Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[Villan82]

Respectfully, we all know we have catching up to do on revenue but it's the way it has gone since Heck arrived and the way he has handled it that is a big part of the problem. We are Aston Villa, we are not a London club. The prawn sandwhich route isn't going to wash whereas more footfall, more bums on seats would. Why is our sponsorship still underwhelming? His approach is so amateur 'put the prices up again' - fuck me, is that all he has?

Edit: he made a big song and dance about us leaning into our 150th celebrations, a massive marketing opportunity you would think? But no, the headlines are all about our return to the top tier and them fleecing us at the first opportunity.

[dalians umbrella]

But this is the brutal reality of where football has been going these last 20 or so years. Players and agents demanding obscene amounts of money, financial rules made to protect closed shop cartels and when we finally get a brilliant manager who achieved what we all dreamed of the reality is it has to be paid for...by us.

I believe the statement that we had to sell Luiz not because the owners needed the money but in order to meet the stupid PSR rules. Now the only way to stay at the top table is to increase revenue and that includes squeezing fans for as much as possible.

By all means chant heck out, turn on the owners but it's a bigger problem in my view. Greedy players and a corrupt set of financial rules have a big part in this. Rage against the machine, system whatever you want to call it.

Exactly. Footballers earn more in one week than a nurse earns in five years. And now, because of PSR rules, we are being fleeced to pay for those obscene wages. I don’t like Chris Heck, but I blame the players before I blame him.

[IFWaters]

I agree Heck is a Dick but if a club is forced by the system to make a lot more money then we shouldn't be that surprised that we're expected to be part of that

Hopefully the club will listen , reflect and reduce the prices but what would be reasonable. What premium over say Man City at home in the premier league?

[VillaTim]

But this is the brutal reality of where football has been going these last 20 or so years. Players and agents demanding obscene amounts of money, financial rules made to protect closed shop cartels and when we finally get a brilliant manager who achieved what we all dreamed of the reality is it has to be paid for...by us.

I believe the statement that we had to sell Luiz not because the owners needed the money but in order to meet the stupid PSR rules. Now the only way to stay at the top table is to increase revenue and that includes squeezing fans for as much as possible.

By all means chant heck out, turn on the owners but it's a bigger problem in my view. Greedy players and a corrupt set of financial rules have a big part in this. Rage against the machine, system whatever you want to call it.

Exactly. Footballers earn more in one week than a nurse earns in five years. And now, because of PSR rules, we are being fleeced to pay for those obscene wages. I don’t like Chris Heck, but I blame the players before I blame him.

So is it not time to walk away from it all

[dalians umbrella]

But this is the brutal reality of where football has been going these last 20 or so years. Players and agents demanding obscene amounts of money, financial rules made to protect closed shop cartels and when we finally get a brilliant manager who achieved what we all dreamed of the reality is it has to be paid for...by us.

I believe the statement that we had to sell Luiz not because the owners needed the money but in order to meet the stupid PSR rules. Now the only way to stay at the top table is to increase revenue and that includes squeezing fans for as much as possible.

By all means chant heck out, turn on the owners but it's a bigger problem in my view. Greedy players and a corrupt set of financial rules have a big part in this. Rage against the machine, system whatever you want to call it.

Exactly. Footballers earn more in one week than a nurse earns in five years. And now, because of PSR rules, we are being fleeced to pay for those obscene wages. I don’t like Chris Heck, but I blame the players before I blame him.

So is it not time to walk away from it all

I would rather see a wage cap

[Demitri_C]

Get a load of 'Chris Heck, what a wanker' chants on the go.

Can’t let Sawiris and Edens get away with it. They’re fully behind this too.

Thats a ridiculous idea sorry but after everything these owners have done? Im not supporting that.

They saved our club from going bankrupt

What would be ridiculous is allowing them to do whatever they like to us. Saving the club doesn’t give them carte blanche to do the fans off.

If you’re unhappy with Heck, you have to be unhappy with them on this too.

I’m really grateful to them, but they are taking the piss out of every one of us.

I mean im not sure what you "whatever they want to us"

Im almost certain this is hecks doing as he was brought in to make money.

They have spent a ridiculous amlunt of miney helping save our club much more than any of us have they can run the club how they wish even if they make outrageous/unpopular decisions like this. Id never turn on wes and nassef personally. They have been the best thing that happened to this club. If they didnt save us we would probably be in league one now

I think the anger has to go at heck this reeks of him all over.

[PeterWithesShin]

Owners have to take some flack as well, Heck isn't doing all this stuff without them agreeing to it.

