I’m bringing this one up because the Birmingham Mail has raised it yet again and it’s frankly getting on my three-penny bits.
I don’t do “hype”. At all.
But yet again, we’re being told how the planned developments are “special”, “astounding”, “breath-taking”, “absolutely incredible” and even “left me speechless” and “blown away”.
We all know the North stand needs replacing, as it’s a totally typical 70’s bland concrete construction.
But what on earth could you do to a stand, to really make it leave you speechless?
A hotel stuck on the end, with views straight onto the pitch? It’s been done, as much as I’d love it.
And then I’m struggling to think of anything new or different.
A Stand is a stand and it seems to me the much more important things are the view, the size of the seats, the leg-room and the grub/drinks served up.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the ambition, but there isn’t a hope in hell that any development will happen if we don’t get promoted.
But if it’s that good, why don’t the club just say what this supposedly different approach is?
That said, I don’t think it’s just about the North Stand, which I’d like to see re-named to something more meaningful, while we’re at it. How about the Witton end, or is that too traditional?
I don’t see why personally; as the Holte end will never be re-named, as much as Sir Thomas Holte has been dead for donkey’s years.
While we’re at it, why don’t we re-name the Witton lane stand too? The (Ron) Saunders stand sounds much more appropriate to me. But there’s apparently some un-written clause where the present name will be retained until a certain person’s demise.
I can wait for that one, I suppose.
So, if it’s not just about the North stand, let’s remember that Xia’s company is known for landscaping whole areas in China.
How China’s expectations compare to ours is a subject I know nothing about, but you’d hope the club would improve things anyway.
But we’ve heard it all before.
A certain Chairman/owner acquired adjacent land (fair play, at just the right time) with similar ideas, but they came to nothing.
So unless the club come out with something much more solid, I’d suggest this is just pure hype.
Hey, it’s not much of a story, or even that much to talk about, but what do you expect when we’re in the middle of a totally meaningless, money-grabbing, international break stuck right in the business end of the proper footy season?
And the FA are supposed to support the fans?
Yeah, right.
I don’t expect many relevant replies to the thing i’ve bought up, because it’s not that important, is it?
It’s pretty obvious Xia wants to stamp his name at some time at Villa, that North stand was a death trap waiting to happen, It has only one exit and nowhere to stand on the landing, when it was built that was pointed out from day one. People walking into each other you felt trapped, looking at the Wolves ground watching the England under 21s it looked more modern , Yes good idea extending the ground ,when was the last the last time we had a international game at Villa? Yes good idea and ready for the big times I say.
stadium improvements can wait surely. most teams that undergo such modifications, their football suffers while the work is carried out. if theirs improvements needed to be made its in the youth development. we have produced a good amount of quality players in the past. but this has dried up some, we need to improve this conveyor of better quality, which can step up. much more easily than today youth do
if we increase the stadium capacity will we fill it ??? not if we fail in promotion. even if we do end up promoted. without lowering the price of tickets they will only fill the stadium if when the big boys come to town.
i hope the club hold back on this idea. work on improving the youth, because we cant complete with premiership clubs for the best players. we cant compete for a few year. so acquiring good raw young talent and improving them. to be able to step up in our first team and if we don’t want them we can command a decent fee for them.
when we are back were we was before fighting in the top ten,maybe then we can attract more fans to pay extraordinary high prices to watch football. maybe then it will be a better quality of football on show aswell
Nath, in twenty twenty two we meaning Birmingham have the games in our second city and I for one would like to think Villa Park will get the venues, as Hitch pointed out its years away. Building in Villa Park keeps us on the world map, I’m saying go for it don’t leave it to Manchester.
i hear all that bill. but villa park is a traditional old stadium. loads of fans not living in Birmingham. real die footy fans love visiting villa park. all love the current stadium for some reason. villa park has always been home of football. if and when they do remodel the stadium or just north stand, they need to keep this tradition up while making more up2date. how many years have fa semi finals been held at villa park plus england games.
It’s years away – if it happens at all. Look at how long other clubs have talked about stadium redevelopment or relocation and the time between talking and action.
The Mail have to fill their pages with something, anything, after repeating every other football story fifty times!
Completely off topic – apologies Badger but Talksh**e have tabled the hardest to easiest run ins based on average points scored by opponents.
Blues have the hardest; Cardiff / Villa 20th / 18th respectively (hardest). Easiest Bristol City / Fulham.
How relevant is this – who knows but I’ve seen claims on here that we have an easy run in…….?
Of course this pretty basic and fails to take into account factors such as home advantage!
H60 – in only February their ‘super computer’ had us in for finishing second, so lets hope everything they type is gospel 🙂
And if this international break stops our mini poor run, and pushes the other 3 into a spiral of losses – then I will never moan that they are a pointless waste of time again.
Saddened – according to the latest super computer forecast we are finishing third pipped by ….. wait for it …. Derby! But then the computer seems to have missed our defeat at home to QPR!
Blues still predicted to go through the trap door on goal difference!
About 11 years ago I went on a stadium tour not long after O’Neill had been appointed. Back then they talked about plans to knock down the North stand and build one to match the Holte which would increase capacity to over 50,000. Needless to say Lerner failed to deliver so I take latest talk with a pinch of salt. We should have done this back then because a number of clubs have overtaken us with new stadiums and now Villa Park is relatively small. I actually think if we don’t get promoted and Xia can invest in the North stand rebuild without affecting FFP then it would make sense. After all he wouldn’t be able to spend millions on players and wages. If we did get promoted then investment on players must be a priority.
We are getting to the end of the season when interest of any sort needs to be drummed up to flog ST’s. New signings are out so it is VP’s turn in the spotlight.
I still think it is possible the Feng Shui man will persuade Dr Xia to move the front door to Witton Lane side as part of a redevelopment. A new North Stand is needed, might as well add on a Chinese temple with fortune tellers. Ancestor worship is a Villa tradition already – the old teams were much better than the recent ones.