Aston Villa’s Chris Heck on Preserving Holte End’s Legacy, Villa Park Innovations, and Revenue Growth Strategies
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Aston Villa Fans
Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa, emphasized the uniqueness and special nature of Villa Park, particularly the Holte End stand.
Heck said “I have spent time watching the Holte End every single game and it is truly extraordinary. What they bring to Villa Park makes this place so unique and so special, and what I’ve learned is that you know when to leave it alone. So we haven’t had that conversation [about moving]. There is nothing planned, and I don’t expect to see it in my lifetime.”
During a discussion on the plans and developments aimed at expanding and improving Villa Park, Heck detailed the ongoing enhancements and future prospects for the stadium.
Heck said “It’s been day and night labour for about three months. It is quite special, the opportunity we have to improve Villa Park, but also to protect what is so special about this place. The LED helps lift it all up and it puts more life into Villa Park before the games, during the games and even after. It will certainly help celebrate night time games in the Champions League. What a year we have in front of us and what better way for our players to walk through a brand new tunnel.”
Heck, while addressing the club’s financial objectives and future revenue goals, outlined the club’s path to increasing revenue amidst previous substantial losses.
Heck said “The first year we were successful. We generated £50 million more and that’s our plan to generate £50 million more each year. That has never been done before and we are doing it. We are already well on our way. We were [on] £219 million [annual turnover] so what is the magic number to get to? We think it’s £400 million to get into the game of sustainability. We have a path to get there.”
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