. We can either compete or not in that new world. As a longstanding fan who has also been to Simod cup games, I would rather we did compete in this new world, despite the drawbacks of doing so.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Gareth on April 04, 2025, 07:48:59 AM
Couldn’t agree more with Lee….
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: amfy on April 04, 2025, 07:53:47 AM
Good article. But I can’t help thinking Heck’s getting a lot of heat for something that’s not his doing. Football has changed, in many ways for the better but in some ways - community, loyalty - for the worse. We can either compete or not in that new world. As a longstanding fan who has also been to Simod cup games, I would rather we did compete in this new world, despite the drawbacks of doing so.

Of course any of us would rather we compete in this new world than not, I just think most of us would rather it wasn’t a new world. Even the article says he’s only doing what the owners want. I’ve said elsewhere, the fact that it’s the game as a whole, not just us, doesn’t make it any more palateable.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Villan82 on April 04, 2025, 08:21:10 AM
Good article. But I can’t help thinking Heck’s getting a lot of heat for something that’s not his doing. Football has changed, in many ways for the better but in some ways - community, loyalty - for the worse. We can either compete or not in that new world. As a longstanding fan who has also been to Simod cup games, I would rather we did compete in this new world, despite the drawbacks of doing so.

Heck is a turbo-charged, extreme end of that trend.

I mean you only have to look at the stadium. The clubs around us want to increase hospitality and capacity whereas since he arrived our sole focus is hospitality and making it all a more exclusive (and more expensive) experience. If Man U can plan for 90,000 at Old Trafford there is no excuse for us not aiming for 50,000 minimum at Villa Park. We are much to focussed on finding areas we can make corporate.

Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: ChicagoLion on April 04, 2025, 09:35:57 AM
Its a very good article and I agree with all of it.
No one disputes the need to increase revenues, but the way he has gone about it is unedifying and unnecessary. If it wasn't they would not have to lie about stuff.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: darren woolley on April 04, 2025, 09:38:25 AM
Good read Lee.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Brend'Watkins on April 04, 2025, 09:56:25 AM
Who is Lee Marshall?
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: avfc456 on April 04, 2025, 10:48:46 AM
Great Article - sums up how I feel in a nutshell.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: LeeB on April 04, 2025, 11:17:04 AM
I've told myself to enjoy the next couple of seasons, and hopefully the success, as given the direction of travel I'll probably knock going down on the head.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: eamonn on April 04, 2025, 12:42:07 PM
Who is Lee Marshall?

Legion, finally stepping out of the shadows as a hypeman for D.Woodhall

Well either him or the fullback who used to play for the Baggies.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Legion on April 04, 2025, 01:10:44 PM
Who is Lee Marshall?

CT
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: artvandelay on April 04, 2025, 06:15:14 PM
The argument about PSG theory is pure conspiracy theory based on a poor understanding of maths. The only category we can be certain of is the maximum number of people with 5 aways, Monaco.

There are a variety of ways that 3 away tickets could have been obtained, so the redundancy stands to reason that close to 2000 people are in that bracket. Eg those that did Bruges I, Leipzig and Monaco aren’t necessarily the same that did Monaco, Bruges I and Young Boys.

Following on from that, the £1.600 hospitality package was only for category 1 tickets (which aren't in the away end)  and included a seat on the club flight. What kind of plane do you think the club are chartering for an hour flight that it can seat hundreds of people in the away end??? What kind of hospitality members do you think want to be held in captivity by the Gendarmes for an hour or more post match???
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Villan82 on April 04, 2025, 08:27:15 PM
Its a very good article and I agree with all of it.
No one disputes the need to increase revenues, but the way he has gone about it is unedifying and unnecessary. If it wasn't they would not have to lie about stuff.

It was just our luck to find this geezer just when things were so brilliant. His methods have sickened me. If he finally gives stadium expansion the green light I might overlook certain things but the handling of that, from the communications to the actual fact we have wasted more time doing nothing, has really pissed me off
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Max Villan on April 04, 2025, 10:29:32 PM
I've told myself to enjoy the next couple of seasons, and hopefully the success, as given the direction of travel I'll probably knock going down on the head.

This is the reason I've been so vocal about the FA cup criteria. If I get to see us win one FA cup after all the years of at best mediocrity, but mostly utter shite, I can call it a day a happy man and the americans can take our sport (they are anyway, so it's not really for debate).

