Over the summer, Aston Villa released season tickets that included access to ‘The Terrace View’ which has not gone down well with fans.
Midway through last season, the club sent out a questionnaire to season ticket holders, asking about different elements of their fan experience and how it could be improved.
This ranged from the concourse to safe standing and was well received by fans, at the time, as they felt the club were striving to change Villa Park for the better.
Hopes of quicker service, less queues, safe standing and post match concourse time. They were gone when the questionnaires resulted in the creation of ‘The Terrace View’.
What is ‘The Terrace View’?
As the club put it, ‘The Terrace View offers a new and improved matchday experience for Villa fans, with extended access to the Holte End and exclusive outdoor terrace pre, during and post-match, new bars and kiosks, enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity, HD screens showing match highlights and much more.’
To the eyes of fans, it is an overpriced bar, taking up vital space in the concourse of the Upper Holte End.
The new section is visible from the Lower section of the stand, as seats were removed to accommodate this area.
What do fans make of The Terrace View?
In the Upper Holte, there has always been a lack of space compared to the capacity. This in overcrowding and large queues both pre and post match.
So as a result of taking out a large section of the concourse, it has made the rest of the space busier than ever.
It can’t be disputed that it is a good space with tables, TV’s, a bar and a great view of the stadium.
The club have also allowed for additional season tickets to be made available for those who purchase tickets in new hospitality.
With these positive aspects come negatives that follow.
With a 30,000+ waiting list for season tickets, is it fair that people can skip that queue by paying an extra £500 on top of their season ticket?
Is it fair that those who take up ‘The Terrace View’ option can’t keep their season ticket in the future if they don’t want to be in ‘The Terrace View’?
There are a lot of unanswered questions with this space that fans do not understand.
With another increase in the price of season tickets and the club seemingly not listening to concerns voiced in their questionnaires.
Completely missing the point of what the fans wanted, saying, ‘Having surveyed current Holte End season ticket holders for their thoughts on how we can further develop our iconic stand, we’ve launched The Terrace View.’
The Holte End isn’t for expensive hospitality, it is for real Villa fans with most having their seats for tens of years.
The space they have created looks good, but the fan’s view on the terrace is that it shouldn’t of happened.
