Villa Park Redevelopment

[tomd2103]

Leaves three options imo:

- No redevelopment at all, despite the need for it. Could see the club doing this if CL revenues are imminent.

- They can redevelop the stand without demolishing it. No idea how, but Liverpool have just done similar.

- They've costed a new ground and it's cheaper in the long run. Any HS2 land going begging?

I've said it on here before, but I've just had a feeling for a while now that option 3 is being seriously considered.  Might be wandering into conspiracy theory territory, but is it just a coincidence that this is announced not long after a new investment deal is announced.

[PeterWithe]

You would imagine that trying to buy all the property up to \Witton Rd might be a good investment

[The Edge]

I drove through town today and past the old wholesale markets site that is now called Smithfield. It's still a huge derelict site and not a spade has been put in the ground regarding the proposed developments there. They used it for the commonwealth games two years ago and it held various events last summer. It got me thinking that's all. I would HATE us to leave Villa Park full stop.

[Villan82]

Leaves three options imo:

- No redevelopment at all, despite the need for it. Could see the club doing this if CL revenues are imminent.

- They can redevelop the stand without demolishing it. No idea how, but Liverpool have just done similar.

- They've costed a new ground and it's cheaper in the long run. Any HS2 land going begging?

I've said it on here before, but I've just had a feeling for a while now that option 3 is being seriously considered.  Might be wandering into conspiracy theory territory, but is it just a coincidence that this is announced not long after a new investment deal is announced.

We have acres of space behind the North Stand. They previously said they had considered movign and decided against. But with flip flop heck around who knows.

[PeterWithe]

Leaves three options imo:

- No redevelopment at all, despite the need for it. Could see the club doing this if CL revenues are imminent.

- They can redevelop the stand without demolishing it. No idea how, but Liverpool have just done similar.

- They've costed a new ground and it's cheaper in the long run. Any HS2 land going begging?

I've said it on here before, but I've just had a feeling for a while now that option 3 is being seriously considered.  Might be wandering into conspiracy theory territory, but is it just a coincidence that this is announced not long after a new investment deal is announced.

The thing that really, really worries me is that it lines up with US investors in both us and that lot, the council being skint and wanting to maximise land values. 

[BC Villain]

Would they consider a compulsory PO of the land and properties around Villa Park?

[PeterWithesShin]

Heck is clearly a bad person, like some hybrid of Gary Lineker and Matty Cash.

[Risso]

I understand the differing views on it. It wouldn't be an ideal time to knock down a stand if we're playing Champions League football, it would actually be a shame because fans would miss out and we'd lose revenue but like someone else said, we might only last a couple of games in it anyway if we did make it. If that's one of his reasons for halting it, I kind of get it. I'd have liked them to have gone ahead with though personally.

That's about where I am.

There's never an ideal time. But all those grounds with much bigger capacities than ours aren't regretting the decision to build their stands now the increased income is coming in. A football stand in the Premier League is about as guaranteed to give you a return on your investment as it's possible to get. They'll happily spend £50m and £10m a year on wages for a player who might turn out to be shit and worth fuck all in three years, but add thouands of seats on that's going to increase revenue every year for the rest of time, no we won't bother with that. It's madness.

I agree but Heck is as detached as can be from fan base and is making decisions on a completely different basis to us. I suspect there's something in the numbers to suggest that, if we make the top 4 and get into the champions league, we'd be making a massive mistake to then immediately reduce the capacity for 2 years. I suspect what will happen is we'll implement everything we can to make it easier for the current crowd to spend more money, with better food and drink options, an expanded shop, etc so we can ride the wave of goodwill. I'd also expect us to use the time to review the plans and see if there are ways to go ahead with the work but without such an extended drop in seats or if there's any 'quick' fix options to raise capacity elsewhere so we can stay as close to the 40k+ mark as possible.

I don't like it but if you step back and are really cold about it I think it makes sense, if we get CL football. If we fall away it looks like a bad decision.

Even if you get to the final of the Champions League, how many extra home games is that, 6? So if we qualify two years running, AND we get to the final both years, we'd miss out on the revenue for 12 games. (Plus the usual league games of course). But now look at the revenue for league and European games for years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 etc, plus all the summer concerts and what not.

[PeterWithe]

If you look at the footprint of VP, moving the Trinity Road a bit further into Aston Hall Grounds is feasable, then giving scope to extend the Holte?

[dave.woodhall]

Would they consider a compulsory PO of the land and properties around Villa Park?

I hope not. We're not Liverpool.

[curiousorange]

I drove through town today and past the old wholesale markets site that is now called Smithfield. It's still a huge derelict site and not a spade has been put in the ground regarding the proposed developments there. They used it for the commonwealth games two years ago and it held various events last summer. It got me thinking that's all. I would HATE us to leave Villa Park full stop.

I have no idea if it's big enough for a stadium, but a city centre ground negates the need for road and rail links for fans.

[langleylions]

What i find so strange is , why announce it today ? 2 days before we could be potentially top of the league , and with all the goodwill around the team & manager , i find the off field action too reminicent of dougs time ffs , so smalltime even the noses are taking the piss on sha

[BC Villain]

Would they consider a compulsory PO of the land and properties around Villa Park?

I hope not. We're not Liverpool.

I'd imagine nothing will be off the table.  Did Arsenal not do that as well?

[Malandro]

He’s a bottler or a bullshitter. 

Not sure why he’d be either of those, it’s not his money and there appears to be plenty of it to be spent.

[paul_e]

Yes Paul but I am almost 35 years watching this club spurn golden opportunities to reach its potential and this Heck announcement has an all too familiar ring to it.

I get that and if the guy above Heck was Doug or Lerner I'd understand the worry but I just don't think this pair would let things go that way so I'm holding to the fact that Heck has only been able to announce this because he's convinced them that we'll increase revenues faster, and more sustainably, by doing it differently.