NSWE Investment

[SoccerHQ]

Do I understand that the tramline to the Alex goes along the Birchfield Rd to town? Will that ease some of the transport pain or has it been shelved?

It's just sprint buses now isn't it?

Obvious solution would be a tram right down Lichfield Road as it's certainly wide for most of the route and it terminates at Star City (or possibly extended to the Fort). That would get decent service in and out on matchdays but as said above would take about 20 years to build judging by how long the present extension up Broad street is taking.

Meanwhile some cotton town in the north builds an extension to the airport in about six months....

[LeeB]

Aston Villa can't be further east than them lot. It just wouldn't be right.

Nothing wrong with the east, we train out here anyway. North of the M6 would be more appropriate, maybe out by Hams Hall, straight off the M42. The train station is there at the arse end of Coleshill, job done. Plus I could walk to games.

[wince]

Well we are still well short of selling out against Man City and more worryingly Leicester. It appears the Club have made no real push to get bums on seats. I think it's going to look rather ridiculous if we have 10,000 empty seats if people don't want to turn out on Evenings and Sunday Afternoons

That's on the back of Two wins and a new Head Coach, what would it be like if we had a bad run and Fulham on a Tuesday night.

Knock down the Village, Get shuttles on, tart the North Stand up and improve the Catering by simplifying the offerings in compact areas like the DE stand. Whilst keeping our current capacity as an increase does not appear to be needed unless the 20,000 start showing their faces and the club price the games fairly

Fuck me. The 20000. It’s like a grimmer version of Tennysons charge of the light brigade. 10k to the left 10k to the right, into the valley of Aston rode the 20000..........

Are you broken Fred or on a mission from God or something or just on the wind up?

[LeeB]

Well we are still well short of selling out against Man City and more worryingly Leicester. It appears the Club have made no real push to get bums on seats. I think it's going to look rather ridiculous if we have 10,000 empty seats if people don't want to turn out on Evenings and Sunday Afternoons

That's on the back of Two wins and a new Head Coach, what would it be like if we had a bad run and Fulham on a Tuesday night.

Knock down the Village, Get shuttles on, tart the North Stand up and improve the Catering by simplifying the offerings in compact areas like the DE stand. Whilst keeping our current capacity as an increase does not appear to be needed unless the 20,000 start showing their faces and the club price the games fairly

Fuck me. The 20000. It’s like a grimmer version of Tennysons charge of the light brigade. 10k to the left 10k to the right, into the valley of Aston rode the 20000..........

Are you broken Fred or on a mission from God or something or just on the wind up?

The Rapture will not come until every seat is filled.

[astonvilla82]

Have we sold out yet,not good form old boy

[Chris Harte]

As a thought, given the Doug Ellis Stand can't be a great deal bigger than it is at the moment the most sensible route for that may be to increase the revenue yield on it.  Rebuild it completely as a high spec stand focussed on corporate hospitality.  Then rebuild the north stand as a standalone single tier giant.  We'd see the ground slowly morph in to having the posh/corporate stuff on the Witton Lane / Trinity Road stands, with the two ends acting as cheaper stands to increase the capacity to 50k+

I sort of like that idea. It sure appeals more than moving away from our home of around 125 years.

[dave.woodhall]

The problem with trying to increase revenue in the Witton Lane is that there isn't enough space to do the high-end corporate stuff. You can't have restaurants there and you're too removed from Trinity Road to get the ex-player gladhanding.

[Zouch Villa]

The problem with trying to increase revenue in the Witton Lane is that there isn't enough space to do the high-end corporate stuff. You can't have restaurants there and you're too removed from Trinity Road to get the ex-player gladhanding.

We could run a zip wire from the Trinity across to the Witton Lane, then we have the additional entertainment of watching Cowans, Little and Spinks flying across to mix with the better class of football fans.

[eamonn]

As a thought, given the Doug Ellis Stand can't be a great deal bigger than it is at the moment the most sensible route for that may be to increase the revenue yield on it.  Rebuild it completely as a high spec stand focussed on corporate hospitality.  Then rebuild the north stand as a standalone single tier giant.  We'd see the ground slowly morph in to having the posh/corporate stuff on the Witton Lane / Trinity Road stands, with the two ends acting as cheaper stands to increase the capacity to 50k+

I sort of like that idea. It sure appeals more than moving away from our home of around 125 years.

