Witton Lane or Doug Ellis?

[brian green]

Chris Is the Tom Dollery Stand still called the Tom Dollery Stand?

As for the Witton Stand my first visit to Villa Park was to see the bomb damage.   I wonder if the Luftwaffe were really aiming for it.   Schweinhunds.

The bank at the Witton End is a much neglected topic.   When there was a full house we used to scramble up the ashes to the crest of the mound and by pushing those in front down the slope on the pitch side you could make room for yourself to get a view.   Trouble was when the compressed mass of fans heaved backwards, those of us on the top used to go arse over tip all the way back to the bottom.   It was sort of egg shaped so the cascades of humanity would come tumbling all down the sides as well.

[Chris Smith]

Brian, I believe it us now the William Ansell Stand.

One of my regrets is never standing on the Witton End, if memory serves there was a shack on top shaped like a football.

[brian green]

It started out as an orange to facilitate the sales of Mason's Jaffarade but the smoke from the trains soon made it football coloured.

That was a very busy train line at the back of the Witton mound.   If it had occurred to me or any of the other numbskulls I used to hang out with we could have had what these days would be called a multi recreational experience for our tanner admission and collected some train numbers.   When Man U supporters used do their party piece and throw glass bottles onto the heads of the crowd below we would get lumps of stone from the railway lines and use them to return fire.

[Ads]

It should be called The “Run for your lives! Its gone 85 minutes!” Stand.

[The Moose]

Never knew there were trains running at the back of the Witton End!! Are you sure? When did that stop?

[Louzie0]

A few years ago my dad invited me to join him for a villa game. He began watching the villa when he was about 8 or 9, during the 1930's.

Anyway, he had a season ticket and the one next to him was going so I took it.  We went into the Doug Ellis Stand.  I remember because it was the first time dad invited me and that was how he described where we were sitting.  With a lot of laughing at the name!

I think there are quite a few old supporters who really don't give a proverbial what it's called.  They just want to have a ticket to see the match.

Just for preference, though, I would rather see the 'Witton Lane' or 'Gordon / Sid Cowans'  stand! 

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Witton Lane. More banter with the away fans .......

[KevinGage]

Didn't like it at the time, but -whichever way you want to cut it-  he was a vital figure in our history for the best part of 40 years.

And, if I'm honest a (very) small part of me actually admires the sheer brass neck of the old coot. An utterly shameless thing to do, considering the many other contenders a club like ours would have for such an honour.   But it sums him up quite well, I think.  Unpopular and done on the cheap. The bottom line rather than the aesthetic quality (quality of any kind some might say) or history of the club was the main motivating factor.  Hence asbestos, cramped seats, in house builders and all the rest of it.

I can see the de-Stalinisation logic behind such a move, but to change it now would be a snub to a frail old man in his final years - and yes, a Villa man too.  Re-name it when we bulldoze it.  I'd like to see it developed as part of an overall restructuring involving the North Stand at some point - though I accept we might be a while off that based on recent events. And attendances.

[Ad@m]

To be fair, Doug stepped aside at just the right time to allow us our major triumph.  That we do have to thank him for!

[TimTheVillain]

It should be called The “Run for your lives! Its gone 85 minutes!” Stand.

Ha, very true.

Ditto the rest of the stadium....

I don't give a shit what the stands called anymore, who really cares ?

[MarkM]

Witton Lane

I challenged Doug on it at one of the AGM's when the Trinity was being redone.

I asked what it was to be called and would the board be giving Doug another 'surprise!' and call the Trinity Road Stand the Doug Ellis West

[saunders_heroes]

It'll always be the Witton Lane stand to me, but I wouldn't change it back now because it would seen as an insult to Doug Ellis, and as a club we shouldn't lower ourselves to be so offensive to a decent man.

[Californian Villain]

If the name of the stand had been changed as a memorial to Doug, I don't think I'd have a problem with it, but the fact he did it himself while in office will always be a reminder of the size of his ego.

[lordmcgrath5]

If the name of the stand had been changed as a memorial to Doug, I don't think I'd have a problem with it, but the fact he did it himself while in office will always be a reminder of the size of his ego.

Yep, that's the point.

[Astral Weeks]

Witton Lane. Always.