As it stands, we're being removed before we've even had that success.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Villafirst on April 04, 2025, 10:33:09 PM
The owners need to push Heck to get the stadium expansion underway as soon as possible. We really need the capacity to be 50,000 plus. I've never really liked the North Stand. It spoils the ground to a degree. Get it demolished and rebuilt !
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Chip Butty 111 on April 05, 2025, 08:09:07 AM
Putting Yanks in charge of football is like putting Uncle Albert in charge of a type 22 destroyer, it'll run aground or sink whilst everyone is trying to jump ship.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Villan82 on April 05, 2025, 08:12:20 AM
The owners need to push Heck to get the stadium expansion underway as soon as possible. We really need the capacity to be 50,000 plus. I've never really liked the North Stand. It spoils the ground to a degree. Get it demolished and rebuilt !

It's unbelievable. Ask yourself what other big club in our position right now would be keeping a stand that's ugly and doesn't even span the width of the pitch
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Skerra on April 05, 2025, 05:30:35 PM
Agree with all of this article. After many years of having a season ticket, this will be my last. Tipping point for me was being priced out of the CL games so, Mr Heck can have his wish and get another tourist to fill my seat for the seasons to come.
When Villa have had no match, I’ve attended non league matches and that has brought pleasure back to me for football, without being ripped off.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Rudy Can't Fail on April 05, 2025, 08:48:45 PM
Putting Yanks in charge of football is like putting Uncle Albert in charge of a type 22 destroyer, it'll run aground or sink whilst everyone is trying to jump ship.

Nothing to do with his nationality, all to do with he only understands the price of everything, the value of nothing. He also doesn't understand how to communicate other than what a brilliant job he thinks he's doing. Great article from CT and certainly balances the new vlogger I saw yesterday, some I'm alright Jack fan blowing smoke up Heck's arse.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Matt C on April 05, 2025, 09:03:39 PM
Putting Yanks in charge of football is like putting Uncle Albert in charge of a type 22 destroyer, it'll run aground or sink whilst everyone is trying to jump ship.

The “yank” who saved this club when it was on its arse is presumably different?
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Chip Butty 111 on April 06, 2025, 09:25:09 AM
Putting Yanks in charge of football is like putting Uncle Albert in charge of a type 22 destroyer, it'll run aground or sink whilst everyone is trying to jump ship.

The “yank” who saved this club when it was on its arse is presumably different?
Saved is stretching things a bit in this instance. Two shrewd asset investors buy an undervalued asset with potential from a guy desperate to sell. A few years later their asset is on shaky ground after a defeat at Fulham. A gentleman from Spain came in and their asset is now worth several times more than it was on that night in West London. Is the way I see it....but this thread is about Heck, who is,and always will be, a plonker
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Clampy on April 06, 2025, 09:55:44 AM
I don't think people appreciate how bad things were. It took more than just a gentleman from Spain coming in. It's almost as if their money has meant nothing.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: PeterWithesShin on April 06, 2025, 01:39:54 PM
We didn't have a pot to piss in and were facing a winding up order. We've gone from that to where we are now. Without these owners we could be arsing around who knows how far down the ladder.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: LeeB on April 06, 2025, 01:42:20 PM
They've been the best pair of billionaire bastards you could have hoped for.

Come the revolution they may be spared.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Tuscans on April 06, 2025, 02:13:13 PM
The owners need to push Heck to get the stadium expansion underway as soon as possible. We really need the capacity to be 50,000 plus. I've never really liked the North Stand. It spoils the ground to a degree. Get it demolished and rebuilt !

It's unbelievable. Ask yourself what other big club in our position right now would be keeping a stand that's ugly and doesn't even span the width of the pitch
You should be aware by now to why the expansion has stalled.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: The Edge on April 06, 2025, 05:27:58 PM
The owners need to push Heck to get the stadium expansion underway as soon as possible. We really need the capacity to be 50,000 plus. I've never really liked the North Stand. It spoils the ground to a degree. Get it demolished and rebuilt !

It's unbelievable. Ask yourself what other big club in our position right now would be keeping a stand that's ugly and doesn't even span the width of the pitch
I would have wanted the NS knocked down and rebuilt but it ain't happening. They are spending a lot of money on the existing structure. The best we can hope for is a widening and re-roofing job which is a cop out but it is what it is.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Drummond on April 06, 2025, 05:39:54 PM
The North Stand is full for every game. The views are great and people in there don't generally moan about from what I see in here.

It sounds like the Upper has got better facilities already and plans are afoot to expand it.

The tickets are cheaper than elsewhere.

I'm not sure I understand what the problem is to be honest.
Title: Re: Unhappy at the happiest of times
Post by: Cleybrooke on April 06, 2025, 06:40:07 PM
Reckon this is a game of "would you rather"

Would you rather have universal respect or unlimited power?

He went for power and cracked on, recognising he wasn't going to able to take everyone on the journey.





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