Villa Park redevelopment

[Five Ken McNaughts]

@The Fun Factory I was looking at that exact same patch of seats today as I was booking a couple for the Burnley game (ended up in Trinity upper again). Like you say, I'm surprised they can't call them "Extreme Restricted View" and sell them at a knockdown price. It's more money for the club and more Villa voices in the ground, after all. I hadn't thought of any Health & Safety / Falling over the edge reasons for non-sale, though your comment did remind me of playing "Lemmings" on the Amiga 500.

This new "Gas Lamp Lounge" in the North Stand sounds interesting (from the promotional piece on the official website at least). Someone mentioned on this thread that the North Stand hospitality boxes were all being knocked through and I guess this is the result of it. So, a kind of budget executive experience with tickets for the lounge starting from £75? Sounds very good in principle. I'm already thinking birthday treat for my old dad. Just hope they have made a good job of it.

[The Fun Factory]

57 minutes ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

@The Fun Factory I was looking at that exact same patch of seats today as I was booking a couple for the Burnley game (ended up in Trinity upper again). Like you say, I'm surprised they can't call them "Extreme Restricted View" and sell them at a knockdown price. It's more money for the club and more Villa voices in the ground, after all. I hadn't thought of any Health & Safety / Falling over the edge reasons for non-sale, though your comment did remind me of playing "Lemmings" on the Amiga 500.

This new "Gas Lamp Lounge" in the North Stand sounds interesting (from the promotional piece on the official website at least). Someone mentioned on this thread that the North Stand hospitality boxes were all being knocked through and I guess this is the result of it. So, a kind of budget executive experience with tickets for the lounge starting from £75? Sounds very good in principle. I'm already thinking birthday treat for my old dad. Just hope they have made a good job of it.

Compared to old grounds like Goodison Park or Loftus Road the view from there can't be that bad.

A fun fact is that the reason why the North Stand boxes are like they are is down to David Cameron's uncle, William Dugdale. He was the Villa chairman at the time and in a true toryboy fashion asked why can't they have two levels of executive boxes rather than one. I picked that up from Simon Inglis magnificent Villa Park- 100 years book.

Edited September 5, 2019 by The Fun Factory

[Five Ken McNaughts]

Did not know that. Thanks for the book tip. Am currently reading "Aston Villa: A Nostalgic Look at a Century of the Club." Could look at those old pictures all day long. It got me thinking – I would love to see the the new owners invite Peter McParland to be guest of honour for a home game this season. The idea of him taking the applause from a sell-out Villa Park singing his name is enough to give anyone goosebumps. North American sports do so much more to honour past heroes (as Wes Edens will well know). We should do these things, not just wait for the black armband days.

[Mic09]

I have heard on BBC WM this morning that our owners are looking to purchase Villa Park and it's looked at from a possible perspective of FFP breach. 

Has anyone heard any more about this?

[limpid]

24 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

I have heard on BBC WM this morning that our owners are looking to purchase Villa Park and it's looked at from a possible perspective of FFP breach. 

Has anyone heard any more about this?

FFP thread? Seeing as it's not related to redevelopment of the ground.

[NeilS]

22 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

I have heard on BBC WM this morning that our owners are looking to purchase Villa Park and it's looked at from a possible perspective of FFP breach. 

Has anyone heard any more about this?

This purchase has already happened, the owners bought the ground back in May to comply with the FFP regs.

FFP thread

[TRO]

On 01/01/2019 at 21:17, Davkaus said:

I sat in the Lower North for the first time in years. What an absolute dump. I'm not sure what the lowlight was, from the grubby exterior, the Ryanair legroom, inadequate catering, or the only sink in the gent's being 20cm away and slightly lower than the nearest urinal, so you can't wash your hands without a cock in your peripheral vision... 

That thing being demolished can't come soon enough

wouldn't be so bad if it was in the "ladies"

[sne]

Possible idea to reduce carbon footprint for new stadium?

Quote

An Austrian football stadium has been transformed into a native central European forest.

Designed by Klaus Littmann, the installation is a statement against climate change and deforestation.

Hosting almost 300 trees, the stadium hopes to attract wildlife during the seven weeks the installation is open.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49640345

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, sne said:

Possible idea to reduce carbon footprint for new stadium?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49640345

This kind of bollocks boils my piss. 

How much co2 do you reckon was burned using the heavy machinery to lift those trees from wherever they were growing, by the massive low loaders used to transport them to the stadium, by heavy lifting machinery to install them at the stadium then the co2 created to dismantle it again. 

Fine, call it a work of art but I don't see how burning so much unnecessary co2 can possibly be a "statement against climate change" 

[sne]

2 minutes ago, sidcow said:

This kind of bollocks boils my piss. 

How much co2 do you reckon was burned using the heavy machinery to lift those trees from wherever they were growing, by the massive low loaders used to transport them to the stadium, by heavy lifting machinery to install them at the stadium then the co2 created to dismantle it again. 

Fine, call it a work of art but I don't see how burning so much unnecessary co2 can possibly be a "statement against climate change" 

A bit like all these climate summits where they fly thousands of people all over the globe to talk about reducing the use of airplane travel.

