FFP

[Somniloquism]

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.

No they didn't just buy them and close them. The council had to allow it as it is public land. They approved it over the objections of other business in Railway Terrace because Wing Yip stated if the council didn't, they would close up and move to another city. I doubt Villa could offer that threat.

[Meanwood Villa]

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.

No they didn't just buy them and close them. The council had to allow it as it is public land. They approved it over the objections of other business in Railway Terrace because Wing Yip stated if the council didn't, they would close up and move to another city. I doubt Villa could offer that threat.

Let me hear you make some noise for your Guildford Villa!

[The Edge]

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.

No they didn't just buy them and close them. The council had to allow it as it is public land. They approved it over the objections of other business in Railway Terrace because Wing Yip stated if the council didn't, they would close up and move to another city. I doubt Villa could offer that threat.

I doubt that Wing Yip said they would close up and move and even if they did the largest council in Europe wouldn’t let a business the size of that bully them. They bought the Mitre years ago in the hope of buying the land and expanding but Eurohire have stood firm. Anyway my idea about expanding into Aston Park wasn't really all that thought out. I don't even know if councils are allowed to sell off park recreation space. I'm just brainstorming with everyone else.

[Somniloquism]

Well.....

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/wing-yip-to-expand-its-nechells-headquarters-131044

It was a tory council then so yes, business would come first.

[Percy McCarthy]

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.

No they didn't just buy them and close them. The council had to allow it as it is public land. They approved it over the objections of other business in Railway Terrace because Wing Yip stated if the council didn't, they would close up and move to another city. I doubt Villa could offer that threat.

I doubt that Wing Yip said they would close up and move and even if they did the largest council in Europe wouldn’t let a business the size of that bully them. They bought the Mitre years ago in the hope of buying the land and expanding but Eurohire have stood firm. Anyway my idea about expanding into Aston Park wasn't really all that thought out. I don't even know if councils are allowed to sell off park recreation space. I'm just brainstorming with everyone else.

Well, they sold us a bit of it before, so there is precedent.

[tomd2103]

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.

Think it all ties in to what the ambitions of the club and the owners are really Dave.  If we are managed properly and redeveloped the North Stand to take capacity over 50,000 then I can't see why we couldn't become firmly established in the top 8 sort of positions over the next decade and a regular fixture in the Europa and Conference competitions.  If we genuinely want to take that much fabled 'next step' though and try and join the elites of English and European competition, then that clearly isn't going to be enough. 

[Villan82]

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.

This post tells me the tide is turning and I find it sad. Playing at Villa Park for the last time? I can't even imagine it.

[Risso]

London's entirely different to Brum though, I wouldn't bother owning a car at all if I lived there. You're never that far from a Tube, which are quick, regular and cheap.

[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.

This post tells me the tide is turning and I find it sad. Playing at Villa Park for the last time? I can't even imagine it.

Neither can I, but someone said something to me yesterday that I couldn't argue with - you either accept modern football and its commercialism or you can be the Albion.

[Richard E]

And nobody but nobody wants to be Albion.

[pauliewalnuts]

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.

Think it all ties in to what the ambitions of the club and the owners are really Dave.  If we are managed properly and redeveloped the North Stand to take capacity over 50,000 then I can't see why we couldn't become firmly established in the top 8 sort of positions over the next decade and a regular fixture in the Europa and Conference competitions.  If we genuinely want to take that much fabled 'next step' though and try and join the elites of English and European competition, then that clearly isn't going to be enough. 

I don’t think it would be enough, and I am thinking this is Heck’s thinking.

Yes, much better facilities in the new north stand. But that just changes the question to the Witton and what we don there.

It gets to the point where we spend enormous amounts of money on a site in - let’s be honest - a ropey area with transport infrastructure that can’t cope. Or we move to a location which is a game changer. That can only be near the city centre.

There’s a large surface car park adjacent to the Aston University campus, for example. That’d be a brilliant location. Largely in the city centre, big plot.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/eHy3DHg2xQuU7hLd8?g_st=ic

[Chris Harte]

Just a thought, that's sort of at a tangent, but sort of not.

Why is it again that Birmingham doesn't have any sort of underground? Is it the local geology? Or is it due to political/city planning decisions taken in the past?

If it's the latter, what would it take to build one? Even for the two-and-a-quarter miles as the crow flies from New St station to Trinity Road I realise there'd likely be little change out of a nine-figure sum, as well as the likely planning nightmare.

I think I've gone into brainstorming mode because I **really** don't want us to move from Villa Park.

[PeterWithe]

I remember someone, I think, saying it was because of the high water table. I'd guess there would be absolutely no chance now, just various ad-hoc additions to the Metro system.

[Rigadon]

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.

This post tells me the tide is turning and I find it sad. Playing at Villa Park for the last time? I can't even imagine it.

Neither can I, but someone said something to ne yesterday that I couldn't argue with - you either accept modern football and its commercialism or you can be the Albion.

I think I’m coming round to the idea too.  Which surprises me a lot. 

[Villan82]

I just imagine us in a new stadium in 10 years time and if things haven't worked out and world domination hasn't resulted and we look back and think maybe we should have stuck with the plan.