Quote from: dave.woodhall on March 03, 2021, 10:19:45 PMQuote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 06:12:30 PMQuote from: andyh on March 03, 2021, 05:48:41 PMIs an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?It absolutely is. We have always had a top stadium. We currently have 2 stands which are nowhere near that standard. Penny pinching on the Witton lane stand and financial skullduggery on the North Stand are the reasons behind the current state of affairs. 2 brand spanking new state of the art stands would put Villa Park back in it's rightful place as one of England's finest stadiums. Witton Lane was built on the cheap but the North Stand was state of the art at the time.It was state of the art but was nothing like the stand it should of been. I believe that people were jailed due to financial irregularities surrounding its construction.
Quote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 06:12:30 PMQuote from: andyh on March 03, 2021, 05:48:41 PMIs an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?It absolutely is. We have always had a top stadium. We currently have 2 stands which are nowhere near that standard. Penny pinching on the Witton lane stand and financial skullduggery on the North Stand are the reasons behind the current state of affairs. 2 brand spanking new state of the art stands would put Villa Park back in it's rightful place as one of England's finest stadiums. Witton Lane was built on the cheap but the North Stand was state of the art at the time.
Quote from: andyh on March 03, 2021, 05:48:41 PMIs an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?It absolutely is. We have always had a top stadium. We currently have 2 stands which are nowhere near that standard. Penny pinching on the Witton lane stand and financial skullduggery on the North Stand are the reasons behind the current state of affairs. 2 brand spanking new state of the art stands would put Villa Park back in it's rightful place as one of England's finest stadiums.
Is an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?
They didn't go to prison but there were a couple of fraud convictions. There was nothing wrong with the stand, it was the best in the country at the time, it just cost more than it should have done.
Both Witton and Trinity were built on the cheap? They certainly look that way. Trinity facade has got better in recent years, but when it was first built it looked awful.
Quote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 11:28:02 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on March 03, 2021, 10:19:45 PMQuote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 06:12:30 PMQuote from: andyh on March 03, 2021, 05:48:41 PMIs an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?It absolutely is. We have always had a top stadium. We currently have 2 stands which are nowhere near that standard. Penny pinching on the Witton lane stand and financial skullduggery on the North Stand are the reasons behind the current state of affairs. 2 brand spanking new state of the art stands would put Villa Park back in it's rightful place as one of England's finest stadiums. Witton Lane was built on the cheap but the North Stand was state of the art at the time.It was state of the art but was nothing like the stand it should of been. I believe that people were jailed due to financial irregularities surrounding its construction.They didn't go to prison but there were a couple of fraud convictions. There was nothing wrong with the stand, it was the best in the country at the time, it just cost more than it should have done.
Quote from: DB on March 04, 2021, 09:16:32 AMBoth Witton and Trinity were built on the cheap? They certainly look that way. Trinity facade has got better in recent years, but when it was first built it looked awful.The Witton was definitely done as cheaply as it could have been. Trinity wasn't that bad but a comparatively small amount extra could have made it spectacular.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on March 03, 2021, 11:44:30 PMQuote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 11:28:02 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on March 03, 2021, 10:19:45 PMQuote from: The Edge on March 03, 2021, 06:12:30 PMQuote from: andyh on March 03, 2021, 05:48:41 PMIs an increase of capacity of around 8k worth it for what it would cost ?It absolutely is. We have always had a top stadium. We currently have 2 stands which are nowhere near that standard. Penny pinching on the Witton lane stand and financial skullduggery on the North Stand are the reasons behind the current state of affairs. 2 brand spanking new state of the art stands would put Villa Park back in it's rightful place as one of England's finest stadiums. Witton Lane was built on the cheap but the North Stand was state of the art at the time.It was state of the art but was nothing like the stand it should of been. I believe that people were jailed due to financial irregularities surrounding its construction.They didn't go to prison but there were a couple of fraud convictions. There was nothing wrong with the stand, it was the best in the country at the time, it just cost more than it should have done.I knew something dodgy went on. The space is there to do something special at that end. It's long overdue.
The North Stand needs to go and should be first to go. Put capacity aside for a minute, the facilities in there are horrific. It doesn't feel safe in the concourse. It is dark, it is cramped. It is just awful. I know it was a great stand in its day but like a lot of builds of that era it has not stood the test of time. If we are honest the late 1970s built North Stand already looked dated by the early 2000s whereas the stands built in the 1990s still look impressive.I know the Witton Lane stand is quite mundane but it is not as urgent as the North Stand. Also, I think the Witton Lane stand looks quite OK from outside.
One of the big problems with that space is car parking, both in terms of capacity and revenue.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on March 04, 2021, 12:02:05 PMOne of the big problems with that space is car parking, both in terms of capacity and revenue.With the shop and the academy/stumps there's a lot of space that could be better used along there.