Supporters Consultation Group March 2014

[rjw63]

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3729653,00.html

 

This is nice...seems whoever attended was only interested in filling their face at half time or pre-match, and Villa Cash!

 

Only one question regarding season ticket price increases, which was answered in the manner of a seasoned politician.

[DelboyVilla]

Woo Hoo chicken & mushroom pies 'may' make a comeback!! That will get the fans pouring through the doors and I am sure next years season tickets will now sell out.

 

I know these things are a sham set up by SupaGinge to put him in touch with the fans but that is just taking the piss. It's like Faulkner is sitting there laughing at the fans after 4 years of turgid managers and football they have the brass neck to put that farce on the website.

 

I for one do not base my VP experience on the speed of service at the chips counter or whether my pint is half a degree to cold or warm. What happens on the pitch is the only thing that affects my mood come Saturday or Sunday night. That's what we should ask about even if we get a load of flannel at least they would have to look people in the eye and peddle their bullshite!!

 

I know this was never going to be an open forum with Faulkner answering difficult question but the can take their Villa Cash and shove it where the sun don't shine if things don't improve on the pitch. I for one will not spend 1p of my money down VP anytime soon.

[R.I.C.O.]

That manuscript in the link is laughable. Did this meeting actually exist? I'm sure they were quaking in their boots with these pathetic questions.

 

What the flying **** is the point of these meetings. Hey at least I now know that chicken and mushroom pies may, just may be making a comeback. Good to see the club still takes the big issues seriously.

 

“Who is in charge of the clattering train?
The axles creak and the couplings strain,
and the pace is hot and the points are near,
and sleep hath deadened the driver's ear,
and the signals flash through the night in vain.
For Death is in charge of the clattering train.”

[limpid]

It would have been nice if they'd invited VillaTalk this time.

[blandy]

There's kind of 2 or 3  levels to this thing, really.

 

There's the level where people can talk to the head of pies and ask for a new or old flavour, and that's good, in its way. The head of pies can't answer about why we lost at the weekend, but can talk about pastries - they probably know as little as us as to why we can beat Chelsea and then play like wet lettuces against Stoke. I'm being glib, but to an extent, these things matter to a Chicken pie loving supporter, to a degree.

 

There's the level that much of it looks a bit focused on how the club can make or protect income, by "aiding" loyalty via renewal incentives and such like or offeringmore services or whatever. That's kind of more beneficial to the club than us lot, but does go both ways. Again, there's no harm init and some genuine good comes out of it.

 

There's the level where things like safe standing and other issues on safety or travel or whatever can be raised and credit to the club for getting behind it.

 

Finally, there's the things which more than any others affect us - the team's fortunes and performances, There's pricing of tickets, which to me isn't value for money, and there's fixtures being moved for the telly. The club either can't or won't (or both) really do anything about these things. They'd say TV pays a ton of money, so calls the tune. They'd say prices are relatively good compared to others  - which may be true-ish, but is a kind of false market, because the choice isn't between going down the Villa or going to watch (say) Hull or Newcastle or whoever. It's Villa or not anyone. If no club breaks the mould, then they'll all carry on putting prices up and claiming relative value one way or another and the clattering train carries on down the line.

As for the team, I don't think anyone knows what's going to happen from game to game. How do you answer that? Manager forums, maybe.

[andykeenan]

Signal is bad at our place although I'm on Vodafone as mentioned and is better in Holte Upper unlike the past but in Trinity when been there is awful

[The Fun Factory]

Questions I would put are following recent news reports what plans are Villa doing to improve access for disabled fans, and what can the club do to improve the dire match day traffic getting out of the ground? As a frequent user of the supporters coach since they got rid of the police escort it takes at least 20 minutes more getting out of Villa Park nowadays. If the club have any realistic thoughts of increasing capacity (which I doubt anyway) then improving traffic flow is a must.

[Jimzk5]

Did someone seriously ask the club for a cup holder to be attached to the seat in front?

reading that, makes me realise im not cut out for a job in customer services cus id have answered every question with "you've come to watch a football match, why are you whinging about a chicken & mushroom pie"

[DelboyVilla]

This is a forum where the top dog executive of our club is present and all we get are a load of irrelevant questions about things that shouldn't concern a man in his position. Can you imagine Daniel Levy sitting listening to fans talk about chicken and fricking mushroom pies??

 

Faulkner should be there to explain the mystical 5 year plans that always seem to have just started every year. He should be talking about the club's focus and direction and explaining why we have performed so poorly on the pitch for the last 4 years. Not cup holders on seats or mobile signals in the ground.

 

We are a football club not a branch of Big Johns. The product they are selling is the performance on the pitch not the pies in the food kiosk. If people want to talk pies go to your local Big Johns and ask them all about Pukka. It's not the pies that need improving it's the quality of product on the pitch.

[chappy]

Cup holders!! Next question where are the prawns in the sandwiches sourced from!!

[Raver50032]

Questions I would put are following recent news reports what plans are Villa doing to improve access for disabled fans, and what can the club do to improve the dire match day traffic getting out of the ground? As a frequent user of the supporters coach since they got rid of the police escort it takes at least 20 minutes more getting out of Villa Park nowadays. If the club have any realistic thoughts of increasing capacity (which I doubt anyway) then improving traffic flow is a must.

Mobile phone signal might have something to do with policing on match days. Police can and often do suppress the mobile phone network in an area so that they can conduct incident management at major events/incidents/accidents.

 

Not saying that is always why mobile phone reception is bobbins at Villa Park, but could be a factor. I wonder if the inhabitants of the Witton/Aston area suffer from poor signal, and whether this is only on match days - or if it's just confined to Villa Park.

