New Aston Villa Stadium Chat

[Wainy316]

Even if it at some point in the future it becomes absolutely essential to the club's survival that we move to a new stadium, a massive part of Aston Villa Football Club would die with Villa Park.

[HKP90]

11 minutes ago, blunther said:

The only feasible place really is the Wheels site, which apparently the noses are eyeing up (no chance of them moving to a brand new stadium though). 

What about up near the HS2 site off Drews Lane? Would tie into transport links, and they surely don't need all of the space they are mucking about in up there at the moment. Not really Aston, but then it's not really Villa Park.

Anyway I desperately hope it doesn't happen. Most of the new stadiums (stadia) are soulless, and commentators are always saying how they admire VP as a great historic stadium.

The current owners and manager are always talking about fan engagement, and to that end we've scored a couple of own goals this week, with the branding thing as well (yes I know it's not the new badge).  

[sne]

Every stadium is soulless until you create memories in them. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

27 minutes ago, StewieGriffin said:

 

 

I was actually about to comment that, I'm sure Atairos will have had some input here.

After all, they are an investment firm, and I'm guessing will/should know better than most aboutong term strategies, best moves for income and building etc.

What do we reckon the 80 mill pumped in is for then?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 minutes ago, sne said:

Every stadium is soulless until you create memories in them. 

Exactly, yes, I do get history and nostalgia... But history is created all the time.

You have to appreciate nostalgia and the " soul " , but you also have to be careful not to be held back from future progress by it.

[Didiersix]

15 minutes ago, sne said:

Every stadium is soulless until you create memories in them. 

This is very true. I remember being at Atleti's 'Calderon' stadium for their last game. It was obviously an incredibly charged experience and a lot of fans had deep regrets about moving (particularly when there was room to develop right next to the stadium... but that's another story). Now I think the Metropolitano is starting to feel like home - most fans have got used to the switch.

[CosmicVillan]

21 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

Serious?

Lets face it, most of the area around VP is bordering on a slum.

As we can't realistically buy up all the surrounding eyesores to demolish them, I would welcome a serious look at building something brand new and fit for purpose in a better location. 

Much as I am attached to VP and all the memories it holds, I can see it's also holding us back commercially, New Villa Park could be transformational for the club and I don't see anything wrong with being ambitious and starting a new tradition.   

Of course it would all need to be done right but if it was it would get my vote.

Edited December 20, 2023 by CosmicVillan

[Tomaszk]

I'd have no problem with a new stadium if it was in a good location and looked great.

[Tomaszk]

5 minutes ago, meregreen said:

Most of the mega bucks from the Champions League comes from sources other than the gate receipts. You could close the ground completely and still rake in millions.

Sure can.

Tell you what helps though...hosting NFL games, 20 concerts a year, 40 conferences and exhibitions a year.

If we can find the right area (probably impossible) I'm almost pro a new stadium to be honest.

[JPAngel]

It's going to be an unpopular opinion but, having been to stadiums like SoFi in California and AT&T in Texas, I'd love for us to have a super stadium. I love Villa Park deeply but if the owners that have dragged us from back from obscurity to challenging for top 4 see this as the best route to becoming a Premier League superpower then so be it.

That said, I'm 99% certain they're not even looking at doing this and that this forum has become a bit of an information vacuum over the last 24 hours.

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, sne said:

Every stadium is soulless until you create memories in them. 

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

I don’t think there will be a new stadium but if there were to be it would obviously upset a generation of fans. But the next generation would move on.  

[Stephen_Evans]

We should never have left Wellington Road. Poor Archie Hunter must have been turning in his grave!

[El Segundo]

I've been attending VP since 1965.  My Dad was going since the early forties, my Grandad from the WW1 era.  His older brother, my Great Uncle,  probably since the 1900s.  A family tradition covering well over 100 years of the 125 years we've been there.  As the StagMan said there is a "Trigger's Broom" element to the stadium, like there is with a lot of stadiums.  But the location is still the same and the spirit and aura of the place, especially the Holte End,  has never gone away in my view, nor has the feeling of walking up Trinity Road or Witton Lane in anticipation, passing the familiar landmarks, hearing the familiar sounds, smelling the familiar smells of matchday.  And the memories of doing that with my Dad and Grandparents.  For those reasons I would be extremely sad if we moved.   

But then I also recognise the need to move with the times in order to compete.  I suppose you'd call it mixed feelings. Ideal outcome would probably be the Compulsory Purchase option allowing a state of the art stadium in the same location.  

[meregreen]

1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I don’t think there will be a new stadium but if there were to be it would obviously upset a generation of fans. But the next generation would move on.  

Well I’m 68, love Villa Park, but honestly, if it means we get a great new Villa Park, I’d have no problem. The only thing historic about our stadium now, is the site. Old Villa Park disappeared many years ago. Can’t imagine any fans of the clubs now enjoying state of the art facilities in their new stadiums would switch back to what they had before.

[CVByrne]

1 hour ago, TheStagMan said:

I don't know where I stand on this. The owners have done more than enough to date for me to have faith that they will get our long term future right, but the cancellation (or pause if you believe the words from Heck) are worrying, I am a Villa fan, so the genetic disposition is to fear the worst. 

 

In terms of a new stadium, I would be horrified to move from Villa Park. But then I think about it and Villa Park is a bit "Trigger's broom". Yes Villa Park has been our home for 125 years, but the oldest current stand is the North Stand which opened in 1997 (Holte End - 1995, Trinity - 2000, Witton Lane 1994) and the pitch has been re-laid multiple times, so only the North stand remains from our glory days in the early 80's - other than the location, and that is the one we are all (rightly) desperate to knock down and start again. 