125th anniversary next April, I believe? Well the 100th was marked on my first trip to VP, April'97. 1-1 with Spurs, average game but we got a late equaliser through Dwight.

[Rory]

The problem with trying to increase revenue in the Witton Lane is that there isn't enough space to do the high-end corporate stuff. You can't have restaurants there and you're too removed from Trinity Road to get the ex-player gladhanding.

What do you think is the most viable option, Dave?

Personally, I think if we were to rebuild the North and improve the facilities in the Witton, expanding to maybe 48k, that would do.

I think we need a tidy-up rather than a move, but I just walk from my parents' in Perry Barr, so granted I'm probably overlooking the transport issues.

[dave.woodhall]

The problem with trying to increase revenue in the Witton Lane is that there isn't enough space to do the high-end corporate stuff. You can't have restaurants there and you're too removed from Trinity Road to get the ex-player gladhanding.

What do you think is the most viable option, Dave?

Personally, I think if we were to rebuild the North and improve the facilities in the Witton, expanding to maybe 48k, that would do.

I think we need a tidy-up rather than a move, but I just walk from my parents' in Perry Barr, so granted I'm probably overlooking the transport issues.

I haven't got a clue. I've never thought that much above 50,000-ish is needed long-term because our gates have never needed it, but where that extra 8,000 comes from is beyond me. On one side there's Aston Park, which should never be touched. On the other two there's a lot of housing, and the days when we could buy them up cheaply are over. Then there's the problems of transport, public and other. There is no way we would get permission for extra capacity until that's sorted.

The sort of extra numbers we need aren't really enough to justify a move, and where we would we go? Most new out of town grounds are the anchor of a retail development and I can't see another one of them going up any time soon. There isn't an inner city site available. Maybe we missed a trick in not doing something at the Comonwealth Games stadium but Aston Villa not playing at Villa Park - is anything worth that?

[Rory]

The problem with trying to increase revenue in the Witton Lane is that there isn't enough space to do the high-end corporate stuff. You can't have restaurants there and you're too removed from Trinity Road to get the ex-player gladhanding.

What do you think is the most viable option, Dave?

Personally, I think if we were to rebuild the North and improve the facilities in the Witton, expanding to maybe 48k, that would do.

I think we need a tidy-up rather than a move, but I just walk from my parents' in Perry Barr, so granted I'm probably overlooking the transport issues.

I haven't got a clue. I've never thought that much above 50,000-ish is needed long-term because our gates have never needed it, but where that extra 8,000 comes from is beyond me. On one side there's Aston Park, which should never be touched. On the other two there's a lot of housing, and the days when we could buy them up cheaply are over. Then there's the problems of transport, public and other. There is no way we would get permission for extra capacity until that's sorted.

The sort of extra numbers we need aren't really enough to justify a move, and where we would we go? Most new out of town grounds are the anchor of a retail development and I can't see another one of them going up any time soon. There isn't an inner city site available. Maybe we missed a trick in not doing something at the Comonwealth Games stadium but Aston Villa not playing at Villa Park - is anything worth that?

A measured response. (Waits for someone to accuse me of brown-nosing.)

My folks live about 10 minutes from Alexander Stadium and the surrounding park, so it would be great for me!

But I want us to stay where we are. I'd rather a reduced capacity but improved experience.

[Scott Nielsen]

I'm all for staying and redeveloping, but if we did have to move it doesn't have to be to a soulless bowl - take a look at these for inspiration - https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/list/ranking-nfl-stadiums-from-worst-to-best/dky07jdst5w1mcy7cgsm7q6s

The Lucas Oil Stadium is simply astounding!

I think they are horrible.

Some look pretty good. I've been to CenturyField (I think it has changed name now) and it was great. A bit odd with that half-stand at one end but it works and gives it a bit of character.

[sid1964]

if we increased to 50,000 - how many times in a season would we fill the stadium?

Personally I think that it is a huge amount of  money that we would need to be spend to increase the capacity. when there is no real demand for this on a regular basis

When the 29,000 season ticket holders get their renewal cost for next season, I think we may all be in a for shock with the increase in price

[Mortimer's Bear]

Never leave Villa Park and don't touch the Holte End, simple as that isn't it?