Villa Park Redevelopment

[Brazilian Villain]

Makes you wonder who exactly they may have turned down....

The Baader-Meinhoff gang?

They’d be much better fit for a training camp I reckon.

They'd certainly give us more of an attacking threat on the left wing.

[chrisw1]

'No plans beyond 50k'

Which shouldn't really surprise anyone.

[Chris Smith]

'No plans beyond 50k'

Which shouldn't really surprise anyone.

We have no evidence to show that we can regularly fill a 50k stadium and until there is any planning to expand further would seem a waste of time and effort.

[Villan82]

'No plans beyond 50k'

Which shouldn't really surprise anyone.

If the club continues to grow over the next 24 months that may change. Two more seasons of European football, possibly another piece of silverware too, and we'd be one of the teams of the decade.

I also happen to think that being down to 37,000 capacity for this coming season could leave us with a pent up demand for the following season.

Also, being a Euro 2028 host might attract interest among the tourists! Interesting that there was a big jump in our attendance figures in 96-97 after Euro 96.

[Dogtanian]

Well this is common sense, really. Just as if we get to the point we are regularly selling out again, it's common sense to look at expanding again.

I think the key message here is that they are going to keep the prices high. We definitely have the support to fill it every week and beyond, but the limiting factor is how many people are willing to pay the stupid prices to do so.

[PeterWithesShin]

Even if we are selling out every game any development of Witton Lane is years away.

[Percy McCarthy]

Well this is common sense, really. Just as if we get to the point we are regularly selling out again, it's common sense to look at expanding again.

I think the key message here is that they are going to keep the prices high. We definitely have the support to fill it every week and beyond, but the limiting factor is how many people are willing to pay the stupid prices to do so.

Yes, there’s not much point spending a lot of money on increasing capacity to then drop prices and making the revenue just the same. Unless they think they can make those extra supporters spend on other things.

[PeterWithesShin]

Main reason there was a big jump after Euro '96 is that Villa had been great in 95/96.

[kippaxvilla2]

Come on, John Townley is a good lad.

Yep, no issue at all with him. But I would not click on one of their articles if it meant a lifetime's free supply of Jelly Tots.

That’s fair enough but the article is just an interview with Francesco Calvo so nothing in the content to cause offence.

John does not choose the headline though - which is misleading as I could not see anything about naming rights!

[pauliewalnuts]

Worth remembering that Calvo came from Juventus, a club who (before his time) went from a 69,000 capacity stadium to a 41,000 one, so he'll be aware headcount isn't everything.

[TonyD]

West Ham went from 35k to 65k with nae bother. 

[ajmant]

50k seems about rignt. When we are mediocre, we might not fill it.

Wet Spam are in London. But it’ll be interesting to see their attendances next season. There were lots of empty seats at spurs towards the end of last season.

[cdbearsfan]

We can't rebuild starting in the summer of 2028, anyway, so we have basically two whole seasons after the end of the upcoming one to see how regularly we fill 50,000. That should give us an idea of if and when further expansion is required.

[pauliewalnuts]

51k or whatever being fine is not a problem. Everton have just built an entire brand new stadium with that capacity.

[cdbearsfan]

51k or whatever being fine is not a problem. Everton have just built an entire brand new stadium with that capacity.

They're expanding to 62,000 by Euro 2028.

Edit: they might not be, seems to have just been talk that they were going to.