Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[ChicagoLion]

That all makes a lot of sense DogT.

[LeeB]

That all makes a lot of sense DogT.

I agree ChigL.

I approve of the gossip mag-ification of usernames.

[Drummond]

Here we go.

[kippaxvilla2]

Agree Leebs.

[Stu82]

Excellent post Dogtanian.
That's how I see it too.

[OCD]

While I agree with Dogtanian, they bought V Sports and there's likely to be infrastructure projects across the world. V Sports tried to start a franchise in Las Vegas for instance, and probably haven't given up on that. A new stadium there would be a huge project.

[Risso]

While I agree with Dogtanian, they bought V Sports and there's likely to be infrastructure projects across the world. V Sports tried to start a franchise in Las Vegas for instance, and probably haven't given up on that. A new stadium there would be a huge project.

The Las Vegas project is dead in the water. The last franchise place was awarded to somebody else and there are no current plans for any further places. If there is in the future, then again they'll be competing gianst other cities with no guarantee of success.

At the moment, they've just bought into a loss making Premier League football team. They haven't done that to bankroll the losses, and will have an eye on making money, obviously. The way their "parent" Comcast has done that is by building new grounds and having mixed use developments.

[Villan82]

While I agree with Dogtanian, they bought V Sports and there's likely to be infrastructure projects across the world. V Sports tried to start a franchise in Las Vegas for instance, and probably haven't given up on that. A new stadium there would be a huge project.

The Las Vegas project is dead in the water. The last franchise place was awarded to somebody else and there are no current plans for any further places. If there is in the future, then again they'll be competing gianst other cities with no guarantee of success.

At the moment, they've just bought into a loss making Premier League football team. They haven't done that to bankroll the losses, and will have an eye on making money, obviously. The way their "parent" Comcast has done that is by building new grounds and having mixed use developments.

I know you have to take what he says with a pinch of salt but Heck was adamant in that Gabhy video that we would never leave Villa Park and we'd never change the Holte. Why leave such a hostage to fortune?

[Dogtanian]

I think you do have to take it with a pinch of salt.

In my experience, the last thing you want is people talking about all sorts of things you may not even do. You get your decisions made in private and let people know in the right way at the right time.

I don't believe that whatever they're going to do is fully decided yet, and so he's right - there are no firm plans. And that will be the official line until they're ready to say something.

As for going back on what they've said, I don't think that's a big concern. Decisions get made and unmade and changed all the time in business. They'll just say that tried really hard to make it work without doing xxx, but in the end they realised that for the successful future of the club they had to make a big change.

[chrisw1]

By staying where we are we've pretty much kissed goodbye to any significant mixed-use development beyond a bit of primarily match day based leisure I'd think.  I do wonder how we will compete financially in the long long term with better-located clubs.  Even Everton will be eclipsing our stadium income shortly.

I think in 3-4 years time we'll think Heck has made a huge mistake.

[Villan82]

By staying where we are we've pretty much kissed goodbye to any significant mixed-use development beyond a bit of primarily match day based leisure I'd think.  I do wonder how we will compete financially in the long long term with better-located clubs.  Even Everton will be eclipsing our stadium income shortly.

I think in 3-4 years time we'll think Heck has made a huge mistake.

I've been there since I saw the interview in December! At best it delayed us getting to that point by one year, at worst it has led to yet more indecision about it that will still be felt in a decade's time.

[chrisw1]

I think you do have to take it with a pinch of salt.

In my experience, the last thing you want is people talking about all sorts of things you may not even do. You get your decisions made in private and let people know in the right way at the right time.

I don't believe that whatever they're going to do is fully decided yet, and so he's right - there are no firm plans. And that will be the official line until they're ready to say something.

As for going back on what they've said, I don't think that's a big concern. Decisions get made and unmade and changed all the time in business. They'll just say that tried really hard to make it work without doing xxx, but in the end they realised that for the successful future of the club they had to make a big change.

It's one thing deferring decisions whilst they consider options, it's another thing entirely to commission and release a video extolling the virtues of Villa Park, the Holte End and stating expressly that we won't move in his lifetime.  There was no need to do any of that.  He's nailed his colours to the mast completely.  There's no prospect of us moving and I'm sure a total redev is also off the table.  The best we can hope for is a revamped North development, but it doesn't look like that will be any time soon now they are spending money of the current stand.   

[Dogtanian]

Yes. Literally every business owner I know would rather their business fail than have an employee break a promise they made in a video.

And every marketing and sales person always tells the truth and never uses hyperbole.

[Risso]

I do think Chris has got a point. There aren't many businesses where the customers are as emotionally attached to the product as football fans. There would be upset if they'd announced we were going to leave Villa, from the majority of fans I reckon. If they announce a move some time after categorically saying we're not moving because of how historic the ground is, then there would be absolute civil war. I just can't see that they'd knowingly do that.

[Dogtanian]

I do think Chris has got a point. There aren't many businesses where the customers are as emotionally attached to the product as football fans. There would be upset if they'd announced we were going to leave Villa, from the majority of fans I reckon. If they announce a move some time after categorically saying we're not moving because of how historic the ground is, then there would be absolute civil war. I just can't see that they'd knowingly do that.

People are going to be angry about what they were always going to be angry about. If they announced a move or rebuild now, it wouldn't matter what he said or when. The anger would be coming regardless.

I think it's much more likely that he doesn't expect anyone to remember that he said that. The fact that he said it certainly isn't going to impact any business decision and certainly can't be taken as any kind of promise.

Aside from anything else, it's not his promise to make. He doesn't own the club. It's absolutely meaningless.