What is the future of Villa Park?

[DB]

Looks as though Wulvz are turning the custard bowl into something of similar size, I was quite surprised by the size of their new stand.

It'll look daft when they're entertaining Hull in front of 12,000 though.

I read yesterday that Wolves aren't actually doing the top level yet. They've stopped work on it and are going to wait till they need it.

They're finishing the upper tier, it's the continuation of the stand around the Steve Bull side of the ground that's been put on hold

The roof of the new stand has been delayed due to recent high-winds.

I heard it was because their steel supplier had gone bust.  Not sure I buy the 'high winds' story - we've hardly had a hurricane recently.

This was a couple of weeks back when they couldn't get the materials delivered. Either way, they won't be needing the top tier once they drop into the C-ship.

[SoccerHQ]

Wolves have traditionally had good support though...they regularly got 20k + in the championship a few years ago.

Better than WBA and SHA anyway.

[dave.woodhall]

Wolves have traditionally had good support though...they regularly got 20k + in the championship a few years ago.

Better than WBA and SHA anyway.

And in division three?

[Rico]

If Spuds get a new ground then how many clubs will actually have a bigger capacity than VP? Man Ure, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelski, Sunderland, Man City, Tottenham. That would give us the 9th biggest ground where once upon a time it was in the top five. My point is that if we begin to be perceived as a small club then eventually we will become a small club. Come on Villa! Think big and we may start acting like a big club again. Redevelop the north stand. Make it a replica of the Holte. Add executive boxes if you must, but lets start acting like a big club again!

[MarkM]

If Spuds get a new ground then how many clubs will actually have a bigger capacity than VP? Man Ure, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelski, Sunderland, Man City, Tottenham. That would give us the 9th biggest ground where once upon a time it was in the top five. My point is that if we begin to be perceived as a small club then eventually we will become a small club. Come on Villa! Think big and we may start acting like a big club again. Redevelop the north stand. Make it a replica of the Holte. Add executive boxes if you must, but lets start acting like a big club again!

Nice sentiment, but if they don't have the money for players, they are not going to spend it on a new stand that at the current levels we could not fill.

Although I am not in favour of this perhaps its time to look at ground sponsorship, if that is the only way we can get some transfer funds?

[Rico]

like I say think small, act small. Think big act big. Build it and if necessary make it cheap, I mean very cheap to get in. Fill the ground. Get it rocking. Get the whole bloody club going forward. What's our motto again? Prepared! Let's get prepared for success and then the success on the field will follow.

[MarkM]

like I say think small, act small. Think big act big. Build it and if necessary make it cheap, I mean very cheap to get in. Fill the ground. Get it rocking. Get the whole bloody club going forward. What's our motto again? Prepared! Let's get prepared for success and then the success on the field will follow.

Will it???

I have worked with many production directors who say things like "We can build this, someone will buy it" when in reality if the product is poor or not what the buyers want they wont buy it.

I doubt we could regulary fill a 50k stadium even if we lowered the prices. Just look at the empty seats when we cut prices now! I bet my life that we will not sell out tonight even though the club are offering tickets at cut price levels.

If we are going to spend money then spend it on the team not on the stadium [Investment in the stadium can come later if we are successful on the pitch]

Although PLEASE PUT THE BLOODY VIDEO SCREEN BACK ON THE NORTH STAND

[Billy Walker]

like I say think small, act small. Think big act big. Build it and if necessary make it cheap, I mean very cheap to get in. Fill the ground. Get it rocking. Get the whole bloody club going forward. What's our motto again? Prepared! Let's get prepared for success and then the success on the field will follow.

Will it???

I have worked with many production directors who say things like "We can build this, someone will buy it" when in reality if the product is poor or not what the buyers want they wont buy it.

I doubt we could regulary fill a 50k stadium even if we lowered the prices. Just look at the empty seats when we cut prices now! I bet my life that we will not sell out tonight even though the club are offering tickets at cut price levels.

If we are going to spend money then spend it on the team not on the stadium [Investment in the stadium can come later if we are successful on the pitch]

Although PLEASE PUT THE BLOODY VIDEO SCREEN BACK ON THE NORTH STAND

I think its better to tie the two things together and build a plan that involves both - i.e. build the team and stand as part of one whole ambitious plan of forward thinking.

The article on Spurs' redevelopment is interesting for me because their building a new stadium is seen as a case of community regeneration. Thus, Spurs have been able to get funds from quite a few sources towards the rebuild.  Is there no way we can do this at Villa?  We are sitting back, resting on our laurels and allowing other clubs to overtake us in terms of squad building and revenue generation.    We need to get Birmingham City Council, Genting, our new kit manufacturers, Acorns - all our stakeholders on board - to see this project through.

Compared to what Spurs are doing, our new stand is a very small project.  Compared to what Liverpool, Everton and one or two other clubs need to do, it is a very small project.  Why allow our rivals to show ambition and forge ahead when we are in the fortunate position of being able to match their  stadium growth at a fraction of the cost?

