Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as the club's stance on relocating from Villa Park is revealed
Villa Park has been Aston Villa's home since 1897
Villa Park has been Aston Villa's home since 1897(Image: Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Aston Villa's cross-city rivals Birmingham City will be leaving St. Andrew's in the near future, and that has sparked conversations among fans that the Premier League club may one day leave Villa Park.
That comes on the back of supporters fearing that that staying at their famous ground could hold the club back in the years to come as their aspirations grow.
A section of Villa fans fear that there are limited revenue opportunities and many have expressed problems with their matchday experience.
BirminghamLive has been told the club currently has no plans to leave Villa Park and relocate despite the challenges of raising revenue and reducing the tens of thousands currently stuck on a season ticket waiting list.
Last year, newly-appointed president of football operations Chris Heck decided to shelve plans to build an entirely new North Stand, which would have boosted the stadium's capacity to 50,000 in time for hosting EURO 2028 fixtures.
However, Heck does plan to add approximately 3,000 seats by changing the seating layout in some areas.
Neither Villa's owners nor Heck want to leave Villa Park. There could be more financially lucrative opportunities to pursue elsewhere, but there are currently no plans to either relocate or build a new stadium.
"I have spent time watching the Holte End every single game and it is truly extraordinary," Heck said on Villa TV. "What they bring to Villa Park makes this place so unique and so special, and what I've learned is that you know when to leave it alone. So we haven’t had that conversation [about moving]. There is nothing planned, and I don't expect to see it in my lifetime.”
He added: "We see this all the time about the stories of generations and generations [of fans]. We don’t want to lose touch with that and we are seeing it first hand with the celebration that is coming, 150 years of Aston Villa football."
"This is the best home field advantage in the Premier League. Our record has shown that over the last couple of years. There’s nothing like the Holte End, it’s truly iconic. But we also have the Doug Ellis Stand, we have new areas and premium areas, a new restaurant on the Doug Ells side, which we had only seen before on the Trinity Road side. Now we’re spreading that around the stadium. In the North Stand we have three new areas for hospitality, so it is a special time."