Should I stay or should I go?

[The Edge]

There were two versions of the plans knocking around from Lerner's days. I can only find this one at over 51k, but I'm sure the other option had a bigger corner increasing capacity a bit further.

I remember that. The 51k seats in that drawing can easily be turned into 54k with a bit of adjustment/enlargement at the corner of between the TR and NS. 54k being the figure mentioned by an earlier poster who went on a stadium tour recently. He was told that they have plans for that.

[SaddVillan]

With regard to the problems of the rail services, perhaps Wes has plans:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/06/11/inside-a-wall-street-tycoons-plan-to-get-americans-off-the-highway---and-on-his-trains/?sh=11bf34cb7a04

[The Edge]

With regard to the problems of the rail services, perhaps Wes has plans:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/06/11/inside-a-wall-street-tycoons-plan-to-get-americans-off-the-highway---and-on-his-trains/?sh=11bf34cb7a04

Blimey when you look at his involvement in that it makes our concerns about enlarging VP look like chicken feed. I hope he can still find time for little old Aston Villa. Let's hope it turns out to be a money spinner and not a costly vanity project.

[Clive W]

I’ve been supporting Villa for over 60 years and two excerpts from Simon’s  book celebrating 100 years of VP sum it up for me: -

“all of us who make that regular pilgrimage to Villa Park tread not only a well worn path through the century, but also through the winding roads of our own personal histories.As we grow from childhood into adulthood…change schools and jobs…move from house to house or town to town, Villa Park remains a constant, helping to nurture our passage through life”

and

“Of course every football fan likes to imagine that their home ground is unique, that their club is special. And they are absolutely right to feel that way. But in truth, Villa fans are luckier than most”


Stay

[West Derby Villan]

I’ve been supporting Villa for over 60 years and two excerpts from Simon’s  book celebrating 100 years of VP sum it up for me: -

“all of us who make that regular pilgrimage to Villa Park tread not only a well worn path through the century, but also through the winding roads of our own personal histories.As we grow from childhood into adulthood…change schools and jobs…move from house to house or town to town, Villa Park remains a constant, helping to nurture our passage through life”

and

“Of course every football fan likes to imagine that their home ground is unique, that their club is special. And they are absolutely right to feel that way. But in truth, Villa fans are luckier than most”


Stay

Clive,

In the proverbial nutshell

Spot on!       (applause)

[tomd2103]

Copy the Holte at the Witton End as has been suggested on here a few times. You probably could get 14-15k with that design at that end.That gets you up to around 48-50k. I think that would do for the moment.

Is it feasible to do that over a season though and reduce the capacity so significantly?  Just think the Alexander Stadium development for the Commonwealth Games might just present a unique opportunity for an alternative venue while work on VP was done.

[Pat Mustard]

A copy of the Holte End isn't going to achieve what the club want - aside from the increase in capacity, Purslow was pretty clear that a major objective in any redevelopment is a large increase in the availability of corporate seats.  To get that the design is more likely to mirror the Trinity Road stand, which then make more sense in joining the two stands in the corners.

The other issue with a replica of the Holte End, I suspect, is that regulations have changed since it was built.  There would need to be larger seats, more exits etc. which would reduce the capacity of the stand in comparison.  I know that when Liverpool have built their new stands, for instance, they have been done as expansions of the original stands rather than complete new builds as this is a way of maintaining the capacity of the original areas which would otherwise have been reduced considerably.

[Risso]

I reckon a new ground would go in a similar way to Gerrard replacing Smith. Everybody would get all angsty about it to begin with, then the first time we smash Liverpool 4-0 there, they can get served with a pie at half time and be away from the ground in 20 minutes at the end, they'd then pretend that they were in favour all along.

[Drummond]

Then give it a year or two and it'll be the worst thing ever again, and people will want something new (or lament what we had). 😉

[dave.woodhall]

A copy of the Holte End isn't going to achieve what the club want - aside from the increase in capacity, Purslow was pretty clear that a major objective in any redevelopment is a large increase in the availability of corporate seats.  To get that the design is more likely to mirror the Trinity Road stand, which then make more sense in joining the two stands in the corners.

The other issue with a replica of the Holte End, I suspect, is that regulations have changed since it was built.  There would need to be larger seats, more exits etc. which would reduce the capacity of the stand in comparison.  I know that when Liverpool have built their new stands, for instance, they have been done as expansions of the original stands rather than complete new builds as this is a way of maintaining the capacity of the original areas which would otherwise have been reduced considerably.

I can't imagine any decent-sized ground now having a new stand that doesn't include corporates.

[Risso]

Then give it a year or two and it'll be the worst thing ever again, and people will want something new (or lament what we had). 😉

When has anybody ever lamented an ex-manager?!

[Clive W]

I reckon a new ground would go in a similar way to Gerrard replacing Smith. Everybody would get all angsty about it to begin with, then the first time we smash Liverpool 4-0 there, they can get served with a pie at half time and be away from the ground in 20 minutes at the end, they'd then pretend that they were in favour all along.

Agreed

And then in a couple of years, we will have become one of the “top six” and pre-season threads will be full of “how many trophies will we win this year?”

And all our matches will be on Sky or Amazon at 5:27 on a Thursday to cater for the Far East market

And we will be playing in a 60,000 stadium devoid of any atmosphere (but selling the most wonderful pies)

And we will have become like City and Chelsea - we will know the cost of everything but the value of nothing

No thanks - for all its limitations Villa Park is irreplaceable in my view

[LeeB]

Then give it a year or two and it'll be the worst thing ever again, and people will want something new (or lament what we had). 😉

When has anybody ever lamented an ex-manager?!

I miss Tim's enthusiasm and gillets

[PeterWithe]

I can't see much happening re transport. How much political will is there to solve something that's a bit of a pain for a relatively small amount of people on one afternoon or evening every 19 days on average?

I was thinking about this, given the relative lack of interest in local politics, maybe there are more Villa supporting apathetic mayoral voters who could be mobilised, than we think?

[pauliewalnuts]

I’ve been supporting Villa for over 60 years and two excerpts from Simon’s  book celebrating 100 years of VP sum it up for me: -

“all of us who make that regular pilgrimage to Villa Park tread not only a well worn path through the century, but also through the winding roads of our own personal histories.As we grow from childhood into adulthood…change schools and jobs…move from house to house or town to town, Villa Park remains a constant, helping to nurture our passage through life”

Absolutely with you on this.

I have spent chunks of the last 15 years doing my family history, and already knew that the club went right back to Victorian times in terms of my family's support. I also found out that practically my entire family lived in streets dotted around Villa Park, and that my gt gt grandfather worked at the lower grounds before we even moved there. Most of my ancestors of that time got married in a church i walk past on my way to the ground.

When I go to matches, one thing that strikes me is that I am looking at the exact same rectangle of grass my ancestors would have looked at for over a century. It really is like a journey back into a personal past.