brommy

It's a fair distance from the pitch but the height does allow a good 'plan view' of the play. It's good for Holte End goal action but obviously very distant for the other goal. A positive is, provided we are playing okay or better, the atmosphere generated from the Upper Holte, particularly the back half is very good.

I believe the lounge is on the first concourse level which is the same level as the turnstiles of the Upper Holte reached by the external stairs at the back of the stand. To get to your seat, you'll need to go up steps from the first concourse level to the second concourse level, up steps to the seating area (at around Row 12 level) and then up steps to your correct row (the very back is around row 35).

Netherlands knocked out in the quarter finals by Spain, although I note our new keeper, Daphne van Domselaar, was voted player of the match on the BBC with a score of 7.95. Hopefully she'll continue her form for our forthcoming season.

If you want readers of your post to take it seriously, can you explain why you think Buendia's injury is the fault of Villa's medical department?

I find the problem with judging the value of player transfers is they nearly all seem ridiculous. I end up trying to ignore what's going on in the world of football finance and just focus on my own enjoyment at Villa Park, hoping it still represents value.

After the next break for international games was mentioned as a possibility. That would be for the Palace game on Saturday 16th September at Villa Park.

Good point.

Pretty sure the buy back for Luiz was widely reported as £25m.

Get well soon Emi. Keep your chin up, you will get through this!

Around 35, I think. The information isn't readily available on an internet search but hopefully they'll be a VTer who sits near the back who can confirm.

Russian media are apparently saying that part of the factory was being leased to a pyrotechnics company that had a malfunction causing the explosion. Chinny reckon!

I enter the Upper Holte via the steps and turnstiles on the left side of the back of the Holte. After going through one of the left side turnstiles there's already a lift on the left side of the concourse, which I assume goes from the Lower Holte concourse at ground level up the higher of the two Upper Holte concourses. Presumably there's another lift in the opposite corner (right side) of the Holte End.

Any VillaTalkers who sit near the back of the Upper Holte - have you been informed your seat is changing to rail seating and what row is it (i.e. how many rows from the back are affected this season)?

Rail seating looks quite different to normal seating and even with the fairly low resolution image I'd expect to see a difference, especially given the shade of new claret would be unlikely to be exactly match the older rows of normal seating. Regarding the age of the photo, I assuming it's fairly recent as it shows extensive work has been completed on the wheelchair area, which hadn't started until after the Motocross on the 1st July. I suppose it could have been taken a week or so ago with the rail seating installed in these final couple of weeks before our first home game on Sunday 20th August. It probably wouldn't take long to rip out the old seats and bolt in the already manufactured rail seating for the few rows being done this season.

Perhaps in some of the ECL games, with Watkins on the bench, to be used if we're not ahead after 60 minutes???

Unless the last few rows of the Upper Holte are hidden by the roofline, I can't see any rail seating being installed. I thought the rail seating rows were being installed, row by row from the back of the Upper Holte, starting this summer?

I believe that's where the wheelchair users will be positioned, so unless they're given claret coloured cards to hold in front of themselves, there won't be a top of the 'T'. Extending the Upper Holte further forward by a few rows would not cover the top the 'THE' as view from the pitch, only from an aerial view immediately above the stand. However, it now appears extending the Upper Holte further forward by a few rows will no longer be possible, as it would impede the access and view of the new wheelchair platform area.

I'm feeling sorry for the two blokes on the right whose parents obviously couldn't be bothered to register their birth.

I assume you mean from the upper concourse to the lower concourse of the Upper Holte, as there's no fan access from the Upper to Lower Holte End. In any case, there's only one level of access to the seating in the Upper Holte and that is the highest of the two concourses in the Upper Holte End. Including my understanding of the changes for the new Terrace View Lounge and for those unfamiliar with the Upper Holte End, access to any seat in the Upper Holte End is - up the steps from the car park to the turnstiles on the left or right of the previously unused central area, which will now form the outside balcony area of the terrace view facility - through the turnstiles to the lowest concourse of the Upper Holte (before this summer's work, this concourse went the whole width of the stand and was at the level seen from the pitch as the wall/windows at the very back of the Lower Holte End that will now include the new wheel chair area) - up steps from the lowest concourse to highest concourse (this highest concourse should be unaffected by the TV lounge changes and should still permit access across the full width of the stand) - up any one of six flights of stairs out on to the Upper Holte seating area (at around Row 12 level) - sit or stand to cheer on the Villa!

Looks like it's both the TV lounge which has a window area overlooking the back of the new wheelchair area. What surprised me is the TV area appears to take up the whole central area of the lower concourse area of the Upper Holte - completely from front (pitch view windows) to back (the open terrace overlooking the Holte car park). This presumably means fans will no longer be able to walk the width of the stand on that level. Unless the terrace area overlooking the car park is a separate area from the lounge??

I'm assuming those images are showing the new wheelchair area and access to it at the back of the Lower Holte, rather than the Terrace View Lounge in the Upper Holte.

Yes, I was aware of 'it" from the 'Special Operation' thread, so thought I'd highlight the issue had infected on topic. All feels a bit dystopian!

Instructions for use - What doesn't fit in the hole goes in the grapefruit pile.

I'd definitely buy a ticket!

I'm assuming the club will have wanted to sell the majority of the TV lounge capacity as a season package. Perhaps as high as 75% (750), which is similar to the season ticket ratio (around 30k of 39.6k home seats). This would guard against unused capacity in the games that were less glamorous/'special occasion' or awkward kick off times. That might have worked if they'd priced it at £200 to include one pint per game, instead of £480 (or £781 if not an existing season ticket holder) for 2 pints, a programme and lanyard.