Villa Park stadium tour

[dave.woodhall]

The museum and trophy room are real no brainers for a club like Villa.  The thing is, I'm sure getting such things done would also inspire players to add their bit to the Club's history.  (The addition of the Clubs's achievements in the tunnel area is brilliant and I hope this motivates the players in the same way.)

What the club needs to do is have a look around Europe at how other clubs do this and then go and make Villa's the best of the lot: have a section on the "Birthplace of League Football", McGregor, Ramsay, Rinder and so on; have another area that focuses on the Billy Walker, Eric Houghton, Pongo Waring eras including a big part about the Nazi salute story and so on. There's plenty to cover before we get to the trophies.

And we'd get, if we were lucky, a few more visitors than Wolves do.

[Billy Walker]

The museum and trophy room are real no brainers for a club like Villa.  The thing is, I'm sure getting such things done would also inspire players to add their bit to the Club's history.  (The addition of the Clubs's achievements in the tunnel area is brilliant and I hope this motivates the players in the same way.)

What the club needs to do is have a look around Europe at how other clubs do this and then go and make Villa's the best of the lot: have a section on the "Birthplace of League Football", McGregor, Ramsay, Rinder and so on; have another area that focuses on the Billy Walker, Eric Houghton, Pongo Waring eras including a big part about the Nazi salute story and so on. There's plenty to cover before we get to the trophies.

And we'd get, if we were lucky, a few more visitors than Wolves do.

It's value wouldn't solely have to be realized through visitor numbers, it could be used as part of corporate hospitality, club PR and so on.  At the end of the day it's symbolic and would capture the soul and essence of the club.   

As others have said, I think the building of a museum/trophy room  relies now on the vision of the next custodian of Villa; a bit of ambition and decent marketing would get people into Villa Park.  If the North Stand is rebuilt as some kind of state of the art entertainment hub for the local area (I know, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here) then the club might find itself hosting new types of visitors and customers willing to take a look around the ground.

[ez]

I went on a tour once. I can't remember when but it was quite a few years ago but strangely i do remember there being a museum although there was not a lot in it.

[SoccerHQ]

I can fully understand why the club won't build a musuem.

Still after all these years not having a single exisiting room in the stadium dedicated to all our trophy wins for people on the ground tour to admire is pretty mind boggling I have to say.

[luke95]

The Holte pub would make a fantastic museum

[aj2k77]

Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.

[dave.woodhall]

Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.

And unused.

[DeKuip]

The problem with football club museums is that although a lot of fans will visit and enjoy it, very few will return for a second time. So keeping visitor numbers up after the initial interest is difficult.

Barcelona and Ajax benefit from being in ciities that attract a huge number of tourists, rather than having to rely mainly on their own fans visiting their museums.

[eamonn]

Imagine a museum and at various points there are stop offs to watch videos made to the quality of the one for our 140th anniversary, even the Benjamin Zephaniah one. These were spine tingling. Watching a few detailing what makes us special, and special matches and scenes, god that would be brilliant.

And unused.

If the museum was also incorporated into the tour, with pics of a replica European Cup (get your photo taken with it) etc. plastered all over the marketing blurb, it might work.

[pauliewalnuts]

I can fully understand why the club won't build a musuem.

Still after all these years not having a single exisiting room in the stadium dedicated to all our trophy wins for people on the ground tour to admire is pretty mind boggling I have to say.

Spot on

The lack of even a trophy room is inexcusable.

[Chris Jameson]

Thinking of taking my son on the stadium tour, the website states 10.30am as the time of the tour. Anybody know whether that is the time it opens and you can go round at your own leisure or it is just a 10.30 am time slot only? Going to have to get up before he goes top bed to make it down in time otherwise!

[peter w]

I think from memory there was more than one tour per day but they were rigid times. The tour is excellent mind you. i'm sure we went later in the day but could be wrong. maybe about midday, 1 ish?

[Chico Hamilton III]

.... Anybody know whether that is the time it opens and you can go round at your own leisure or it is just a 10.30 am time slot only?... .

It's a guided tour Chris. Well worth your early start though   

[N'ZMAV]

The tours are ace

[Chris Jameson]

Thanks all!