[MarkM]

like I say think small, act small. Think big act big. Build it and if necessary make it cheap, I mean very cheap to get in. Fill the ground. Get it rocking. Get the whole bloody club going forward. What's our motto again? Prepared! Let's get prepared for success and then the success on the field will follow.

Will it???

I have worked with many production directors who say things like "We can build this, someone will buy it" when in reality if the product is poor or not what the buyers want they wont buy it.

I doubt we could regulary fill a 50k stadium even if we lowered the prices. Just look at the empty seats when we cut prices now! I bet my life that we will not sell out tonight even though the club are offering tickets at cut price levels.

If we are going to spend money then spend it on the team not on the stadium [Investment in the stadium can come later if we are successful on the pitch]

Although PLEASE PUT THE BLOODY VIDEO SCREEN BACK ON THE NORTH STAND

I think its better to tie the two things together and build a plan that involves both - i.e. build the team and stand as part of one whole ambitious plan of forward thinking.

The article on Spurs' redevelopment is interesting for me because their building a new stadium is seen as a case of community regeneration. Thus, Spurs have been able to get funds from quite a few sources towards the rebuild.  Is there no way we can do this at Villa?  We are sitting back, resting on our laurels and allowing other clubs to overtake us in terms of squad building and revenue generation.    We need to get Birmingham City Council, Genting, our new kit manufacturers, Acorns - all our stakeholders on board - to see this project through.

Compared to what Spurs are doing, our new stand is a very small project.  Compared to what Liverpool, Everton and one or two other clubs need to do, it is a very small project.  Why allow our rivals to show ambition and forge ahead when we are in the fortunate position of being able to match their  stadium growth at a fraction of the cost?

It goes back to the question

"Do we need the stadium to be expanded?"

If we spent money on the stadium expansion and not on the team we could end up with the largest and best stadium in the Championship.

The way things are at present funds are not there for both projects [team and stadium] they are barely there for the team.

I agree that we need a joined up approach, but our recent history tells us that we don't have the massive support base that would fill out a 50k Villa Park on a regular basis.

The "If you build it they will come" strategy does not always work, if the product on show is not good enough they simply will not come.

Team first
Stadium expansion second

[Rico]

Like I say, we're being left behind and if all the teams who are perceived as similar in size to us are leaping ahead of us in terms of ambition on and off the pitch then we need to follow suit pretty damn quickly or risk being left behind. The media already perceive us as a small club. Listen to any nationa radio football show and apart from Stan Collymore we are seen as a bit of an upstart club, living in the past.

[Billy Walker]

The "If you build it they will come" strategy does not always work, if the product on show is not good enough they simply will not come.

Absolutely.  Which is where we find ourselves now.  Looking at Spurs and their past history would they be able to guarantee that they could fill out a sixty thousand seater stadium?  At the moment times are good for them, but looking at their past history this will not necessary always be the case.  This is a huge gamble for them, despite what they say about season ticket waiting lists and so on.

In terms of financing team building and the North Stand replacement I do think both can be achieved together with effective planning.  We can build a young, dynamic side (which won't necessarily cost multi-millions) whilst, in stages, knocking down and rebuilding at the Witton end of the ground over two/three years.   Even if we can't fill the stadium initially, I am sure the club could make money by using it for concerts and corporate affairs. 

Birmingham needs a truly international class stadium as part of its infrastructure, at the moment we have not got one whereas it looks as if North London alone will have three!  It just does not add up.  It's not just Villa that needs a revamped Villa Park it is the people of Birmingham as a whole.

[Rico]

Totally agree. Birmingham needs a top class stadium. It used to VP but not anymore. Don't get me wrong it's still a nice stadium, but not iconic. That's partly down to the piecemeal way it's been developed, and if you think back to the old VP it at least had some fantastic character, i.e the old Trinity Road stand, the massive Holte End and the AV flood lights. Now it's just a mish mash of stands. At least redeveloping the North Stand as a mirror image of the Holte End would add some symmetry.

[dave.woodhall]

If Birmingham needs a top-class stadium let Birmingham build it.

[pauliewalnuts]

Totally agree. Birmingham needs a top class stadium. It used to VP but not anymore. Don't get me wrong it's still a nice stadium, but not iconic. That's partly down to the piecemeal way it's been developed, and if you think back to the old VP it at least had some fantastic character, i.e the old Trinity Road stand, the massive Holte End and the AV flood lights. Now it's just a mish mash of stands. At least redeveloping the North Stand as a mirror image of the Holte End would add some symmetry.

Shame on you!

Villa Park has more character and history about it than 99% of football grounds in this country.

[Brend'Watkins]

Totally agree. Birmingham needs a top class stadium. It used to VP but not anymore. Don't get me wrong it's still a nice stadium, but not iconic. That's partly down to the piecemeal way it's been developed, and if you think back to the old VP it at least had some fantastic character, i.e the old Trinity Road stand, the massive Holte End and the AV flood lights. Now it's just a mish mash of stands. At least redeveloping the North Stand as a mirror image of the Holte End would add some symmetry.

Shame on you!

Villa Park has more character and history about it than 99% of football grounds in this country.

Absolutely right.  Why is symmetry so fundamentally important where football grounds are concerned?