Villa Park Redevelopment

[Clampy]

Whats the love in with labour on here all about , anybody remember blairs comments , wich after the protests of the last few weeks are all their making !! , they aint gunna do nothing for mr average english man.

What?

And what is the Mr average english man?

I’m going for about 4 inches?

Very good.

[eamonn]

Is this the first time that construction of the North Stand has been stated to take two years/seasons rather than one?

[Luffbralion]

Is this the first time that construction of the North Stand has been stated to take two years/seasons rather than one?

I too was surprised to see this in the Athletic article. I seem to remember the Holte was rebuilt much quicker than this. As a North stand season ticket holder for 25 years (with a fabulous view) I won't be happy being shunted into the wilderness for this long. It will also mean much reduced revenue for the club and far fewer general tickets available. Can anyone clarify what's happening?

[pauliewalnuts]

I am pretty sure I recall them saying two seasons a while ago now.

[Bully2345]

Yep. Plan A was to build the stand around the back while the original was still usable but the full demolish and rebuild over two years has been in place for a while now since the planning permission application was resubmitted

[Villan82]

The new Holte and new Trinity were both completed in about 6 months and fully operational at that. Both had spectators while half built!

The two seasons thing with the new North has been known for a while but it has never made sense to me if I am honest

[pauliewalnuts]

The new Holte and new Trinity were both completed in about 6 months and fully operational at that.

I find that hard to believe. Are you sure about that?

[VILLA MOLE]

The new Holte and new Trinity were both completed in about 6 months and fully operational at that.

I find that hard to believe. Are you sure about that?

The Witton Lane I could believe 

[Bully2345]

There is something complicated aboout the build that makes it easier to just knock down and start again. The Birmingham Mail (yeah sorry) said this:

"Prior to the stand being demolished, up to seven months of preparation is needed to divert drains, high voltage electrics and matchday safety systems, while hundreds of cables will also need to be replaced for broadcasting. It’s a huge undertaking before Villa can even begin building a completely new stand.

Knocking the stand down entirely is viewed as the most efficient way to deliver greater capacity at the stadium, instead of building behind the current structure, like other clubs have done in recent years. Building a new stand behind the current North Stand would prevent construction workers from accessing key areas of the build."

I won't post the link but it was on there on 13th September.

[Villan82]

The new Holte and new Trinity were both completed in about 6 months and fully operational at that.

I find that hard to believe. Are you sure about that?

I seem to remember the Holte fully open for the Chelsea game around Christmas 1994 and the new Trinity being fully open in January 2001?

[London Villan]

Both were/are pretty basic stands and the Witton was built over the existing lower tier which they then had to rip out the following season. The Trinty's initial internal facilities were poor too and upgraded and added to massively by Lerner.

The new North is much more complicated - it has all the new offices, hospitality, retail and dressing rooms - as well as affecting the northern end of the Trinity.

[PeterWithesShin]

The Lower Holte was pretty much fully open by the time we played Inter at the end of September.

[Villan82]

Fair points on the complications with the new North which will be a more complex stand. All the same, I don't see why it can't house fans at all for two years when, as PWS points out, it was possible to arrange for the Lower Holte to house fans before the Upper Holte was completed?

I am sure safety regulations are tighter now but my point is basically this- surely the lower tier could conceivably be open to fans in year two of the build while they finish the bells and whistles off the Upper and Interior?

[pauliewalnuts]

Fair points on the complications with the new North which will be a more complex stand. All the same, I don't see why it can't house fans at all for two years when, as PWS points out, it was possible to arrange for the Lower Holte to house fans before the Upper Holte was completed?

I am sure safety regulations are tighter now but my point is basically this- surely the lower tier could conceivably be open to fans in year two of the build while they finish the bells and whistles off the Upper and Interior?

Apparently because the workforce wouldn't be able to do that they need to do with the stand partially open.

The reason I suspect this is all true is because I find it hard to believe the club would not want to start taking money off people in the new stand as quickly as they possibly could

[AV82EC]

Let’s be honest here, the last time we did this the stands were thrown up as Doug wanted as minimum as time as possible with reduced capacities without thought for the functionality of each stand, decisions we’re living with today with poor facilities in a number of those stands.

The fact we have owners who would rather do it properly and with due regard to how the stand works and functions strikes me as a much more sensible way to go about things. If that means we’re on reduced capacity for longer than we want, so be it.