Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[Talldarkandransome]

Let him build his big bar in the car park for 3000 "new" fans, block 3000 more seats in whichever stand he wants, then sell them at £150 per match with a few beers and a hot dog thrown in.

Me cynical, nah I'm a realist

 

[allani]

1 hour ago, Captain_Townsend said:

Who is to say how long he will even work for the Villa but the legacy of these decisions he is making (or, to be more accurate,  reversing) will be with us for a long time.

Do you honestly believe that Heck has the power to make these decisions against the wishes of the owners?  If so then your anger should be directed at them for being irresponsible with the future of the club they have bought.  Given their business acumen I just can't compute that they'd allow a situation where anyone at the club is just able to rip up part of the club's strategy and implement a different plan without their knowledge or approval.  My guy feel is that they weren't convinced by Purslow's ability to increase revenue through sponsorships / partnerships, they were concerned about the Chelsea badge, etc.  The redevelopment side is interesting - I do think the North Stand plans looked wicked.  But I don't know whether they didn't think that the original plan went far enough / they were unconvinced by the ROI / the issues with the council / etc have driven a pause / re-think.  But I would be staggered if any of it was happening just because Heck doesn't like it.

Edited December 20, 2023 by allani

[nick76]

9 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Just a reminder that the owners, both of the CEO's they've employed and the right hand men of both of those CEO's have all said there is absolutely no intention of moving away from Villa Park, either now or in the future - and that yesterday after Heck's interview when people started talking about the potential for a new stadium elsewhere on social media, John Townley, the journalist that covers the local area most closely, reiterated that the club have absolutely no plans to relocate and leave Villa Park - most likely at the behest of the club.

There's absolutely nothing to suggest that the club have canned the North Stand because they're thinking about a new stadium and they've repeatedly and clearly said that they have no intention of moving us. 

Question: the infrastructure quote when Atairos came onboard and next day the North Stand delayed. The timing is likely coincidental but the substance of each is curiously linked.  What’s your thought given you’ve had contact previously with people at the club?  If completely innocent which I assume it is, for a man like Heck as CEO, marketing communication background that messaging was poorly thought out because people outside the club would make a connection.  

It worries me if he didn‘t make the connection but if he did then what does that mean? Didn’t care, didn’t think a big deal, there is likely something else going on behind the scenes…?  They would’ve known the stock market material would come out on that date so it’s curious why they put the Heck interview out the next day when that could’ve gone out last week or a few days later or whatever.  Just interested in your thoughts.

[Captain_Townsend]

9 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Just a reminder that the owners, both of the CEO's they've employed and the right hand men of both of those CEO's have all said there is absolutely no intention of moving away from Villa Park, either now or in the future - and that yesterday after Heck's interview when people started talking about the potential for a new stadium elsewhere on social media, John Townley, the journalist that covers the local area most closely, reiterated that the club have absolutely no plans to relocate and leave Villa Park - most likely at the behest of the club.

There's absolutely nothing to suggest that the club have canned the North Stand because they're thinking about a new stadium and they've repeatedly and clearly said that they have no intention of moving us. 

Well, they made such a mess of the comms can you blame people for speculation?

What is the logic in cancelling the very highly publicised redevelopment of the North Stand. None of it makes any logical sense, at all

Edited December 20, 2023 by Captain_Townsend

[AshVilla]

Big Heck

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, lainux said:

We saw what happened with Everton and the new stadium, FFP and less activity in the transfer market.

Wonder if work on the North stand would have prevented Emery from signing higher calibre players which would push us further to the next level. Hence we need build up a steady challenge for top 4/title during the next few years before thinking about expansion.

Stadium spending has zero effect on FFP. 

Evertons FFP issues are purely because they went years spending shit loads of money on terrible players.

Ironically if they had a bigger ground with more corporate areas their FFP ceiling would be much higher. Rather like us they're hampered by a small ground compared to their rivals. 

[Villa Gaffa]

If he wanted his first proper interaction with our fans to make an impact then he certainly managed that !

Its almost liked he rocked up to work that morning and said " Hey where's the camera guy. I'm ready to do my first interview so lets start the tape rolling"

 

 

[DakotaVilla]

36 minutes ago, Villa Gaffa said:

If he wanted his first proper interaction with our fans to make an impact then he certainly managed that !

Its almost liked he rocked up to work that morning and said " Hey where's the camera guy. I'm ready to do my first interview so lets start the tape rolling"

 

 

Amateurish bordering on incompetent.

Say what you want about Purslow but he was always very calculated and polished when communicating anything with the fans. Also he had a very clear affinity with the club as has been seen with his attendance at games after he left us. 

[maqroll]

There's some Twatter chatter about the club considering the idea of leaving Villa Park and building a new modern stadium at unknown Birmingham location, with all the corporate hospitality bells and whistles.

The owners are ambitious. Atairos is ambitious. Heck is ambitious. Emery is ambitious. I'm certain the idea has at least been discussed at some point. 

