Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Flin5tone on October 03, 2019, 11:43:34 PM
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We're knocking down the Village & Ticket office
Be sad to see the building go, happy memories of visiting the Village, even had a brief spell behind the tills as a youngster
https://www.waste of paper.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-park-edens-owners-17024067
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Knocking down the academy too. That will create a lot of space. I hope they find another home for the family zone i know a lot of people enjoy going there with the kids pre-match. It will be interesting to see how they use that space it will be huge once the buildings go. Not sure about the viability of a hotel in that particular location but no doubt they will have done their homework.
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I thought this had already been discussed on here or is it my old age again?
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I thought this had already been discussed on here or is it my old age again?
Your right it has. There was speculation that they were going to bulldoze the offices during the summer break. The planning permission has only just been granted though thats why it"s in todays news.
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Ah, I see.
Thank you for clearing that up for a poor confused old fart!
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Where the ticket office is now used to be a BT workshop where I was based for a couple of years around late 80's. The shop is where our stores were with offices on upper floors.
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My Dad must have worked at that BT workshop. He's often mentioned how often there were footballs being kicked over the stands there.
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I saw an advert on LinkedIn this morning for Fanatics, for a Head of Retail to be based at Villa Park.
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Here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1489247284/
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Here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1489247284/
Free onsite bar?
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Here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1489247284/
Free onsite bar?
*hits send*
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My Dad must have worked at that BT workshop. He's often mentioned how often there were footballs being kicked over the stands there.
How? Tonev would only have been a toddler at most.
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Here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1489247284/
It's a lot of words to skirt around "In charge of apologising that everything is out of stock".
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With the thread title I thought this was about today's game.
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I just wondered whether us capping season tickets at 30,000 is yet another clever forward planning strategy by our owners and leadership team. If we demolish the North Stand at the end of this season ( assuming we’re still in the Premier League) Villa Park will only have a 35,000-36,000 capacity, take away the away allocation which we’d no doubt reduce during development that still allows us to cater for all existing season ticket holders plus a few thousand available on a match by match basis ? Just a thought.........?
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I just wondered whether us capping season tickets at 30,000 is yet another clever forward planning strategy by our owners and leadership team. If we demolish the North Stand at the end of this season ( assuming we’re still in the Premier League) Villa Park will only have a 35,000-36,000 capacity, take away the away allocation which we’d no doubt reduce during development that still allows us to cater for all existing season ticket holders plus a few thousand available on a match by match basis ? Just a thought.........?
I thought the cap was simply because clubs have to leave a certain proportion for non-season ticket holders and away fans.
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Not that I’m aware of, most clubs choose their own percentage of tickets they want to leave available for match by match availability usually as they don’t want to restrict attendance to solely season ticket holders .
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Stayed over in the Holiday Inn Carrow Road last night, obviously very convenient but got mr thinking whether we are planning a hotel for the North Stand car park? Granted, the area isn’t quite ideal, however there must be some financial sense in it?
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They do conferences so why not. My wife did one there a few years ago and had to stay in the city centre and get the train out to witton each day.
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My Dad must have worked at that BT workshop. He's often mentioned how often there were footballs being kicked over the stands there.
How? Tonev would only have been a toddler at most.
Guffaws.
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I think a hotel would do well, would always be full on match days and on non match days the right price would attract the Tourists with city centre hotels now quite pricey on certain dates. Short hop over to Witton Station
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I just wondered whether us capping season tickets at 30,000 is yet another clever forward planning strategy by our owners and leadership team. If we demolish the North Stand at the end of this season ( assuming we’re still in the Premier League) Villa Park will only have a 35,000-36,000 capacity, take away the away allocation which we’d no doubt reduce during development that still allows us to cater for all existing season ticket holders plus a few thousand available on a match by match basis ? Just a thought.........?
I thought the cap was simply because clubs have to leave a certain proportion for non-season ticket holders and away fans.
If stadium expansion plans do go ahead i really hope they knock down the North stand and build a bigger & better version fit for the 21st century. When speaking on the subject Christian Purslow said "we have planning permission to infill the corners" I'd urge them to take in a game when it's full so they can see for themselves how cramped it is. Not only that it's a bloody eyesore even with the spruce up it got in the summer.
