Villa Park Redevelopment

[Dogtanian]

We have a lot of land on the current site, just frustratingly not in the right shape.

You could fit a Spurs-size stadium in there in two ways;

• Centred just behind the North Stand - but only by removing the houses by the coach park and on McGregor Close.
• Centred roughly in the same place, but shifted towards Aston Hall - but only if we re-routed Trinity Rd and took up part of the land on the other side.

I'd definitely be in favour of the second option as it keeps the ground where it is, doesn't mean taking over houses, and still leaves plenty of space for other things around the ground.

[Chris Harte]

I'm not the slightest bit convinced that there will be a rebuild in the current location.

Realistically, how big would Villa Park need to be, longer term. Spurs and Arsenal appear to have set their stalls out on low 60k, with no obvious way to expand either THS or Emirates. Meanwhile, Old Trafford is at 75k but is apparently falling down, an issue Yanited's owners will have to.address sooner or later.

A move away would take a long time to come to fruition because of planning, red tape, etc, and anger a lot of supporters. The only disruption here would be that of everyone's matchday routine being scuppered, as it will be for Everton fans in a few seasons.

Knocking down and rebuilding would cause an immense amount of disruption at best, at worst it would require a ground share with those oh-so-loveable Boing-Boings.

Meanwhile, flattening the North Stand and rebuilding is the obvious way to go, given that it is the smallest of the four stands currently. A further expansion of the HDE could come along later if there is thought to be demand. I think the purchase of properties behind the stand, while not everyone's cup of tea, would be inevitable in the event of such an expansion.

[Walmley_Villa]

I am too lazy to quote whoever it was but somebody mentioned the plans for the training ground.

With all due respect I couldn't care less about the training ground right now. They seem to have redeveloped Bodymoor Heath 5 or 6 times since about 2007.

Unai wants a player/staff hotel similar to Man City - I'm assuming this is part of it

[Dogtanian]

I'm not the slightest bit convinced that there will be a rebuild in the current location.

Realistically, how big would Villa Park need to be, longer term. Spurs and Arsenal appear to have set their stalls out on low 60k, with no obvious way to expand either THS or Emirates. Meanwhile, Old Trafford is at 75k but is apparently falling down, an issue Yanited's owners will have to.address sooner or later.

A move away would take a long time to come to fruition because of planning, red tape, etc, and anger a lot of supporters. The only disruption here would be that of everyone's matchday routine being scuppered, as it will be for Everton fans in a few seasons.

Knocking down and rebuilding would cause an immense amount of disruption at best, at worst it would require a ground share with those oh-so-loveable Boing-Boings.

Meanwhile, flattening the North Stand and rebuilding is the obvious way to go, given that it is the smallest of the four stands currently. A further expansion of the HDE could come along later if there is thought to be demand. I think the purchase of properties behind the stand, while not everyone's cup of tea, would be inevitable in the event of such an expansion.

That's true if it were still the case that everyone just wants more seats. Stadium design has shifted to offering premium experiences that people will pay more for. The number of seats at the Spurs ground isn't what's generating them an extra £60m a year - it's all the more expensive premium experiences the new ground allows them to offer.

We can add seats, but we are limited on space in offering those premium options in our existing stands. Hence the issues with the Holte End - they're trying to have their cake and eat it, and it's not working.

A new stadium will not only allow us to increase seats, but will allow us to generate more revenue offering premium experiences to those that will pay, without aliening those of us who just want a spot we can sit and stand in for the game and no more.

[pablo_picasso]

I'm as pissed off as the next man that ground redevelopments have been shelved. I couldn't wait for a new North stand then a new Doug Ellis stand. We would have had a truly unique 60k wonder stadium.

But to say we are now gonna be left behind and can't reach the next level staying as is for the next several years is untrue.

Chelsea have the exact same size stadium. Has it stopped them becoming a world force with several Premier leagues and Champions Leagues to there name? No.

But Chelsea had the advantage of a wealthy money laundering (allegedly) owner who poured silly money into the club before FFP was invented so that other clubs could not catch up by using the same tactic.

They then utilised the academy sale & longer contracts to get round FFP, & then again, the loophole was closed so that others couldn't use the same tactic.

Chelsea & ManC have had extraordinary benefits to catapult themselves into a position where their sponsorship income can cover the lack of seats for Chelsea, & lack of arses on seats for ManC, that Villa have not had.

So we need to build our revenue to be able to compete in other ways, & tbh, the only real thing we can do at this stage in our development is to build more seats in the stadium...

[VillaTim]

any new stadium would be at least 7-8 years away from a ball being kicked there , probably longer unless its Perry Barr extension. I think what Heck might be doing is not wanting to blow £100M on the North stand whilst all options are reviewed again in full.

