Should I stay or should I go?

[Drummond]

In my opinion everything he says just points to the fact that a new stadium would be the way forward.

That's because you want an easy drive in 😉

I think what he says is the opposite.

He says there are loads od problems, which there are are, and that leaving on full time can add an hour to your journey, which it does. He then basically says everything is as good as it can be, given where Villa Park is. The obvious solution if you don't want the problems is therefore to move. Home is where the heart is. I've got lots of happy memories of various houses I've owned, but it's the people in them and the things that you do that make a place special.

He also says that better travel options with more bus and rail capacity and building a new North would sort it too.

If you find a home you love, you only move if you have to. If you can build a extension for the increasing numbers of children, and know you can get about ok, then do it.

This is more like having a 'wedge' house. It's brilliant and quirky and you buy it because you love it but over time the practicalities of the shape start to become a problem (because you've had kids and started working from home) so suddenly it's harder to justify staying despite still loving the place. A small extension helps a bit but the size and shape of the plot limit you to the point where it can never be what you now need.

The entire discussion is one of sentiment vs practicality.

But the sentiment is very, very strong. And the practicality can be solved with a little cash, building an extension and landscaping the garden. A flash new kitchen with bi-fold doors and the rest is as cosy and comfortable as it's always been, albeit with the odd crack appearing.

[Risso]

But doesn't he say the solution is to improve public transport rather than replicate (or indeed endure worse) problems at a new site?

If public transport could be improved, why hasn't it? Let's face it, it never will. Local infrastructure can't handle the crowds we have now, so adding 10K on to the capacity will just exacerbate all the problems. And much smaller clubs with far less wealthy owners than ours have built new grounds. I'm sure finding a new site for Everton wasn't easy, and they have the added complication of the sea forming a good portion of the area to the west of them!

[Risso]

But the sentiment is very, very strong. And the practicality can be solved with a little cash, building an extension and landscaping the garden. A flash new kitchen with bi-fold doors and the rest is as cosy and comfortable as it's always been, albeit with the odd crack appearing.

If we're going to continue this, it's lovely having a new kitchen and conservatory, but if it takes you an hour to get in through the front door, what's the point?

[eamonn]

Great interview, questions and answers. More please !

[Dante Lavelli]

Are there rules that prevent the bars/restaurants opening after full time?

I’d happily delay leaving if there was something decent open, and probably end up spending extra too.

[Villan82]

Are there rules that prevent the bars/restaurants opening after full time?

I’d happily delay leaving if there was something decent open, and probably end up spending extra too.

Beat me to it. This is the key point. The main problem with Villa Park is there is so little to do apart from watch the game. Yes, you can punch in 20 minutes at the shop but aside from that it is poor. If I could grab a decent meal after the game, or have a good pint I wouldn't be rushing off for the train immediately.

If you sort that aspect- bars, restaurants, maybe a museum you sort some of the issues with the current location.

Edit: and similar applies to the pre-game. There is no point trying to get there early as things stand. If you could grab a good lunch somewhere nearby you could aim to get there earlier and have a bit of pre-game food or whatever.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Good read. The real issue is still the lack of accountability of the public transport providers.  It's utter madness that the UK's second city can't provide a solution except when it's the Rugby World Cup or the Olympics. All fur coat and no knickers.

[TonyD]

Build the wall
Build the wall

[West Derby Villan]

Stay.

As Inglis says “the problem is not the layout or the position of Villa Park, it’s the public transport provision on matchdays.” I’m sure that our owners will be consulting with “the powers that be” to upgrade the transport system if the ground expansion goes ahead

[LeeB]

But the sentiment is very, very strong. And the practicality can be solved with a little cash, building an extension and landscaping the garden. A flash new kitchen with bi-fold doors and the rest is as cosy and comfortable as it's always been, albeit with the odd crack appearing.

If we're going to continue this, it's lovely having a new kitchen and conservatory, but if it takes you an hour to get in through the front door, what's the point?

You get your locks changed, you don't need to buy a new house.

[oldhill_avfc]

But doesn't he say the solution is to improve public transport rather than replicate (or indeed endure worse) problems at a new site?

If public transport could be improved, why hasn't it? Let's face it, it never will. Local infrastructure can't handle the crowds we have now, so adding 10K on to the capacity will just exacerbate all the problems. And much smaller clubs with far less wealthy owners than ours have built new grounds. I'm sure finding a new site for Everton wasn't easy, and they have the added complication of the sea forming a good portion of the area to the west of them!

Inglis raised the question of a private partnership to augment the public transport situation.  He also pointed out the infrastructure in the two local stations was adequate but that the number of services isn't - that would seem a problem that could readily be fixed.

In terms of getting away from Villa Park, the problem is seemingly very limited to accessing them motorway via Spaghetti.  Getting out to the west is easy can be back in Stourbridge within an hour.  Similarly getting onto the A38 and up to Junction 8 is never a problem.

[sickbeggar]

Read that they're knocking down the Tower ballroom. Offer the council a combined stadium /JR Tolkien/LOTR theme park. Right next to a rail station, reservoir you could use for some type of air taxi. Sorted.

[Chico Hamilton III]

As Inglis says “the problem is not the layout or the position of Villa Park, it’s the public transport provision on matchdays.” I’m sure that our owners will be consulting with “the powers that be” to upgrade the transport system if the ground expansion goes ahead

Sounds like a “levelling up” issue to me. Over to you, Mayor Street.

[paul_e]

transport is only part of the problem, capacity, comfort and facilities in the ground, along with commercial revenue potential, is the other side of this and a new North Stand has a small impact on that but isn't enough. He talks about a lot of those problems but the only real solutionhe offers, as I've suggested before, is to buy out Nelson Road (and maybe other streets) and shift the entire ground 50-100m further from the fork in the road.

Almost every problem the ground has is because of the road layout around it which makes the footprint for the ground very difficult to work with, the park being on 1 side has both helped by enabling us to do what we have so far but also limited us because that road can't be moved.

To keep the pitch where it is, improve facilities, get the capacity where we want, etc the option is really messy, it means buying out witton lane and the road and close behind it, levelling the lot and redirecting the main through road to go along where Holte Road and McGregor Close are currently. That gives you the space to build new stands to repalce the North and DE which are the major issues currently. Then you clear out all of the stumps/villa village/etc and really open up space on 3 sides of the ground (the trinity would still be hemmed in but that's ok given it's parkland anyway). Finally you reclad the trinity and give it a high quality finish and you give the concourses and seating in the holte and trinity a big upgrade and you've got a world class stadium. I suspect that would take a very long time to do though.

[LeeB]

As Inglis says “the problem is not the layout or the position of Villa Park, it’s the public transport provision on matchdays.” I’m sure that our owners will be consulting with “the powers that be” to upgrade the transport system if the ground expansion goes ahead

Sounds like a “levelling up” issue to me. Over to you, Mayor Street.

Good luck with that, finding Mayor Street is as hard as finding Sherlock Street.