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Add the Witton Lane to that. Done on a low budget by Herbert
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Add the Witton Lane to that. Done on a low budget by Herbert
True
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I think a hotel would do well, would always be full on match days and on non match days the right price would attract the Tourists with city centre hotels now quite pricey on certain dates. Short hop over to Witton Station
I can't see any circumstances where a hotel would attract tourists outside of game days. Seriously why would anyone stay in the middle of Aston when there are numerous options on the outskkirts of the city? If they think they can fill it through game days, conferences etc then great, but even as a fan I wouldn't contempate staying there.
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I think a hotel would do well, would always be full on match days and on non match days the right price would attract the Tourists with city centre hotels now quite pricey on certain dates. Short hop over to Witton Station
I can't see any circumstances where a hotel would attract tourists outside of game days. Seriously why would anyone stay in the middle of Aston when there are numerous options on the outskkirts of the city? If they think they can fill it through game days, conferences etc then great, but even as a fan I wouldn't contempate staying there.
We could rent rooms by the hour so people waiting for trains home after the game can queue in rotation.
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I have so many fond memories of the Academy Building...In years gone by (90s) I played indoor cricket at Stumps for the MEB works side then when the cricket became less popular I played a lot of 4 aside football down there. More recently I joined the healthy goals foundation and dusted down my boots at 47 years of age to play football and lose some lard...
Along with all this my kids have enjoyed the fun days on match days.
Will miss the place......
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I'll bet I played indoor cricket against you.
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I have so many fond memories of the Academy Building...In years gone by (90s) I played indoor cricket at Stumps for the MEB works side then when the cricket became less popular I played a lot of 4 aside football down there. More recently I joined the healthy goals foundation and dusted down my boots at 47 years of age to play football and lose some lard...
Along with all this my kids have enjoyed the fun days on match days.
Will miss the place......
I really hope the club can find room elsewhere to replace stumps. They do some great things for the communoty and for people with kids on matchdays.
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I think a hotel would do well, would always be full on match days and on non match days the right price would attract the Tourists with city centre hotels now quite pricey on certain dates. Short hop over to Witton Station
I can't see any circumstances where a hotel would attract tourists outside of game days. Seriously why would anyone stay in the middle of Aston when there are numerous options on the outskkirts of the city? If they think they can fill it through game days, conferences etc then great, but even as a fan I wouldn't contempate staying there.
Agree.
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I think a hotel would do well, would always be full on match days and on non match days the right price would attract the Tourists with city centre hotels now quite pricey on certain dates. Short hop over to Witton Station
I can't see any circumstances where a hotel would attract tourists outside of game days. Seriously why would anyone stay in the middle of Aston when there are numerous options on the outskkirts of the city? If they think they can fill it through game days, conferences etc then great, but even as a fan I wouldn't contempate staying there.
You can find a Travelodge, Premier Inn or suchlike near to many motorway junctions, people stay in them for work and because they fit into their companies budget not for the local attractions. Combine that with match day visitors and I reckon it will do well.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
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I'll bet I played indoor cricket against you.
Who did you play for?
Some strangely named sides down there if I remember.
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Potential business opportunities are huge with this. Links to the city centre and corporate facilities at the club alone would make this a finanicial success. It's not just about us as supporters is it?
If its properly marketed and managed (which it will be) and pitched to the correct audience then its surely a positive move?
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I'll bet I played indoor cricket against you.
Who did you play for?
Some strangely named sides down there if I remember.
Embarrasingly, I can't remember. I'll ask a friend.
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The 4-a-side football teams were The All Blacks and Legion.
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I saw an advert on LinkedIn this morning for Fanatics, for a Head of Retail to be based at Villa Park.
F
Re my shirts sales....following redundancy last year after 32 years in retail, I’m the man 🤣🤣
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Used to play 5-a-side (well 7 with 2 subs) down there on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Haven’t read all the details in this thread, but do we know when is all this demolition work is going to start? Presumably at the end of the season?
