Villa Park Redevelopment

[Dante Lavelli]

Plans in for a 40 bed hotel at Bodymoor Heath for the players, a new indoor pitch, new buildings, offices, facilities for the academy and women's team.

Where’s this reported.  More positive steps by the club.

You can read about it here:

http://planning.northwarks.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=129814

Thanks Jon. 

marginal gains etc but these are small steps that can only improve us and help retain and attract talent.  Schmoozing the media is also a positive step.

[andyh]

As good as the training ground facilities are, it’s still incredible that the club/owners can spend multi millions on infrastructure and buildings but not players* because of the pathetic financial rules that govern the game.

*Obviously, they can spend on players, but not how they want

[Percy McCarthy]

As good as the training ground facilities are, it’s still incredible that the club/owners can spend multi millions on infrastructure and buildings but not players* because of the pathetic financial rules that govern the game.

*Obviously, they can spend on players, but not how they want

There’s always that nagging fear in the back of my mind that, without PSR, the two clubs with the worst owners in the world would be permanently as dominant as Celtic and Rangers.

[andyh]

That’s a very good point.
But what I was trying to point out is that clubs can essentially spend what they want on infrastructure but not players.
Everton’s new ground will cost 3 or 4 hundred million MORE than original estimates.
They won’t get ‘punished’ by the football authorities though.

[Brazilian Villain]

There’s always that nagging fear in the back of my mind that, without PSR, the club with the worst owners in the world would be permanently as dominant as Celtic.

[HolteL4]

As good as the training ground facilities are, it’s still incredible that the club/owners can spend multi millions on infrastructure and buildings but not players* because of the pathetic financial rules that govern the game.

*Obviously, they can spend on players, but not how they want

There’s always that nagging fear in the back of my mind that, without PSR, the two clubs with the worst owners in the world would be permanently as dominant as Celtic and Rangers.

You're right to fear this,  why do you think with all the noise coming from Man City about how the rules are unfair etc..... Newcastle are saying nothing.  Because they are being sensible let Man City and others get the rules removed then Newcastle will blow everyone away. 

[Percy McCarthy]

There’s always that nagging fear in the back of my mind that, without PSR, the club with the worst owners in the world would be permanently as dominant as Celtic.

Good point.

[eamonn]

Players sleeping overnight at Bodymoor, it's what Unai has always wanted, I guess. Coercive control can be very toxic. These players need to sleep at home with their wimmin, everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, not a monitor tracking their dreams to check if they're anyalysing defensive mistakes in their sleep. It's taking the "being demanding in our way" mantra too far.

[Beard82]

That’s a very good point.
But what I was trying to point out is that clubs can essentially spend what they want on infrastructure but not players.
Everton’s new ground will cost 3 or 4 hundred million MORE than original estimates.
They won’t get ‘punished’ by the football authorities though.

Mind you if they had spent another 300 or 400m on players think of the mess they would be.  Points deductions would be the least of there concerns based on the recent transfer activity

[Somniloquism]

Players sleeping overnight at Bodymoor, it's what Unai has always wanted, I guess. Coercive control can be very toxic. These players need to sleep at home with their wimmin, everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, not a monitor tracking their dreams to check if they're anyalysing defensive mistakes in their sleep. It's taking the "being demanding in our way" mantra too far.

They won't be spending every night, only the nights before home matches. The same matches were they spend the night in the Clayton or other hotels in Brum currently.

[tomd2103]

Now we're halfway through the season, just wondering where people are with this?  It was obviously in the spotlight a bit more during the summer, but I think anniversary celebrations like the one last night inevitably lead to casting an eye towards the future.

The discussion on here has made me think about the question quite a bit more as the season has gone on.  Yes, Villa Park has got it's issues (uncomfortably and possibly dangerously at times cramped concourses being one), but nights like the Bayern Munich game showed that's it is still a special and increasingly unique football ground.  I have started to lean towards the thought that it's too much to give up, no matter if it's for a more commercially friendly ground in a more suitable location.

What I'd like to see now are ideas and a plan on how to take Villa Park and it's surrounds forward. 

[Gareth]

Sat in Upper Trinity last night, first time I’ve ever sat up there…appreciate that there were probably hundreds of us tourists from Witton Lane over there & the beer was was cheap but it didn’t feel particularly comfortable to move round or state of the art facilities.  Looked and felt cheap…then you remember the vandal who commissioned it.

For those that sit-up there every game is the concourse always that crowded and clogged up or was it the cheap beer?

[AV82EC]

Sat in Upper Trinity last night, first time I’ve ever sat up there…appreciate that there were probably hundreds of us tourists from Witton Lane over there & the beer was was cheap but it didn’t feel particularly comfortable to move round or state of the art facilities.  Looked and felt cheap…then you remember the vandal who commissioned it.

For those that sit-up there every game is the concourse always that crowded and clogged up or was it the cheap beer?

A bit of both Gareth. Like all thing Ellis, done on the cheap with no regard to supporter comfort or suitable facilities.

[algy]

Now we're halfway through the season, just wondering where people are with this?  It was obviously in the spotlight a bit more during the summer, but I think anniversary celebrations like the one last night inevitably lead to casting an eye towards the future.

The discussion on here has made me think about the question quite a bit more as the season has gone on.  Yes, Villa Park has got it's issues (uncomfortably and possibly dangerously at times cramped concourses being one), but nights like the Bayern Munich game showed that's it is still a special and increasingly unique football ground.  I have started to lean towards the thought that it's too much to give up, no matter if it's for a more commercially friendly ground in a more suitable location.

What I'd like to see now are ideas and a plan on how to take Villa Park and it's surrounds forward.

I agree. We’re not a London club, we’re never going to have that level of passing tourism in Brum, and so a ground in line with the bigger clubs outside London (ie 50k-60k capacity) is fine - and that’s perfectly achievable on the current site.

[algy]

Sat in Upper Trinity last night, first time I’ve ever sat up there…appreciate that there were probably hundreds of us tourists from Witton Lane over there & the beer was was cheap but it didn’t feel particularly comfortable to move round or state of the art facilities.  Looked and felt cheap…then you remember the vandal who commissioned it.

For those that sit-up there every game is the concourse always that crowded and clogged up or was it the cheap beer?

We had a season ticket up there when it first opened - lasted 2 or 3 games before asking to be moved. Spent the rest of that season in the lower tier of the same stand (marginally better) then moved permanently to the old Trinity Road stand.