Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[jon collett]

But then it would be sensible for him to modify pricing that’s the point I’m making.

I’d prefer it if the ground held 50k and tickets were more reasonably priced but my motivation and mentality is different to Heck’s!

[VillaTim]

I'm with Skerra on this one . To complain and pay up anyway is counterintuitive. Heck as a predator knew this of course and I'm not knocking anyone who has complained and goes anyway, I get it. Prices will keep going up though , I'm happy getting off the train and counting the money I saved and watching for free on TV. I've done enough live games and don't feel guilty.

[Chip Butty 111]

Bayern and Juventus(not the team they were admittedly) are huge draws for fans and instant sell outs. Bologna will show how cleverly the prices have been pitched. I think it could be very interesting to see the take up. Celtic being the last game for qualifying and with the 'Battle of Britain' silliness will be as popular as Bayern. If the away ties had been at home, Bruges etc, I don't think £97 was a goer at all.

[tomd2103]

It's all Unai Emery's fault. We should have kept Steve Bruce, or Paul Lambert, Eric Black, Tim Sherwood, Steven Gerrard, then we'd have had no problem at all with all this stuff.

Yep.  We wouldn't have even needed the top tier of the Trinity Road open.

[Skerra]

I'm with Skerra on this one . To complain and pay up anyway is counterintuitive. Heck as a predator knew this of course and I'm not knocking anyone who has complained and goes anyway, I get it. Prices will keep going up though , I'm happy getting off the train and counting the money I saved and watching for free on TV. I've done enough live games and don't feel guilty.

[Skerra]

I'm with Skerra on this one . To complain and pay up anyway is counterintuitive. Heck as a predator knew this of course and I'm not knocking anyone who has complained and goes anyway, I get it. Prices will keep going up though , I'm happy getting off the train and counting the money I saved and watching for free on TV. I've done enough live games and don't feel guilty.

Same as you Tim, I’m not knocking anyone that wants to part with their money. If they can afford it that’s fine. However, not wishing it but, if things go tits up in the next few years, Heck will have collected his bonus and moved on but, speaking for myself, if I decide that season ticket is too much for me next season, I doubt I will ever go back again.
All about personal circumstances and choices.

[Demitri_C]

Sells out despite the complaints. There lies the problem you pay they will continue to have prices that fucks the fans over

It's probably the most price inelastic product in the history of the world when things are going well. Stick prices up by 50%, and demand stays just as high as it was before.

Madness isn't it? You just knew people were still going to pay. It doesnt suprise me the slightest.

If we get through god knows what sort of prices hecks going to charge

[john e]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

[Demitri_C]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

I much preferred purslow

[Sexual Ealing]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

Yes.

[paul_e]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

The only plan I've seen from him anywhere is to get the turnover up to £400m and it's too early to say how that's going but I wouldn't be shocked if we are well over £300m in this seasons accounts, which will be well over halfway there.

You don't have to like him and doubt he cares if most of the fans think he's an arsehole right now, if the turnover keeps going in the right direction he'll be happy.

[PeterWithesShin]

His job is to raise revenue, not be our football friend. And he's doing that, so as far as he and the owners are concerned he's a success so far.

Whether it will backfire longterm is a different matter.

[john e]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

The only plan I've seen from him anywhere is to get the turnover up to £400m and it's too early to say how that's going but I wouldn't be shocked if we are well over £300m in this seasons accounts, which will be well over halfway there.

You don't have to like him and doubt he cares if most of the fans think he's an arsehole right now, if the turnover keeps going in the right direction he'll be happy.

Turnover will be up because we’re in the champions league
it would be virtually impossible for revenue to fall this season that’s down to Unai Emery not Heck

[paul_e]

I don’t like him

I don’t like his methods, I don’t like the way he treats supporters, I don’t like the way he views the game and the supporter’s of this club and the changes he’s bringing in to increase revenues, I don’t like the shambles of the Arsenal game after so much hype about the fan experience, I don’t like the way he’s been lauded by fellow Villa fans for selling out the game against Bayern Munich with a rip-off prices

I don’t think his plans are good for the long-term, I don’t think they’ll work long-term, and I don’t think he’ll be here long-term, but he’s managed to alienate most of the fan base apart from those that think he’s been vindicated,
I don’t think he’ll be vindicated I think he’ll be a massive failure because he doesn’t understand the Villa fan base,

I’ve been in sales all my life and the best bit of advice that was given to me was
‘Sixpence twice is better than ninepence once’  the Bayern game and the Champions League games are the ninepence games which he has grabbed, but he will lose out on a lot of sixpenses because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

In my humble opinion his overall plan won’t work, and I don’t like him

The only plan I've seen from him anywhere is to get the turnover up to £400m and it's too early to say how that's going but I wouldn't be shocked if we are well over £300m in this seasons accounts, which will be well over halfway there.

You don't have to like him and doubt he cares if most of the fans think he's an arsehole right now, if the turnover keeps going in the right direction he'll be happy.

Turnover will be up because we’re in the champions league
it would be virtually impossible for revenue to fall this season that’s down to Unai Emery not Heck

It will also be up because of massive improved sponsorship deals and increased ticket prices. Getting into the champions league will obviously be a massive plus but dismissing everything else (or making up other reasons like Sawiris doing the Adidas deal) is just letting your dislike of the guy trick you into thinking he's incompetent at the job he's actually here to do (despite plenty of evidence from before he was hired and with us that he's actually pretty good at it).

[RamboandBruno]

Your right about Emery John. It feels like everything hinges on his genius and Heck is riding on that wave and will feck off out of here at the first sign of that wave bottoming out.

We are miles off the income streams and tourist attraction status of Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal or even Spurs. We are not bankrolled by a state like Man City have been for well over a decade.
We have had a bumpy but largely great ride since the owners came in and appointed Smith. But its only the appointment of Emery that has elevated us. Emerys genius doesn’t however, change where we are geographically based, it doesn’t change Birmingham from the post industrial city it is, it doesn’t change the fact we’re not (thankfully) bank rolled by Saudi Arabia.
Emery will leave at some point and whilst that doesn’t mean it will all go pear shaped when he does, nothing on the football front is certain. 
So whilst Heck may be meeting his targets, given who we are, what we are and where we are based, there for me is a huge amount of short termism here and huge risks being taken by upping and tiering prices year in year, bit by bit pricing out those supporters who have gone largely through thin and thin and replacing them with the higher rollers that will not stick around if the post Emery landscape isnt as bright.