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The way to go with the vast land potential Villa Park offers is to yes build a hotel, and a bloody good one at that. One with pitch view rooms to boot. Once done there are other options for the club to tap into. If you look at the impressive exhibition hall/hotel at the Ricoh and look at how Sheffield United have a World Snooker Academy at Bramall Lane, just two examples of how football/rugby stadiums can promote non football related leisure events.
Obviously a museum would be a great addition and I think a place of worship/multifaith community building would be fantastic.
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The way to go with the vast land potential Villa Park offers is to yes build a hotel, and a bloody good one at that. One with pitch view rooms to boot. Once done there are other options for the club to tap into. If you look at the impressive exhibition hall/hotel at the Ricoh and look at how Sheffield United have a World Snooker Academy at Bramall Lane, just two examples of how football/rugby stadiums can promote non football related leisure events.
Obviously a museum would be a great addition and I think a place of worship/multifaith community building would be fantastic.
A proper Museum is a must. With our history I always find our ‘stadium’ tours ( one stand ) trophies in the tunnel etc pretty piss poor for the 21st century ( and that’s not being critical of our staff that do them as they are passionate and great considering what they’ve got to work with ) We must have a warehouse somewhere with memorabilia because It isn’t in the current ground . Imagine the tour starting with the Victorian streetscape and four men under a gas light , the Bearded MacGregor sat round a table with the other chairmen ...... the film footage that could be shown of the ground / team / fans / players down the years . Anyone who has done a Real Madrid stadium tour will know what I mean and whilst they have obviously got a great history most of it is from 1960 onwards.
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Did the Real Madrid tour just a couple of weeks ago and had the same thought - why can't we do this? Admittedly theirs was a trophy-fest from the fifties/sixties until today, but before then it was nothing to what we could boast. While we are at it, something official to recognise Ron Saunders would be very fitting.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
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Agree with you Risso- hotel would never work there! Distance from city centre and right next to a PL football ground with 20-30 matches there per year, disturbing the peace.
Be interested to see what plans they do have for the site though.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
But they don't have conference facilities on site; good ones at that. Plus with Witton Station 5 minutes walk, and the M6 etc 5 minutes drive, there's potential there. There are plenty of hotels in areas you wouldn't normally consider, but they get booked up all the time. Especially by corporates booking events. As long as the food and drinks offer is good, and the price is right it will attract people and companies whose employees don't choose where they stay.
I went to a conference organised by the City Council in the Holte Suite a few years ago and there were free mini stadium tours laid on at lunchtime for those interested, it was great!
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
There's plenty of hotels near the airport, plenty of hotels in the City Centre and near the City Centre and plenty of hotels near the motorway network without having to drive through the back streets of Aston.
You may be right, but I wouldn't put my money on it.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
There's plenty of hotels near the airport, plenty of hotels in the City Centre and near the City Centre and plenty of hotels near the motorway network without having to drive through the back streets of Aston.
You may be right, but I wouldn't put my money on it.
All these hotels are being built, they're regularly full, but one more will be too many. How does that work?
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?
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If it's such a good idea, and given how much seemingly semi-derelict land there is around Aston, why hasn't anybody built one already?
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If you are going to regenerate you need to start somewhere
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?
The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants? Yes, that one.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
There's plenty of hotels near the airport, plenty of hotels in the City Centre and near the City Centre and plenty of hotels near the motorway network without having to drive through the back streets of Aston.
You may be right, but I wouldn't put my money on it.
All these hotels are being built, they're regularly full, but one more will be too many. How does that work?
I would just say most are better located than the back streets of Aston Dave. Like I said you may be right but personally I just don't see a Travelodge at Villa Park being a particularly attractive proposoition. And if it's just after the cheap market, then we're hardly talking a goldmine anyway.
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?
The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants? Yes, that one.
Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?
The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants? Yes, that one.
Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?
But the opportunity of a night in Aston will whet the appetite? I know which I'd lean towards.
The point is, if you're picking a hotel near spagetti Junction, do you pick the one with some shops, restaurant and leisure complex nearby or do you pick the one in the back streets of Aston, maybe with a Toby attached to it at best?
