Villa Park Redevelopment

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I wonder if you could get a middle tier in the North for corporate by getting rid of the boxes? That's probably the only place you could add a few hundred seats.

Anything they do there would be an improvement, those boxes are an embarrassment, behind glass that doesn't open, it's like watching the game on TV. But to repeat myself for the umpteenth time, just knock the fucking thing down and get it rebuilt, then do the Witton. We can't afford to be stuck in a 42K seater stadium for the next ten years.

When I went on the tour the bit where those boxes must have their "concourse" was very fancy. I'm not sure on numbers, but there's 20 boxes- 10 people a go(?) that's a silly use of space. We could hollow out that space for genuine GA+/corporate and get a fancy tier in to satisfy some of the demand that might take us to 44,000 at least. Better than nowt and I cannot really see anywhere else viable for additional seats. I agree the boxes look dire.

Get rid of the first aid hole and add a hundred more seats in the normal lower North. Few little things we could do.

[London Villan]

There's loads of space behind those boxes in the north with loads of 70s exposed concrete for the brutalist fans. It could be done - but it was cost a few million.

[LeeB]

I wonder if you could get a middle tier in the North for corporate by getting rid of the boxes? That's probably the only place you could add a few hundred seats.

Anything they do there would be an improvement, those boxes are an embarrassment, behind glass that doesn't open, it's like watching the game on TV. But to repeat myself for the umpteenth time, just knock the fucking thing down and get it rebuilt, then do the Witton. We can't afford to be stuck in a 42K seater stadium for the next ten years.

They've already taken out one level of the boxes to make the Gas Lamp lounge or whatever it's called.

[Simon Page]

I wonder how long until someone decides to use the space directly above the pitch. You build a glass viewing platform that covers the entire space from stand to stand in all directions, 100feet up in the air. You then allocate standing spaces with spectators watching from above (by looking down past their own shoes). The perspective would be mind blowing. I reckon you could fit another 5,000 in that way. It would also serve as a roof so keeping all the noise from the main crowd in the stadium.

That is an obviously batshit idea. I approve of it in the strongest terms.

You need to think about cost/be more Doug. Just thin netting for catching any of our 10,000 drones. Rent out the drones on a match-by-match basis (with a landing fee), maybe across the Far East. Do a deal with Deliveroo for the half time rootbeer and dawg franchise. Reduces the police invoice too. Add in commentary or, for the GAGA+++ version, a mute button. They can be individually branded with different crests.

[algy]

I wonder how long until someone decides to use the space directly above the pitch. You build a glass viewing platform that covers the entire space from stand to stand in all directions, 100feet up in the air. You then allocate standing spaces with spectators watching from above (by looking down past their own shoes). The perspective would be mind blowing. I reckon you could fit another 5,000 in that way. It would also serve as a roof so keeping all the noise from the main crowd in the stadium.

That is an obviously batshit idea. I approve of it in the strongest terms.

This is the future of the VillaDrome.

With all the fancy improvements in artificial turf, might it be possible to have glass under the pitch too?  Have a giant cheese room underneath the pitch where everyone can gaze at SJM's arse from below, whilst munching on some fancy Comte and those posh charcoal black crackers you can get from Waitrose. 

[Brend'Watkins]

What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

[AV82EC]

I wonder how long until someone decides to use the space directly above the pitch. You build a glass viewing platform that covers the entire space from stand to stand in all directions, 100feet up in the air. You then allocate standing spaces with spectators watching from above (by looking down past their own shoes). The perspective would be mind blowing. I reckon you could fit another 5,000 in that way. It would also serve as a roof so keeping all the noise from the main crowd in the stadium.

That is an obviously batshit idea. I approve of it in the strongest terms.

This is the future of the VillaDrome.

With all the fancy improvements in artificial turf, might it be possible to have glass under the pitch too?  Have a giant cheese room underneath the pitch where everyone can gaze at SJM's arse from below, whilst munching on some fancy Comte and those posh charcoal black crackers you can get from Waitrose.

Comte and charcoal sourdough crackers from Waitrose, now we’re talking. Take my money…..

[Nev]

What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

I recall they were put in for extra press capacity during Euro '96. The access is rudimentary and with no facilities there is no scope for corporate use so you just see cameras and the like up there.

Thinking about it Heck could have a look. Yeah, Trinity View - fan focussed experience at £60 a pop and a free plastic bottle to piss into, handed to you as start to climb the steel ladder to your bench seat. Premium seats in the middle at £80, with a see though polythene screen to keep that cutting wind out.

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What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

Isn't it for the TV up there? Not sure where you'd be able to put facilities, but the view would be tremendous.

[LeeB]

What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

Isn't it for the TV up there? Not sure where you'd be able to put facilities, but the view would be tremendous.

Get a couple of thousand in up there, call it the 'Olympic Gallery' as you need to be an olympian to get up and down the ladder to it.

[Ads]

What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

Isn't it for the TV up there? Not sure where you'd be able to put facilities, but the view would be tremendous.

Get a couple of thousand in up there, call it the 'Olympic Gallery' as you need to be an olympian to get up and down the ladder to it.

We could use the same technology that they have for Air/Galaxy at Alton Towers to fix people into the roof and then angle them down to face the action.

[olaftab]

Thinking about it Heck could have a look. Yeah, Trinity View - fan focussed experience at £60 a pop and a free plastic bottle to piss into, handed to you as start to climb the steel ladder to your bench seat. Premium seats in the middle at £80, with a see though polythene screen to keep that cutting wind out.

Surely the privileged seatolders will be entitled to piss on the plebs in DE Upper?

[Gareth]

Thinking about it Heck could have a look. Yeah, Trinity View - fan focussed experience at £60 a pop and a free plastic bottle to piss into, handed to you as start to climb the steel ladder to your bench seat. Premium seats in the middle at £80, with a see though polythene screen to keep that cutting wind out.

Surely the privileged seatolders will be entitled to piss on the plebs in DE Upper?

Wouldn’t be much different to the bogs in that stand now

[Brend'Watkins]

What is happening with the boxes shell units high up in the Doug Ellis. They have been there an age doing absolutely nothing.  Were they ever meant to be anything long term?

Isn't it for the TV up there? Not sure where you'd be able to put facilities, but the view would be tremendous.

Get a couple of thousand in up there, call it the 'Olympic Gallery' as you need to be an olympian to get up and down the ladder to it.

Joking aside, why not something like that?  There is a huge void of space to work with.  Roof might need to come off and be reconfigured/raised*.  Escalators would sort the less able. It's not going to massively increase the capacity but it could massively increase the capacity of the kind of support 'they' are really looking for.

* yes, I've considered the potential for blocking out sunlight for local residents.

[tomd2103]

Rip out the boxes and you could probably have 10ish additional rows - not sure if you'd be able to fit many more in with the sight lines? 1000 seats at a push.

The hospitality for these could be in semi-permanent marquees in the car park?

I think quite a few families of the players use the boxes in the North Stand.  I sit in the lower North Stand and quite a few of them wave in that direction when they are coming out and going off the pitch.