The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

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I doubt we'd move stadiums, but I think we'd be able to stick 10k on our attendance if we had a new ground in the city centre...

[robbo1874]

I agree. Accessibility is a major factor in increasing attendances (together with success, naturally). Not sure where any appropriate sites closer to the city than we already are would be though Ads, not knowing the city so well other than the Centre and Aston, so well.

I think one of the reasons Newcaastle get such good crowds, other than being a one team city, is largely to do with the proximity of SJP to the city centre. It's literally walking distance.

[VILLA MOLE]

I agree. Accessibility is a major factor in increasing attendances (together with success, naturally). Not sure where any appropriate sites closer to the city than we already are would be though Ads, not knowing the city so well other than the Centre and Aston, so well.

I think one of the reasons Newcaastle get such good crowds, other than being a one team city, is largely to do with the proximity of SJP to the city centre. It's literally walking distance.

those lazy geordies

[chrisw1]

Modern football is crap.   If he moved VP then that would be the end of it. 

Yeah, because Arsenal, Man City, Leicester, Stoke, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea, Brighton & Middlesborough have all imploded since they moved grounds?  I suspect West Ham will hate being able to accommodate 40-50k people too.

I love Villa Park and all the history it entails and we're lucky that we probably don't need to move.  But if we had to move it would not be the end of it.  There is more to a club than the plot of ground it sits upon.

[FrankyH]

Tony has clearly seen the potential of the North Stand and car park for development.  Doug wanted a combined new stand, hotel, casino and leisure centre on the site with basement parking.  It could work well but needed better access to and from the motorway.  Randy Lerner was no kind of property developer, no kind of businessman in all truth but Tony Xia seems to be much more aware of land use opportunities. As I posted a while back, while the city is so cash strapped, I would offer a large cash sum and a participation share for a strip of Aston Park for an access road to the HP roundabout.

I remember seeing a picture of the plans in the Evening Mail in the 80's -a Hotel bolted on the side of the North Stand.If that had been built I think it would look dated now.

[robbo1874]

I agree. Accessibility is a major factor in increasing attendances (together with success, naturally). Not sure where any appropriate sites closer to the city than we already are would be though Ads, not knowing the city so well other than the Centre and Aston, so well.

I think one of the reasons Newcaastle get such good crowds, other than being a one team city, is largely to do with the proximity of SJP to the city centre. It's literally walking distance.

those lazy geordies

you forgot fat.

[Edvard Remberg]

I doubt very much we would move location, but I wouldn't rule out some kind of stadium re-development under the new owner. Its hard to think of a better location than the current one in terms of accessibility- two train stations nearby, close to the M6 and the Expressway and local bus routes. Plus not a massive cab ride from New St either. They could possibly improve the parking situation with a bit of money and some creative thinking. That would probably be a requirement of any ground expansion on the current site.

Personally I'd like us to retain the Trinity and Holte End, but wouldn't be too bothered if the North Stand and Witton Lane Stand were re-developed. If they want to chuck in a hotel, casino and underground parking - great. I'd even be comfortable with a name change like Lotus Villa Park as long as VP was included in the new name.

Villa always has been and always will be a forward thinking club hopefully.

Main priority has to be overhauling the squad though. Clear out the shit and bring a few well researched fresh faces in. Consolidate this season and either get promotion this season, or next. This guy seems like he wants to see progress and quickly. I'm all for that, but would prefer to see us start delivering on the pitch before we tackle anything else, such as ground re-development.

That is exactly what he said - first get the club more solid.

Question:"@Dr_TonyXia any news on North stand being knocked down and newly replaced been long time coming #utv"
Answer:"We have bigger plan but waiting after we settle the squad and club in good shape as priority now"

A bigger plan does not equal moving location. It means they think more than knocking down and rebuilding North Stand

[Risso]

It wouldn't be the end of the world if we moved to a new ground. Not that I can see it happening.

[paul_e]

It wouldn't be the end of the world if we moved to a new ground. Not that I can see it happening.

If we get to the level the doc wants and become CL regulars I think it might actually become a requirement.  I love Villa Park but with the park and the roads it's pretty much at the top end of what we can get in terms of capacity (a new north stand might add 3-4000) and a 70-80k stadium is the norm at that level.

[sid1964]

With the current road works that are going in on the motorway etc... trying to get to and from Villa Park will be interesting in the first few months of the season.

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For us living up north its going to be a nightmare!

[Villa in Denmark]

What did he know about Sheik Mansoor or Ablamovich before they came to England? Maybe Chelsea should have stuck with Ken Bates for example. They are all gambles initially until over time they reveal themselves to be good or bad deals.

I think with those two you could quickly work out where the money came from and whilst you can argue about the specifics about "how much?" it was almost immediatetly obvious that the answer was "several billion"

There's not that clarity with Xia.  Not necessarily a reason to shit ourselves, but given the protracted nature of Lerner's exit it's understandable that people look for certainty that things will be getting better and an indication that Xia's wealthy enough to just throw cash at it if necessary would assuage some people's doubts. The oppacity of his finances on the other hand increases thoses doubts.

[Toronto Villa]

If someone told us today that we were going to get an owner who would invest the better part of £300m in players we would all bite their hands and arms off. However they cover would have to cover up the fine print that it comes with relegation at the end of it. The point is investment is all well and good. It's what you do with it that matters.

Lots of clubs have owners who are less wealthy than Randy (now let alone circa 2006), and have their clubs in a better position. I'd rather see what Xia does and the structure he puts in place than speculate on a bank balance none of us actually know about.

[AV82EC]

For us living up north its going to be a nightmare!

I've tried to put it to the back of my mind. I'm thinking Toll Road then A38 but not sure if that's going to help. Might be best just getting on the train at Lichfield TV and avoiding the hassle.

[Ads]

For us living up north its going to be a nightmare!

I've tried to put it to the back of my mind. I'm thinking Toll Road then A38 but not sure if that's going to help. Might be best just getting on the train at Lichfield TV and avoiding the hassle.

I've done that a few times, as you can give it a bit of welly down the Toll and for a good part of the A38.

Traffic wasn't too bad for me, so I suppose the bit where you'd touch the Aston Expressway might be quieter if there's no M6 traffic coming onto it.

Another option is to get off a J8 and then J1 of the M5. Make sure you hold your nose as you go by the Albion and then head in down the Soho Road.