Aston Villa have more than 28,000 supporters on season ticket waiting list
Villa have more than 28,000 supporters on a waiting list for season tickets as they finalise plans for the North Stand rebuild.
An application to completely redevelop the oldest stand at Villa Park were approved by Birmingham city council in December and a timetable for the work will be confirmed in the next few months.
The scheme will see the stadium’s capacity increased to more than 50,000 and is required to help the club cope with a demand for tickets unprecedented in modern times.
Villa have capped season ticket sales at 30,000 for each of their first four seasons back in the Premier League and sold out every time.
New figures, revealed in the club’s latest set of accounts, revealed nearly the same number of supporters are now on the waiting list.
Improving the transport infrastructure around Villa Park is a key part of the redevelopment project. Writing in the annual strategic report, chief executive Chrisitan Purslow confirmed Villa were working with the council and other local authorities to “ensure the city’s transport will be resilient and deal with this increased demand”.
Villa had reported a profit for the 2021-22 season of £400,000 last week but the full accounts, published yesterday, provided a more detailed picture.
A drop of around £5million in turnover from £183.6m the previous year was blamed on a lower finishing position in the league but also on reduced broadcast payments, with clubs having played more matches during the 2020-21 financial period due to the pandemic-induced backlog. The same factor saw the wage bill remain static at £137m. Purslow’s own salary stayed at £1.1m.
Commercial revenues increased by £13m to £39m, the highest in club history, while £16m was received in gate receipts.
Villa’s figures were boosted by the £100m sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City, which allowed them to spend £203.5m on player acquisitions. Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have invested a further £98m through share issues to help with operating costs since the end of the last financial year, while the club has a small overdraft facility with Barclays Bank.
