Stadium Redevelopment Stalls.

[KjParton]

Since Randy Lerner came in he talked of a North stand redevelopment. The grotty looking stand is in need of a brush up. 

 

It was originally talked about in 2009 in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics, however we pulled out of the runnings (supposedly) as we couldn't commit as to whether we would be developing the stadium or not. 

 

So why do you think it has stalled? Is Randy not prepared to spend? Are they worried we couldn't fill the 51k (easy combat-able by lowering ticket prices!) 

 

What are your views and do you think we can expect anything like this in the near future:

 

 

 

 

 

[turnbull]

Any chance of a spruce up before the RWC I wonder?

[PaulC]

There's little point expanding the stadium when we rarely fill the ground. The North Stand was built in the late 70s.

[TrentVilla]

I think we all know this isn't happening it was scrapped years ago.

[coda]

I did wonder if there was a timescale on the safe standing which was mentioned last season. 

[KjParton]

Well the safe standing bill needs to be passed by Government i believe.

 

In terms of not filling it - all you need to do is lower ticket prices. 

 

and is there any reference of the plans for it being scrapped? 

[supernova26]

I don't think it's ever been officially knocked on the head, and AFAIK planning permission is still valid (not sure when it expires) I'm guessing it was part of the Champions League / 5 year/ MON plan and as that didn't transpire neither did the ground upgrade. That pic though looks amazing although I'm not sure the plan was to fill every corner (maybe wrong?) just the North Stand ones.

 

To add, it was proposed as well as part of the failed 2018 World Cup bid.

 

Not sure if we will see this come to light again until we get safe standing which with the Hillsborough lot about may never happen.

Edited May 29, 2013 by supernova26

[nepal_villan]

I'm in the "if you build it, they will come" camp. Think a new stand will create buzz. Doubt it will happen in the near future though.

[Troglodyte]

Didn't we get approval to trial safe standing areas, and chose the lower corner of the Holte and Trinity?  Is that still going ahead?

[The Fun Factory]

As the original poster has said,  the North Stand Redevelopment has gone very quiet in the past couple of years. Remember when the general was giving strong hints that plans were being made etc for building work?! I was never sure if the plans were to be a complete rebuild, or a refurb job with the corners filled in. Perhaps they didn't either. It was a modern stand in its day, but it is looking tired and dated now. It was built in the era of terracing- no way would Villa have built such as small stand with the  goal post construction roof  today.

I am sure it was all part of the master plan in the heady early Lerner days that this would happen when we got CL football (how naive we were all pre man city days). Take in the factors that they removed the old megabox and did not replace the big screen, and they pulled out of the 2012 olympics as 'major' building work 'could' happen at Villa Park during that summer.

 

In a recent H&V article about all this, a educated guess was made by the author that the club effectively gave up on this when even under the MON days, Villa hardly ever sold out. In 2007-2008 we peaked at 40,000 average gates, and we have slipped back since. They have put the ticket prices up a lot to balance up the crowds going down- something I disagree on myself, but perhaps this is another issue altogether.

 

The club is now making noises on safe standing on the German model. I guess if this ever happens it would be in the Lower Holte. But there could be a argument for the Lower North stand as this was originally built as a terrace and the seats are rather shallow and cramped down there.

 

The North Stand is a symbol of the frustrating part of following the Villa. Potential.  It is all there for a massive new stand. We have the room to build something fantastic and make Villa Park a world class arena. But the crowds do not justify this massive investment at present. As the club have argeed to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2015, it will be at least 3-4 years if anything ever does happen.

[PaulC]

I'm in the "if you build it, they will come" camp. Think a new stand will create buzz. Doubt it will happen in the near future though.

 

There maybe a little bit of a buzz with people wanting to go to the new stand but the only way they would fill the ground is by success on the football field. Better to invest in players I think.

[Robbie09]

I've seen the plans that were originally drawn up - the stand would look magnificent if it went ahead, however in the current climate of cost cutting i just can't see Randy chucking tens of millions of pounds replacing a stand in a ground that rarely sells out.

[Pilchard]

Whilst the austerity and cut backs continue to occur on the playing side, enhancing a stadium which is good enough and big enough already shouldn't even be thought of.

 

Let's gets some players in (and keep them) to create a side that isn't constantly battling against relegation first, please.

[TrentVilla]

It should have been the first thing Randy did when he arrived, certainly ahead of the training ground and the Holte End pub. Had he done so we could have benefited from increased revenue from greater gate receipts during the 3 decent years under O'Neill when the average attendance was growing every year and even reached 40k. Had he done it then we would have had a higher average and could have cashed in on greater numbers of away fans all helping to increase our revenue.

 

But he didn't and now the plans are dead much like Lerner's interest in the team, just another of his many mistakes.

[Big_John_10]

The guy didn't seem to care much about the club in January when we were desperate for new players.

I doubt he gives a shit about this stand.

[ender4]

 

Are they worried we couldn't fill the 51k (easy combat-able by lowering ticket prices!) 

 

 

 

Not a chance.

 

Even when we have £10 adult tickets, we can't fill 42,000 capacity. 

[Rugeley Villa]

I can't stand the north stand it really let's the ground down, when lerner was on about extending the ground capacity we were in a very good position but I just can't see it happening for a bit until were consistency filling our ground and the only way we'll do that is if we have a good exciting team and challenging for europe, this club and the size of it with our fanbase and also the potential to be a lot bigger than we are should have a 50k capacity stadium, we have the potential to be a HUGE club, we have a really big localised fanbase with a medium sized national fanbase at the moment, this club can achieve anything it wants to with the right people on board

[ender4]

The club needs to think long-term and get younger kids to become Villa fans, and get fans who have never been to see a match to come down & try the matchday experience. 

 

Over time, you can then increase average attendances.

[CI]

Pointless adding more seats when we can't sell the ones we've got and we've only got about 20k ST holders.

Those calling for more seats , do you attend the games in person ??

[The Fun Factory]

Thing is in the next 5 years or so, several clubs could well overtake Villa Park's capacity. Man City are set to expand to 54,000. Liverpool planning to extend Anfield, though in fairness they have been talking about that for years. Spurs want to have a new 50,000+ ground. West Ham are getting a free 60,000 to play in. We could be left well behind.

 

Although the North Stand does have boxes, they are seen as old fashioned as they cannot have a outside section for the customers.  On a interesting footnote, having 2 levels of boxes was suggested at the time by the Villa Chairman, Sir William Dugdale. Who was Dave Cameron's uncle.  A new stand could have some very plush corporate facilities, which are the big money spinner in modern football.

 

The world bank wants the UK to invest in infrastructure- how about a new VP stand?! Joking aside if it did happen, it would also have to have facilities outside football such as community rooms for the local area, or links with local schools and colleges. A massive new club shop and muesuem would also be nice, but we are probably dreaming for this to happen.