Villa Park Redevelopment

[villa_cads]

If they don’t trust the waiting list data - how about seeing if people will put money down?

I certainly would. I’m not sure how fair that would be, but it would be a way of judging it.

But they trust it when it comes to Season Ticket Renewal time, when the prices go up and we are being threatened with being replaced by one of the 30k on the waiting list.

I've said it before and I'll say it now. Charge a £50 refundable deposit and the numbers on the list would vanish quicker than a Small Heath crowd being confronted by a bar of soap.

In some ways they're effectively doing this for GA tickets with the memberships. I don't have one now and find getting tickets on general sale quite difficult. There must be decent numbers with memberships.

I'm also on the waiting list, but I'm playing the long game given the reported length of the queue and with a hope that by the time I'm offered one, my lad will be old enough (and interested!) to go.

[LeeB]

Without attracting too much vitriol, would you prefer:
New North stand to increase to 50,000; OR
A newly located Villa park, with capacity 60,000 (min)?

I want us to stay where we are, but if it is unfeasible for expansion purposes, then I would reluctantly accept relocation.

It's more practical for me.

For the first time in decades, we have a proper team and realistic ambitions to sustain it. We've had chances before but through caution and lack ambition haven't. Our peers are running around or will be in spanking 60k stadiums that shit match day revenue and we won't be, even if we'd gone ahead with the plans so we need to match that for minimum or we'll fall away.

[Brazilian Villain]

Without attracting too much vitriol, would you prefer:
New North stand to increase to 50,000; OR
A newly located Villa park, with capacity 60,000 (min)?

First option.

For me, a move from Villa Park would be about as welcome as changing our colours to red and white, and our name to Birmingham United.

[Villan82]

Stay at Villa Park every time.

You get to 50k and there is space and ways of getting to 60k if you really need to,

Furthermore, People talk about the hospitality/business other grounds can offer- we had (originally) planned Villa Live for some of that (events, conferences bars, restaurants etc) so we have the space on the site to compete. It need not necessarily be in the interior of the stand

I am sure we can do something on Witton Lane. A new stand wouldn't necessarily need to be higher but definitely deeper maybe with a tunnel for the road.

It's Heck who did away with Villa Live and the New North Stand so if we are falling further behind on these offerings we know where to point the finger.

[pauliewalnuts]

I’ve hardly been at all for the last few seasons, after having a season ticket most years for a long time.

I’m not massively bothered about doing individual games these days because it’s a bit of a fuck about getting tickets, and I have no interest in sitting on my own in one of the individual seats left dotted around the ground.

But I would definitely buy a ST in a new North stand, and am pretty sure my brother would. I’d also stump up the money for an expensive one if the facilities matched the price.

It’s way more complicated than assuming a correlation between individual game attendees and those interested in ST purchasers.

Football for me has always been about routine. Years and years ago I used to go to a lot of away games because it had become a routine. When I had a ST we had a routine around beer and food in town before the game, Uber there, cab back, perhaps a few more in town after.

There was never any “are you going?” as we always were.

Individual games aren’t really like that though, it’s not the samef for me. Appreciate that sounds a bit weird but suspect I’m not the only one, I’m very much ST or (almost) nothing.

[Hopadop]

I'd also stay at Villa Park. We're all in this because of emotion. None of it makes sense. If you want to be hard headed and logical about it you might as well buy some shares and support the mighty Tesco against Sainsbury's.

And Villa Park is a big part of the emotion for me. Leave it and it's no longer the same club, no matter the improved income and success that may bring.

[Risso]

I’ve hardly been at all for the last few seasons, after having a season ticket most years for a long time.

I’m not massively bothered about doing individual games these days because it’s a bit of a fuck about getting tickets, and I have no interest in sitting on my own in one of the individual seats left dotted around the ground.

But I would definitely buy a ST in a new North stand, and am pretty sure my brother would. I’d also stump up the money for an expensive one if the facilities matched the price.

It’s way more complicated than assuming a correlation between individual game attendees and those interested in ST purchasers.

Football for me has always been about routine. Years and years ago I used to go to a lot of away games because it had become a routine. When I had a ST we had a routine around beer and food in town before the game, Uber there, cab back, perhaps a few more in town after.

There was never any “are you going?” as we always were.

Individual games aren’t really like that though, it’s not the samef for me. Appreciate that sounds a bit weird but suspect I’m not the only one, I’m very much ST or (almost) nothing.

Well said, and I'd say that goes for the majority of fans. For me, having a season ticket means planning my life a bit. It's important to me, but it also has to fit in with general family life. If I didn't have one, I wouldn't go to many games at all, because last minute home ticket availability wouldn't work for me as it's not often that we have a weekend without some sort of kid related thing to attend/drive them to.

[Drummond]

Interesting thread on our FFP/P&S here.

https://x.com/mattburton72/status/1742567677023945041?s=46&t=GdM6cpVxe5IloByNCRheWA

That is interesting.