 

Balti pies - for the win.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Raver50032

[limpid]

Mobile phone signal might have something to do with policing on match days. Police can and often do suppress the mobile phone network in an area so that they can conduct incident management at major events/incidents/accidents.

Sorry, but this is completely untrue.

 

If you want a technical explanation ask in the Tech forum.

[Risso]

When I went to a NY Jets game in the Metlife stadium, the wifi was great and it was 4G everywhere.  People were using Facetime and Skype, it was that good.  Contrast that with the average Premier League game where getting a mobile signal is hit and miss at best.  I was going to say that NFL is so dull that they need to provide wifi as an alternative to the dull game on display, but then Villa should probably do the same....

[limpid]

When I went to a NY Jets game in the Metlife stadium, the wifi was great and it was 4G everywhere.  People were using Facetime and Skype, it was that good.  Contrast that with the average Premier League game where getting a mobile signal is hit and miss at best.  I was going to say that NFL is so dull that they need to provide wifi as an alternative to the dull game on display, but then Villa should probably do the same....

But here they still threaten web sites who link to photos taken inside the ground. (Although I've not had a threat this season.)

[villa4europe]

The club is aware that Wi-Fi connection within the bowl on matchdays has become an increasingly requested service

 

you what?!

[villa4europe]

shocked by some of the questions to be honest

 

but what would people ask? based on the (reasonable) expectations that the club would never answer stuff like "wheres the money going" or "when will lerner next watch a game" or "whats the 5 year plan" and "why did we sign grant holt"

 

i'd ask - 

 

1) can we get villa cash for away games, if ive got a ST and earn villa cash im not buying anymore home tickets but buy 7/8 away games a year, why cant i get 5% on the value

2) can you subsidise away match ticket prices rather than offer free coaches from villa park

3) what does the club do to try and balance the disparity between the ethnicity of the local area and the ethnicity of the crowd, im half convinced brum has a huge untapped market that the club is hopefully working hard behind the scenes to attract

[Enda]

The Club had to have stacked the audience for these types of questions to be asked. Not one question about football.

 

Roughly speaking, there are two types of fans: people who are there for football, and people who are there for "the experience". I don't have much of a problem with the "experience" crowd, especially if it's a family day out or the like. But those sorts shouldn't be the fans invited for a Q&A. Inviting people who are going to ask about WiFi or cup-holders is a completely opportunity.

[TRO]

There's kind of 2 or 3  levels to this thing, really.

 

There's the level where people can talk to the head of pies and ask for a new or old flavour, and that's good, in its way. The head of pies can't answer about why we lost at the weekend, but can talk about pastries - they probably know as little as us as to why we can beat Chelsea and then play like wet lettuces against Stoke. I'm being glib, but to an extent, these things matter to a Chicken pie loving supporter, to a degree.

 

There's the level that much of it looks a bit focused on how the club can make or protect income, by "aiding" loyalty via renewal incentives and such like or offeringmore services or whatever. That's kind of more beneficial to the club than us lot, but does go both ways. Again, there's no harm init and some genuine good comes out of it.

 

There's the level where things like safe standing and other issues on safety or travel or whatever can be raised and credit to the club for getting behind it.

 

Finally, there's the things which more than any others affect us - the team's fortunes and performances, There's pricing of tickets, which to me isn't value for money, and there's fixtures being moved for the telly. The club either can't or won't (or both) really do anything about these things. They'd say TV pays a ton of money, so calls the tune. They'd say prices are relatively good compared to others  - which may be true-ish, but is a kind of false market, because the choice isn't between going down the Villa or going to watch (say) Hull or Newcastle or whoever. It's Villa or not anyone. If no club breaks the mould, then they'll all carry on putting prices up and claiming relative value one way or another and the clattering train carries on down the line.

As for the team, I don't think anyone knows what's going to happen from game to game. How do you answer that? Manager forums, maybe.

 

What will happen is every offer and incentive under the sun will be concocted to lure fans back in to their season tickets....all except the one that the majority of fans want.

 

Lets face it .....10,000 have legged it....until someone decent to watch,turns up

 

I don't speak to the 10,000 ,but i speak to many fans in our city ( intelligent folk) and it don't go for very good listening.

 

I have the greatest respect for fans abroad, but I'm only saying what its like from my perspective and listening to locals.

 

No one can guarantee success but we are all big and ugly enough to know when we are being hoodwinked.

 

If the club were serious, they would recognise sub ten games won in a season is going to have tangible repercussions, we might be passionate, but we ain't daft

 

blimey, Man U have won everything in sight over the last 20 odd years, one bad season and Moyes is public enemy no 1.....Thats the level of expectation there.

 

our expectation is a stroll in the park.....and it has been going on for far too long.

 

The club is riddled with complacency.

 

Ps Those 10,000 are the football fans, not here for the day out brigade,(as important as they are to the revenue stream) thats my opinion anyway.

Edited March 27, 2014 by TRO

[The Fun Factory]

We are currently averaging over 36,000 this season, which I was surprised at tbh. At best under MON we averaged 40,000 so its a case of 5,000 not turning up and hence no stadium expansion. Put this way if Villa stay in the premier league we will always average at least 30,000 so why bother running huge losses to try to get only a few extra thou in?

Edited March 28, 2014 by The Fun Factory

[TRO]

We are currently averaging over 36,000 this season, which I was surprised at tbh. At best under MON we averaged 40,000 so its a case of 5,000 not turning up and hence no stadium expansion. Put this way if Villa stay in the premier league we will always average at least 30,000 so why bother running huge losses to try to get only a few extra thou in?

 

you have just made my mind up about a season ticket this year.lol