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I don't see that Villa Park is any worse a location than most of the places where Premier Inn/Travelodge/Holiday Inn Express have lots of their hotels. I'm fortunate/unfortunate enough to have to stay in these places on a fairly regular basis with work, and most towns and cities across the country have got budget hotels in areas no better than Aston. Indeed, most of the clientele is there on a weekday and don't leave the building after arrival, just using the on-site pub for meals. If anything, the fact it's at a famous location like Villa Park would make it more popular. It's also why they offer the rooms at next to nothing most weekends as they are otherwise empty - again, at least 20 weekends of the year there will be people wanting to stay there that other similar hotels wouldn't attract.
The other thing you notice in these places is they are often filled with contractors working on local building projects. Given Aston and Perry Barr are about to go through a massive regeneration project for the Commonwealth Games, getting a hotel built quickly might well be a priority - there are near enough 3 years of guaranteed bookings right there.
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Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?
Yes I have. No, I'm saying that if you wanted to choose a convenient hotel near to the M6, people would more likely choose one where they'd have a choice of restaurants and some shops to have a nose round a few hundred yards away, than they would in the middle of Aston, which has nothing else going for it whatsoever if you're not a Villa fan.
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Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?
Yes I have. No, I'm saying that if you wanted to choose a convenient hotel near to the M6, people would more likely choose one where they'd have a choice of restaurants and some shops to have a nose round a few hundred yards away, than they would in the middle of Aston, which has nothing else going for it whatsoever if you're not a Villa fan.
I can only echo what Pat has said above. Most time I've used those sort of hotels, having a Primark or WM Smith close by isn't very high on the list of priorities. A free, secure car with easy access to where I have to be next morning is far more important.
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One Stop and Star City cover shops and leisure nearby. Most bookings at a VP hotel would be match day and conferences. As has been said a lot of the time with the conference attendees they will either stay on site or catch taxis/drive to restaurants, town etc. I think it could do ok because with the number of conference rooms and suites VP has it will be be able to do events a lot of Travel Lodges etc can't host.
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I don't see that Villa Park is any worse a location than most of the places where Premier Inn/Travelodge/Holiday Inn Express have lots of their hotels. I'm fortunate/unfortunate enough to have to stay in these places on a fairly regular basis with work, and most towns and cities across the country have got budget hotels in areas no better than Aston. Indeed, most of the clientele is there on a weekday and don't leave the building after arrival, just using the on-site pub for meals. If anything, the fact it's at a famous location like Villa Park would make it more popular. It's also why they offer the rooms at next to nothing most weekends as they are otherwise empty - again, at least 20 weekends of the year there will be people wanting to stay there that other similar hotels wouldn't attract.
The other thing you notice in these places is they are often filled with contractors working on local building projects. Given Aston and Perry Barr are about to go through a massive regeneration project for the Commonwealth Games, getting a hotel built quickly might well be a priority - there are near enough 3 years of guaranteed bookings right there.
Just agreeing for agreeing's sake here in some ways, but a hotel seems to be such an obvious move - close to the M6, close to the city centre, close to an area that'll be undergoing a load of regeneration, ... something along the lines of a Premier Inn/Travelodge/Ibis/... would do just fine, I'd have thought.
The idea that it being by a shopping centre is in any way important, though ... come on. Since when do you go to a hotel in another city and mooch about a random shopping centre because the hotel happens to be there? If there's a couple of takeaways and a Tesco Express-type shop they might get a bit of business, but otherwise having a Primark or whatever is neither here nor there. Particularly cos, if you're traveling to Brum for shopping, you'd most likely be wanting to go to the Bullring anyway.
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I read somewhere that there are more than 80 hotels currently being developed in the West Mids, wouldn't that suggest that there is a lack of hotel rooms currently?
If there is a market for a Travelodge at Castle Vale, I wouldn't rule one out at VP
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I stay in hotels for work too, and would pick a nicer location with somwhere I can stroll to if possibly available. Somewhere like Aston would be right towards the bottom of my list in terms of boxes ticked.
As for weekend matchdays, the game finishes at 5, surely if you're making a weekend of it the City Centre or Edgbaston would be far more appealing?
I kind of get the conference thing, but is that enough to sustain it?
