Villa Park Redevelopment

[VillaTim]

The Athletic are just podcasters talking out their ariss

[Dogtanian]

The Athletic are just podcasters talking out their ariss

There's a lot of that going on.

[AV82EC]

The only positive I can see for Heck is that he could hang a lot of the shit that’s currently going on around Purslows neck.

I’m less concerned about GA+ and badges/crests but am really disappointed in the North stand stuff and VP redevelopment, he could have bought himself some time for a review but his piss poor comms has meant we’re hanging in limbo for some sense of direction.

C- see me after class.

(It would have been a D but the adidas stuff got him an extra mark.)

Why are we 'in limbo'? I get that you want to know more, and that he could have just said he was putting it on hold subject to review or something equally as nondescript, and those few words could have made a difference, but the reality is that the words don't matter, what happens next matters far more. I just don't see the point in getting too upset at this stage.

The adidas thing is pretty bloody huge in terms of a way forward though.

I wasn’t trying to defend or attack the guy just answering the question further up the thread on positives for Heck. As Risso said his presentation and comms has been quite frankly shockingly bad, it doesn’t necessarily mean I disagree with what he’s doing. I still think if he’d communicated openly and honestly about his intentions he’d have more credit in the bank on all of these issues and people would have cut him more slack as the new guy trying to sort out the issues Purslow left him with.

[Drummond]

It's not about revenue during the works, as Risso said there's an allowance for stand rebuilds.  So that excuse at least doesn't wash.

Though a loss of circa 8000 fans, and the spend in the shop (to be filled with new adidas clobber) would cost an intangible amount in relation to FFP.

[Ads]

Couple of years of big Champions League dollar makes it a lot more likely that we'll have wiggle room, as sponsorship etc increases too.

[Drummond]

Ah, so he was going to fail from the beginning if every marketing director is full of shite.
I'm not sure why you think he doesn't understand his market, other than following an article from New York Red Bulls fans 10 years ago.
Are his communication skills shite, or is it that he says things you don't want to hear?
He seems to have been clear enough that he's stopped the North. He's redevelop(ed/ing) the badge.

The gap is what's next about the stadium, that's it as far as I can see, the rest is clear. I know you/we/the fanbase want to know everything that's going on, but as with your company, you'd not tell everyone all the details. I get that it's different with football, but the main thing is that we're going well on the pitch.

So you think the way he's communicated his ideas is good then? A crap tweet from his personal account for the 150 year branding, and a terrible video where he bins off the North Stand. Having two crests quite often displayed in the same room. Telling people that 10,000 new seats is "too much"? Not communicating the new badge and letting it slip out via the trademark website? Whether I want to hear stuff is neither here nor there, but the way he presents things is hugely amateurish.

Heck explained: “We have 42,000 seats. A substantial amount. To add on 10,000 right now doesn’t seem practical to me.

“We talk about Villa Park being a fortress. It is true. I think it would be a bad idea to tear down one of the stands for two years while we are playing like we are.

“Going forward, I think everything should be about all fans and not just one particular stand.”

Heck said Villa also had worries about how the infrastructure around the stadium would cope with increased capacity. The club have been lobbying the local authorities to make improvements to Witton Station.

Heck continued: “They are extremely ambitious ideas. During the summer months I became concerned we were adding too many seats too fast.

“I believe it was important we took a step back and re-evaluate what is best for our fans.

“I mention this with the transportation and the parking situation.”

I'm not sure what the problem is with that.

Re-evaluate re transportation and parking, do things for all fans, don't go too big too fast (in light of the shit transport stuff you like to talk about).

You've long said go somewhere else because the infrastructure around the ground is shit, and let's face it, you are completely correct for all the reasons we've spoken about before. So, given that, is adding another 8-10,000 seats going to make that a whole lot worse unless transport is sorted? Of course it is. The council is bankrupt, so won't commit to any spending in that area, and the station is only part of a feasibility study. When there's commitment to doing it, in a timely manner, then perhaps we could proceed.

