Aston Villa have experienced rapid growth as a club under the ownership of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, but one issue is holding them back.
Since Unai Emery was appointed manager just over two years ago, Aston Villa’s fortunes on the pitch have transformed, with the Spaniard leading them back into the Champions League last term.
Some Villa fans are still left pinching themselves as a result, but there is one key issue that is preventing them from challenging the established ‘Big Six’, and that is PSR.
In the summer, Monchi was forced into selling star midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus just so the Villans didn’t breach spending rules.
PSR will continue to impact how the club operates in future windows, with a limit on how much they can spend; however, one major change could spearhead a prosperous future.
Villa Park expansion: Current state of play
According to The Athletic, a ‘major issue’ impacting Villa’s revenue from being significantly lower than other Premier League clubs is the stadium capacity or lack of it.
Aston Villa not being able to bring as much revenue as other clubs through ticket sales has a domino effect on their ability to combat PSR and it becoming the ‘leading concern’.
Luckily, one major change that could improve their situation is increasing the stadium capacity. In July 2023, Villa announced that they would expand the North Stand at Villa Park and refurbish the surrounding areas of the ground for £100 million.
Last month, it was also revealed at the club’s Fan Advisory Board that Villa Park’s capacity could rise by more than 800 seats over the course of next summer.
Meanwhile, there remains a long-term plan to expand the stadium’s capacity to over 50,000 seats by the time Euro 2028 rolls around, and this could create a world-class sports and entertainment venue that can host major international tournaments.
Of course, increasing the capacity would transform Villa’s fortunes in the transfer window, but currently, the major gripe with fans is how long they have to wait for a season ticket.
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Aston Villa fans angered by season ticket waiting lists
Villa already annoyed fans with their Champions League ticket pricing. In some areas of the ground, they have charged over £80 a game for tickets.
But this isn’t the only reason why they’ve been annoyed by the club. During the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in August, fans were in disbelief over stadium issues as urinals overflowed, a digital ticketing system caused large disruption, and disabled supporters saw their car parking fees double.
Issues inside the stadium have dominated the headlines previously, and it was also reported that there were over 30,000 fans on a waiting list for a season ticket.
Given the club’s success on the pitch, more and more fans want to attend home matches while many long-term supporters are unable to buy tickets for the game.
It’s become a huge problem, as the demand is more than the supply, and this will only be resolved once the capacity is finally increased.
