Aston Villa vow to fix crowd problems
Villa have vowed to fix the problems which left some supporters waiting for more than an hour to get into last Saturday’s match against Arsenal.
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Issues with the club’s new digital ticketing and security operation led to huge queues forming outside the ground and some fans missing kick-off.
Villa, meanwhile, said it has made it a “top priority” to improve the standard of the stadium toilets and concourse areas after a raft of complaints.
In an email sent out to supporters yesterday, the club said it had spent recent days investigating the problems faced by many fans at the game.
It read: “We will spend the coming weeks ensuring they do not impact fans’ matchday experience in the future.
“Regarding the difficulties with access to the stadium, we will be working on solutions to ensure each and every fan is able to use our updated ticketing technology efficiently upon arrival to Villa Park.
“We have made it a top priority to resolve the problems involving public toilets and queuing within concourses. The club will be communicating directly with fans once changes are made and processes are improved.”
Many supporters faced queues of more than half-an-hour to access the ground, though others waited for even longer.
There were also reports of urinals overflowing in the Holte End, while concourses also became badly congested during the half-time interval.
It is understood some fans arrived in the Doug Ellis Stand to find their seats no longer existed.
The problems came after a summer which the club claims to have spent improving facilities inside the stadium.
