Rename Villa Park??

[Villafirst]

Great Ellis Park?

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

No way, I'm a traditionalist. What makes Aston Villa FC unique is the touch of class that radiates from it.

Yeh that's great and all - but, I'm sure Man City fans will get over selling the name of the stadium when they've secured a few more trophies over the next 5 years...

Whereas we'll have our traditional name, do everything by the book - writing letters to ask to speak to managers/players etc. and remain 7th-10th.

Good that...

...and of course, by selling the name of the stand, it'll mean we win the league and then the champions league will surely follow...

[Concrete John]

People say they would still call it Villa Park, but how many still refer to the Witton Lane stand as such rather than the Doug Ellis stand?

I do as a point of principle.

[pedro25]

At least we would still be playing in the same ground, unlike Arsenal moving to a new stadium entirely.  Moving location I would find harder to accept, you just can't beat approaching Villa Park, past the Church or the Hall or the park.

[Rico]

I would love it if we ended up as thẹ only premier club without a shirt/stadium sponsor. I think that would show a certain sense of style! (i know we'd lose out financially before anyone comments.)

[pauliewalnuts]

The reason why we'd get very little if we tried to sell our naming rights is because it is not a new stadium.

New stadia do not have names which have been around for over a century - like Villa Park - and as such are likely to get widely called by their sponsored name

Sponsor somewhere like Villa Park or Goodison or Old Trafford, and nobody would use the new name, thereby rendering it less attractive. Case in point - isn't St James' Park called "sportsdirecttattyshellsuits.com@st james park these days?

[TheSandman]

The money would be nice but I just don't like the idea. It's Villa Park and it always should be Villa Park.

I think City fans might be a bit more unhappy about it if it was Maine Road rather than the new built Council House they currently play in.

[paul_e]

I have no problem with selling the naming rights in a "genting stadium/arena @ villa park" style arrangement.  I'd also happliy sell the naming rights to the doug ellis and the north stand and I'd negotiate on the trinity as well.  The Holte End is the 1 you really shouldn't mess about with.

We need to embrace the commercial aspects of the sport better than we do, it's all well and good wanting to be traditional and wanting to keep our heritage but we have to work in the real world.  Football is a big commercial machine, if we try to hold back from that we're just putting ourselves at a disadvantage compared to everyone else.

[Mark H]

Sell your soul once and your dammed for an iternity

[villa_oldie]

No way, I'm a traditionalist. What makes Aston Villa FC unique is the touch of class that radiates from it.

Yeh that's great and all - but, I'm sure Man City fans will get over selling the name of the stadium when they've secured a few more trophies over the next 5 years...

Whereas we'll have our traditional name, do everything by the book - writing letters to ask to speak to managers/players etc. and remain 7th-10th.

Good that...

...and of course, by selling the name of the stand, it'll mean we win the league and then the champions league will surely follow...

Nope, not necessarily at all - but it'd give you a bit better chance - don't you think?

ie. If not for Mr Lerners millions in his tenurship thus far, we would have been up shit creek a few years ago, and probably doing well to compete with the likes of Forest.

You can like it or lump it - there's no soul, tradition, or loyalty in football anymore. If you think there is, you're wrong and you had better get over that sad fact - and fast. Otherwise be vastly disappointed.
A club in this century will get nowhere without the almighty £ / Euro / Dollar, or whatever currency they use in the oil rich middle east.

The only way a bit of sanity will come back into football, is when the bottom falls out of it - which doesn't look like it's too far around the corner.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Great Ellis Park?

Ellis Island?

[Toronto Villa]

Wouldn't bother me at all. It's Villa Park to us, and always will be. If Genting want to stick their name on the outside and give us £100 million to invest in our future all the better.

[Salsa Party Animal]

So do Ethan Airways is owned by same family who own Man City ?

Why else spend silly money on sponsorship or naming right.

[Rick_avfc]

Wouldn't bother me at all. It's Villa Park to us, and always will be. If Genting want to stick their name on the outside and give us £100 million to invest in our future all the better.

I agree.  To me, it will always be known as Villa Park and the added investment surely is a good thing for the club?

[Lambert and Payne]

Be like selling my soul. Cringe at the thought of hearing a commentator saying crossing over to the go (enter business name here) stadium
Its Villa park, its traditional, its classy, its home.