FFP

[Brazilian Villain]

During his successful reign at the Philadelphia 76ers, Heck tapped into fashion, art and culture to increase the franchise's visibility. They collaborated with Nike to make exclusive shoes, which were given to influencers after they had been to games, and that pushed millions of social media users towards the NBA franchise.

Can't wait till similar plans are unveiled for Villa.

[Border villan]

Limited edition lucky pants?

[Toronto Villa]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

[dekko]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

I'm absolutely fine with whatever they do as long as it does not negatively effect the longstanding or matchgoing fan. 

Signature Nikes or influencer deals or whatever - fine, bring it on.

Terrace View or Lower Grounds? Absolutely not.

[Dante Lavelli]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

Hi Toronto (other US based H&V folk), I know Canada is not the USA but do you remember the 76ers going from Doug Ellis to “?”.  If so, what were the stages and timescales, how did the average fans feel about it?  Basically what is the playbook that we can expect?

[pauliewalnuts]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

Nice to have it confirmed that on-pitch success remains critical - and, err, that it enables us to attract new partners.

I thought it was the whole point of the endeavour. Without success of the pitch, it is all a total waste of time, we might as well go and start 'supporting' the M&S share price.

[Gareth]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

I'm absolutely fine with whatever they do as long as it does not negatively effect the longstanding or matchgoing fan. 

Signature Nikes or influencer deals or whatever - fine, bring it on.

Terrace View or Lower Grounds? Absolutely not.

That ship has sailed…long standing fan is a concept they do not care a jot for….

[Brazilian Villain]

Well I'm excited, I've logged on and signed up to boost our Insta, TikTok, Snapchat numbers. UTVSM!

[VillaTim]

I'm feeling very old.

[Toronto Villa]

There is an entire generation that doesn’t think the way we do or have. I see that in my kids every day. While there is always a need to respect the past and those who have been with us for many years, the club has to push ahead and attract the fans of the future. Some of the stuff US sports teams have done to attract new fans would have been met with similar disdain by traditionalists, but the teams that get to that audience before their competition does will have the best chance at maximizing commercial revenues. The success on the pitch is critical of course and only makes it easier to attract new sponsors and business partners.

Hi Toronto (other US based H&V folk), I know Canada is not the USA but do you remember the 76ers going from Doug Ellis to “?”.  If so, what were the stages and timescales, how did the average fans feel about it?  Basically what is the playbook that we can expect?

It was as well received as it will be with us amongst very traditional fans. Change isn’t easy. Accepting that as tenured employees in companies or fans of a team isn’t much different. The kind of things he and the franchise did were very different to what had been done before. The 76ers were very much of the past with some great players and a history, but stuck in the past. So a lot of what was done was to modernize the team while employing a complete rebuild of the playing staff. They used “trust the process” as a bit of a tagline which to be honest was ridiculed as they went through said process. And while a few years on from that they haven’t yet won the NBA title they have had an excellent and competitive team while the franchise value is much greater than it once was.

There are going to be similarities it what happens with us I imagine of Heck has his way. And I guarantee many of us older fans of the club won’t like it or agree with it. But there are fans out there the club needs to attract. It’s what all the sides we want to compete with have done and we’ve been left behind.

[LeeS]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czvz9141wpzo

So we aint  buying the Wheels site then?

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't think we'd ever have considered moving over there.

[Risso]

I don't think we'd ever have considered moving over there.

It does show though, that there is land in Brum to be had if you want to build a new ground. That lot have been there 5 minutes and have sorted the space in no time.

[Villan82]

Agree Risso mate but I honestly think existing personnel are thinking much too short term and of the short-term accounting figures to think medium- to long-term. We'd be pressing on with our own redevelopment otherwise. We've been talking about a new North Stand, under different owners, for at least 15 years and every time it gets close we pull back.

A lot of clubs are expanding or moving to new stadium while we twiddle our thumbs.

[The Edge]

I don't think we'd ever have considered moving over there.

It does show though, that there is land in Brum to be had if you want to build a new ground. That lot have been there 5 minutes and have sorted the space in no time.

Not really. That ship has sailed for us. There were a couple of similar sites as near to VP as Wheels is to the sty but they have now gone. The Serpentine and the industrial estate where Birmingham Wholesale markets now reside. Far as I can tell the next closest land should they wish to re-locate would be next to the Alexander Stadium.