[fruitvilla]

Derelict site on the edge of Small Heath available?

[KevinRichardsonsMoustache]

I’m catching up on all of this news. First thing: his first communication with the fans via the video was sh**e. Must improve there. Might be the American connection but I felt like I was listening to some appointee of Lerner.
 

Second, and more positively, I generally trust the owners to install someone who can boost our commercial revenue. Is there a chance that Heck has come in and wondered wtf Purslow was thinking in terms of the finances with the North Stand project? Did we ever see the finances in terms of spend and projected income arising from the project? 
 

The way I read his ‘interview’ was that he was saying the plan didn’t make sense. His other comments were basically window dressing for him formally announcing that the project is on hold. Now, that’s either because the situation has changed vis a vis the club and/or the original plan was poorly drafted. The answer to both can be yes.

[Captain_Townsend]

The way I see it, he is just wasting time and things will just get more expensive.

[sidcow]

13 minutes ago, Captain_Townsend said:

The way I see it, he is just wasting time and things will just get more expensive.

That's not necessarily true. Construction costs HAVE been extremely high lately and ARE expected to fall so a further delay might actually be cheaper, not more expensive. 

I was also just thinking. There are only so many companies who can do stadium work.   Buckingham were a very big player and companies are currently busy finishing off their jobs at Fulham and Liverpool.  It may be that 18 months from now, especially when Everton have finished there may be a few more of these specialist stadium teams looking for work than there will be in 6 months time. 

I don't see the Buckingham Leisure team rocking up anywhere else and going again. Reputation will be shot so there is a lack of capacity in the market. 

I'm not aware of any other major stadium work due in 18 months unless Leicester get on with it so people might start sharpening their pencils if there's a few firms chasing the one big contract. 

[Keener window-cleaner]

7 minutes ago, sidcow said:

That's not necessarily true. Construction costs HAVE been extremely high lately and ARE expected to fall so a further delay might actually be cheaper, not more expensive. 

I was also just thinking. There are only so many companies who can do stadium work.   Buckingham were a very big player and companies are currently busy finishing off their jobs at Fulham and Liverpool.  It may be that 18 months from now, especially when Everton have finished there may be a few more of these specialist stadium teams looking for work than there will be in 6 months time. 

I don't see the Buckingham Leisure team rocking up anywhere else and going again. Reputation will be shot so there is a lack of capacity in the market. 

I'm not aware of any other major stadium work due in 18 months unless Leicester get on with it so people might start sharpening their pencils if there's a few firms chasing the one big contract. 

Yes, interest rates are perhaps at top right now and could be going down along with the inflation, making huge infrastructure investments in that environment sounds a bit risky to me if you as well can wait 6 months or a year.

[sne]

11 minutes ago, Stephen_Evans said:

The mystery is why the owners are permitting their senior executives to show such arrogance to the fans’ representatives.  Worrying times off the field I think.

I have a feeling things might get pretty spicy pretty fast if the results on the pitch starts dropping. Fingers crossed they don't obviously. Our owners has earned (as far as I'm concerned) almost unlimited trust and goodwill for what they have done and are doing. But Heck has not and he's very much the face of all the changes that are happening, and not happening atm. And while too early to tell most of them doesn't look to being going down to well with a lot of fans. His reasoning/excuses also doesn't fly as far as I'm concerned.

Obviously Heck is the owners guy so in extension he is them but you know...

[Captain_Townsend]

Heck so far

1. Increase prices, make it more difficult and more unpleasant to attend games

2. Ditch our new mandated round badge.

3. Point to failure to sell out as rationale to ditch our swanky new stand and keep that outdated eyesore of a North stand.

 

Heck is a major major problem. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Captain_Townsend

[AndyM3000]

Heck out.

[Spoony]

2 hours ago, Captain_Townsend said:

Heck so far

1. Increase prices, make it more difficult and more unpleasant to attend games

2. Ditch our new mandated round badge.

3. Point to failure to sell out as rationale to ditch our swanky new stand and keep that outdated eyesore of a North stand.

 

Heck is a major major problem. 

 

2 hours ago, AndyM3000 said:

Heck out.

Agreed entirely. Early days and he’s already throwing massive disruption into things that just didn’t need to be disrupted like this. He hasn’t got a clue how an English football club should operate and he has no respect for fans or football heritage. You can’t just come in and Yankee everything up. 

[Zatman]

6 minutes ago, Spoony said:

 

Agreed entirely. Early days and he’s already throwing massive disruption into things that just didn’t need to be disrupted like this. He hasn’t got a clue how an English football club should operate and he has no respect for fans or football heritage. You can’t just come in and Yankee everything up. 

Without getting into an age old debate about Purslow but he has pretty much ripped up 2 of Purslow big off field plans straight out of the blocks

[DakotaVilla]

Heck just doesn’t appear up to the job does he….. He’s going to get absolutely annihilated when whatever shitshow of a badge they have cooked up is shared with everyone.