Aston Villa say recently announced plans will help bring them closer to being ‘one of the best clubs in the world’ | OneFootball

Aston Villa have announced plans to redevelop Villa Park and increase the stadium capacity to over 50,000.

The revitalisation of the North Stand includes increasing the number of seats from the 5,000 available currently to 12,000.

The club say that the capacity of the North Stand will not change during the refurbishment as they plan to reuse the existing structure of the stand.

The improvements to the stand as well as small increases in the other stands will mean that Villa Park’s capacity will rise from 42,918 to over 50,000.

Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens became owners of Aston Villa in 2018 and since then Villa fans have seen the club rise from the Championship to Champions League.

Sawiris emphasised that the stadium redevelopment is another step to bring the club forward.

“We have shared a clear ambition: to restore Aston Villa to its rightful position competing at the highest levels of English and European football, and to transform the club into a global brand and European powerhouse.”

He also insisted that it was important to improve transport links to Villa Park to make the matchday experience better.

“Thanks to the Mayor’s commitment to develop Witton Station and to improve local transport links, this project will mark an important milestone in the club’s journey to becoming a world-class sports and entertainment venue,” he continued.

“A bigger, better North Stand will not only allow many more Villains to see their team in person, improving matchday experience, but will also dramatically improve the club’s ability to invest and compete in the long term.”

The club’s president of business operations Chris Heck stressed the importance of giving the opportunity to watch Aston Villa to more supporters.

“Aston Villa fans have been electrifying Villa Park for generations, charging the atmosphere with unrivalled intensity at every home match for more than 125 years,” he said.

“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of an exceptional team, we will now be able to offer this incredible experience to thousands more, all while meeting the key challenge of executing this project without compromising matchday capacity during the process.”

Heck added that the stadium will be able to be used for other events aside from football more often moving forward.

“From fully revamping our retail and hospitality facilities, the impending opening of our new shop in the Bullring, to hosting world class music acts at Villa Park, the upcoming launch of The Warehouse, and now the expansion of the North Stand.

“Our ownership continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to making this one of the best clubs in the world, deservedly, both on and off the pitch.”