[john e]

Heck’s been brought in to boost revenues as we know
One of the ways of doing it is to increase match turnover through ticket sales

But it still got to work, it’s no good setting ticket sales so high they don’t sell
There’s no point having hospitality that isn’t taken up
There’s no point moving season-ticket holders from their regular seats and having the same seats lie empty at the game
It will be seen as an abject failure if we don’t sell out for all our Champions League home games, and the buck stops with Chris Heck

Anyone can Jack up ticket prices and put VIP boxes here and there, but the more important thing is to know your customer base,
we’re not in London and we are not a globalist club like Man United or Liverpool what works for them might not work for us

Having non-sell-out games and areas of hospitality that don’t prove popular will not be a sure and save way of increasing revenue, it will be seen as a financial failure

That’s why I believe Hecks going to have to understand the fan base far more than he has so far or he’ll be flying back to the USA on a permanent basis
His excuse will be that’s what he’s been brought in to do but it’s still got to work and I’ve said before, I honestly believe our fan base is different from those in London and the 2 world franchises in the north west

[SaddVillan]

I blame the bloke whose statue stands outside Villa Park.
He started the money chase.

When professionalism was in its infancy, without a league competition, many clubs faced a financial struggle – which prompted Aston Villa committee member William McGregor to propose that “ten or twelve of the most prominent clubs in England combine to arrange home and away fixtures each season”. McGregor was seeking “fixity of fixtures” for clubs, outside of cup competitions (the FA Cup and regional trophies) and irregular friendly matches, to ensure regular income. His famous letter of 1888 was sent to five clubs: Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion and his own team, Aston Villa. These five were in turn invited to nominate other clubs to be approached, and the composition of the Football League, was finalised at the Royal Hotel, Manchester, on Tuesday 17 April 1888.

[Villan82]

Heck’s been brought in to boost revenues as we know
One of the ways of doing it is to increase match turnover through ticket sales

But it still got to work, it’s no good setting ticket sales so high they don’t sell
There’s no point having hospitality that isn’t taken up
There’s no point moving season-ticket holders from their regular seats and having the same seats lie empty at the game
It will be seen as an abject failure if we don’t sell out for all our Champions League home games, and the buck stops with Chris Heck

Anyone can Jack up ticket prices and put VIP boxes here and there, but the more important thing is to know your customer base,
we’re not in London and we are not a globalist club like Man United or Liverpool what works for them might not work for us

Having non-sell-out games and areas of hospitality that don’t prove popular will not be a sure and save way of increasing revenue, it will be seen as a financial failure

That’s why I believe Hecks going to have to understand the fan base far more than he has so far or he’ll be flying back to the USA on a permanent basis
His excuse will be that’s what he’s been brought in to do but it’s still got to work and I’ve said before, I honestly believe our fan base is different from those in London and the 2 world franchises in the north west

Providing better food and drink at the ground would have been an easy win for Heck and would generate more revenue. it is the one thing this club has been crying out for, a better all around experience for everybody going down. But he has gone after more premium, more Ga+, higher prices.

[Ads]

I'm not sure why it's an either or. There's limits on space, Villa Park is a bit decrepit these days in comparison to modern stadiums, but it's not Goodison.

He's done very well on sponsorship, he's gone well with his GA+ stuff, but the ordinary fan is getting an increasingly poor deal to say the least.

[Olneythelonely]

Im almost certain this is hecks doing as he was brought in to make money.

Exactly. The owners bought him in to do this. That’s precisely what I’m saying.

[ozzjim]

This is football in 2024 if you want to create revenue to keep your best players. It isn't going into the pockets of the owners like we may have thought with other past owners, and I'm certain that should they be able to loophole a way to sub the finance to allow us to compete without this they would, but Heck is doing his job. Sure there may well be a tipping point and some unrest, but Villa have 2 hands tied up behind their backs. If I'm a betting man since kind of very cheap carabao cup ticket tie in will be announced in coming days as a bit of a climb down.

Heck is unpopular, he's meant to be, he's delivering the cough mixture. It's only going to get more difficult too. PSR/SCR/FFP has tied one hand. Villa Park is chopping the other limbs off. Until Heck and the owners take that very very unpopular decision, maximising revenue from the existing stadium is one of the only options. My biggest criticism is the comms as ever with Heck, but the prices didn't surprise me in the least.

[purpletrousers]

This is football in 2024 if you want to create revenue to keep your best players. It isn't going into the pockets of the owners like we may have thought with other past owners, and I'm certain that should they be able to loophole a way to sub the finance to allow us to compete without this they would, but Heck is doing his job. Sure there may well be a tipping point and some unrest, but Villa have 2 hands tied up behind their backs. If I'm a betting man since kind of very cheap carabao cup ticket tie in will be announced in coming days as a bit of a climb down.

Heck is unpopular, he's meant to be, he's delivering the cough mixture. It's only going to get more difficult too. PSR/SCR/FFP has tied one hand. Villa Park is chopping the other limbs off. Until Heck and the owners take that very very unpopular decision, maximising revenue from the existing stadium is one of the only options. My biggest criticism is the comms as ever with Heck, but the prices didn't surprise me in the least.

The climb down was already part of the cliff face offered...

The Club also take this opportunity to announce pricing for domestic cup matches should we be drawn at home. All Carabao Cup matches and the first home fixture in the FA Cup will be priced at just £25 for adults and £10 for children in all areas of the Stadium.

[PeterWithesShin]

They'd be doing cheaper tickets regardless after the Everton fiasco.

There's no justification for the CL prices imo, none. Unless the club has sustained success that £4m extra is going to come back and bite them.