Villa Park Redevelopment

[chrisw1]

West Ham ground is awful, but it was always likely to be as it's an athletic stadium.

But look at something like the Millenium Stadium.  Arguably a basic identikit stadium but universally considered a fantastic ground which generates an incredible atmosphere.  Not many people who have been there would consdider it soulless.  It can be done and it doesn't have to cost Wembley type money to do it.

I'm not advocating a rebuild of VP, but I do think we can be more pragmatic and still have a great stadium.

[Pat Mustard]

West Ham ground is awful, but it was always likely to be as it's an athletic stadium.

But look at something like the Millenium Stadium.  Arguably a basic identikit stadium but universally considered a fantastic ground which generates an incredible atmosphere.  Not many people who have been there would consdider it soulless.  It can be done and it doesn't have to cost Wembley type money to do it.

I'm not advocating a rebuild of VP, but I do think we can be more pragmatic and still have a great stadium.

The important thing with the Millenium Stadium is that it wasn't built with the primary intention of milking as much money as possible out of corporate seats, and was designed to get the maximum number of seats into the smallest footprint - all of the stands feel as though they are on top of the playing field.  It also retained part of the old Cardiff Arms Park in it's design, so it still has a clear link to it's heritage.  If we could do a similar job with Villa Park I would be very happy.

[Nev]

You can fall out of the pub and into the ground in a few steps, that helps.

[algy]

West Ham ground is awful, but it was always likely to be as it's an athletic stadium.

But look at something like the Millenium Stadium.  Arguably a basic identikit stadium but universally considered a fantastic ground which generates an incredible atmosphere.  Not many people who have been there would consdider it soulless.  It can be done and it doesn't have to cost Wembley type money to do it.

I'm not advocating a rebuild of VP, but I do think we can be more pragmatic and still have a great stadium.

I agree there, love the Millenium Stadium. You get a really intense atmosphere there, I find. Feels like the fans are almost on top of the pitch.

I'm fine with the corners being filled in, I think, as long as the exterior of the ground keeps it's classy, old school look. I'm sure it's possible to keep the appearance of 4 separate stands up whilst having the corners filled in. As others have said, the yellow wall looks quite distinct inside Dortmund's ground. Externally some clever brick cladding (& non-identical architecture - don't try to recreate the Holte End steps) in the right places would keep the stands distinctive. Maybe clad the main part of the stands and build them out a bit, and leave the corners unclad. Or something signifying that they're separate entities - clocktowers or AV floodlights or whatever.

[PeterWithe]

I think I'm right in saying that whilst the price paid for the Millenium Stadium was comparatively low, it sent the company who built it under as they made a significant loss on it.

[eamonn]

I just hope we never leave.

I’ve spoken to several West Ham fans since their move, and they hate it. An awful bowl, no identity to them at all. Good for gigs, not for football.

Some of the new identikit grounds are just soulless and devoid of any character.

A ground with red seats... is it Southampton, is it Stoke, is it Middlesbrough? They all look exactly the same.

They're right, it's shit.

Are there any major new stadiums you do like?! And is that why you're in Mexico, to hunt for the spirit of the Estadio Azteca?! Brentford building a new ground on your doorstep was the final straw 

[chrisw1]

I think I'm right in saying that whilst the price paid for the Millenium Stadium was comparatively low, it sent the company who built it under as they made a significant loss on it.

Yes something like that.  I don't know if they wen't bust but I recall they lost significant money on it.  The cost they built the Millenium for compared to the ridiculous costs for Wembley was just incredible.

[Sexual Ealing]

I just hope we never leave.

I’ve spoken to several West Ham fans since their move, and they hate it. An awful bowl, no identity to them at all. Good for gigs, not for football.

Some of the new identikit grounds are just soulless and devoid of any character.

A ground with red seats... is it Southampton, is it Stoke, is it Middlesbrough? They all look exactly the same.

They're right, it's shit.

Are there any major new stadiums you do like?! And is that why you're in Mexico, to hunt for the spirit of the Estadio Azteca?! Brentford building a new ground on your doorstep was the final straw 

You might be onto something there. The Emirates and the West Ham abomination are the only new ones I've been to (apart from Wembley, which I strangely loved a couple of years back). I really liked Griffin Park though, so I doubt I'd have much time for the one on the M4. Mexico City is full of COVID so I won't see the Azteca on this trip, sadly.

[Rico]

I went here in the early 90s. It's the Monumental Stadium in Ecuador. Its probably the most impressive stadium I've ever been too. I think it shows that you can have an amazing stadium of four separate stands. Villa Park would in my opinion be magnificent if all of the opposing stands mirrored each other. Obviously there would be problems with Within Lane, but surely it's something that could be overcome?

[Drummond]

We could replicate The North Stand at La Bombonera. With a roof on top. It's three tiers, steep and might work...

[Toronto Villa]

We could replicate The North Stand at La Bombonera. With a roof on top. It's three tiers, steep and might work...

The atmosphere at La Bombonera is magnificent

[The Edge]

I went here in the early 90s. It's the Monumental Stadium in Ecuador. Its probably the most impressive stadium I've ever been too. I think it shows that you can have an amazing stadium of four separate stands. Villa Park would in my opinion be magnificent if all of the opposing stands mirrored each other. Obviously there would be problems with Within Lane, but surely it's something that could be overcome?

That looks fantastic I've never seen that before. How high are those end stands? And I'm loving the symmetry something a certain HDE had absolutely no concept of. Two Holte ends and two Trinity Rds opposing each other would tick all the boxes for me with the lower sections joined all around the ground in a continuous sweep.

[cdbearsfan]

Seeing as we are on the subject of South American grounds, they are renaming The Maracana "The King Pele Stadium". Shite idea, IMO. The Maracana is already iconic. Rename the Santos ground, if you must, but not The Maracana.

[john2710]

I haven't got a problem if the North Stand was to be bigger than the Holte. It's a nice problem to have. The Witton will always be hamstrung by the position of the road & housing.

Hopefully in the next 2-3 years the stadium simply isn't going to be big enough.

I wouldn't be happy about moving.

[Brazilian Villain]

Seeing as we are on the subject of South American grounds, they are renaming The Maracana "The King Pele Stadium". Shite idea, IMO. The Maracana is already iconic. Rename the Santos ground, if you must, but not The Maracana.

Saw that earlier and agree. However, it's already officially called Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho so they'll probably just change that and it will still be known as the Maracană.