[Dogtanian]

any new stadium would be at least 7-8 years away from a ball being kicked there , probably longer unless its Perry Barr extension. I think what Heck might be doing is not wanting to blow £100M on the North stand whilst all options are reviewed again in full.

Exactly. Look at the grief over a badge, imagine the reaction when they spend £100m+ on a stand and then within two years announce they want to build a new stadium.

[pablo_picasso]

I could stomach a rebuild on the current site as long as that red brick façade is left absolutely fucking pristine and untouched. Actually, build red brick façades round the whole god damn ground.

This.

Architecturally The Holte End is the single most beautiful section of any football ground in the whole world.

Keep that style as a façade all around the stadium...

[olaftab]

Buy up Aston Park and build the stadium around the Hall, therefore being the only place in the world you can enjoy world class matchday hospitality inside a 17th century Jacobean house.

Stick that up your cheese room, Spurs.

If Mary Holte turns up and sits in my seat I will be pissed off or sitting in her lap

[Russ aka Big Nose]

More than likely never going to happen ... though I am warming to the idea of two seasons at a 40,000-seater upgraded Alexander Stadium and then back into a new Villa Park on the existing site.

I'm not going to second guess the best option of moving the pitch 100 yards in one direction or 90 degree turns or whatever, but it would be great to see it opened for 2027/28 to mark our 130th anniversary at Villa Park.

I might just check if Alexander Stadium has any major events planned in the next couple of years. 

[Risso]

I could stomach a rebuild on the current site as long as that red brick façade is left absolutely fucking pristine and untouched. Actually, build red brick façades round the whole god damn ground.

This.

Architecturally The Holte End is the single most beautiful section of any football ground in the whole world.

Keep that style as a façade all around the stadium...

It's just a relatively new red brick wall, not hard to do at all.

[pablo_picasso]

I could stomach a rebuild on the current site as long as that red brick façade is left absolutely fucking pristine and untouched. Actually, build red brick façades round the whole god damn ground.

This.

Architecturally The Holte End is the single most beautiful section of any football ground in the whole world.

Keep that style as a façade all around the stadium...

It's just a relatively new red brick wall, not hard to do at all.

Yeah, I have seen it done in cladding sheets, as opposed to actual proper brick walls.

Its only the effect we are after, so the cladding would do well enough on a modern structure...

[Percy McCarthy]

My guess is that releasing the news now is so that most people forget about it over Christmas.

It seems like a radical change without a further plan at this point. I very much doubt that's the case, but perhaps they just aren't at a point to share what the new plan is?

If it's a move, that's fucking huge.
If it's rail seating, it's radical.
Maybe ticket sales are about right, there's demand enough to sell out but not enough to sell an additional 10k.
Maybe they'll fill in the corners.
Perhaps it's brinkmanship to get Witton Station done.
Perhaps they realise that better facilities in what we've got will be more of a revenue generator.
Do the outside first, get revenue per head up before developing.

Of course the ground would look super shit to everyone else if we get Champions League and then have to play in reduced capacity and who knows the effect it could have.

We're 150 next year, and if we do that well it will improve our standing. I suspect there are good plans for it.

What I don't get right now is the reason people are so pissed off.

I'm guessing you're not one of those on the waiting list. I've waited for years for me and my two sons to be able to get season tickets together. My youngest enlisted us and we're about 9000th on the list.This has come as a kick in the teeth for us and the worst part is the cold way it was announced just "it's not happening" without any suggestion of what actually WILL be happening. So yes I'm pissed off about it and I believe I have every right to be alongside the thousands of other genuine hopefuls who joined the waiting list.

Me and my two are numbered about 35,000 and something on the list. We had to drop to the bottom when my daughter got the bug - there’s no way me and my son could have season tickets without her now.

Yours, Pissed Off, Chelmsley Wood.

[VillaTim]

I could stomach a rebuild on the current site as long as that red brick façade is left absolutely fucking pristine and untouched. Actually, build red brick façades round the whole god damn ground.

This.

Architecturally The Holte End is the single most beautiful section of any football ground in the whole world.

Keep that style as a façade all around the stadium...

It's just a relatively new red brick wall, not hard to do at all.

the old trinity facade should have been a listed building

[dave.woodhall]

I could stomach a rebuild on the current site as long as that red brick façade is left absolutely fucking pristine and untouched. Actually, build red brick façades round the whole god damn ground.

This.

Architecturally The Holte End is the single most beautiful section of any football ground in the whole world.

Keep that style as a façade all around the stadium...

It's just a relatively new red brick wall, not hard to do at all.

the old trinity facade should have been a listed building

It couldn't be listed for reasons gone into many times.