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Author Topic: Villa Park Redevelopment  (Read 528623 times)

Offline The Edge

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #165 on: March 08, 2021, 03:18:49 PM »
The demolition of the old Trinity very neatly illustrates DE’s corner shop mentality. A long-term plan would’ve been necessary to retain it, conceived even before the Holte End and Witton Lane stands were redeveloped, in order to compensate for the lower capacity and reduced facilities when compared to a complete new build. Mr Aston Villa didn’t have this vision, he approached each stand as a stand-alone project, one after the other.

I enjoyed listening to Gary Naylor contextualising Aston Villa’s early 80s success in the brilliant Nessun Dorma podcast, touching on the London and Manchester press, and the role of Villa Park in the collective football consciousness.

I always think that Birmingham has a strange relationship with its past, and doesn’t value its own history enough. Perhaps the fact that Manzoni’s destruction of parts of the historic city was intended to usher in a progressive future, but instead accompanied economic downturn, is in some way to blame. You might think that either (like Manzoni) there wasn’t anything valuable to lose, or (like his opponents) that much of what was valuable had been lost. Villa Park is almost a microcosm of this, with HDE in the Manzoni role.
Anyone who has an interest in Birmingham history should try what myself and a few others did a couple of years back. We met up in town then joined the canal at Brindley Place and walked it all the way to the Swan and Mitre before heading to Villa Park. A couple of bottles of beer on the way it was a great way to get to Villa park and really interesting perspective on the city's canals. It was knackering though but we took it steady and got to the Swan and Mitre in about an hour.

Offline brian green

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #166 on: March 08, 2021, 05:01:12 PM »
Let me know if you do it again.  I would enjoy that.

Offline The Edge

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #167 on: March 08, 2021, 05:16:24 PM »
Let me know if you do it again.  I would enjoy that.
I will put it on here next time we do it

Offline cdbearsfan

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #168 on: March 08, 2021, 05:21:13 PM »
40,000 seat commonwealth games stadium. Good opportunity to get it sorted.

I think it's only going to hold 30k now, and the two temporary ends will be completely open to the elements.  Not sure if I'd fancy sitting in a temporary stand in the pissing rain in the middle of January!

If we redevelop a stand at a time I don't think we would need to move anywhere - when we were rebuilding the Holte and the Trinity we were able to use parts of the stands for some of the season, and even if not we are only losing about 7k off the capacity without the North Stand.

It really does sound like Birmingham is determined to put on the shittest, cheapest games possible. We've already decided we aren't going to bother with an athletes' village. Either do it properly or don't fucking bother.

Offline brian green

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #169 on: March 08, 2021, 05:32:14 PM »
I will see if I can dig out some of the drawings we did of the canal basin behind Baskerville House to thwart Manzoni and National Car Parks.  We lost.

Offline The Edge

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #170 on: March 08, 2021, 05:34:22 PM »
40,000 seat commonwealth games stadium. Good opportunity to get it sorted.

I think it's only going to hold 30k now, and the two temporary ends will be completely open to the elements.  Not sure if I'd fancy sitting in a temporary stand in the pissing rain in the middle of January!

If we redevelop a stand at a time I don't think we would need to move anywhere - when we were rebuilding the Holte and the Trinity we were able to use parts of the stands for some of the season, and even if not we are only losing about 7k off the capacity without the North Stand.

It really does sound like Birmingham is determined to put on the shittest, cheapest games possible. We've already decided we aren't going to bother with an athletes' village. Either do it properly or don't fucking bother.
It's not so much Birmingham it's central government. There's been nowhere near the type of investment in the city that Manchester had when they hosted the commonwealth games.Man City had a ground built for them that I believe cost them £1 and a brand new velodrome was built. Birmingham has been shortchanged by central government once again.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2021, 05:35:55 PM by The Edge »

Offline john2710

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #171 on: March 08, 2021, 09:03:08 PM »
A full Villa Park at night, bouncing, one of the greatest places on earth. The atmosphere at the Everton game at the start of last season, it was like a release of a decade of shite.