And frankly the area around Villa Park (apart from Aston Hall) is a shithole. 

Part of me thinks that a new stadium is not a bad idea, but the other part of me is absolutely attached to Villa Park - so many memories and so much history. A grand old stadium that is unique, rather than the soul-less modern bowls with a Tesco in them. 

So - what to do with Villa Park if we did get a new stadium? The obvious answer is knock it down and build housing, but the area is still a shit-hole. With a could of hundred (maybe?) new houses, it is not going to be that much of an improvement to the area so not like the land is actually worth that much (maybe one Diaby). 

On that basis, I would prefer that we did what the guy on twitter suggests and massively revamp the area - compulsory purchase the area between Witton Lane and Yew Tree Road and demolish the lot, maybe even as far as the railway line and revamp the whole area boxed between Trinity Road/Jardine Road, Witton Road, the railway line and Aston Hall Road/Expressway, but the costs and hassle of doing so would be astronomical, getting carried away, we could even build a new stadium there and maybe incorporate a train station into the station. Could even buy up the Salts healthcare and Guhring land and build a massive car park there with access directly onto the Aston Expressway - would certainly help with local congestion and would bring in lots of parking revenue (together with local match-day parking restrictions).

I know it is massively wishful thinking, but I could accept a new stadium next to Villa Park  

Have you been to Tottenham before? The surrounding area is the biggest Shit hole in London. Way worse than Aston. The location of the Stadium isn't as important as the transport links.

 

[Pongo Waring]

2 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

But then I think about it and Villa Park is a bit "Trigger's broom"

haha this was a comment I made on here months ago. Glad you think about it. You're spot on with your post

We could always move Villa park Like below,  To make the Triggers Broom Fans who dont want to let go of the past happy 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Pongo Waring

[villabromsgrove]

I can remember Villa Park in the late 1950's and every decade since then. It's in my blood and I have so many memories. I can remember when buses and coaches would pick up supporters from their towns and villages on a Saturday lunchtime. Those of us in the sixties and seventies with our Austins, Morris's and the few well off guys with their Rovers, would drive into the surrounds of VP then park up and walk in for ten minutes or so.

Times have changed. Football has changed, and what was possible and acceptable in the second part of the 1900's is no longer a serviceable option.

The owners of top Premier Clubs have to make very large amounts of money commercially to stay at or near the top where the real financial incentives are. I think it's inevitable we will have to accept at some point that the location of our Villa Park stadium limits our ability to create sufficient additional money streams.

Relocation to a brown site with good access and transport links, and the ability to stage non football events on a very regular basis, without interfering with "a local community" is essential in my opinion.

I never thought I would say this but I believe that change should happen if we want Villa to be a "Top club". If we were able to find a suitable site and relocate the iconic Holte End facade into our new "Villa Park" design, while perhaps also re-creating the historic brick face of the old Trinity Road stand as an historic resonating feature, then "Villa Park would still exist in spirit! I think  fans could quickly adjust to our "spiritual home" having moved a handful of miles away.

There is no really enjoyable match day "Villa Park experience" except during the actual match on the pitch. We have to deal with the time consuming crowded hassle, lack of public transport and vehicle parking, and the "joy" of wading in piss if you fancy a good drink and the inevitable toilet trips, not to mention the frustration of trying to access decent food. We may be an awakening 'giant' on the pitch, but we will never again be the top venue that we used to be even with the current building permissions, unless we face the stark fact that the location of VP makes a viable business plan for the next few decades totally unrealistic.

I'll put my tin hat on, lol.

 

 

[HanoiVillan]

It's a bit weird reading page after page of people pledging their support for a new stadium, an idea which has been repeatedly ruled out and never once entertained by this ownership, and for which there is absolutely zero evidence it is being considered or would even be practical. 

It's not for me to say what everyone can talk about, but it's a real waste of time. 

[JPAngel]

40 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

I can remember Villa Park in the late 1950's and every decade since then. It's in my blood and I have so many memories. I can remember when buses and coaches would pick up supporters from their towns and villages on a Saturday lunchtime. Those of us in the sixties and seventies with our Austins, Morris's and the few well off guys with their Rovers, would drive into the surrounds of VP then park up and walk in for ten minutes or so.

Times have changed. Football has changed, and what was possible and acceptable in the second part of the 1900's is no longer a serviceable option.

The owners of top Premier Clubs have to make very large amounts of money commercially to stay at or near the top where the real financial incentives are. I think it's inevitable we will have to accept at some point that the location of our Villa Park stadium limits our ability to create sufficient additional money streams.

Relocation to a brown site with good access and transport links, and the ability to stage non football events on a very regular basis, without interfering with "a local community" is essential in my opinion.

I never thought I would say this but I believe that change should happen if we want Villa to be a "Top club". If we were able to find a suitable site and relocate the iconic Holte End facade into our new "Villa Park" design, while perhaps also re-creating the historic brick face of the old Trinity Road stand as an historic resonating feature, then "Villa Park would still exist in spirit! I think  fans could quickly adjust to our "spiritual home" having moved a handful of miles away.

There is no really enjoyable match day "Villa Park experience" except during the actual match on the pitch. We have to deal with the time consuming crowded hassle, lack of public transport and vehicle parking, and the "joy" of wading in piss if you fancy a good drink and the inevitable toilet trips, not to mention the frustration of trying to access decent food. We may be an awakening 'giant' on the pitch, but we will never again be the top venue that we used to be even with the current building permissions, unless we face the stark fact that the location of VP makes a viable business plan for the next few decades totally unrealistic.

I'll put my tin hat on, lol.

You can take that tin hat off because this was a great read.