NSWE Investment

[ChicagoLion]

I've made my feelings clear about our ground before. I know we'll leave eventually and by that time I'll probably be too old and in a way I'm sort of glad. The sleek lines and uniformity of new grounds is not really for me. I loved the unique style of places such as The Dell, cramped places like Highbury, the dark and foreboding of Upton Park and that shed selling Greenhalls bitter and lager behind the Platt Lane Stand at Maine Road situated in a gravel yard, the forerunner of today's fanzones.

It might all be a bit "rose tinted" and let's face it some of the facilities were downright disgraceful and dangerous, but the idea of an anodyne ground, built with a high "supporter" spend in mind and on the principle of the price of everything and the value of nothing is not for me.

I might be way out of step here, but with the choice of becoming Stockport 115 by leaving Villa Park is not an acceptable trade off as far as I am concerned. I want us to be successful but not that successful.

I have a lot of time for your position Nev, it’s like the Barton’s closing we will never get that experience back. But in the name of progress I think the new identikit concrete utilitarian bowl is where we will end up. I doubt it will be walking distance to the city centre or any other area that has lots of pubs, bars and restaurants.
But I think you have another 10 years at Villa Park.
Of course if we do not establish  ourselves as a regular European qualifying club, the new stadium idea will soon be put on the back burner.
Keeping Emery is far more important than moving.

[PeterWithe]

For all those questioning where we would build a ground as there isn’t obviously ‘spare’ land it’s maybe worth considering the changing face of retail now, there are lots of poorly performing large retail parks owned by pension funds and the like who would now be far more willing to look at alternative income then they would have been in the past.

[curiousorange]

My feelings on it ebb and flow. Most of the time I'm receptive to it, and then when I approach Villa Park facing the Holte End, I hope we never leave. Then when I'm sat in a seat in the North Stand with my knees around my ears I can't believe these are top tier facilities, but then when I'm heading home on the M6 and I see the ground on the horizon I know I'll always regret it if I look over and we're not there.

So, in conclusion, best not to leave the decision to the likes of me.

[PeterWithe]

Ha, ha. Very good. And true, but don’t fret, we won’t get a say anyroad.

[dicedlam]

Make it about the fans, not the people who want a prawn-fucking sandwich and a comfy seat. Give me a standing space, a pie and a pint. Give me the chance to buy them, a chance to piss and shit them out after and let me get to and from the ground.

Football hasn't been about that for decades, though, and it never will be again, either. You also mentioned the sponsors - sponsors are the very people who want those improved corporate facilities.

If the area is a shithole, help the community have some pride, invest money in that and welcoming local people to the club and give them something too.

The club aren't going to be able to turn Aston around, it's a much bigger problem than that, and it's not even the club's problem to fix.

In fact, the thing the club could do to improve Aston most (for the people who live there) would probably be to leave it.

It's all very well for us as (largely middle class) fans who go in and straight out 20 times a season to talk about what's best for the area, but it's another thing for the people who have to live with the disruption caused.

Totally agree paulie.

If there was to be a poll conducted around the local area, I would say at the very least 70% of the people would vote for us to leave.

So my question is why would the club spend all that money on a new stand/stadium when you are not wanted in the area?

[The Edge]

Andy Street has pledged to deliver an upgraded station at Witton in time for Euro 2028. Villa Park has been picked as one of ten venues to feature games in a tournament jointly hosted by the UK and Ireland.

Wembley, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Man City’s Etihad, the new Everton Stadium, St James’ Park, Hampden Park in Glasgow, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium and Casement Park in Belfast will also stage matches.

As ever transport links will be key and Aston Villa are currently looking at schemes to make travel from the city centre easier for supporters, with the club recently launching a trial shuttle bus until the end of the season.

The future of Witton railway station has been on the agenda for several years now amid complaints of overcrowding and lengthy waiting times, with plans for a big redevelopment emerging in December.

Improvements will include new passenger ramps to both platforms to increase queuing capacity after matches, a new pedestrian and cyclist subway under the line at Station Road, while there will also be wider and deeper platforms to allow more people to queue for bigger and longer trains.

And West Midlands Mayor Street, a Villa fan, has underlined his commitment to that and revealed a Matchday Travel Taskforce, which he hopes will benefit not just the Claret & Blues but Birmingham City, West Brom, Wolves, Walsall and Coventry City.

He said: “The West Midlands has always been one of football’s heartlands with three of the original league clubs based right here. Our region has huge, famous clubs with massive fan bases, supported by a vibrant pyramid of teams going right down to Sunday league action.

“I think that football fans here are tired of being wrongly overshadowed by teams in London, Manchester and Liverpool – but many of our big clubs now have new ownership who are showing real ambition, on the pitch and off it.

“It’s an exciting time to be a footie fan in the West Midlands. We have the clubs, tradition, support and ambition to be a real football superpower, and I am determined to play my part to make that happen.

“But while the clubs can take charge of what happens on the pitch, I want to help ensure that the fans get the best experience possible getting to and from games – that’s the idea behind my Matchday Travel Taskforce.”

The Taskforce will bring together Transport for West Midlands, transport operators, councils, and supporter groups to find ways to improve travel to and from games, increase the frequency of matchday services, and for cup matches in places like London ensure operators put on services to get fans home after games.

It will also focus on reducing congestion and managing parking around stadiums on matchdays, working with councils and clubs, to provide park & ride shuttle buses.

