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Author Topic: Relegated  (Read 35661 times)

Offline Chico Hamilton III

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #285 on: April 18, 2016, 02:02:51 PM »
A Man City supporting mate of mine came down to Villa park with his 2 young sons for the match this season. First time his kids had visited Villa Park - they've been to a fair few away grounds in the last few seasons- and he said they loved it. Had their photos taken outside the Holte steps and both said it was the best ground they've been to. Trouble with Villa Park for me is that it's not a fortress, it's more like a stately home.     

Offline Villa in Denmark

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #286 on: April 18, 2016, 02:03:01 PM »
Naturally I am biased, but the original frontage was the best entrance to a club ground in British football, and probably one of the best in world football. I went to the Switzerland v Holland game at Villa Park in 1996, and there were loads of Dutch and Swiss fans taking pictures outside it. Supporters of other clubs who I would bring over from time to time would always comment on it.

The current set-up looks like a slightly bigger version of the BT Cellnet (or whatever Boro are calling their ground now, or the Stadium of Light, or the hundreds of other dull, indentikit main stands.

It wasn't just the entrance either, the gable and the ornate panelling between the enclosure and the upper tier are all things that should have been retained (or replicated as best as possible).

But then the original stand was commissioned at a time when the mindset was only the best is good enough for Aston Villa.  The new Trinity is the embodiment of the 'That'll do' mindset that blights the club and the country at large.

The first time I took my wife to Villa Park in '97, we did the walk under the motorway and up past the Holte Pub towards the Holte, where she said something along the lines of "that's pretty impressive for a football ground". We carried on up Trinity Road until the Trinity was in clear view.  "Wow, it looks more like a stately home than a football ground."

Offline FatSam

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #287 on: April 18, 2016, 02:21:23 PM »
But then the original stand was commissioned at a time when the mindset was only the best is good enough for Aston Villa.  The new Trinity is the embodiment of the 'That'll do' mindset that blights the club and the country at large.

Doug was most interested in the fact that it was construction-managed in-house by the club, which saved a few quid. The lack of a coordinated redevelopment plan for the three sides of the ground that were re-built within a ten year period in the 90s is incredibly frustrating. Other big clubs such as Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea have all appointed well-regarded architects with good stadium expertise. Doug tried to do it all on the cheap, and frankly it shows. 

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #288 on: April 18, 2016, 02:23:39 PM »
But then the original stand was commissioned at a time when the mindset was only the best is good enough for Aston Villa.  The new Trinity is the embodiment of the 'That'll do' mindset that blights the club and the country at large.

Doug was most interested in the fact that it was construction-managed in-house by the club, which saved a few quid. The lack of a coordinated redevelopment plan for the three sides of the ground that were re-built within a ten year period in the 90s is incredibly frustrating. Other big clubs such as Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea have all appointed well-regarded architects with good stadium expertise. Doug tried to do it all on the cheap, and frankly it shows. 

Doug did it in the 90's. What did Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs do at the same time that put us so far behind them?

Offline Villa in Denmark

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #289 on: April 18, 2016, 02:24:21 PM »
But then the original stand was commissioned at a time when the mindset was only the best is good enough for Aston Villa.  The new Trinity is the embodiment of the 'That'll do' mindset that blights the club and the country at large.

Doug was most interested in the fact that it was construction-managed in-house by the club, which saved a few quid. The lack of a coordinated redevelopment plan for the three sides of the ground that were re-built within a ten year period in the 90s is incredibly frustrating. Other big clubs such as Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea have all appointed well-regarded architects with good stadium expertise. Doug tried to do it all on the cheap, and frankly it shows. 
The Holte and Witton Lane don't jar too badly and thankfully don't try to complement the North Stand which is just a child of the 70's, but the Trinity just looks tacky from the outside.

Offline lordmcgrath5

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #290 on: April 18, 2016, 06:23:46 PM »
Naturally I am biased, but the original frontage was the best entrance to a club ground in British football, and probably one of the best in world football.

Indeed it was. Every time I look at a photo of the old Trinity Road it makes me want to cry. OK, it had to go, but surely it could have been done better. It's gone from a thing of beauty to a branch of B&Q.

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #291 on: April 18, 2016, 07:49:37 PM »
Spare a thought for Lewis Kinsella. Relegated with 2 clubs on the same day.

https://twitter.com/Lewis_kinsella/status/721407922757115909

Offline Risso

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #292 on: April 18, 2016, 07:51:56 PM »
Spare a thought for Lewis Kinsella. Relegated with 2 clubs on the same day.

https://twitter.com/Lewis_kinsella/status/721407922757115909

It's a bit like that in our house, a mix of Villa and Bolton fans.

Offline FatSam

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #293 on: April 19, 2016, 07:25:27 AM »
Fair point. Chelsea and Spurs are now on their second wave of redevelopment since then. Arsenal's new North Bank in the 90s was definitely of a high standard, and complemented the two listed stands, but is perhaps not a fair comparison because there was never going to be a wholesale character changing redevelopment of the ground due to their presence.

Online AV82EC

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #294 on: April 19, 2016, 07:40:34 AM »
I think I've said on here before that if we're ever going to redevelop the ground again we should knock the whole thing down and move the stadium further into the plot we have. There is an enormous amount of space behind the current stadium where the car parks and Villa Village are and this would allow all 4 stands to be constructed in the correct proportions without the Trinity Road and Witton Lane cutting off the scale you would need for a 60k stadium.

Offline AV89

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #295 on: April 19, 2016, 10:12:34 PM »
Not sure if anyone's seen this.  Midlands Today 1987.

Take a look at @bbcmtd's Tweet: https://twitter.com/bbcmtd/status/721945296465334272?s=09

Offline The Man With A Stick

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #296 on: April 19, 2016, 10:15:43 PM »
Not sure if anyone's seen this.  Midlands Today 1987.

Take a look at @bbcmtd's Tweet: https://twitter.com/bbcmtd/status/721945296465334272?s=09

For all of his faults, at least Ellis had the balls to talk in front of the cameras.  Don't hold your breath waiting for Randolph to do the same.

Offline Richard E

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Re: Relegated
« Reply #297 on: April 19, 2016, 10:18:35 PM »
For all of his faults, at least Ellis had the balls to talk in front of the cameras. 

Usually about himself.

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Offline HolmesyVilla

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