Would you swap places with West Ham?

[Pete3206]

No

[ciggiesnbeer]

Move the club to London? No.

Paris? Perhaps.

[cdbearsfan]

I wouldn't swap our history. If we had a new stadium (without a running track) with a 60,000 capacity which we actually looked likely to fill, we would get over Villa Park, just like Arsenal got over Highbury.

It would need to be somewhere sensible, preferably in Aston, not some out of town bowl like a bigger version of Stoke or Bolton.

[Steve R]

Would we have to have the porn berks in charge as well?

I'd have them over Lerner

I wouldn't. They got Small Heath into the top flight after years of trying and even in a position to put one or two over on us. But they left one almighty turd on the doorstep on the way out. They will do the same to West Ham, and would do to us.

It will be interesting to see where the proceeds from the disposal of Upton Park end up, and for all the Olympics Stadium is a colossal misuse of public funds, the move will leave West Ham with precious little by way of fixed assets.

They took Blues as far as they could, invested in the squad and improved the ground but got fed up with the lack of support and got rid (to an unfit owner admittedly).

They've built a strong team at West ham and made sound managerial appointments. They've secured a very good deal for the new stadium and almost doubled their attendances.

They'll probably flog the club shortly but will be an attractive proposition in London for a wealthy owner. I'd be surprised if it's another yeung scenario.

They're precisely what Lerner isn't - shrewd.

Small Heath had already sunk to the Championship under their stewardship, they had lost interest because the last chance to make a bit of a wedge out of the club - a council financed stadium - didn't materialise. Another opportunity arose elsewhere - West Ham - and they dropped the club like a brick and sold up to the first cowboy who could push a deal through.

You can call that shrewd in that they personally did well out of their dealings with Small Heath, but I would call it shady.

They did far more damage to Small Heath than Lerner has so far done to Villa, and there is no reason to believe that our next owner will be a money laundering hairdresser.

[four fornicholl]

Commonwealth Games anyone?

[Pat McMahon]

Slightly aside how have they managed to sell 52000 season tickets?

No idea but let's be real, they certainly aren't all going to be knowledgeable Hammers are they. An extra 15,000 whoppers in an Athletics bowl, can't imagine the atmosphere will be up to much there.

One of my former neighbours moved from Shepherds Bush to Walthamstow in NE London, where a lot of Spurs, Arsenal and West Ham fans live. He was a West Ham season ticket holder for about 20 years until a year ago when he had to start taking his son to play games.

I asked him how they are selling so many tickets when in my lifetime they have rarely had a single gate over 40k and he reckons that in N E. And East London there are loads of lapsed fans who have been priced out of Upton Park for years -  £700 upwards a season ticket, £50 minimum for a single match, and these people who haven't been for years joined the queue for next season, where you can get a season ticket for as little as £300. After a year's absence my mate hasn't got a season ticket and is back in the queue with those who didn't sign up a while ago.

[German James]

Yes. And I'd also change the strip to beige-and-puce, advertise Daesh on the shirts, resign Stephen Ireland (with his broken leg) and paint a massive BCFC badge on MacGregor's statue. All for the sake of maybe playing in the Europa League a few seasons before we will be anyway. Fuck them and the jumped up hipster c***s who they'll no doubt be attracting.

[tomd2103]

I just actually said to my mate I despise west Ham but if we were leaving Villa park I'd be heart broken

Might be melodramatic, but I think that would be it for me in terms of going to games.  For me, the place has never been the same since the old Holte End went, so a new ground entirely would be a move too far.

Not necessary anyway.  All we need is the North Stand sorting with the corners filled in. 

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Am I missing something, how is the whole thing not state aid?

In fact it is the very definition of it - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/state-aid

[Steve R]

If you are missing it I am too. I am completely bemused as to how they got away with it.

[OzVilla]

I think that nasty trollope Brady openly being a Tory party spokeswoman probably has something to do with it. Corrupt to their bootstraps.

I used to have a soft spot for West Ham before those shysters got involved with them.

[dave.woodhall]

If you are missing it I am too. I am completely bemused as to how they got away with it.

Yes, it's a complete mystery how West Ham (CEO Tory peer Baroness Brady) got such a deal for the Olympic Stadium from the London Legacy Development Corporation (then-chair Tory MP Boris Johnson) after it had been under the auspices of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (chair Tory peer Lord Coe.)

[VicMackey]

If you are missing it I am too. I am completely bemused as to how they got away with it.

Yes, it's a complete mystery how West Ham (CEO Tory peer Baroness Brady) got such a deal for the Olympic Stadium from the London Legacy Development Corporation (then-chair Tory MP Boris Johnson) after it had been under the auspices of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (chair Tory peer Lord Coe.)

Wait, are you implying that....  Something a little bit naughty happened?  Really?  No, surely not...  That can't be true.  That never happens.  In politics.  Ever...

[eamonn]

Watching West Ham's performance and result last night remind me of Southampton's last gasp win in the final game at The Dell courtesy of a fitting bit of magic from Le Tissier against Arsenal. Can you imagine Villa's last game at Villa Park, a place with far more prestige and grace  than those two grounds? We'd stink the place out with either a scoreless draw against someone shit and have to amuse ourselves with inflatable balls and dicks or else get hammered by a top team.

[Villa in Denmark]

Am I missing something, how is the whole thing not state aid?

In fact it is the very definition of it - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/state-aid

The EU did 4 Spanish clubs for similar a few years back

Will be interesting to see if someone on the continent complains if the WHU get into Europa League.