A hotel may or may not work. If it does it seems we're talking very much of the budget variety. Seriously, the rent Travelodge would pay for a budget hotel is not going to make any sort of dent in the finances of a football club. I just can't get excoted about this as an opportunity and suspect there would be better ways to make use of the land.
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I did the Benfica Museum tour, its a fantastic building and very well laid out but Eusabio's shirt aside, its just a bit boring after you've carefully feigned interest in the 100th trophy the Handball team have won.
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How about a love hotel?
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The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.
Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for. There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston. If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre. There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.
Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?
The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants? Yes, that one.
Or the Travelodge at the Maypole, a minute away from the Druids Heath estate but 10 minutes from the M42 junction 3. I work with sub-contractors all the time who get accommodation booked by their companies and local attractions don’t come into it.
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I think that whatever is built needs to incorporate more revenue-driving schemes for pre and post match drinking/eating that the stadium. The few remaining local pubs aren't much of a draw, so get something created that will encourage fans to spend more time and money at the stadium. And staff the bloody thing properly!
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Or the Travel lodge in Perry Barr stuck in between Goals, Halfords, Wickes and Ford garage - where you can actually see into the local council refuse dump from some windows. It has a café below it as they offer nothing but rooms
And it is often sold out
I stop in hotels every week with work and I never stop in city centres, mainly due to parking etc, so I know I would definitely use it - especially if I was a football fan as our ground is so historic
Make it a theme hotel and it could be a real money spinner
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Well, if there's a sound economic case for a hotel in Aston in general or Villa Park in particular, then I'm sure somebody will build one.
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Well I'll trust these two owners to do the right thing a hundred times more than i would trust old Tony Xia.
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Or the Travel lodge in Perry Barr stuck in between Goals, Halfords, Wickes and Ford garage - where you can actually see into the local council refuse dump from some windows. It has a café below it as they offer nothing but rooms
And it is often sold out
I stop in hotels every week with work and I never stop in city centres, mainly due to parking etc, so I know I would definitely use it - especially if I was a football fan as our ground is so historic
Make it a theme hotel and it could be a real money spinner
When you say money spinner, are you expecting Villa to build and run their own hotel or to build a bespoke hotel for someone like Travelodge?
If the former, I'd worry about bookings as there wouldn't be the weight and web presence of a chain hotel brand for those looking for cheap digs for work etc.
If the latter, then Travel Lodge tend to sign 25 year leases so we would just be buying in a 25 year income stream. The rent would be based on the number of rooms, but for an operator like Travel Lodge it is nothing like the game changing amounts that some seem to think.
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It would almost certainly have to be in partnership with a chain, and given the location, it would have to be something at the budget end. Even if it was financially viable, which as I have said I'd have very strong reservations about, I just can't see that it's anything the club would want to get involved with really. As Chris says, you'd have to give somebody a long lease on it, and that would then restrict what you were able to do with the area in future.
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It would almost certainly have to be in partnership with a chain, and given the location, it would have to be something at the budget end. Even if it was financially viable, which as I have said I'd have very strong reservations about, I just can't see that it's anything the club would want to get involved with really. As Chris says, you'd have to give somebody a long lease on it, and that would then restrict what you were able to do with the area in future.
All for an income of, maybe, £150-300 k per annum (at a very rough guess and depending on no of rooms). This assumes the club bears the build costs and leases out the site for 25 years.
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
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On the assumption that there is no intention to move away from the present ground I just wonder what longer term plans the owners could have in mind. If you are going to demolish all the buildings behind the North Stand back to Witton Road then it makes sense to think about redevelopment of the whole site. Even more so if it was possible to acquire all the land and houses on Nelson Road [my dad was born and grew up at number 48 - no blue plaque though :)]
Didn't something similar happen in Herbert's day with the houses that used to be on Witton Lane?.
Then by moving the pitch and stands away from the pinch point of the junction of Witton Lane and Trinity Road to a more central position on the site there will be more space available allowing for a larger capacity stadium. Could this be done piecemeal over time (like Wolves did?) or go for it like Spurs and their White Hart Lane raze it to ground level and start again.
