The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Clampy]

The problem for me is VP oozes character and tradition, where as the modern stadia seem like soul-less, cookie-cutter places. Villa Park is part of our identity and is a footballing monument recognized the world over. Maybe future generations will feel less of a connection to VP and it's aura may diminish, who knows ? I would hate to think we lose this part of our history because the owner is motivated purely by money (we've already had one of those types before).

No it doesnt. The character and tradition went when first the Witton Lane Stand and then The Trinity Road Stand were lost. The oldest stand
is the North Stand and that is outdated in the 21st century. The days of standing have also gone and so has the unique atmosphere we had.
It is just another football ground  better than the lego one's granted but nothing special.

It's still a fantastic ground, and yes it does ooze character, maybe not for you but for a lot of people it still does.

[The Edge]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

[dave.woodhall]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

[SashasGrandad]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

[four fornicholl]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

What year did the nearest row go?

[VILLA MOLE]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

What year did the nearest row go?

I think Liverpool did something similar with Anfield. Bought houses up bit by bit over years  , but left them to ruin which brought problems to the existing  residents and a lot of resentment

[four fornicholl]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

What year did the nearest row go?

I think Liverpool did something similar with Anfield. Bought houses up bit by bit over years  , but left them to ruin which brought problems to the existing  residents and a lot of resentment

Were they not bought by compulsory purchase for the dd stand? Don't know how it works mind.

[Villa in Denmark]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

What year did the nearest row go?

I think Liverpool did something similar with Anfield. Bought houses up bit by bit over years  , but left them to ruin which brought problems to the existing  residents and a lot of resentment

Not just resentment.  Outright anger and all sorts of claims of underhand dealings to try and force the last few residents out.

[paul_e]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

Even if you did that the biggest problem is still the park, we've pushed that as far as we can with the current trinity stand so any expansion would have to be the other way but we'd still be limited to 60-65k because we have a corner of the ground that we can't do anything with.

[walsall villain]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

I imagine his big plan would be to have a premier league ground next to a vibrant mall and hotel(s). A bit like outside Wembley? I can't see that happening in B6 to be honest.

[dave.woodhall]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

Given that it took Liverpool about ten years to move two sisters it would have been highly impractical. This is the sort of thing we'd have to do and I would hate us to resort to such tactics.  https://www.theguardian.com/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2013/may/06/anfield-liverpool-david-conn

Peoples' lives are a lot more important than football.

[four fornicholl]

The club should never have sold off the Serpentine car park - and they should have bought up all the old housing between witton lane and the railway. Eventually clearing it and flattening it. Rebuild Witton Lane stand to match the Trinity, rebuild North stand. Use the land for car park and walkway to stations.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

Have you any idea how many houses there are, what they would have cost and how they would have persuaded several thousand people to move home?

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

Given that it took Liverpool about ten years to move two sisters it would have been highly impractical. This is the sort of thing we'd have to do and I would hate us to resort to such tactics.  https://www.theguardian.com/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2013/may/06/anfield-liverpool-david-conn

Peoples' lives are a lot more important than football.

What about the compulsory purchases on witton lane Dave,dont remember much about it for some reason? Any chance of a refresher, cheers.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't think there were compulsory purchases - if there were, not many houses were left occupied on Witton Lane itself and for obvious reasons they were probably glad to move. It's a different matter in the roads behind.

[Ads]

I think it would be cheaper to build it off Constitution Hill. Quite a lot of factory units around there and not all of them occupied. Be something quite impressive to get off at Snow Hill, step out to go round the corner and have an elevated view of some massive 70k seater beast.

A big single tiered Holte End hold 20,000. Magic.


Plus the Clifton could be our home pub.

[SashasGrandad]

There was a time when those houses were very cheap. It could have been achieved over time - on road at a time. Working with the council (I know that's been difficult/impossible) and building new homes elsewhere it could be done.

Maybe Dr Xia's big plan?

I imagine his big plan would be to have a premier league ground next to a vibrant mall and hotel(s). A bit like outside Wembley? I can't see that happening in B6 to be honest.

If they want that we will be moved to the NEC area - that's what worried me when we were sponsored by those betting companies. I would hate us to be moved to Solihull - it would have to fumigated and purged of the unwashed.

Stay and we have to find more land near to the ground. The limited amount of knowledge about how Dr Xia works in China suggests he knows a bit about redevelopment.