Villa Park Redevelopment

[Nev]

We queued fir 20 minutes fir the train at Aston Station, there were loads behind us but when the train left it was half empty.

[chrisw1]

I was at the Springsteen concert standing on the pitch and tbh I was amazed how tatty the stadium looks when the seats are empty.  Discoloured seats, faded signs and cladding etc.  Even the padded director's box seats are different colours.  I've never really felt like that on match days but for me it all looked very cheap and faded, in real need a refurb.  People I was with all commented similarly.

I know people will say it's what happens on the pitch that matters, but that's not my point.

[Gareth]

I was at the Springsteen gig on Friday, after a cheeky few in the Barton Arms heading to Villa Park was easy enough, arriving at the ground the ground was in effect split into four zones, A,B,C & D - with fans heading to that zone to access the ground with lots of Harris type fencing preventing you from walking around the ground like on a match day.
Getting home was an absolute nightmare, even as someone who know various routes back home. The road closure heading towards the city centre between spaghetti junction and Aston Train station meant loads of people not familiar with the area looking aimlessly at trying to get back into the city centre. No extra trains either from what I gather.

A superb gig, with lots of people from outside of the city very complimentary of the stadium but in disbelief at how shit it was to get away. Crazy really when right next to a motorway junction and two railway stations a few minutes walk away. (They did put on shuttle buses to be fair but I think a lot of folk didn't want to sit in the traffic for so long and took their chances with public transport)

I found it brilliant to get away by car….much much easier than Bon Jovi a few years back when it took well over an hour to get to the m6.  Friday parked on Victoria Road and when got back to car was out onto expressway inside 2 mins.  Wish it was like that match day as normally park on Aston manor coaches and it can take 45 mins+ to get over the roundabout by Motorpoint and up to expressway.   

[DB]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

[VILLA MOLE]

I have parked right next to the inner ring road at the last few games .  It is a good 30 minute walk to the ground but easier to get out .

Need some Disney like trains going up and down the surrounding area

[Villan82]

Villa Park has looked fantastic until quite recently. The seats appear to have discoloured quite recently after holding up well for the guts of 25 years.

[dave.woodhall]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

[VILLA MOLE]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

The thought of moving to a new Lego stadium does not appeal

[LeeB]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

Especially not since they've up everything just east of it for the bloody HS2

[ChicagoLion]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

Out of interest where is there somewhere suitable in or near Birmingham?
I am still pretty sure that many of the problems with VP are solvable with organisation imagination and commitment.

[LeeB]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

Out of interest where is there somewhere suitable in or near Birmingham?
I am still pretty sure that many of the problems with VP are solvable with organisation imagination and commitment.

I agree, it shouldn't be too hard, but I think it just exposes how acutely piss poor public transport in our city is as a whole rather than specifically around Villa Park

[dave.woodhall]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

Out of interest where is there somewhere suitable in or near Birmingham?
I am still pretty sure that many of the problems with VP are solvable with organisation imagination and commitment.

I go back to what Simon Inglis said - the best place is Villa Park with better transport.

[ChicagoLion]

I think it has held the City back for decades.

[ChicagoLion]

Maybe the club threaten to move to a site nr the NEC to get the transport issue moving. Moving Villa to Solihul, def no for me but may focus a few people at BCC.

There's no suitable land near the NEC.

Out of interest where is there somewhere suitable in or near Birmingham?
I am still pretty sure that many of the problems with VP are solvable with organisation imagination and commitment.

I go back to what Simon Inglis said - the best place is Villa Park with better transport.

and if you took our existing problems to a brand new stadium it would still be a shit show.

[LeeB]

I think it has held the City back for decades.

Yeah, me too. And we get this fucking hugely disruptive white elephant of the HS2 instead which will mean you can get to London faster than you can get from Castle Bromwich to say Northfield