When was this statement made? Because if its recent then surely this puts paid to any ideas that we're leaving B6? Spending fortunes on Witton Station including tunneling under the tracks will cost around 30m according to reports so that will end up costing more like 40m. If the club were actively looking at viable locations to build a brand new stadium then the mayor of the WMCA would know about it and not be making statements about improving Witton Station which would be pointless if AVFC were to leave B6.

[Risso]

I honestly don't think that Nas, Wes and the new Atairos lot will think that they won't bother with a new project because a station is having a bit of an upgrade. It's not our station, and presumably it's not our cash being used to do it up.

[Ads]

WM Combined authority have been promising to do this absolute minor bit of works (a 60% Diaby [as Diaby is a Villa unit of measurement now]) for at least two years. It's necessary for the Euros, which will bring in extra cash. It wouldn't have anything to do with BCC and any planning applications elsewhere for anything we decided we wanted to do.

The notion that we'd need local government cash to do anything (as the Noses seem to think) is pretty laughable. We'd be looking to put a money generating, best in class, multi-billion pound regenerative project in their city. Commercial landlords are losing rents with retail, WFH etc, they'd absolutely say yes.

[Risso]

Of course if we do not establish  ourselves as a regular European qualifying club, the new stadium idea will soon be put on the back burner.
Keeping Emery is far more important than moving.

Emery's extremely important, but he's one bloke, and you don't base your long term strategy on one person. We all hope he's successful and will be here for the next ten years plus. But he could get hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow, or in a year or two's time decide that he's had enough of life in England for whatever reason. We all hope he doesn't obviously, but you can never guarantee anything, so you have to plan in some ways as if he isn't going to be here.

And if he does stay as hoped, he needs to be backed in the transfer market, and he can only do that for so long with one hand tied behind his back, which is effectively the situation with our lack of income compared to our rivals.

[Risso]

WM Combined authority have been promising to do this absolute minor bit of works (a 60% Diaby [as Diaby is a Villa unit of measurement now]) for at least two years. It's necessary for the Euros, which will bring in extra cash. It wouldn't have anything to do with BCC and any planning applications elsewhere for anything we decided we wanted to do.

The notion that we'd need local government cash to do anything (as the Noses seem to think) is pretty laughable. We'd be looking to put a money generating, best in class, multi-billion pound regenerative project in their city. Commercial landlords are losing rents with retail, WFH etc, they'd absolutely say yes.

How big will the new platforms be compared to a country the size of Wales?!

[Duncan Shaw]

For all those questioning where we would build a ground as there isn’t obviously ‘spare’ land it’s maybe worth considering the changing face of retail now, there are lots of poorly performing large retail parks owned by pension funds and the like who would now be far more willing to look at alternative income then they would have been in the past.

This is something I've been pondering on the Smithfield thing - yes it's supposedly a done deal, but one of the main anchor's is retail and offices and it has been in the planning for 3 years with nothing granted, I just wonder if with retail panning and people WFH they are looking at a different way forward?

[The Edge]

I honestly don't think that Nas, Wes and the new Atairos lot will think that they won't bother with a new project because a station is having a bit of an upgrade. It's not our station, and presumably it's not our cash being used to do it up.

That's not the point. The head of WMCA would not be making statements about rebuilding Witton Station if we were leaving. What would be the point? The station is perfectly adequate for daily usage.

[Lastfootstamper]

WM Combined authority have been promising to do this absolute minor bit of works (a 60% Diaby [as Diaby is a Villa unit of measurement now]) for at least two years. It's necessary for the Euros, which will bring in extra cash. It wouldn't have anything to do with BCC and any planning applications elsewhere for anything we decided we wanted to do.

The notion that we'd need local government cash to do anything (as the Noses seem to think) is pretty laughable. We'd be looking to put a money generating, best in class, multi-billion pound regenerative project in their city. Commercial landlords are losing rents with retail, WFH etc, they'd absolutely say yes.

How big will the new platforms be compared to a country the size of Wales?!

Wales is for area. If it's length you want, the new SI unit is the banana, which offers more flexibility than the outdated London double-decker bus.

[Risso]

That's not the point. The head of WMCA would not be making statements about rebuilding Witton Station if we were leaving. What would be the point? The station is perfectly adequate for daily usage.

Because Villa Park has got the Euros in 2028, and whatever happens we won't be moving before then.

[Chris Smith]

Make it about the fans, not the people who want a prawn-fucking sandwich and a comfy seat. Give me a standing space, a pie and a pint. Give me the chance to buy them, a chance to piss and shit them out after and let me get to and from the ground.

Football hasn't been about that for decades, though, and it never will be again, either. You also mentioned the sponsors - sponsors are the very people who want those improved corporate facilities.

If the area is a shithole, help the community have some pride, invest money in that and welcoming local people to the club and give them something too.

The club aren't going to be able to turn Aston around, it's a much bigger problem than that, and it's not even the club's problem to fix.

In fact, the thing the club could do to improve Aston most (for the people who live there) would probably be to leave it.

It's all very well for us as (largely middle class) fans who go in and straight out 20 times a season to talk about what's best for the area, but it's another thing for the people who have to live with the disruption caused.

Totally agree paulie.

If there was to be a poll conducted around the local area, I would say at the very least 70% of the people would vote for us to leave.

So my question is why would the club spend all that money on a new stand/stadium when you are not wanted in the area?

Do you think we’d be wanted any more in a different area?