Villa Park Redevelopment

[Beard82]

Villa Park is what makes us unique, and is the one ever present as new generations of fans come along and old generations depart to that Holte End in the sky.

I'd rather sit in 2 hours of traffic to walk up Witton Road, smelling burgers and hotdogs with the glorious Holte End in the distance any day, than take a turn off the motorway into some tarmacced plateau servicing a soulless, plastic bowl.

Really starting to take a dislike to this new guy. If being successful means that we have to set light to our history, then I'd rather not thanks.

This for me (plus what Nev and PWS said).

This is broadly where I am.  Not everything has its price

[VILLA MOLE]

But he is talking in term of infrastructure for parking and train stations which we don’t control ?

[usav]

He's not hiding anything, it's in clear sight: "Over the summer months I became more concerned we were adding too many seats too fast"

He's been here 6 months and the plans were well advanced before he got here.  Let him figure out what is best before criticising him for cancelling plans that weren't even his.

But that is clearly a load of absolute nonsense. As I said before, we've got the 8th biggest stadium in the country, and it's miles smaller than those in the top 7. Also the facilities in the North are shite, and the hospitality offering is terrble too, as behind glass executive boxes went out with the Ark. 10,000 clearly isn't too many seats, and it's certainly not too fast. The stadium expansion is an investment in our future, and unlike many investments it's an almost guaranteed massive boost to revenue. There's only so much further they're going to be able to increase season ticket prices, and that won't go anywhere near to matching what the extra capacity would have brought in.

It's like investing in the first team, if you don't do it and are happy to stand still, sooner or later you get left behind.

You seem to be having almost a meltdown over this and I'm not sure why?   He hasn't said we aren't going to address any of the issues you raised, he just said the current plans are being shelved.  Also you are stating as fact that 10,000 seats isn't too many - how do you know?  He literally said it's too many to fast, so he thinks it is and probably has access to data that you don't.

Again, he's been here 6 months, give him a chance to get his ducks in a row and then let's see what he comes up with.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

My guess is Heck believes projects like the warehouse are easier and quicker to deliver with the added bonus of new revenue and financial accountability. Low hanging fruit as Chico would say. Then there's the problem with transportation. Are we the club expected to cough up for the changes at Witton station? Andy Street appears to think so. Other investments like at BH are viewed as essential, something that won't break the bank and should give us a nice return.

What I don't understand is why put the North Stand redevelopment on hold. Unless you're a season ticket holder getting tickets for games is near impossible, hardly the ideal situation to attract new fans. At the same time the club seem to be going or at least heading in the direction of trying to piss off their existing fans. Heck claims he hasn't spoken publicly until now as he wanted 6 months to learn about the club. Maybe he needs another 6 months before he opens his mouth again. That video of how he turned Phili around by engaging with the fans seems to be either complete bullshit or a lesson he's completely forgotten.

[DB]

That's part of the issue, he has come with a half announcement. Here is what we are not doing but what is it that they will be doing.

It's either a site has been found and wheels in motion for a new stadium or a re-think of the current VP plans I.e. the current ones were not enough. Either way, they need to clarify as I bet UEFA will want assurances etc. Plus the thousands want STs.

[Ads]

Planning permission has gone in on the Wheels site for factory units.

[Simon Page]

Planning permission has gone in on the Wheels site for factory units.

It's only a matter of time before Adderley Park is renamed the Corrugated Quarter.

[colin69]

I dread to think how much they’ll be squeezing out of us next season for season tickets.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Planning permission has gone in on the Wheels site for factory units.

Warehouses?

[Dogtanian]

I don't really see the point in a massive new club shop. How about a decent kit first, and then having it available for purchase in the summer? I would guess that 99% of shirt sales are done over the internet anyway. We don't really have a high proprtion of daytrippers like Man U get for the Old Trafford megastore. I think I've been in once in the last 3 or 4 years, and it mostly seems to be full of people killing half an hour rather than filling their shopping bags.

Plus, if it’s the same mostly crap stuff they’ve been selling for years, having more space to shove it isn’t going to make much difference.

[LeeB]

In person retail is just dying everywhere, isn't it?

Christ, I went into Rackhams on Sunday morning, even the staff couldn't be bothered to go by the looks of it.

[Beard82]

A few thoughts, for what they are worth.

This surely is linked way to the Artimus buy in.  As we don't know the investment etc - it might be that pausing makes sense as our Third owner has an input.

The next 2 years could be some of the most important in the clubs history.  Realistically, we will never have a better chance to break into the top 4 and establish ourselves there.  Champions League, 150th year - potentially the club think we could be going "Global" much sooner than expected, and they don't want to risk that.   Realistically if we don't see success over the next 2 years - Unai will leave (might well do even if we do).  But I cant see him sticking if we don't keep progressing.

The concern over adding too many seats to fast, suggests to me that Heck wants to focus on revenue per head.  I think this is because, there attempts to offer premium match day experience suggest there is not the demand.  That combined with the fact that this 30K waiting list are very unlikely to buy a season ticket.  CL football will be far more profitable than extra seats - so maybe they want to avoid risking negative impacts on performance.

I think Heck seems like everything is his way or not at all.  The mess we have made of things like the rebrand shows if it's not what he thinks is 100% right he won't put his name to it.

