Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[LeeB]

Coventry, Leicester, Wolves, Perry Barr? How is playing at a 36,000 capacity Villa Park for 18 months a worse solution than any of those?

And long-term figure out a way to do the Witton Lane without needing to close the stand.

I think we are all falling into the trap of trying to find logic in the 'pause': it must be a new stadium instead, it must be because they can't afford to reduce capacity, it must be because they fear the atmosphere would suffer, it must be because they have decided 42,000 is enough for us, it must be because we need to play at another venue while the works are done.

Playing at another venue isn't going to be all that different to playing in front of a temporarily reduced capacity Villa Park - something we have done when the other stands were rebuilt.

Look, I know you really want a new North Stand, but the reason we'd 'move elsewhere' is to allow us to redevelop the whole site. It's not just about capacity, it's what that capacity is generating financially.

When you look at that footprint of the land we own, you think if we just moved the stadium 50 yards back towards Witton we'd solve a lot of problems.

[PeterWithe]

I watched a game in that stadium, Espanyol v Real Madrid, it was terrible. Didn't last too long into the second half.

[Dogtanian]

Coventry, Leicester, Wolves, Perry Barr? How is playing at a 36,000 capacity Villa Park for 18 months a worse solution than any of those?

And long-term figure out a way to do the Witton Lane without needing to close the stand.

I think we are all falling into the trap of trying to find logic in the 'pause': it must be a new stadium instead, it must be because they can't afford to reduce capacity, it must be because they fear the atmosphere would suffer, it must be because they have decided 42,000 is enough for us, it must be because we need to play at another venue while the works are done.

Playing at another venue isn't going to be all that different to playing in front of a temporarily reduced capacity Villa Park - something we have done when the other stands were rebuilt.

Look, I know you really want a new North Stand, but the reason we'd 'move elsewhere' is to allow us to redevelop the whole site. It's not just about capacity, it's what that capacity is generating financially.

When you look at that footprint of the land we own, you think if we just moved the stadium 50 yards back towards Witton we'd solve a lot of problems.

Yep, we have a lot of land at Villa Park - enough to fit the Emirates or the Spurs Toilet in. It's just the shape it's in that causes the problem.

I'm pretty sure there is a solution to be found on the site, whether it's step by step stand replacement or an entire rebuild on the site.

[Villan82]

Coventry, Leicester, Wolves, Perry Barr? How is playing at a 36,000 capacity Villa Park for 18 months a worse solution than any of those?

And long-term figure out a way to do the Witton Lane without needing to close the stand.

I think we are all falling into the trap of trying to find logic in the 'pause': it must be a new stadium instead, it must be because they can't afford to reduce capacity, it must be because they fear the atmosphere would suffer, it must be because they have decided 42,000 is enough for us, it must be because we need to play at another venue while the works are done.

Playing at another venue isn't going to be all that different to playing in front of a temporarily reduced capacity Villa Park - something we have done when the other stands were rebuilt.

Look, I know you really want a new North Stand, but the reason we'd 'move elsewhere' is to allow us to redevelop the whole site. It's not just about capacity, it's what that capacity is generating financially.

When you look at that footprint of the land we own, you think if we just moved the stadium 50 yards back towards Witton we'd solve a lot of problems.

I accept your point but to me it is a huge undertaking for a small gain? The true pinch point at Villa Park is the Holte Trinity corner and those two stands are currently our largest, most spacious stands and the Holte by far our grandest.

Shifting the whole site back will allow us make some gains but we'd be repalcing the two best stands currently to achieve those gains. Also, moving back towards Witton may bring the houses on nelson road into the mix. Would we have to acquire them? Also, if that is the plan, why are we investing in enlarging our club shop when under such a scheme we'd be demolishing it to move the whole stadium towards Witton?

Not trying to argue against what you outline, it it a good proposal, just that they are going about it a funny way if that is indeed the masterplan.

Which brings me back to my position that the best solution is also the simple one that we make our current worst stand our best stand and get to 50k without all that disruption.

[Chris Harte]

I'd wonder if it might be possible to use the Alex stadium for summer months only ...

So Mid March through to Mid October, play there whilst the weather's not too bad.  Play the winter months at Villa Park.  Alternate between the two until all the work's done.

Then you'd do the 'big' construction tasks in that ~6 month window, try to get part of the new stand(s) open, and do things that aren't impacted by supporters in the ground for the other ~6months.

We'd still play the majority of games each season at Villa Park, and the few games that we didn't play there would be in Perry Barr ... marginally further away than Wellington Road, but not massively so.

I think the PL have a rule about club's not staging home games in more than one "home" in any given season. They did give Spurs special dispensation to play at Wembley and their new home only because of building work overrunning and I think a safety certificate issue, but I can't imagine we'd be allowed to do what you describe, as otherwise reasonable an idea as it is.

[Dogtanian]

I did this abomination to see just how restrictive our site is. Even taking into account the inaccuracies of my fag packet methods, it gives a decent idea of both the potential and the problems.

[Villan82]

And shifting toward Witton looks equally constricted really.

[Dogtanian]

You could fit it behind, centred on the gate behind the North Stand, too. But houses on McGregor Close and Manor Road would need to be bought.

That would allow for potential work to be carried out while the original was still open, but I've no idea how feasible that would be managing a matchday with a construction site there.

[LeeB]

Much like Leitch's original plans, we'd need to build two big massive fuck off 'ends' and relatively slimline side stands

[Neil Hawkes]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

[chrisw1]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

Whilst obviously a very sensible plan, are you allowed to have a closed roof in the PL?

[Neil Hawkes]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

Whilst obviously a very sensible plan, are you allowed to have a closed roof in the PL?

Bugger - when do we become M.City and do what we want?................(hopefully never)

[LeeB]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

Small time thinking, we should build the worlds first gyroscopic stadium with people on all sides .

[Sexual Ealing]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

Small time thinking, we should build the worlds first gyroscopic stadium with people on all sides .

I feel like we're *this* close to a lecture on how telescopic dampers and rigid stays hold the key to our new 'mobile' stadium.

[AV82EC]

Why don't we have it all fully enclosed, with seats suspended from the roof?

Small time thinking, we should build the worlds first gyroscopic stadium with people on all sides .

I feel like we're *this* close to a lecture on how telescopic dampers and rigid stays hold the key to our new 'mobile' stadium.

Well far be it from me as someone who knows nothing about gyroscopic engineering or any type of engineering for that matter to enlighten you further……