Commercial failings

[KRS]

Can’t argue with that TV. The matchday “experience” at Villa Park could be and should be significantly improved to be more than just come and watch the game, and the club could and should embrace, implement, encourage, and profit from that way of thinking. As you rightly mentioned previously, attending a sports game in America has a large social aspect to it which is partly due to the format and time, however there’s still opportunities before, during and after a football game here that could be capitalised upon.

[Fred Crump]

When a minimum wage worker is employed to serve for a 15 minute slot at HT, (s)he will never satisfy everyone in the queue.

I fail to see how this is a commercial failing and other than opening 50 more kiosks around the ground, I don't see what the answer is?

Lots of customers unable to give you their money for something which they are trying to sell you is the very definition of a commercial failing.

How about improve the method of delivery so it doesn't involve a teenager sloping off down the other end of the bar every time someone fancies a beer?

I am sure other grounds employ agency staff on minimum wage to do this work as well, but most of them seem better at it than we are. Which is probably why our commercial income managed to barely improve all through the latter premier league years.

Maybe the answer is, as you said, opening more kiosks? Maybe it is redeveloping the ground? Maybe it is moving to a new ground?

Whatever it is, we need to find the answer, because we're just going to fall further and further behind.

200 kids serving 20,000 people in a 20 minute slot? Do the maths.  It’s 100 customers per bar person or 5 customers per minute.  It’s impossible.

What on earth are you talking about? 200 kids? 20,000 people?

You're genuinely suggesting it is not possible to serve people considerably faster by either changing the way we serve, the number of serving points, or the facilities available at the ground?

What about this sort of measure?

It's not a science.  I remember being at Derby away, JPA was playing so that gives you a clue how long ago it was.  At half time the kiosk had pre-poured pints with lids on, and they were banging them out ten to the dozen without any issue.  Other clubs have bottle bars doing likewise.  We don't need a Steve Jobs to get this set up FFS.  The staff in the Holte Suite look like rabbits in headlights after the game, as if they weren't expecting hundreds of people wanting a drink.

One last thing, why don't we just serve bottles in the stands?  You have to go some to get a pint down you in 15 mins, so a bottle is plenty, and takes a fraction of the time to serve too. 

Rant now over.

Why can't we look at things like that?

Oh great - All hail the saving grace: The pre-poured pint.  That will elevate us into the multi - Billions league.

Not sure if you just want quicker service or greater revenue.  Either/or, it will always be a bun fight when everyone wants stuff at the same time.

I’d like to be the first to take part in any pre-poured pint trial. I’m sure I can improve sales !!

[Brassneck]

Anyone who can drink more than 1 pint of that gassy garbage they call draught beer at VP, the Holte Suite or Holte pub deserves a medal. It makes me feel sick.

[SoccerHQ]

Was talking to a mate today who loves his NFL.

He said he went a while back when they held a match at Twickenham and he couldn't get over the total lack of infastructure. This is 80k stadium and one of the iconic stadiums in the U.K.

He's been to watch a few of the games in America and so used to barbecues in the car park and all that.

Would also be interested if anyone's been to the Olympic stadium as a neutral and how that is behind the scenes. I know when the Olympics were on it was pretty much just a shell and West Ham actually had to spend a fair bit to bring the stadium up to standard beyond the pitch.

[KRS]

I've only been to the Olympic stadium for a concert (Rolling Stones) and can confirm that the place is huge. Haven't been there on a match day but there is plenty space for pre-game entertainment and catering options outside the ground, and the concourse areas inside are also very wide, plenty of space to move and very good toilet facilities. The queues were quite long for drinks/food but service was quite fast and organised compared to what we're used to at VP.

[London Villan]

The olympic stadium has very open concourses, more like edgbaston than a football stadium and is in a glorified retail/office park. Wrong shape for a football stadium too.

[dave.woodhall]

When the Holte was renovated and the plans for the theme park/tailgating area in the car park were released, there was a general feeling that this is England and don't come here with your fancy American ways. Maybe they were just a decade and a bit ahead of their time.

[Clampy]

Anyone who can drink more than 1 pint of that gassy garbage they call draught beer at VP, the Holte Suite or Holte pub deserves a medal. It makes me feel sick.

I'd suggest not drinking it if it makes you feel sick.

[Nev]

When the Holte was renovated and the plans for the theme park/tailgating area in the car park were released, there was a general feeling that this is England and don't come here with your fancy American ways. Maybe they were just a decade and a bit ahead of their time.

Things are certainly evolving from a pre-match point of view. Sitting in a pub with your mates used to be the standard pre-match warm up but with the paucity of pubs local to the ground it's harder and harder to do that. Fan parks and getting to the ground much earlier do appear to be the way forward but the limitations at our ground make significantly improving the facilities tricky and without large scale re-development of three sides of Villa park there is unlikely to be much change.

As for moving, I'd be happy to put up with sub standard facilities in order to stay where we are. I'd rather have the thrill of walking up, and into, Villa Park than get a pint quickly or be offered a wider range of food. However, I accept it will change as things do, but I hope it's not any time soon.

[nigel]

Was talking to a mate today who loves his NFL.

He said he went a while back when they held a match at Twickenham and he couldn't get over the total lack of infastructure. This is 80k stadium and one of the iconic stadiums in the U.K.

He's been to watch a few of the games in America and so used to barbecues in the car park and all that.

Would also be interested if anyone's been to the Olympic stadium as a neutral and how that is behind the scenes. I know when the Olympics were on it was pretty much just a shell and West Ham actually had to spend a fair bit to bring the stadium up to standard beyond the pitch.

To be fair it would be near impossible to replicate what they can do with stadiums in America.
America is huge, so they can plonk an 80K stadium anywhere without any problem.
My mate was saying when the NY Giants built their stadium the stadium was built  first then everything else (roads etc) was built after. The UK haven't got that luxury.

[London Villan]

There is loads of space around the ground that could be used more imaginatively.

[Brassneck]

Anyone who can drink more than 1 pint of that gassy garbage they call draught beer at VP, the Holte Suite or Holte pub deserves a medal. It makes me feel sick.

I'd suggest not drinking it if it makes you feel sick.

Naturally, I don’t.  I buy those small bottles of wine instead.  I wouldn’t drink that pitiful excuse for beer if you paid me.

[PeterWithe]

On the Trinity side I'd imagine it would be pretty easy to simply move the turnstiles to the fence, move in some portable bars and covers etc and have a large outdoor fan area. More difficult on the other three sides.

[Sexual Ealing]

Anyone who can drink more than 1 pint of that gassy garbage they call draught beer at VP, the Holte Suite or Holte pub deserves a medal. It makes me feel sick.

I'd suggest not drinking it if it makes you feel sick.

Naturally, I don’t.  I buy those small bottles of wine instead.  I wouldn’t drink that pitiful excuse for beer if you paid me.

Nobody is likely to offer to pay you so that's another of your conundra solved.

[ChicagoLion]

Anyone who can drink more than 1 pint of that gassy garbage they call draught beer at VP, the Holte Suite or Holte pub deserves a medal. It makes me feel sick.

I'd suggest not drinking it if it makes you feel sick.

Where is the fun in that?