Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[Villan82]

It's killing me. A footballing era we dreamed of for 25 years and off the pitch we are squandering the big chance to get the next generation hooked and packing out Villa Park. Can't believe all the mistakes being made. They all add up.

[edgysatsuma89]

I watched my brother try and buy tickets the other day and that website is a fucking hellscape.

[john e]

The best thing about 2024 was getting into the champions league for the first time in decades
seeing us play Bayern & Juve were great nights to remember

The worst thing about 2024 was also the champions league
Knowing and also reading on here how some people after a lifetime of supporting Villa either couldn’t afford to go or refused to go because of the way the whole thing was handled pricewise etc
heartbreaking after waiting so long some people didn’t get to enjoy it in the end

[Gareth]

The best thing about 2024 was getting into the champions league for the first time in decades
seeing us play Bayern & Juve were great nights to remember

The worst thing about 2024 was also the champions league
Knowing and also reading on here how some people after a lifetime of supporting Villa either couldn’t afford to go or refused to go because of the way the whole thing was handled pricewise etc
heartbreaking after waiting so long some people didn’t get to enjoy it in the end

Only going to get worse John, can imagine another eye watering season ticket price increase for next season to test the boundaries further, would imagine they’ll close the gap betw adult and senior concession prices to try and push out some of the seniors also.

[Exeter 77]

Before the Brighton game I was chatting to an older guy who has had a season ticket near me for many years. He had bought a ticket for the Juventus game but there was a problem with it at the turnstile and he was turned away - no help to actually get him into the ground at all. Unsurprisingly he felt the club had taken his money then didn’t care what happened after that. Equally unsurprisingly he won't be renewing his season ticket - after 55 years.

[eamonn]

I think Bardell met that man that night and flagged it on Twitter. Don't know if the club acted on it though.

[sid1964]

It would seem that most want the club to buy a couple of players this transfer window- so where does the money come from to do this?

The owners are not going to keep pumping in millions every year forever - we have to increase our commercial revenue etc.. and that is what Heck has been brought into do, whether we like the way he is doing it or not!

Or do you want the club run as it was under Mr. Ellis??

It is make your mind up time.

[kippaxvilla2]

Which is why they should not have shelved the north stand expansion. Madness.

[pauliewalnuts]

It would seem that most want the club to buy a couple of players this transfer window- so where does the money come from to do this?

The owners are not going to keep pumping in millions every year forever - we have to increase our commercial revenue etc.. and that is what Heck has been brought into do, whether we like the way he is doing it or not!

Or do you want the club run as it was under Mr. Ellis??

It is make your mind up time.

Obviously because the choice is entirely binary: love everything the club does, unquestioningly, or you love Doug and wish he was still here.

[stevo_st]

Here's what I don't get - and I know it's probably not Heck's fault, but fuck him, it's a problem.

Thought, might go to the West Ham game with my brother. I'm a member, he is not.

Find two seats together, select them, try to buy them, it tells me I can't, as I need to 'assign' one of the tickets to someone else, by clicking 'assign', when there is no 'assign' button to click.

So I wonder, is it under the 'edit' button. Which I click, then it gives me the choice of other people I've bought tickets for, none of which are my brother. So now what?

This is supposed to be on general sale. Why is it this difficult?

It’s a shambles. I decided the other day that I wanted to take the kids to the Leicester game if it wasn’t too late to get three together. We’re all members and have been to a few games this season and last.. I found three in the North Stand, not quite together but close enough. Clicked on them to buy, tried to assign mine and the kids’ names, and the prices wouldn’t change from the £50 for adults. It’s bad enough paying £145 for us to go to all the CL games, I’m not paying £150 for us to watch us play Leicester, especially when it’s only because the website doesn’t work properly.

This frustrates me as well, quite a few times we’ve looked to get last minute tickets when his footy match is called off, like today, but he ends up missing out as I refuse to pay the adult uplift

[Skerra]

The best thing about 2024 was getting into the champions league for the first time in decades
seeing us play Bayern & Juve were great nights to remember

The worst thing about 2024 was also the champions league
Knowing and also reading on here how some people after a lifetime of supporting Villa either couldn’t afford to go or refused to go because of the way the whole thing was handled pricewise etc
heartbreaking after waiting so long some people didn’t get to enjoy it in the end

Only going to get worse John, can imagine another eye watering season ticket price increase for next season to test the boundaries further, would imagine they’ll close the gap betw adult and senior concession prices to try and push out some of the seniors also.

Selfish I know but, I won’t be bothered about increases for season ticket prices for next season. I am one of those, season ticket holder for years but priced out of CL matches whereas people who don’t normally buy tickets have attended just the CL matches. So, I’m one of those that sadly will be saying goodbye next season as far as my renewing my season ticket goes. Once gone, I will not be returning to Villa Park so, Heck will have got his wish of getting rid of another long term supporter who, it seems, the club no longer want. Good luck to the next person to take my seat.

[Villan82]

Which is why they should not have shelved the north stand expansion. Madness.

We were going a certain direction, growing every year and they did some sort of u-turn and decided to go a different direction squeezing out the long-termers and keeping the existing 'bowl'. They fucked it.

Only Villa could finally crack things on the pitch only to go so far out of their way to make everything else so crap you struggle to enjoy it.

[VillaTim]

Lots of empty seats today , maybe the weather didn't help mind .

[algy]

Which is why they should not have shelved the north stand expansion. Madness.

I think they can be forgiven for pausing it when Atairos came in, just to make sure that what we’re building will get maximum usage (e.g. the warehouse plans seem to me to be more likely to be used 7 days a week than Villa Live was).

But yeah, I’d hoped they’d announce something by now, or by the end of the season at least. I don’t think we need something on the scale of the London stadia as there simply isn’t the same tourist demand, but a stadium in line with other big non-London clubs (ie 50-60k) doesn’t seem ridiculous or far-fetched to me.

[saunders_heroes]

Lots of empty seats today , maybe the weather didn't help mind .

More than 40k there today yet again.