Was Purslow pushing for the stadium?  Was it a vanity project which didn't add up quite as much as we thought.  I do wonder if we would really fill 52k every week given (or at least if we could have under Gerrard for example).  Maybe the idea is lets not risk short term success as the next two years could set us up for the next 10 years

I would imagine, Heck also wants time to come to his own conclusions over what the right next step is.  he may end up coming to the same point as Purslow did.

So I think with all the above they have decided to focus on smaller projects with more immediate short-term benefit.

The way things are being announced to the fans is far from ideal - no detail or explanation in lots of instances seemingly misleading.

[Nii Lamptey]

He's not hiding anything, it's in clear sight: "Over the summer months I became more concerned we were adding too many seats too fast"

He's been here 6 months and the plans were well advanced before he got here.  Let him figure out what is best before criticising him for cancelling plans that weren't even his.

But that is clearly a load of absolute nonsense. As I said before, we've got the 8th biggest stadium in the country, and it's miles smaller than those in the top 7. Also the facilities in the North are shite, and the hospitality offering is terrble too, as behind glass executive boxes went out with the Ark. 10,000 clearly isn't too many seats, and it's certainly not too fast. The stadium expansion is an investment in our future, and unlike many investments it's an almost guaranteed massive boost to revenue. There's only so much further they're going to be able to increase season ticket prices, and that won't go anywhere near to matching what the extra capacity would have brought in.

It's like investing in the first team, if you don't do it and are happy to stand still, sooner or later you get left behind.

You seem to be having almost a meltdown over this and I'm not sure why?   He hasn't said we aren't going to address any of the issues you raised, he just said the current plans are being shelved.  Also you are stating as fact that 10,000 seats isn't too many - how do you know?  He literally said it's too many to fast, so he thinks it is and probably has access to data that you don't.

Again, he's been here 6 months, give him a chance to get his ducks in a row and then let's see what he comes up with.

I agree with Risso here. If West Ham (*and Moyes ball!) can fill a 60k running track when there is competition in London from clubs such as Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, etc, we'd easily fill a shiny new North Stand with the catchment area we have at our disposal (*and impending Champions League football). What's he waiting for??

Under Emery, I can only see us improving, so demand isn't going to go away or drop off, it's almost certainly going to increase surely. I'd question why we've waited THIS long, not stop it entirely!

@usav - You seem to really be in Heck's corner on all of this. He's come in with a big reptutation, as a leader in his field, but can you honestly tell me one thing he has got right during his time at the club? Within 6 months, he's fucked the badge launch, vandalised the Holte and stopped the North Stand development. If he can make sweeping decisions like that, why is his priority not to stop the concourses streaming with piss?

First and foremost should be clear and concise communication, and he's even been fucking terrible at that.  Nothing he has done so far has given me even a glimmer of confidence that he 'gets' this football club.

#OnBrand my arse.

[KevinGage]

A few thoughts, for what they are worth.

This surely is linked way to the Artimus buy in.  As we don't know the investment etc - it might be that pausing makes sense as our Third owner has an input.

The next 2 years could be some of the most important in the clubs history.  Realistically, we will never have a better chance to break into the top 4 and establish ourselves there.  Champions League, 150th year - potentially the club think we could be going "Global" much sooner than expected, and they don't want to risk that.   Realistically if we don't see success over the next 2 years - Unai will leave (might well do even if we do).  But I cant see him sticking if we don't keep progressing.

The concern over adding too many seats to fast, suggests to me that Heck wants to focus on revenue per head.  I think this is because, there attempts to offer premium match day experience suggest there is not the demand.  That combined with the fact that this 30K waiting list are very unlikely to buy a season ticket.  CL football will be far more profitable than extra seats - so maybe they want to avoid risking negative impacts on performance.

I think Heck seems like everything is his way or not at all.  The mess we have made of things like the rebrand shows if it's not what he thinks is 100% right he won't put his name to it.

Was Purslow pushing for the stadium?  Was it a vanity project which didn't add up quite as much as we thought.  I do wonder if we would really fill 52k every week given (or at least if we could have under Gerrard for example).  Maybe the idea is lets not risk short term success as the next two years could set us up for the next 10 years

I would imagine, Heck also wants time to come to his own conclusions over what the right next step is.  he may end up coming to the same point as Purslow did.

So I think with all the above they have decided to focus on smaller projects with more immediate short-term benefit.

The way things are being announced to the fans is far from ideal - no detail or explanation in lots of instances seemingly misleading.

Aye, most of that.

[ChicagoLion]

He's not hiding anything, it's in clear sight: "Over the summer months I became more concerned we were adding too many seats too fast"

He's been here 6 months and the plans were well advanced before he got here.  Let him figure out what is best before criticising him for cancelling plans that weren't even his.

But that is clearly a load of absolute nonsense. As I said before, we've got the 8th biggest stadium in the country, and it's miles smaller than those in the top 7. Also the facilities in the North are shite, and the hospitality offering is terrble too, as behind glass executive boxes went out with the Ark. 10,000 clearly isn't too many seats, and it's certainly not too fast. The stadium expansion is an investment in our future, and unlike many investments it's an almost guaranteed massive boost to revenue. There's only so much further they're going to be able to increase season ticket prices, and that won't go anywhere near to matching what the extra capacity would have brought in.

It's like investing in the first team, if you don't do it and are happy to stand still, sooner or later you get left behind.

Too right, it is nonsense.