Villa Park Redevelopment

[Dogtanian]

Didn’t Big Heck say they were replacing all the seats? Pretty sure he said they were in the Holte.

[sid1964]

There is no point in having seating in the Lower Holte, as everyone just stands up - may as well just have terracing.

[Dogtanian]

I was looking at the Holte End last night as I walked by, rather than racing to get in before kick-off as usual, and it occurred to me just how much of its footprint is just empty space above the steps.

Basically, if they expanded backwards they could build a load of new space for restaurants, bars, and whatever, without actually demolishing the stand. Maybe someone with building/engineering experience could shed some light on whether that would be possible to do while the stand was still open? Like Liverpool did.

It wouldn't give you any more seats, but it would expand the revenue generating options with the right amount of space without taking it away from us mere mortals. Though I can imagine there would be uproar at demolishing the historic 90s brickwork.

[Villan82]

I was looking at the Holte End last night as I walked by, rather than racing to get in before kick-off as usual, and it occurred to me just how much of its footprint is just empty space above the steps.

Basically, if they expanded backwards they could build a load of new space for restaurants, bars, and whatever, without actually demolishing the stand. Maybe someone with building/engineering experience could shed some light on whether that would be possible to do while the stand was still open? Like Liverpool did.

It wouldn't give you any more seats, but it would expand the revenue generating options with the right amount of space without taking it away from us mere mortals. Though I can imagine there would be uproar at demolishing the historic 90s brickwork.

Original thinking.

But, it would be a crying shame to do that, just as I think it's a crying shame what they are doing now, when the obvious solution is to replace the North Stand and use all of that space down there for the restaurants etc. I feel as though we have been discussing a new North stand since about 2001 and  you just wonder what will it take for it to be replaced.

Squeezing a bit more from here, squeezing a bit more from there, just replace the oldest and smallest stand and you can re-imagine that area with as much bells and whistles as you want!

[chrisw1]

I think even if they had replaced the North stand they would still have done what they are doing to the Trinity & DE.  The North was never going to house all the GA+, but the extra seats would create the overspill for displaced fans and no doubt there would have been bigger and better shared lounges rather than marquees.

[The Man With A Stick]

I was looking at the Holte End last night as I walked by, rather than racing to get in before kick-off as usual, and it occurred to me just how much of its footprint is just empty space above the steps.

Basically, if they expanded backwards they could build a load of new space for restaurants, bars, and whatever, without actually demolishing the stand. Maybe someone with building/engineering experience could shed some light on whether that would be possible to do while the stand was still open? Like Liverpool did.

It wouldn't give you any more seats, but it would expand the revenue generating options with the right amount of space without taking it away from us mere mortals. Though I can imagine there would be uproar at demolishing the historic 90s brickwork.

Original thinking.

But, it would be a crying shame to do that, just as I think it's a crying shame what they are doing now, when the obvious solution is to replace the North Stand and use all of that space down there for the restaurants etc. I feel as though we have been discussing a new North stand since about 2001 and  you just wonder what will it take for it to be replaced.

Squeezing a bit more from here, squeezing a bit more from there, just replace the oldest and smallest stand and you can re-imagine that area with as much bells and whistles as you want!

I honestly think if Birmingham was nuked, the only thing left standing in a 20 mile radius would be that bloody stand.

[algy]

I was looking at the Holte End last night as I walked by, rather than racing to get in before kick-off as usual, and it occurred to me just how much of its footprint is just empty space above the steps.

Basically, if they expanded backwards they could build a load of new space for restaurants, bars, and whatever, without actually demolishing the stand. Maybe someone with building/engineering experience could shed some light on whether that would be possible to do while the stand was still open? Like Liverpool did.

It wouldn't give you any more seats, but it would expand the revenue generating options with the right amount of space without taking it away from us mere mortals. Though I can imagine there would be uproar at demolishing the historic 90s brickwork.

I know this is said jokingly, but it's never going to get old if you knock it down.

Besides which, I've not had an exhaustive look at this, but I'd think being built in 94/95 would make the Holte End one of the oldest stands in the Premier League now.  Quick scan down the league table makes me think it might be ...