When you look at the complaints after Springsteen played, and the ongoing complaints from people like you and me about the traffic situation, why would you make it worse? Without changes to transport, will the club not shoot itself in the foot by expecting more people to attend?

[Drummond]

Couple of years of big Champions League dollar makes it a lot more likely that we'll have wiggle room, as sponsorship etc increases too.

Champions League, Adidas kit in shops all over the country, and yes, we'd be way better off.

[VillaTim]

The Athletic are just podcasters talking out their ariss

There's a lot of that going on.

watch the SSN Transfer show whatever mornings its on. It's hilariously bad

[chrisw1]

The Athletic are just podcasters talking out their ariss

The Athletic includes some of the most credible sports journalists we have.  All journalists speculate, but The Athletic are some of the best informed there is.

[pauliewalnuts]

The Athletic are just podcasters talking out their ariss

The Athletic includes some of the most credible sports journalists we have.  All journalists speculate, but The Athletic are some of the best informed there is.

Tim talking absolute rubbish yet again. Like you said, the Athletic employs some of the best sports journalists in the country. They are not some random bunch of podcasters.

[IFWaters]

I'm procrastinating. Luckily for the citizens of H&V, that means I'm thinking about things that make no material difference to my life. I know we can't do much with the Witton, but couldn't we add a tier to the North/Trinity/Holte? That wouldn't impact light into houses too much (would it?)

Yours,
Sexual Ealing GCSE

P.s. I can't believe they haven't thought of this! Emailing the club now...

What about an extra layer in the Witton that rises up transformers style when there's a game on. Could channel a bit of Tracy Island underground bunker kind of stuff.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm procrastinating. Luckily for the citizens of H&V, that means I'm thinking about things that make no material difference to my life. I know we can't do much with the Witton, but couldn't we add a tier to the North/Trinity/Holte? That wouldn't impact light into houses too much (would it?)

Yours,
Sexual Ealing GCSE

P.s. I can't believe they haven't thought of this! Emailing the club now...

What about an extra layer in the Witton that rises up transformers style when there's a game on. Could channel a bit of Tracy Island underground bunker kind of stuff.

I’m completely on board with all of this.

[chrisw1]

I think you're reaching a bit there Drummond.  If it was all about the transport he'd have said that - then it would be a game of playing chicken with the Council.

It sounds to me like he's throwing out excuses because ultimately they just don't want to commit the money right now.  I know some think that's because of even bigger plans.  I remain sceptical and of the view it's about his lack of confidence about underlying demand and selling enough premium tickets to get a return.

[Risso]

Strong hints in Athletic the North Stand is staying due to cost cutting and definitely no bigger plan. Booo

That's the most laziest thing any media outlet can put out. However I think it's true.

Aside from the fact they said no such thing.

"It has meant that staying out of FFP trouble while providing for Emery has been a complex balancing act, exacerbated by the proposals to redevelop and expand Villa Park. While this would provide critical extra revenue in the long term, purse strings would have to be tightened in the immediacy."

"All of which proved excessive in both cost and in a competitive sense, playing in a temporary three-stand ground threatened to diminish the dominance Emery’s side have established at home. Optically, it would also appear jarring if Villa were missing a stand but playing in the Champions League — Europe’s premium club competition."

In other words, if we are playing in the CL next season and we want to strengthen our squad, we want that extra revenue and to have a full ground with a great atmosphere for matches. Exactly what everyone has been saying.

The article does mention rising costs of the expansion, but as others have said on here, that simply means the cost of the plan now outweighs the benefits and explains why Heck has said they're now reassessing what we do.

That article is quite poor, and contains no new information other than regurgitating what Heck has said. The mixing up of the cost of the stadium and money for transfers is a load of rubbish, in my opinion.

[Chris Harte]

Heck explained: “We have 42,000 seats. A substantial amount. To add on 10,000 right now doesn’t seem practical to me.

This stands out.

When Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates they effectively added 20,000+ seats.

More recently, when Spurs moved from White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they effectively added 20,000+ seats.

When Everton move to their new ground they'll be adding 13,000 seats.

I really don't get how adding 10,000 seats is "not practical".  I thought we were supporting an ambitious club?