Just Skype ffs

[villa4europe]

going OT - they stick the juvenile plants in a nursey outside letting them develop, attracting wildlife, then they upheave them all and stick them in the stadium for 7 weeks hoping to attract wildlife, then they upheave them back outside...

so they're **** about with the habitat of wildlife in order to tell people to stop **** about with the habitat of wildlife? 

it sounds like a badly thought out publicity stunt, inviting a load of birds in to a football stadium, what happens when the birds decide the rafters make a better home than the trees? how do any animals that aren't birds and insects actually get in? how do they know that the 7 weeks are up?

[ferguson1]

Just so I’m clear, is it bring a tree to Villa Park on Monday then?   Hope so, as I sorted mine this morning!

[sidcow]

To get this a bit more back on topic I am sure there is more the club could do in terms of planting more trees and shrubs within the grounds, maybe turn over some of the acres of paving to grass, I mean it's not like they don't have any expertise in lawn care available to them.  Maybe put in some hanging baskets etc. Would help negate some of the carbon footprint and also make the grounds more attractive.  I don't think many clubs do much planting around their stadium do they? 

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

To get this a bit more back on topic I am sure there is more the club could do in terms of planting more trees and shrubs within the grounds, maybe turn over some of the acres of paving to grass, I mean it's not like they don't have any expertise in lawn care available to them.  Maybe put in some hanging baskets etc. Would help negate some of the carbon footprint and also make the grounds more attractive.  I don't think many clubs do much planting around their stadium do they? 

Maintenance costs

Not sure how many clubs can say they've got a park on the doorstep 

[sidcow]

Forgot to ask earlier.  Have we installed more floodlights at Villa Park? Against West Ham it struck me how much brighter everything looked then I noticed a second row of floodlights further back into the stands that I don't recall seeing before. 

[villan-scott]

8 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Forgot to ask earlier.  Have we installed more floodlights at Villa Park? Against West Ham it struck me how much brighter everything looked then I noticed a second row of floodlights further back into the stands that I don't recall seeing before. 

Probably cleaned them or put new bulbs in!

[MadridVilla]

29 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Forgot to ask earlier.  Have we installed more floodlights at Villa Park? Against West Ham it struck me how much brighter everything looked then I noticed a second row of floodlights further back into the stands that I don't recall seeing before. 

I believe the second row of floodlights on the Holte and North stand were added at the start of the 15/16 season because of new PL rules for a minimum brightness level for TV viewers, but it's possible that they have upgraded the lights since then as well.

[mattyvilla]

2 hours ago, MadridVilla said:

I believe the second row of floodlights on the Holte and North stand were added at the start of the 15/16 season because of new PL rules for a minimum brightness level for TV viewers, but it's possible that they have upgraded the lights since then as well.

pretty sure in was to enable 4k coverage

[sne]

Quote

'Swanky' Aston Villa's grand Villa Park plan one step closer

Aston Villa latest | Demolition to Villa Village and the former Stumps building has now been approved by Birmingham City Council in readiness for yet more development thanks to owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris

Aston Villa's grand plans to knock down the ticket office, club shop and Academy building have been given the green light.

As reported in June, Villa's wealthy owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris put plans forward to Birmingham City Council to redevelop Villa Park while particularly focusing on land at the rear of the North Stand .

The pair want the site cleared, according to the council, "in readiness to accommodate new development which could accommodate a super store, museum and a possible hotel".

Two months after lodging plans, the council has given Villa the go-ahead to start demolition work. It'll mean the former Stumps building - which is used as a Family Fun Zone on match days - will be bulldozed along with the ticket office and Villa store.

None of the existing buildings are locally or statutorily listed and are of little architectural merit. I therefore raise no objection to the principle of the demolition of these buildings," a council document read prior to demolition approval.

The briefing added: "Aston Villa Football Club is proposing to move the ticket office/merchandise store into temporary units elsewhere on site. It is intended that the footprint of this building will be used as excess capacity for car parking on match days. The Academy building football pitch will continue to be used in an outdoor capacity following its demolition.

"The site would be left in a tidy condition and enclosed with appropriate fencing to secure the site, pending its future redevelopment. This will ensure that the site has an acceptable appearance taking into account the residential nature of the surrounding area."

Villa's owners continue to plough cash into improving the club's infrastructure. BirminghamLive previously reported how Edens and Sawiris set aside another £100million over the next five years .

Vast improvements were made all around Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath in the summer while, last weekend, fans enjoyed the grand opening of The Gaslamp - a swanky new hospitality lounge situated in the North Stand.

Supporters enjoyed the new bar area, improved boxes, a welcome drink, food, a match day programme and a Q&A with Nigel Spink and Pat Heard.

As for the approved demolition plans, it's believed the owners have sought to obtain permission early and will wait for the Premier League season to finish before kick-starting their scheme for a new store, museum and, possibly, a Villa Park hotel.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-park-edens-owners-17024067

[The Fun Factory]

I'd rather they plan all this in with a new north stand in one area rather than continuing with having the club shop at the furthermost point of the ground. It could also mean that there will be no permanent shop for quite a while.