The Vetch and the Dell were totally shote though and Hillsborough is a state these days too.
I don’t think we’re looking to turn Villa Park into a shithole.
Agreeing with Nev, I hope when it’s done, it’s done with some originality and a nod to our past, rather than starting to turn it into another bowl that looks like all the others.
As for Hillsborough, I’ve been in the Leppings before and after April 1989. It should have been bulldozed once the enquiries had finished. The visit in August 2016 for the first game of the season confirmed that the upper deck of that stand is still dangerous and I’ve no doubt is exactly the same as we speak.
I was astonished at how neglected Hillsborough has been. To think that back in the day it was a standard FA Cup semi final venue as one of the best grounds in the land and now look at it.
Of course the point of my post was to drag facilities back 30 years and put fans at risk rather than a longing for original and individual design features.
I loved The Dell, classic Archie Leitch pragmatism, building stands around any external obstacles and leaving some strange looking terraces. He did the same at the old Den - managed to create a wonky looking gem out of an area surrounded from all sides by railway lines. For what it’s worth, I don’t think any major development is required at Villa Park, except maybe more pubs in the vicinity. But then I’m a “legacy fan”, as clubs like to refer to anyone who doesn’t blindly buy into whatever the latest soccer fad is
Hillsborough is what Villa Park could well have become if we'd ended up staying down the divisions for 20 years as they have. With vastly reduced income trying to keep a big ground in top condition and with the times is difficult. It will be even harder still now.
Hillsborough hasn't changed in 25 years...
Ellend Road is also a tip as is Old Trafford.
We could build over the road in the same way we did with the Trinity.
That's what I said in my post but its notoriously difficult to purchase land earmarked as a public space and even if we could the lie of the land in Aston Park would give us even more problems. It's not impossible but it's challenging.
we could maybe just lease what we need, instead of buying it.
Hillsborough hasn't changed in 25 years...
Ellend Road is also a tip as is Old Trafford.
That’s another thing Man U fans are pissed off about and I don’t blame them. They’ve watched clubs around them significantly upgrade their stadiums or get new ones and theirs has in large part stayed still. For all of their immense revenue they talk a big game but still don’t compete at the very top end of the market. They might this summer after all the ESL talk to placate the fans, but give it a year or two and they current owners will go back to what they have been doing.
Next year would have been the Trinity’s 100th anniversary. “The St Pancras of football”, according to Inglis.
I don't know much about the history of Porto's Estádio do Dragão, but from looking at a few photos, it looks like it has transitioned from four separate stands to having 'filled in the corners' in a best-of-both-worlds way.
I still think we should move the pitch 50 yards towards Witton.
But then we're talking a brand new stadium.
Basically, yeah. We're hamstrung by the current location, can't do much besides frippery with three sides as it is, the only room for real capacity increase is a big stand where the North sits now, and I get the sense there'd not be much love for something that might outshine The Holte.
Leaving the Trinity and Holte where they are and doing what we can to replace the North (without overshadowing the Holte) and improve the DE you're looking at 50-55k, shift the pitch a little and you could possible add another 5k to that but the cost would be insane, we'd need a temporary ground for a year or 2 and nothing that is there would survive.
Is it really
that bad a thing if the North Stand overshadows the Holte End? Doesn't look like Leitch or Rinder particularly paid more attention to one than the other ...
I reckon just build the biggest, most impressive stand we can on each of the four sides. We want other sides to come to Villa Park and be wowed. Four stands, any one of which would be the most impressive stand at 99% of the clubs that visit. Let them know their place.
I don't know much about the history of Porto's Estádio do Dragão, but from looking at a few photos, it looks like it has transitioned from four separate stands to having 'filled in the corners' in a best-of-both-worlds way.
It was purpose built for Euro 2004. It hasn’t been redeveloped. I saw a game at their previous ground - the pitch had been lowered to extend the lowest tier over the running track.
My heart wants the Holte to always be the key stand at VP. But if they were to build a 'Dortmund Wall' in place of the North Stand it would be hard to argue that it could be great. Although I think any new stand will have tiers to allow corporate boxes.
I don't know much about the history of Porto's Estádio do Dragão, but from looking at a few photos, it looks like it has transitioned from four separate stands to having 'filled in the corners' in a best-of-both-worlds way.
It was purpose built for Euro 2004. It hasn’t been redeveloped. I saw a game at their previous ground - the pitch had been lowered to extend the lowest tier over the running track.
Yes, just looked at its Wiki page. I was talking bollocks again.