The most interesting bit I took away from it was the North Stand ydevelopment and the loss of revenue for the time we were without it. Ticket and merchandise etc. could make a significant difference as to whether we can afford to sign a player or not over the next 2 or 3 years.

His estimate was £4m per year, and that's based on current numbers. Put the prices up next season of course and we have increased room to play with when we're (hopefully) going to launch a Champions League campaign.

Sorry I know this is from the transfer thread but I thought it may be useful here too as a reason for the sudden halt to the plans.

[algy]

If they don’t trust the waiting list data - how about seeing if people will put money down?

I certainly would. I’m not sure how fair that would be, but it would be a way of judging it.

But they trust it when it comes to Season Ticket Renewal time, when the prices go up and we are being threatened with being replaced by one of the 30k on the waiting list.

I've said it before and I'll say it now. Charge a £50 refundable deposit and the numbers on the list would vanish quicker than a Small Heath crowd being confronted by a bar of soap.

In some ways they're effectively doing this for GA tickets with the memberships. I don't have one now and find getting tickets on general sale quite difficult. There must be decent numbers with memberships.

I'm also on the waiting list, but I'm playing the long game given the reported length of the queue and with a hope that by the time I'm offered one, my lad will be old enough (and interested!) to go.

Yeah, we've ended up getting memberships just because getting enough seats together without one is near impossible. Very much begrudge paying it mind, but at least it means I can still go and see the Villa for the handful of Sat 3pm kickoffs that are still left!

[algy]

I'd also stay at Villa Park. We're all in this because of emotion. None of it makes sense. If you want to be hard headed and logical about it you might as well buy some shares and support the mighty Tesco against Sainsbury's.

And Villa Park is a big part of the emotion for me. Leave it and it's no longer the same club, no matter the improved income and success that may bring.

This.

I'd not be against a city centre ground in the right circumstances, but I don't think those circumstances are realistic (that we build a red brick Mecca of football & architecture basically).

However, in the absence of my idealistic vision - I think there's so much of my Villa supporting tied up with Villa Park itself.

At the Burnley game it struck me that I was sitting with my little lad in the same bit of the ground (Witton End/North Stand) that my granddad first went to see the Villa, and where my dad stood when he was younger. We've all got the same name (family tradition, alternate between being called by our first and middle name ), so it's 4 generations of Villa supporting Thomas'/Algy's , all watching same team playing on the same bit of grass from the same end. That won't be true if we ever move.

Also I like going to Ali Baba's after the game for my chips. Nice chips there.

[Ads]

A city centre ground would be great.

[VillaTim]

Stay at Villa Park every time.

You get to 50k and there is space and ways of getting to 60k if you really need to,

Furthermore, People talk about the hospitality/business other grounds can offer- we had (originally) planned Villa Live for some of that (events, conferences bars, restaurants etc) so we have the space on the site to compete. It need not necessarily be in the interior of the stand

I am sure we can do something on Witton Lane. A new stand wouldn't necessarily need to be higher but definitely deeper maybe with a tunnel for the road.

It's Heck who did away with Villa Live and the New North Stand so if we are falling further behind on these offerings we know where to point the finger.

Tunnelling is ridiculous money , can't see that happenning.
If we were to move to a City Centre ground it would need to be over our side of town and preferably near Dartmouth Circus / Aston Uni area would be superb , some good pubs round there - Sack of Potatoes / Bulls Head / Gunmakers Arms and not too far to the Bartons.

[TelfordVilla]

Villa Park will be too small in 5 years time. With 4 years to build a new ground, it needs to start pretty soon. Unfortunately we cannot use Wembley while we rebuild like spurs did. So we need to build a new ground somewhere and continue to use Villa Park whilst the build takes place. Reduced capacity at VP while we rebuild a stand at a time over 4 years is crazy.

[Risso]

I'd also stay at Villa Park. We're all in this because of emotion. None of it makes sense. If you want to be hard headed and logical about it you might as well buy some shares and support the mighty Tesco against Sainsbury's.

And Villa Park is a big part of the emotion for me. Leave it and it's no longer the same club, no matter the improved income and success that may bring.

This.

I'd not be against a city centre ground in the right circumstances, but I don't think those circumstances are realistic (that we build a red brick Mecca of football & architecture basically).

However, in the absence of my idealistic vision - I think there's so much of my Villa supporting tied up with Villa Park itself.

At the Burnley game it struck me that I was sitting with my little lad in the same bit of the ground (Witton End/North Stand) that my granddad first went to see the Villa, and where my dad stood when he was younger. We've all got the same name (family tradition, alternate between being called by our first and middle name ), so it's 4 generations of Villa supporting Thomas'/Algy's , all watching same team playing on the same bit of grass from the same end. That won't be true if we ever move.

Also I like going to Ali Baba's after the game for my chips. Nice chips there.

My great grandad was watching at Wellington Road, this modern thing means nothing to me!

[Des Little]

Is it beyond the realms to move into an expanded Alexander stadium for two years while we rebuild VP? The capacity was 30k for the games so at the very least we’d accommodate season ticket holders. Is that a non starter?