Villa Park Redevelopment

[maidstonevillain]

I was around when the North Stand was built, but don't recall seeing the roof put in place. Can anybody remember how it was done. I'm sure there would be a record if they'd used a bloody great crane to do it. So was access better, and they used a number of smaller cranes simultaneously. Or did they build it on supports, Or even jack it up into position?

[Godfrey Brian]

https://x.com/i/status/2082446926646067602

Somebody was there to capture the removal of the crossbar.

Amazing the memories H&V threads trigger. As a kid in the late 1960s, a mate living in Perry Barr took me to his neighbour's house. He had been a groundsman at Villa and proudly took me into his veranda where a couple of the old wooden crossbars from the ground had been incorporated into the glass roof supports.

[usav]

I was around when the North Stand was built, but don't recall seeing the roof put in place. Can anybody remember how it was done. I'm sure there would be a record if they'd used a bloody great crane to do it. So was access better, and they used a number of smaller cranes simultaneously. Or did they build it on supports, Or even jack it up into position?

[eamonn]

That looks pretty big, did they have to organise a three-week hire window before a Viennese concert hall had next dibs for their expansion befitting of classy Austrians for the 80s and beyond?

[maidstonevillain]

I was around when the North Stand was built, but don't recall seeing the roof put in place. Can anybody remember how it was done. I'm sure there would be a record if they'd used a bloody great crane to do it. So was access better, and they used a number of smaller cranes simultaneously. Or did they build it on supports, Or even jack it up into position?

after I posted I found that on a search as well, and nearly put it up. But as far as I could see that crane would have been used for the concrete works. I thought it was interesting however that the lower tier remained open.

[Rudy65]

I was around when the North Stand was built, but don't recall seeing the roof put in place. Can anybody remember how it was done. I'm sure there would be a record if they'd used a bloody great crane to do it. So was access better, and they used a number of smaller cranes simultaneously. Or did they build it on supports, Or even jack it up into position?

Didn’t the contractor Fairclough go bust or were involved in some financial shenanigans?

[Rudy65]

Had a piece of Highbury turf in my garden for years.

'Highbury Turf' sounds like something smokeable for sale on Holloway Road

And me!

[Villan82]

I was around when the North Stand was built, but don't recall seeing the roof put in place. Can anybody remember how it was done. I'm sure there would be a record if they'd used a bloody great crane to do it. So was access better, and they used a number of smaller cranes simultaneously. Or did they build it on supports, Or even jack it up into position?

after I posted I found that on a search as well, and nearly put it up. But as far as I could see that crane would have been used for the concrete works. I thought it was interesting however that the lower tier remained open.

And in the 90s we always had fans in lower tiers as  the Witton, Holte and Trinity were rebuilt.

As for today, the taking down of the goalpost is a major milestone for the current project. Great to see.I wonder will they get in the 'new goalpost' for the new stand while they have that crane there and then build everything onto it?

[Dick Edwards]

I remember standing on the Witton Lane terrace for the League Cup semi-final against QPR in 1977. I couldn't get in the Holte as it was full, and they'd closed the turnstiles, so I legged it down to the Witton to stand near the Rangers fans. You could do that when games weren't all ticket. Hard to believe a home semi final wasn't all ticket, but they were different days. I can't recall what of the new stand was in place at the time, but six months later it opened, roof and all.