FFP

[pablo_picasso]

Proper shithole that stadium was though, like St Andrews in the sun.

Im not talking about copying their architecture.

Im just showing an example of where they have done what I think we could do to expand/rebuild the stadium on the current site without having to move the tenants beyond Witton Lane...

It might be a terrible idea cos it blocks Susan Smiths sunlight into her conservatory, but its an option to investigate...

[Risso]

Most of those homes are privately owned, how is the council going to get involved in 'rehousing' the owners?

And I don't like the tone of this at all (not having a go at you, I mean the general concept) - we're talking about people here, taking their homes off them and shifting them elsewhere as if they were unwanted pets or something, that's not the way we should be acting.

On the other hand, they might snatch the club's hand off to move to a nicer area with a bit of cash as well.

[LeeB]

Proper shithole that stadium was though, like St Andrews in the sun.

Im not talking about copying their architecture.

Im just showing an example of where they have done what I think we could do to expand/rebuild the stadium on the current site without having to move the tenants beyond Witton Lane...

It might be a terrible idea cos it blocks Susan Smiths sunlight into her conservatory, but its an option to investigate...

Not disagreeing mate, just bought that memory to mind.

[Gareth]

BCC are skint, do they have any land (or offices we can flatten) they can flog to us?

Buying up a chunk of land in Aston Park and buying Trinity Rd itself would enable us to shift the ground sideways like Spurs did. The council are broke so it could be worth a try.

The club should really trying to leverage its position with BCC.  We need land around VP, including changes to trinity road and witton lane’s road layout, and those houses between VP and the train stations.

They need money and investment into the area.

If that means helping the council with compulsory purchases and rehousing, then so be it.

Most of those homes are privately owned, how is the council going to get involved in 'rehousing' the owners?

And I don't like the tone of this at all (not having a go at you, I mean the general concept) - we're talking about people here, taking their homes off them and shifting them elsewhere as if they were unwanted pets or something, that's not the way we should be acting.

100% this…

[eamonn]

Atlético moved-out of the Calderón a few years ago. I lived in Madrid for a couple of years (2009-2011) when they weren't yet Champions League regulars and relying on an ageing Forlan and a young lad called "El Kun" Aguero (no one referred to him as 'Sergio' - "Kun" was a character from a Japanese cartoon he used to watch as a kid and was reckoned to look like. Argentinians obviously have a liking for this - our own Emi is just "Dibu" in his native country for a similar reason).

Even though he was still young and learning, Aguero would often be the highlight of another erratic Atléti display. Kind of like watching us with Grealish in his pomp.
But it was no fun seeing them toil against Vallodolid while getting soaked in the January rain. The stadium reminded me a bit of Goodison. Just became run-down in the end.

[Chris Harte]

I heard today that 13 acres of land will soon be coming into the market in Birmingham. In the city centre as its land connected to the aborted HS2.

It looks like Villa Park is situated on around ten acres of land (thank you, Google Earth). I suspect we need more than an extra three acres to achieve whatever it is we're going to achieve.

[Brazilian Villain]

I heard today that 13 acres of land will soon be coming into the market in Birmingham. In the city centre as its land connected to the aborted HS2.

It looks like Villa Park is situated on around ten acres of land (thank you, Google Earth). I suspect we need more than an extra three acres to achieve whatever it is we're going to achieve.

I recall reading that the Emirates site is 17-18 acres.

[Risso]

I heard today that 13 acres of land will soon be coming into the market in Birmingham. In the city centre as its land connected to the aborted HS2.

It looks like Villa Park is situated on around ten acres of land (thank you, Google Earth). I suspect we need more than an extra three acres to achieve whatever it is we're going to achieve.

If you measure everything from where Trinity Road and Witton Lane meet near the Holte Pub, then include all of the actual ground and North Stand car park etc up to Witton Road, it's close to 17 acres. The main problem is the shape of the land (long and narrow) and the roads surrounding it.

[dave.woodhall]

Maybe just possibly a city centre-ish site would need less parking - there's none at the Emirates - so that's a chunk of space saved. We also wouldn’t need somewhere like the Holte. The more I think about it, the more I ask what McGregor,  Ramsey and Rinder would have done.

[Sexual Ealing]

It would be mental to include a car park in any new development, at VP or elsewhere.

[Chris Harte]

It would be mental to include a car park in any new development, at VP or elsewhere.

That would depend on the location, though. In the city centre I'd be inclined to agree. Somewhere else with limited public transport options and car parking as part of the development would be essential.

[Beard82]

I heard today that 13 acres of land will soon be coming into the market in Birmingham. In the city centre as its land connected to the aborted HS2.

It looks like Villa Park is situated on around ten acres of land (thank you, Google Earth). I suspect we need more than an extra three acres to achieve whatever it is we're going to achieve.

I thought an extra 3 acres isn't important - its what you do with it that counts

[The Edge]

BCC are skint, do they have any land (or offices we can flatten) they can flog to us?

Buying up a chunk of land in Aston Park and buying Trinity Rd itself would enable us to shift the ground sideways like Spurs did. The council are broke so it could be worth a try.

How would that work?

We can't just buy an entire road, either - you can't just put up a stadium halway down a road and block it, you'd need to re-route the road, which would use a massive chunk of any land you'd bought in the park in the first place.

Aston Hall is a Grade 1 listed building, nobody is going to be allowing roads or stadiums to get too close to it.

I'm talking about maybe 50 metres into the park which would not impact on Aston Hall in any way. There's already a lot going on there anyway in the form of amenities which the club would need to replace. And you can just buy roads and close them. The expansion of Wing Yip in Nechells is just one example. Two roads have been closed and taken over by the business. Witton Lane could easily be remodelled but at a cost to the club. These are not new ideas. Spurs did it. Arsenal did it. That's just two examples.

[Chris Harte]

I'm talking about maybe 50 metres into the park which would not impact on Aston Hall in any way. There's already a lot going on there anyway in the form of amenities which the club would need to replace. And you can just buy roads and close them. The expansion of Wing Yip in Nechells is just one example. Two roads have been closed and taken over by the business. Witton Lane could easily be remodelled but at a cost to the club. These are not new ideas. Spurs did it. Arsenal did it. That's just two examples.

I actually think the focus needs to be on the Witton Lane side of the ground. While the Doug Ellis stand has boxes it lacks premium seating. If it mirrored the Trinity (perhaps without the corners sliced off) it might go some way to fulfilling the hospitality provision that the club/the owners want.

[eamonn]

I heard today that 13 acres of land will soon be coming into the market in Birmingham. In the city centre as its land connected to the aborted HS2.

It looks like Villa Park is situated on around ten acres of land (thank you, Google Earth). I suspect we need more than an extra three acres to achieve whatever it is we're going to achieve.

I thought an extra 3 acres isn't important - its what you do with it that counts

The opening chat-up line for any self-respecting bachelor-farmer.