Fans cry foul over loss of ‘best seats’ atVilla Park
Revamp will see seating replaced with high-end hospitality
ASTON Villa’s plans to improve their 125-year-old stadium have been met with anger from fans who are about to lose some of the best seats in the house.
Two blocks of seating will go in favour of a new, high-end hospitality area.
Earlier this month, Villa put forward designs to Birmingham City Council which will see an entirely new North Stand built, taking capacity at the ground from 42,657 to 50,065.
The current North Stand holds 6,537 with the redeveloped version set to have a capacity of 13,074. That will be just 500 seats fewer than the Holte End.
As for the Trinity Road Stand, Villa CEO Christian Purslow pointed out that “significant upgrades” will be made to hospitality and corporate offerings. And according to the plans, blocks C4 and C5 will make way for a new, pitchside “General Admission Plus” hospitality area.
These blocks currently accommodate 440 supporters, with some seats used as overspill for opposition squads, match officials and medical staff.
Sarah Blister, 57, from south Derbyshire, has been a season-ticket holder in C4 alongside her disabled brother, Nicholas, for the past 22 years, ever since the Trinity Road Stand was last redeveloped in 2000.
“For that to be buried in the plans without any consultation whatsoever is a bit of a disgrace,” said Ms Blister, who paid £677 for her season ticket for the current campaign. “I’ve been in my exact seat ever since the Trinity Road Stand was last redeveloped. They’re the best seats in the house.
“OK, the atmosphere isn’t as good as in the Holte but you’re bang on the halfway line, just above the pitch and right behind the managers and dugouts, and you can see everything.
“They’re amazing seats and the thought of being moved elsewhere without any consultation is wrong.
“My brother pays £531 as he’s disabled and has cerebral palsy.
“He’s been going down since 1975 and, if our seats are taken away from us, he said he won’t renew elsewhere. The seats around us rarely change hands and we’ve built friendships there for the past, what, 15 to 20 years.
“I get that things and times change, but it’s the fact Villa haven’t been in touch to warn us.
“We’ve been loyal fans going week in, week out for the past 20 years and stayed throughout the dark times. We probably mean zip to Villa. It’s all about hospitality now. I think they’re taking hospitality to something like 4,700 seats. I’m not sure what it is now.”
The proposed Trinity Road Stand hospitality upgrades form one of three parts of Villa Park’s part-redevelopment alongside a new North Stand and Villa Live, the latter a multi-purpose building, club shop and fan park.
Aldridge fan Luke Hughes, who sits near the same block, said: “The plans have left a section of supporters feeling very disassociated from the club. We believe those seats are the best seats in the house.
“Me and my old man moved here the season we got relegated. We’re fully settled in these blocks with a great group around us, many of whom have held these seats for 20-plus years with three generations going down together. It is really disappointing to see they’re just going to get rid of us to extend hospitality seats.
“I know it only affects 200 seats and the other 40,000 fans in the ground won’t care, but it is really disappointing and, if anything, is undoing the hard work the owners have done to connect the fans and the club.”