Villa Park, England

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Villa Park redirects here. For other uses of Villa Park see Villa Park (disambiguation)

Villa Park <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"> Image:Villa Park (Holte End Higher).jpg </td></tr>
Location	Aston, Birmingham
Opened	1897
Owner	Aston Villa <tr><td>Operator</td><td>Aston Villa</td></tr><tr><td>Surface</td><td>Grass (115 x 72 yards)</td></tr><tr><td>Construction cost</td><td>£ million</td></tr><tr><th style="background: #efefef;" colspan="2">Former names</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Aston Lower Grounds</td></tr>
Tenants
<center>Aston Villa
Seats
<center>42,573

Villa Park is a football stadium in the district of Aston, in Birmingham, England. An UEFA 4-star rated stadium, it is the home of Aston Villa Football Club.

1 History
2 Details
3 Future
4 External links

[edit] History

The Aston Villa legend, Billy Walker summed up Villa Park when he said "About Villa Park itself hung an aura that seems almost to be visible. Most certainly it is there to be felt and I know of no other ground that has the same effect on one. Almost it seems to be peopled by ghosts - amiable ghosts whose job it is to breathe the great Villa spirit into generation after generation of ambitious youngsters who pass through the great gates to achieve a life's ambition; to wear the famous claret and blue of the great club."

Opened in 1897, the year Aston Villa won the League and FA Cup 'Double', it was officially called the Aston Lower Grounds, on the site of a Victorian amusement park in the former grounds of a Jacobean stately home, Aston Hall. Once the site of a fishpond and kitchen garden belonging to Sir Thomas Holte, the owner of Aston Hall. This is where the name of the legendary Holte End came from. The pitch was initially surrounded by a 24 foot wide concrete cycle track and a cinder running track. Many athletics and cycle events were staged here prior to the First World War. The running track was removed in 1922 when work started on the Trinity Road Stand and the ground was squared off. The Trinity Road Stand was demolished in 2001 and replaced by a larger modern stand. It is commonly regarded as one of the best football grounds in England.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Details

[edit] Address

Trinity Rd

Birmingham

B6 6HE

[edit] Phone numbers

Main Telephone: 0121-327-2299

Main Fax: 0121-322-2107

Ticket Office: 0121-327-5353

Ticket Office Fax: 0121-328-5575

[edit] Records

Record Attendance: 76,588 v Derby County F.C., 2 March, 1952 (FA Cup Sixth Round)

[edit] Average attendances

(Premier League):

2002-03: 34,976
2003-04: 36,622
2004-05: 37,354

[edit] Facts

Has played host to many FA Cup semi-finals, due to it being a large venue in central England.

Villa Park has hosted a number of England internationals at senior level. The first of which was in 1899, the most recent being in 2005.

Villa Park hosted three World Cup matches during the 1966 World Cup and four matches during Euro '96.

The last ever final of the European Cup Winners' Cup was staged at Villa Park. Lazio beat Real Mallorca 2-1.

The first English ground to stage international football in three centuries

Together with The Oval, Villa Park is referenced by the poet Philip Larkin in his poem about the First World War, MCMXIV.

Villa Park comprises 42,573 seats split, as with most stadiums, between four stands. These four stands are the Holte End to the South, the Trinity Rd stand to the West, the Witton Lane (commercially known as the 'Doug Ellis Stand') stand to the opposite of that, and the North Stand behind the northern goal.

[edit] Future

The Club have planning permission to extend the North Stand. This will involve the 'filling in' of the corners to either side of the North Stand. The previous chairman, Doug Ellis, stated that the money must be spent on improving the playing squad first. However, new owner Randy Lerner seems more keen on the idea of increased capacity. If and when completed, the capacity of Villa Park will be increased to 51,000.

Recently Lord Sebastian Coe, Head of London 2012, claimed that because Villa Park is an Olympic Venue, it will be entitled to funding. He also hinted it may be completed within five years.

[edit] External links

UEFA 4-star rated football stadia

v • d • e</div>

Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark	Parken Stadium
Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England	Anfield
	City of Manchester Stadium
	St Mary's Stadium
	Stadium of Light
	Villa Park
	Riverside Stadium

Image:Flag of France.svg France	Parc des Princes
	Stade Gerland
Image:Flag of Greece.svg Greece	Karaiskákis Stadium
Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	Philips Stadion
	Gelredome
Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden	Råsunda Stadium
	Ullevi Stadium
Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland	St. Jakob Park

FA Premier League Venues 2006-2007
Anfield \| Boleyn Ground \| Bramall Lane \| City of Manchester Stadium \| Craven Cottage Emirates Stadium \| Ewood Park \| Fratton Park \| Goodison Park \| JJB Stadium Madejski Stadium \| Old Trafford \| Reebok Stadium \| Riverside Stadium \| St James' Park Stamford Bridge \| The Valley \| Vicarage Road \| Villa Park \| White Hart Lane