Villa Park Redevelopment

[Dante Lavelli]

A further benefit of that small side extension might be that it extends the boundary and therefore sets the precedent for any future planning application. A small change now but could mean XXk seats if there were to rebuild the stand completely.

[Chris Harte]

Like folk think the Holte's been there forever!

There is something that, to me, feels like it's been there forever.

When I first saw the image of the planned extension of those boxes I hated it, although at the time I couldn't articulate why I hated it.

I think what is happening for me is a part of the appearance, a constant, will be lost, in the form of that gap between the two stands.

Whether you're watching a game on the TV today, or watching an old broadcast from the 1970s on YouTube or The Big Match Revisited, that gap is always there. It survived the rebuild of the Holte End in the 1990s, and the Trinity Road Stand rebuild around the turn of the millenium. Even when, what I described at the time as a "hideous tower of boxes" were part of that new stand, the gap was still there. And while its just a gap, with nothing in it, it's still something that people, not just Villa fans, will recognise as being part of Villa Park.

I think that, and the fact the extension feels so piece-meal, is what's bothering me about it.

[Dante Lavelli]

The sampdoria/genoa corners are iconic.  Whilst I understand the post above, I wouldn’t be against us doing something like that.  However, our plan isn’t that, it’s an add-on to squeeze in some extra seats. 

I’m convinced all of what they are doing today is with the view to doing something radical in 10-15 years time (or optimising the asset before selling).