Villa Park Redevelopment

[john e]

I know Birmingham and the Midland area in general is an area where there is a lot of wealthy people
I just don’t think Aston Villa is a club that attracts the corporate type of person, it’s just not our identity.

 We have traditionally garnered support from Birmingham and surrounding areas in the West Midlands. We used to have a massive walk up following on match day, probably more than most
I would even suggest our fan base who attend matches are more working-classish than those of the glory glory clubs, I recognise thats a sweeping statement and have no actual evidence to back it up. It’s just a feeling

And that’s why the lower grounds and the emphasis on more corporate and hospitality uptake is not going down well and gets booed every time it’s even mentioned
Makes you think they might be flogging a dead horse

You’ve got to understand your fan base, what they are, where they come from what it is that drives them and I believe at Villa it’s different from other clubs

I think Heck sees everyone as the same sort of cash cow and what works at one place will also work at another.
 and if I’m honest I don’t trust him

[ChicagoLion]

But the Corporate Stuff sells out and there is a waiting list.

[Risso]

There's a big market for corporate at Villa. They do it very well indeed. There's also  big market for fairly priced normal tickets. What I'm not sure there's such a demand for, is expensive half way measures like the Terrace View. Nobody is ever going to use it to take a client, and it makes an already not cheap normal match day stupidly expensive. Some people might use it for a one off treat, but I can't imagone many people doing it regularly.

[LeeB]

There's a big market for corporate at Villa. They do it very well indeed. There's also  big market for fairly priced normal tickets. What I'm not sure there's such a demand for, is expensive half way measures like the Terrace View. Nobody is ever going to use it to take a client, and it makes an already not cheap normal match day stupidly expensive. Some people might use it for a one off treat, but I can't imagone many people doing it regularly.

The only reason I've potentially considered it is to take my Mom to a match for the first time, as it would give us a chance to get transport to and from the ground without hassle.

[frank black]

There's a big market for corporate at Villa. They do it very well indeed. There's also  big market for fairly priced normal tickets. What I'm not sure there's such a demand for, is expensive half way measures like the Terrace View. Nobody is ever going to use it to take a client, and it makes an already not cheap normal match day stupidly expensive. Some people might use it for a one off treat, but I can't imagone many people doing it regularly.

The only reason I've potentially considered it is to take my Mom to a match for the first time, as it would give us a chance to get transport to and from the ground without hassle.

It doesn’t differentiate itself enough IMO. It’s not better seating wise, not better food wise and not better drinks wise. Ultimately it forces you to work out the sums and realise it’s just not good value for money. For me to pay extra, I’d want it to feel “special” in some way.

[Dave P]

There's a big market for corporate at Villa. They do it very well indeed. There's also  big market for fairly priced normal tickets. What I'm not sure there's such a demand for, is expensive half way measures like the Terrace View. Nobody is ever going to use it to take a client, and it makes an already not cheap normal match day stupidly expensive. Some people might use it for a one off treat, but I can't imagone many people doing it regularly.

Correct. Corporate in the truest sense of the word is when companies buy packages to woo clients.  I can imagine, in a 50-100 mile radius of VP, there are many a senior executive who knows little about football or, dare I say it, supports someone else, who would love to have a package at Villa Park.

[Gareth]

Haven’t done hospitality for a few years now but what are prices per person nowadays?

[VILLA MOLE]

So change the Witton Lane into totally corporate space say 5000 capacity  rejig the space

Then make the North Stand 20000 beast for the normal fan. sorted !!

[LeeB]

There's a big market for corporate at Villa. They do it very well indeed. There's also  big market for fairly priced normal tickets. What I'm not sure there's such a demand for, is expensive half way measures like the Terrace View. Nobody is ever going to use it to take a client, and it makes an already not cheap normal match day stupidly expensive. Some people might use it for a one off treat, but I can't imagone many people doing it regularly.

The only reason I've potentially considered it is to take my Mom to a match for the first time, as it would give us a chance to get transport to and from the ground without hassle.

It doesn’t differentiate itself enough IMO. It’s not better seating wise, not better food wise and not better drinks wise. Ultimately it forces you to work out the sums and realise it’s just not good value for money. For me to pay extra, I’d want it to feel “special” in some way.

Absolutely Frank, I would be buying it solely to have somewhere warm to sit whilst the crowds disperse.

[Pat Mustard]

Whatever the thinking behind it is, we deserve to know a bit more about what the future plans are and when they are likely to happen.  For all of the talk about how realistic the 30k waiting list is, my personal experience is that as a family I am the only ST holder and have been on the waiting list since it opened waiting for 2 more tickets - we would buy them tomorrow if we could (but not at the current going rate of a Lower Grounds/Terrace View GA+ package however). 

The problem is, if we aren't able to get them soon then as my daughter gets older we may well drop off the list - in just a few years time she could well be at University, working away etc and will no longer want or need one  For every year that passes we will lose more people on the list in that situation, and all the time our ST base is growing steadily older.  Right now there is a demonstrable need to increase capacity, and we are losing out the longer it isn't addressed so the communication from Heck and the club has to improve.  As someone else said, if we aren't rebuilding the North Stand then tell us what you are doing instead - alternatively we risk losing a lot of these people as potential ST holders forever.

Just as an aside, whatever happens the North Stand really can't exist in it's current form for much longer anyway. At getting on for 50 years old now it's just about the oldest part of any ground left in the current top 10 in the Premier League, so tell us how it's going to be addressed.

[chrisw1]

And of the numbers the Terrace View is getting, don't forget a big percentage of those will be people who saw it as an opportunity to jump the waiting list as opposed to having a specific desire for a premium offering.  That source has now been tapped and won't be repeatable if more GA+ becomes available.

[hipkiss92]

So change the Witton Lane into totally corporate space say 5000 capacity  rejig the space

Then make the North Stand 20000 beast for the normal fan. sorted !!

La Bombarena style vertical stand on Witton Lane side. Solves the space issue building over the road / towards the houses too.

[LeeB]

Just put another tier on top of the Witton made entirely of transparent perspex, thus solving the light issue for the homes in Witton.

[artvandelay]

People are saying the hospitality is sold out and has a waiting list... weren't they trying to sell it (separate from the TV and LG) at half time on Saturday? Seems odd to do that if there's nothing to sell...

[KevinGage]

Just put another tier on top of the Witton made entirely of transparent perspex, thus solving the light issue for the homes in Witton.

Or instead of a retractable roof, a retractable upper tier. Push it in and out on match day.