Villa Park Redevelopment

[London Villan]

Yep.

[The Edge]

The Cells ?
In the north stand ?

The blurb says original prison cells within the north stand! What’s all that about ?

They were holding cells. It used to kick off a lot at the entrance to the away end which was lower North at the time. They were held in there until after the game. The more serious offenders were taken to Queens Rd nick to be charged. I've heard stories of Villa fans and whoever were the away fans being kept in cells opposite each other so you can imagine the mayhem. Not sure when they stopped using them but they were in use in the 70's onwards when they opened the new North Stand.

[Des Little]

Lenny Godber Suite would have been a better idea.

[Brazilian Villain]

I'd have gone for the Custody Suite myself....

That would have been a much better name. I'm not overly keen on 'The Cells'.

[VillaTim]

Will there be a pay as you go option in the cells or is it a full season commitment.
Sounds like it will be a subterranean lounge (come in Villa Mole) so I would hope they consider the lighting options carefully, perhaps some circadian lighting.

[Dogtanian]

Lenny Godber Suite would have been a better idea.

Yes.

[Brazilian Villain]

Lenny Godber Suite would have been a better idea.

Nah, a bit too SHA/Peaky Blinders for me.

[Dogtanian]

Lenny Godber Suite would have been a better idea.

Nah, a bit too SHA/Peaky Blinders for me.

No way! There is no comparison. Nobody’s going to be talking about Peaky bloody Blinders in 50 years time, let alone the affection the likes of Porridge still gets.

[tomd2103]

It seems to me that the fundamental problem with what they are doing is that Heck and his team have clearly been incentivised to generate the maximum return for minimum cost in the short-term.  He knows he won't be here in 5 years time, but presumably will get a nice fat bonus for hitting these short-term targets, so bollocks to the long-term.

Unfortunately, we know all too well that success in football is usually fleeting, and Heck will be long gone by the time we have empty seats again.  In the meantime, however, we will have lost potentially thousands of supporters who you could capture forever by selling them season tickets now.  It's short-termism and the end result is in 10 years time we will still be playing in front of 40k, when we should be transforming the whole future of the club by getting 50k and more in now and forever. 

Exactly Pat.  The lack of availability of standard priced seating for current and future fans is the real cost of not doing the North development.

It's been pretty much impossible for anyone to get a ticket in the Holte upper since the opening of Terrace View, as all non ST seats are held back for that, so new fans can't experience this part of the ground, or join season ticket holding mates.

After the euphoria of last season the disappointment of the off the field stuff really hits home. I have been staying off here becaue I am just so frustrated at the short-term can kicking that's unfolding.

I will go so far as to say in ditching a proper redevelopment - let's not call what they are doing redevelopment - they are sewing the seeds of our next decline. In five year time we will be further behind clubs who have invested in proper development.

I really find it extraordinary. There is no way they are rebuilding anything after putting more premium in that god awful stand.

It's still early days yet though, as I imagine major redevelopment plans take time.  Let's be honest, the North Stand redevelopment should have been done years ago, but failure to address it has left us needing to play catch up off the pitch at a time when things are really taking off on it.

[eamonn]

Hopefully they'll be plush, padded, soft cells. With musical accompaniment from Nigel Kennedy and Marc Almond!

[Bad English]

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?  Or was that Marc Almond?

[pauliewalnuts]

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?

He did, and while he was there in the hospital, he bumped into, of all people, Richard Gere, who had a gerbil inside a toilet roll inner tube stuck up his arse.

[Olneythelonely]

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?

He did, and while he was there in the hospital, he bumped into, of all people, Richard Gere, who had a gerbil inside a toilet roll inner tube stuck up his arse.

Prince was also there getting a couple of ribs removed.

[pauliewalnuts]

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?

He did, and while he was there in the hospital, he bumped into, of all people, Richard Gere, who had a gerbil inside a toilet roll inner tube stuck up his arse.

Prince was also there getting a couple of ribs removed.

Ha! I had forgotten that one

[john e]

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?

He did, and while he was there in the hospital, he bumped into, of all people, Richard Gere, who had a gerbil inside a toilet roll inner tube stuck up his arse.

Prince was also there getting a couple of ribs removed.

Ha! I had forgotten that one

Didn't he have to go to hospital and have his stomach pumped because there was a gallon of semen in there?

He did, and while he was there in the hospital, he bumped into, of all people, Richard Gere, who had a gerbil inside a toilet roll inner tube stuck up his arse.

Prince was also there getting a couple of ribs removed.

What is this before or after Ugo Ehiogu made his debut against Norwich