The atmosphere at the start was brilliant. The atmosphere at the end with the last minute goal was simply sensational.

I've been lucky enough to be inside Villa Park on a few occasions where the atmosphere was rocking. But that atmosphere vs Everton was unbelievable.

From memory the only ones that come close are the FA Cup game vs Arsenal in 1974 when Sammy Morgan scared the life out of Bob Wilson & the Tranmere game.

And when we're all there soon, it will be every bit as good. I can't wait...

« Last Edit: March 08, 2021, 09:07:22 PM by john2710 »

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #172 on: March 08, 2021, 09:12:31 PM »
I don't think I'll ever witness an atmosphere at VP like the Atletico Madrid game in the late 90s.

Online dave.woodhall

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #173 on: March 08, 2021, 11:27:54 PM »
I'll say now what I've said many times and will say many times again.

Villa Park is often like a morgue. You could walk past and not know there was a match on. And sometimes it's got the greatest atmosphere in football.

Offline steamer

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #174 on: March 09, 2021, 05:27:58 AM »
I would throw in the Utd LC Semi with those games
I watched the Everton game on the TV, at 63 i should stop eating onion sandwiches as they have a tearful effect on me

Offline brian green

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #175 on: March 09, 2021, 09:00:13 AM »
I remember the lows inside Villa Park as vividly as the highs.  When it was full but still like a morgue.  You have to submit to these lows.  Let them enter your soul for the rest of your life so that when you bounce back you can almost touch the stars.

Offline Scratchins

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #176 on: March 09, 2021, 09:13:55 AM »
I don't think I'll ever witness an atmosphere at VP like the Atletico Madrid game in the late 90s.

My favourite too. I've said before, it felt like a Tom & Jerry cartoon when Stan scored with  the stands bursting out and back again.


Offline Clive W

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #177 on: March 09, 2021, 11:00:32 AM »
I would throw in the Utd LC Semi with those games
I watched the Everton game on the TV, at 63 i should stop eating onion sandwiches as they have a tearful effect on me
Or how about Jan 1981 2-0 against Liverpool?
40 years ago but can still hear myself screaming:-
“Go on Dennis!!!!”
“Go on Dennis!!!!”
“Go on Dennis!!!!”
“Goalllllllll!!!!!”

Offline FatSam

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #178 on: March 09, 2021, 11:06:38 AM »
Anyone who has an interest in Birmingham history should try what myself and a few others did a couple of years back. We met up in town then joined the canal at Brindley Place and walked it all the way to the Swan and Mitre before heading to Villa Park. A couple of bottles of beer on the way it was a great way to get to Villa park and really interesting perspective on the city's canals. It was knackering though but we took it steady and got to the Swan and Mitre in about an hour.
That's a great idea for something to do pre-match.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2021, 11:08:42 AM by FatSam »

Offline FatSam

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Re: Villa Park Redevelopment
« Reply #179 on: March 09, 2021, 11:11:41 AM »
I'd almost have no issue with a bowl-type effect if they rebuilt the North Stand. but leave the Holte as a stand on it's own, I guess actually that would then be a horseshoe?

Anyway, I reckon we could get planning permission to build the Witton Stand over the road, as we have with the Trinity. I also think there's a huge amount of space to re-do the North as a monster of a stand.

In terms of capacity to aim for, I think 50k is conservative, we should go for more.

You'd be imposing on the housing behind Witton Lane.

And building over the road would do nothing to improve the concourse areas in the lower Witton, which is a large part of the problem with the current stand.
Yes, I don't think building over roads is ever a very good idea. It just about works on Trinity Road because it is open to the park on the one side, and it's only covered for a slice off the corner of the ground, but imagine what the entire length of Witton Lane stand would be like as a covered space, especially for pedestrians on a non-match night. 

 


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