Biggest obstacles would be the enormous costs involved, planning permission and the problem of the transport infrastructure around the area not being up to the task of moving larger crowds of people. Road jams are bad enough already on match days.
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
Before they get ahead of themselves, they might want to find somebody who can advise them on how to send out a plastic membership card inside of 4 months! :)
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Did the Real Madrid tour just a couple of weeks ago and had the same thought - why can't we do this? Admittedly theirs was a trophy-fest from the fifties/sixties until today, but before then it was nothing to what we could boast. While we are at it, something official to recognise Ron Saunders would be very fitting.
Agree totally Des , It’s strange all the time I was doing their tour I was imagining just how much better ours could be 🙏
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Back on the demolition theme. Got this back from the framers today. Took a while to get around to it but worth it I think
(https://i.ibb.co/8BybwHv/C462782-E-AB42-4-F21-A4-E8-6-C6-E2-B5-D24-C6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8BybwHv)
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Back on the demolition theme. Got this back from the framers today. Took a while to get around to it but worth it I think
(https://i.ibb.co/8BybwHv/C462782-E-AB42-4-F21-A4-E8-6-C6-E2-B5-D24-C6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8BybwHv)
Great. What is it?
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Trinity road mosaic remnant
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Trinity road mosaic remnant
What wouldn’t most of us give to see any redevelopment incorporating mosaics and red brickwork done with style and out with corrugated plastic sheeting
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
Before they get ahead of themselves, they might want to find somebody who can advise them on how to send out a plastic membership card inside of 4 months! :)
I would like to comment on this point. However, I pay my taxes in France so I'll hold my peace.
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
Before they get ahead of themselves, they might want to find somebody who can advise them on how to send out a plastic membership card inside of 4 months! :)
I would like to comment on this point. However, I pay my taxes in France so I'll hold my peace.
I’ll gift aid my UK comment tax to you BE. Fill yer boots.
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Interesting times ahead.
Certainly feels like prep work for eventual rebuild of North Stand.
If we do the knock down next summer wonder how long before plans for new North Stand are announced otherwise we'll have years without a decent ticket office/club shop which can be put in a New North stand.
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Do you reckon the owners will dust off the model that Doug had him towering over back in the late '90s??? I saw a picture of it a few weeks ago, remember thinking at the time how great it looked...haha
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
Before they get ahead of themselves, they might want to find somebody who can advise them on how to send out a plastic membership card inside of 4 months! :)
I would like to comment on this point. However, I pay my taxes in France so I'll hold my peace.
I wanted that to say 'piece'.
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Do you reckon the owners will dust off the model that Doug had him towering over back in the late '90s??? I saw a picture of it a few weeks ago, remember thinking at the time how great it looked...haha
we could probably just retrieve the old plans for the Holte End from the filing cabinet, give them a few tweaks.
50k+
Job’s a good’un
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Do you reckon the owners will dust off the model that Doug had him towering over back in the late '90s??? I saw a picture of it a few weeks ago, remember thinking at the time how great it looked...haha
we could probably just retrieve the old plans for the Holte End from the filing cabinet, give them a few tweaks.
50k+
Job’s a good’un
Cash in hand
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Good god, suggesting dusting off anything Ellis came up with is a guaranteed cheap shoddy job with numerous cut corners and a lifecycle shorter than a mayfly.
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Good god, suggesting dusting off anything Ellis came up with is a guaranteed cheap shoddy job with numerous cut corners and a lifecycle shorter than a mayfly.
How dare you. The bicycle kick is still going strong.
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I am in awe of the number of experts on the travel/hotel industry we have as Villa fans. I am sure that our billionaire owners will be consulting many of them in the near future.
😇
Before they get ahead of themselves, they might want to find somebody who can advise them on how to send out a plastic membership card inside of 4 months! :)
I would like to comment on this point. However, I pay my taxes in France so I'll hold my peace.
Hey it’s non political so fire away , let’s hear your peace / piece .
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Trinity road mosaic remnant
Nice
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I'll bet I played indoor cricket against you.
Who did you play for?
Some strangely named sides down there if I remember.
ITS. Integrated Tanker Services.