Villa Park Redevelopment

[Sexual Ealing]

Is there any spare land near Curzon Street? I am sure this has been asked and answered before...?

I'd be looking at all that industrial land off Newtown Row, Summer Lane etc. Spurs built their stadium on similar (not on the footprint of WHL). Pay the cash and people in warehouses and scrap yards will move out. Its walking distance from town, on the tram line and would attract more of the city corporate types.

It値l also result in more fans drinking and eating elsewhere. They値l want us somewhere more inconvenient

This is absolutely true. Capitalism, ladies and gents.

[aev]

Is there any spare land near Curzon Street? I am sure this has been asked and answered before...?

I'd be looking at all that industrial land off Newtown Row, Summer Lane etc. Spurs built their stadium on similar (not on the footprint of WHL). Pay the cash and people in warehouses and scrap yards will move out. Its walking distance from town, on the tram line and would attract more of the city corporate types.

It値l also result in more fans drinking and eating elsewhere. They値l want us somewhere more inconvenient

I am sure not everyone would hang about, but if the offerings at the new place were decent I am sure plenty would hang around for an hour or two until the rush has subsided.

[LeeB]

A city centre ground would be the beans for a multitude of reasons. None more so than the absolute pettiness of how upset it would make about 23,000 residents of Birmingham/Solihull.

Come on mate, why put a ground where none of us drink?

[London Villan]

All this could have been tied into the 150-year anniversary and created a positive angle.

Looking to sustain the club into the next 150 years - competing with the best on and off the pitch - exploring every option to give the most fans access to the best facilities, but also generate the income we need to generate to compete....yadda yadda

[algy]

Is there any spare land near Curzon Street? I am sure this has been asked and answered before...?

I'd be looking at all that industrial land off Newtown Row, Summer Lane etc. Spurs built their stadium on similar (not on the footprint of WHL). Pay the cash and people in warehouses and scrap yards will move out. Its walking distance from town, on the tram line and would attract more of the city corporate types.

It値l also result in more fans drinking and eating elsewhere. They値l want us somewhere more inconvenient

I am sure not everyone would hang about, but if the offerings at the new place were decent I am sure plenty would hang around for an hour or two until the rush has subsided.

You'd also say that it's much better if they're touting for business elsewhere - e.g. as a place for stadium gigs, sports events, etc you'd have pretty much the most easily accessible large venue in the country, with very little local competition as a venue of it's size.  The new ground could quite reasonably aim to be in use several days a week, every week.

[LeeB]

My problem with a city centre ground is that it must be proposed by people that don't actually travel to the city centre very much.

It's a bloody nightmare on a Saturday as it is, in the era of declining footfall in the high street, without chucking another 60,000 people in there.

[PeterWithe]

Is there any spare land near Curzon Street? I am sure this has been asked and answered before...?

I was under the impression that HS2 was coming into Curzon Street in a tunnel from approx Caste Vale, which would have made the land above it useable and in need of development. But the plans I could find didn't confirm that, it looked as though it was at ground level. Its also some way away from completion obviously.

So in short, I don't know. Glad to have helped.

I've no idea either really but vaguely thought that tunnel would start around the old DAF site, and that site itself could be a potential location.

Yeah, we must have seen the same initial plans, to the left of the Fort Shopping thing.

[LeeS]

My problem with a city centre ground is that it must be proposed by people that don't actually travel to the city centre very much.

It's a bloody nightmare on a Saturday as it is, in the era of declining footfall in the high street, without chucking another 60,000 people in there.

Thats true of me. I can only have set foot in Birmingham City Centre about 5 times in ten years. And not on a Saturday.

[Sexual Ealing]

You people are doing my nut in. We need to recruit and train police horses from Yardley before we can even think about a new stadium. The Manchester police horses used to be in the Inspiral Carpets. We're a disgrace.

[Dogtanian]

I agree. A New North solves none of the issues which will make is deficient compared to Arsenal, Spurs, Man City, Liverpool, Everton etc.

New ground and whether it's a rebuild where we are or somewhere else, I think that's the plan.

I agree - I think it will be somewhere else to enable us to continue playing at VP until the new one is ready with a few extra seats squeezed into VP somewhere.

I wonder if the new hospitability is there to gauge how much demand their is so that any new build is designed appropriately?

I suspect trying to do things like the Lower Grounds has helped them reach the decision. They are seeing just how hard it's going to be to shoehorn these premium experiences into the existing ground, especially without alienating existing fans.

[Villan82]

Leaving Villa Park would be heartbreaking. Very surprised Ads that you feel this way given your well documented enthusiasm for the new North Stand in 90% of this thread.

[Dogtanian]

All this could have been tied into the 150-year anniversary and created a positive angle.

Looking to sustain the club into the next 150 years - competing with the best on and off the pitch - exploring every option to give the most fans access to the best facilities, but also generate the income we need to generate to compete....yadda yadda

The problem is that all of this takes a huge amount of time and consultation. You can't to anything unless you are confident you can access up to ｣1bn in funding for it, so the Comcast deal might have been the first domino. Once that was in place it became feasible, so the North Stand is put on hold.

But there would still be a huge amount of work to do before a real decision is made against all the options, and like a lot of businesses, you don't really want to be doing all this in public. There's too much up in the air to be announcing things yet, except the bare minimum they can get away with to explain why they're not going ahead with the previous plans.

[Ads]

I wouldn't want to leave Villa Park for any old spot, but a city centre ground would be great. I'm looking forward to Everton next season with a view to an enjoyable pre-match routine. Newcastle is similar.

I'd have liked a new North as I'm sick of looking at the old one. I'd like a new ground even more.

[Dogtanian]

I wouldn't want to leave Villa Park for any old spot, but a city centre ground would be great. I'm looking forward to Everton next season with a view to an enjoyable pre-match routine. Newcastle is similar.

I'd have liked a new North as I'm sick of looking at the old one. I'd like a new ground even more.

Everton's is now the season after, I believe.

[LeeB]

I wouldn't want to leave Villa Park for any old spot, but a city centre ground would be great. I'm looking forward to Everton next season with a view to an enjoyable pre-match routine. Newcastle is similar.

I'd have liked a new North as I'm sick of looking at the old one. I'd like a new ground even more.

Move your tickets to the North Stand, there were three empty in the row in front last match, problem solved!