Villa Park: Aston Villa FC
Holte End - By Elliott Brown [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Aston Villa have called Villa Park home since 1897, though to begin with it was actually known as Aston Lower Grounds. At the time it was a sport ground that was situated in a Victorian amusement park in the grounds of Aston Hall. Aston Hall was a Jacobean stately home and, though current Villa fans might suggest that their future looks like it will resemble a Jacobean tragedy, the stadium has a storied history.
Up until the start of the First World War the perimeter of the pitch at Villa Park was surrounded by a cycling track and was the location for numerous cycling meetings and athletic events. The now defunct UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup saw its last ever final played at Villa Park in 1999, whilst the ground is also the only one in the country to host international football in three different sports.
Stats
| Villa Park Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1897 |
| Capacity | 42657 |
| Average Attendance | 41679 |
| Record Attendance | 76588 (Aston Villa v Derby County (1946)) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Nickname | Villa Park |
| Former Name | Aston Lower Grounds |
| Owner | Aston Villa F.C. |
| Clubs Hosted | Aston Villa FC |
| First Fixture | Aston Villa v BlackBurn Rovers (17/04/1897) |
| Aston Villa Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1874 |
| Nickname | The Villans, The Villa, Villa |
| Club Mascot | Hercules The Lion |
| Rivals | Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City |
| Previous Stadiums | Aston Park / Wellington Road |
| Kit | Claret & Blue (Home) / White (Away) / Black (Third) |
| Training Ground | Bodymoor Heath Training Ground |
| Shirt Sponsor | BK8 |
| Team Owner | Nassef Sawiris, Wes Edens |
| Record Goalscorer | Billy Walker (244) |
| Record Appearances | Charlie Aitken (657) |
Villa Park Photos
By en:User:Miniluver04 (Uploaded to Wikipedia as en:Image:Holte.jpg) [Public domain]
By Elliott Brown [CC BY 2.0]
By Elliott Brown [CC BY 2.0]
By Ben Sutherland [CC BY 2.0]
By Elliott Brown [CC BY 2.0]
Philip Halling [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Villa Park Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Villa Park has stands on all four sides of the stadium and a running track around the perimeter, separating the supporters from the pitch somewhat. Where you’ll want to sit will differ depending on your strength of support.
- The Holte End – Traditionally the place for Villa’s most loyal and passionate supporters to sit, The Holte End has two large tiers and a curved structure to allow for excellent sight lines wherever you sit. Built in 1994-1995, the stand has no executive boxes but there is a large hospitality suite in the concourse area.
- The Trinity Road Stand Stand – The most recently built of Villa Park’s stands, The Trinity Road Stand is the side of the ground where you’ll find the club offices and director’s boxes. It is made up of three tiers with a row of boxes in between tiers two and three. In the corner that joins this stand with The Holte End is a three-storey pavilion structure that houses the club’s corporate hospitality.
- The North Stand – The oldest of the stands in the ground, The North Stand is two tiered and has a double row of executive boxes running between the tiers.
- The Doug Ellis Stand – Another two tiered structure, The Doug Ellis Stand has more executive boxes running between the tiers. Away fans occupy the Northern end of both tiers of this stand.
Aston Villa Ticket Prices
Like most top clubs, Aston Villa operate a tiered system for their games. Matches are broken down into categories depending on the team that Villa will be hosting. Category A matches tend to be the top teams and also includes Villa’s rivals like Birmingham City.
Category B matches are usually the mid-table teams, whilst category C games will be against the newly promoted or less successful teams. The prices within the categories are then broken down further depending on where in the ground you’re sitting.
Here we’ll give you the most expensive & cheapest tickets for adults and concessions in each category. Aston Villa determine that concessions are for over 65s, 18-20 year olds, students in full-time education and members of the Armed Forces.
League Games
- Category A: £27 – £50 / £16 – £32
- Category B: £23 – £36 / £10 – £26
- Category C: £20 – £33 / £10 – £23
How To Get Aston Villa Tickets
The quickest and best way to get tickets is to visit Villa’s dedicated ticketing website. If you would rather speak to someone on the phone or are making group bookings, however, then it’s worth calling the ticket office if you’re after hospitality tickets. You may find people outside of the ground offering tickets, but these people are to be avoided.
Where to Buy
Getting To Villa Park
Villa Park is quite easy to get to thanks to its location not far from the motorway and with train stations nearby. It’s also a friendly ground for pedestrians as the club employs a ‘traffic exclusion zone’ around the stadium on match days.
Train – There are two stations near to Villa Park. Aston Station is is about 15 minutes walk from the ground and will take about 5-10 minutes to reach by train from Birmingham New Street, whilst Witton Station is about 9 minutes from New Street and takes around 5 minutes to get to the ground from there.
Bus – The number 7 and 11 buses both stop really near to Villa Park, whilst the 65 and 67 buses both stop within walking distance of the stadium.There are also Villa Special Bus Services operated by the club.
Car – If you’re travelling from the North then leave the M6 at junction 7 before following the A34 south, then following signposts to the University Of Central England, the
A4040, at which point the ground will be well signposted. From the South take the M1 to the M6 then exit at junction 6 for the A38(M). Take the first right then get onto Wilton Road from the roundabout.
By Air – Birmingham International Airport has a direct train route to Birmingham New Street where you can change to get the train to either Aston or Witton stations.
