Last week's FCG meeting minutes

[SoccerHQ]

An issue that I would like to be brought up at the next opportunity is whether the club could not come up with some means of improving public transport connections between the ground and the city centre on match days, in conjunction with the appropriate transport undertakings.  Some years ago, after a game, there would be a line of buses waiting on a road behind Aston Hall, to take fans back into the centre, and you'd be back there in no time.  These days, one is wholly reliant on scheduled services, in particular the No 7 bus which, with the amount of traffic snarling up the roads around the ground, is useless after a game.

I know there are trains, but again, nothing other other than scheduled services - Witton station I would not even attempt, is Aston very much better?

Trains from Aston are every few minutes. There always a big queue for the first couple after the game but after that they’re fine.

Just 6 per hour now compared to 8 pre pandemic, 4 an hour on cross city line and then the two Walsall stoppers.

Best thing I find if you're Trinity road side is walk up that road and takes 10 minutes to get to Walsall road and loads of bus options from there and back in Brum in no time.

[adrenachrome]

An issue that I would like to be brought up at the next opportunity is whether the club could not come up with some means of improving public transport connections between the ground and the city centre on match days, in conjunction with the appropriate transport undertakings.  Some years ago, after a game, there would be a line of buses waiting on a road behind Aston Hall, to take fans back into the centre, and you'd be back there in no time.  These days, one is wholly reliant on scheduled services, in particular the No 7 bus which, with the amount of traffic snarling up the roads around the ground, is useless after a game.

I know there are trains, but again, nothing other other than scheduled services - Witton station I would not even attempt, is Aston very much better?

Aston station is chocka for at least an hour after the match.  I do agree for the size of our crowds etc transport away from the match is poor.  It was strangely better in the 1970s

In the 70's there were lines of Villa Special buses which took you to Bull Street.  Of course, the crowds were not quite the same for the most part.

[Bad English]

I remember seeing majorettes at half-time back in the 80's. They looked about twelve years-old but the Holte gave them a rousing chant of 'Get yet tits out for the lads!' anyway.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

When I first started going there was a marching band tootling up and down the pitch. The only saving grace was the fact that half-time was only 10 minutes long. Arsenal clung on to theirs much longer.

Those poor ladies who were the cheerleaders a couple of years on got the cultured advice from The Holte you’d expect if the management had half a brain. I think they lasted one game.

[dave.woodhall]

I've said before that the subject of public transport comes up regularly. The club have tried many times but the train companies don't want to know.

[Ad@m]

I've said before that the subject of public transport comes up regularly. The club have tried many times but the train companies don't want to know.

Who can blame them?  Someone's got to pay for the extra trains.  The club seemingly won't and in my experience of late night trains, very few passengers want to and will happily not pay if they think they can get away with it.

So the train companies are basically being asked to do it at a loss with no doubt a load of hassle when games run over so people miss scheduled trains, etc.

Other clubs tend to use special bus services so maybe if the demand is there the club might be willing to support coordinating some specials back in to town with the likes of Zeelo, who I think did a trial with the club a few years back?

[cdbearsfan]

They don't really have to do it for a loss, do they? Just employ ticket inspectors.

[Pat Mustard]

I've said before that the subject of public transport comes up regularly. The club have tried many times but the train companies don't want to know.

Do you think the club will look at trying to at least get the Holte Pub open after games soon?  I know the Suite is still being used as a vaccination centre, but for the Brentford and Newcastle games the public transport situation was noticeably worse than in the past, which has definitely been exacerbated by the whole crowd hitting the stations at the same time. 

It would also be nice if they could put some pressure on whoever is responsible for maintaining the alleyway next to Aston Station to cut back some of the overgrown vegetation down there.  It's not pleasant at the best of times, but the overhanging trees etc. down that way are becoming a real hazard, especially as the queue for the platforms now extends pretty much the whole way down there after games.

[Risso]

I've said before that the subject of public transport comes up regularly. The club have tried many times but the train companies don't want to know.

It's a shame. Easily the worst thing about Villa Park is trying to get away afterwards. The roads are always gridlocked for a good hour at least.

[cdbearsfan]

Can they not liaise with Street? Seeing as he said transport was his number one priority and seems to have done fuck all about it since being elected.

[PeterWithe]

The parking situation has deteriorated this year with many on street places gone with the development of the area to the bottom end of Aston Hall Rd.

[sickbeggar]

The problem with putting more trains on is more likely a problem with capacity. Years of track and signalling rationalisation means its much harder to cope with "special" trains as well as finding the extra stock. Also Normal scheduled trains always end up at the right place for the following day's services so a load of stock at point D instead of point A means someone has to swallow the cost of getting them back at Point A. I'm not surprised they don't want to know.

[astonvilla82]

With the trains returning from Aston, you have people blocking the door way so not using up the space and also trains not full because they won't let enough people up on the platform, causing queuing problems on the streets,

[Flamingo Lane]

I've said before that the subject of public transport comes up regularly. The club have tried many times but the train companies don't want to know.

Special buses?

[amfy]

They don't really have to do it for a loss, do they? Just employ ticket inspectors.

Ticket inspectors wouldn’t be able to move through those trains very easily!