Man City - new build
Arsenal - new build
Liverpool - think the Kop was built around the same time, everything else is newer
Spurs - new build
Chelsea - East Stand is 1970s, North Stand was around the same time, other 2 stands newer
Newcastle - not sure, think most of that was built between 1993-98 so maybe 1 stand that's marginally older
Manc Utd - think all the stands are older, except maybe the 3 tier one.  But it's a shithole with a leaky roof
West Ham - new build
Brighton - new build
Bournemouth - complete rebuild in the 00s
Crystal Palace - all the stands are older
Wolves - think it's mostly newer, maybe 1 stand that's a similar age?  Think they're on about knocking that down though.
Fulham - Johnny Haynes stand + Pavillion are 1905, the rest of the ground is newer
Everton - moving to a new build
Brentford - new build
Forest - think it's all older than the Holte End, except the Trent End which is about the same age - on about moving to a new build tho
Luton - 3 older stands
Burnley - 2 older stands
Sheff Utd - 3 older stands

Not the oldest, but aside from teams that expect to go down straight away ... there's not really that many stands that are older, and probably only Fulham's ground that has something that's comparable to the Holte End facade.

[Villan82]

Well said.

The current Holte End is roughly the age the old Trinity was in the 1950s, it is well on its way to being a classic

It has to be one of the most unique stands around. just because we know it is a tribute to an older stand doesn't mean it isn't a classic in its own right. I think there isn't a better frontage in English football.

[Brend'Watkins]

I like the Holte facade but it is faux Archibald Leitch.  Nothing wrong with that as it does have a splendor about it. The Holte Pub & Holte End are the best of Lerner's legacy.

[pauliewalnuts]

I like the Holte facade but it is faux Archibald Leitch.  Nothing wrong with that as it does have a splendor about it. The Holte Pub & Holte End are the best of Lerner's legacy.

It's amazing how many supporters of other clubs (and I've even read journalists do it - pretty sure Henry Winter did recently, so it's not bottom feeding tabloid 'writers') make that mistake and refer to the Leitch architecture as if it were still there.

[The Edge]

Some work underway in the upper North

They should have been tearing the whole thing down in a couple of weeks...

If they replicate this in T1 like they have here in T5, then that’s my seat gone 😢. Unless it is just new seats.

It was on here recently that the AV is going and the whole NS upper seating will be a massive Adidas logo.

[Risso]

Well said.

The current Holte End is roughly the age the old Trinity was in the 1950s, it is well on its way to being a classic

It has to be one of the most unique stands around. just because we know it is a tribute to an older stand doesn't mean it isn't a classic in its own right. I think there isn't a better frontage in English football.

But it also shows it's very easy replicated.

[Villan82]

Some work underway in the upper North

They should have been tearing the whole thing down in a couple of weeks...

If they replicate this in T1 like they have here in T5, then that’s my seat gone 😢. Unless it is just new seats.

It was on here recently that the AV is going and the whole NS upper seating will be a massive Adidas logo.

So they are placing the adidas logo in the seats of the stand most in need of knocking down. if ever there was a sign they shit the bed on redeveloping this is it.

I can't remember the last time I hated a decision made by villa quite as much as I hate the decision not to go ahead with the new stand.

[Lsvilla]

Some work underway in the upper North

They should have been tearing the whole thing down in a couple of weeks...

If they replicate this in T1 like they have here in T5, then that’s my seat gone 😢. Unless it is just new seats.

It was on here recently that the AV is going and the whole NS upper seating will be a massive Adidas logo.

So they are placing the adidas logo in the seats of the stand most in need of knocking down. if ever there was a sign they shit the bed on redeveloping this is it.

I can't remember the last time I hated a decision made by villa quite as much as I hate the decision not to go ahead with the new stand.

It's a difficult one. Real Madrid at home with only 3 sides open would be such a bad look.

[Villafirst]

I still find it hard to accept that it's projected to take 2 years to build a new North Stand. They have loads of space behind the stand to work with. Liverpool had far more constraints with their new stand opposite the Kop end, although I understand they had problems with their contractor going bust.