Taxi – A taxi from Birmingham Airport to Villa Park will take between 20-30 minutes and prices will vary depending on the company you use and the time of day you’re travelling. From New Street Station it will cost £8ish and take around 10 minutes, traffic depending.
Parking Near Villa Park
Aston Villa imposes a ‘traffic exclusion zone’ on match days, so you won’t be able to park all that close to the stadium. The club themselves recommend avoiding parking in residential areas, but in truth there are numerous roads you can park on that are around ten minutes walk from the ground and will be free. There are also a few unofficial car parks near to the ground where you can park for between £5 and £10.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Villa Park Hotels
Villa Park is around 10 minutes drive from the centre of Birmingham, so your hotel options are plentiful. You can stay in any city centre hotel and be able to get to the ground easily enough, but we’ve picked 3 for you here depending on your circumstances.
Hotel Campanile, Birmingham - £40+
Hampton By Hilton, Birmingham City North - £75+
Staying Cool At The Rotunda - £167+
Pubs and Bars Near Villa Park
Having spent quite a lot of time in Birmingham, I can tell you that the people of the midlands know how to have a good time. The pubs are always busy, and none more so than these three.
The Aston Tavern
The Witton Arms
The Square Peg
Facilities
Just as you’d imagine for a top end football ground, Villa Park has plenty of excellent facilities off the pitch for the match going supporter. You can expect quick service from the bars and kiosks in the concourse areas and you can be assured a friendly, exciting atmosphere.
Prices
- Programme: £4
- Pie: £3.6
- Cup of tea: £2.1
- Beer: £5.2
Hospitality
Given the amount of executive boxes that Aston Villa have around the ground, it’s no surprise that the hospitality options are numerous. The club offers a host of packages targeted at pretty much every budget. You can take them up on a match by match or seasonal basis.
There are 3 restaurant and 4 lounge packages available and each takes a step up in exclusivity from the last, but all should see you very well fed before the game. If you want to go all out then the Director’s Club Premium is seriously plush. A champagne reception, a private reserved table pitchside, a 5 course menu and complimentary drinks are just some of the perks here. There will also be a Q and A with a former player.
If that all sounds a bit too fancy then either the 82 Restaurant, the McGregor Lounge, or one of the Doug Ellis box’s might be more to your liking. You will get much more privacy in one of the box’s while the restaurant is a more casual affair than the Director’s Club but still offers great food and a sense of that VIP treatment.
One slightly more unique option is the Gas Lamp Premium package, because as well as all the nice extras like meals, drinks and Q and As with former players, you watch the game from behind glass at one end of the pitch rather than on the terraces. So you can enjoy the comforts of the lounge throughout the game not just before and after it.
Private Hire
Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and retirements, Villa Park has seen them all. The caterers have won awards and there is ample free parking near to the ground. The club can cater for parties of various sizes and you’ll also have a dedicated event co-ordinator for you to deal with directly.
Villa Park prides itself on being one of the most unique venues around for Asian Weddings as well as being a generally spectacular venue for all weddings. They also offer Christmas Party deals. There are numerous banqueting options available, too.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Tours of Villa park usually take place twice a day, Tuesday – Sunday. They are at 10.30am and 1pm. Prices are slightly higher at weekends and you can also include lunch with your ticket for an additional fee.
Tours cost £18 for adults on weekdays and £20 at weekends. Under 16’s are always £12.
As well as seeing the first team dressing rooms, the post-match interview room, and the officials’ room, you’ll also walk down the tunnel to pitch side and get a chance to sit in the manager’s seat in the dugout. Villa have also started to display their trophies, including the FA Cup, Division One Trophy and European Cup, so you’ll be able to have your photo taken professionally with one of them if you like.
They run legends tours too for £40 per adult.
About Aston Villa
Aston Villa are one of the oldest clubs in English football and are one of only five English teams to win the European Cup, or the Champion’s League to give it its current name. They are also fifth in the list of clubs with major honours to their name, having won seven First Division trophies, seven FA Cups, five League Cups and the UEFA Super Cup.
Though things haven’t been great for Villa on the pitch in recent years, they still hold the record for the number of players that have made international appearances for England at 73. That is equalled by Tottenham but surpassed by nobody.
Villa Park History
Villa Park lays claim to numerous boasts, not least of which is the fact that it has hosted more FA Cup semi-finals than any other stadium – 55 matches in all. Aston Villa moved to the stadium from Wellington Road in 1897 and as well as football the ground has also hosted boxing matches, international rugby league and rugby union matches and the 2012 Community Shield match between Chelsea and Manchester City.
There is also something of a Royal connection at Villa Park. In 1924 George VI, then The Duke Of York, officially opened The Trinity Road Stand at Villa Park. 77 years later and his grandson, HRH The Prince of Wales, opened the newly renovated Trinity Road Stand. The Prince of Wales’ son, Prince William, is also one of Aston Villa’s most famous supporters.
Future Developments
Randy Learner, Villa’s hilariously named American ex-owner, promised the fans a redeveloped North Stand that would take the stadium’s capacity to 50,000 when he bought the club in 2006. Sadly these plans never led to anything much, and ten years later in 2016 Randy had sold the club. However, the new owners upped the ante and plans are in place to grow the capacity to 60,000.
Work was supposed to begin in 2023, with the North stand being demolished and rebuilt and the surrounding area developed into a multi use area that would be about more than just football, but despite planning permission being granted there have been delays due to transport concerns.
The club are now at the mercy of the council to a point, as Witton train station needs to be updated and improved before they can break ground on their own redevelopment.