Villa Park is still one of the country's
premier grounds, although some of its charm and history have been lost
through redevelopment in recent years.
WHOLLY
TRINITY:The new Trinity Road stand at Villa Park, sadly
it meant the end for the architectural delights of its predecessor.
The ground is within easy reach of the
M6, once you've negotiated Spaghetti Junction. Despite being in one of Birmingham's
poorer inner city suburbs, Villa Park is next to a park, overlooked by the
Jacobean manor house Aston Hall.
The giant Holte End "home" stand behind the goal is still
the largest "kop" in the league and an imposing sight when full,
seen from the away end opposite.
The new Trinity Road stand to the right is functional, but its glass
exterior (not helped by plastic lettering) a disappointing replacement
for its splendid predecessor, with facade, mosaic and staircase. Opposite
this is in Witton Lane, the smaller two-tier Doug Ellis Stand, named after
the club's long-serving chairman.
Parking can be a bit of a headache - best to look for one of a number
of smaller unofficial carparks. Quite a few of the pubs nearest the ground
are for home supporters only - not that you're missing a great deal.
Man
to watch
Away fans are seated behind the goal
downstairs in the North Stand, entrance in Witton Lane. There are usually
a minimum of 1,600 tickets but if there is demand, further seating is
provided in the downstairs section of the Doug Ellis Stand adjoining it.
Prices are reasonable for the Premiership (£28 and £15 under 16s
and over 60s). Bar and toilet facilities are a bit limited.
Exit M6 at junction 8, Spaghetti
Junction - take signs for Birmingham city centre, take next left
turn, (sign-posted Aston/Waterlinks) after a quarter of a mile.
Then take a left at the island and there is limited street parking
and some organised pay parking (£4-5) in the area. There are
more temporary carparks in the area off Trinity Road, look for the
signs. There is also some supervised street parking off Electric
Avenue. Otherwise take your chances in the streets; kids often ask
for money "to look after your car," so it's best to comply...
There are fairly regular services
from Birmingham New Street, to Aston (for home supporters)
and Witton (for away fans). Aston station is 10-15 minutes
walk from the ground and Witton is five minutes from the away end.
Turn left and first left at the island and you can't miss it.
There are also buses - the No 7 from
Bull Street (left at top end of Corporation Street) takes you to
the island at the end of Witton Lane.
City centre taxis from the New
Street station concourse or outside down from the ramp in Navigation
Street.
B Sky Cars 0121 551 1111 ; InterCity Cars 0121 555
5555; Friendly Cars 0121 356 2222; Blue Line Cars
0121 523 7211 .
Birmingham has changed a lot from
the 60s high-rise and concrete image. There are plenty of pubs, clubs
and good restaurants in the city centre. The recently redeveloped Bull
Ring Shopping Centre has given a shot in the arm to the city as a retail
destination; if you like designer shops and good places to eat, then try
The Mailboxshopping centre off Navigation Street. This backs onto the
city's canal network is a must. You can then walk along the tow-paths
to more pubs and restaurants at Brindley Place near the Gas Street Basin
interchange of canals. There is also in that area, the NIA
(for pop and rock), the Symphony
Hall and for theatre, the Birmingham Rep and Birmingham Hippodrome. For food, Brum is the birthplace
of the Balti - the best
of these are cheap, unlicensed and lit-up curry restaurants in the Balti
"triangle" of Sparkhill, or through the Bristol Road at Selly Oak (easily
reached by bus or train from New Street). The Birmingham Museum and Art
Gallery and interactive
Think Tank science museum are two other places to visit,
while Cadbury World at the factory in Bournville (five miles south of
the city centre) is a popular attraction for the chocoholic.
Tourist information: The Rotunda
150 New Street
Birmingham
B2 4PA
Tel: 0870 2250127
Real ale/near ground
The
Bartons Arms (144 High Street, Aston) on the A34. A fabulous
looking "heritage" pub, restored to its Victorian splendour inside
and out, with eight real ales, mostly Oakhams, with a huge and excellent
Thai menu - available from 12 noon and again from 5pm after the match.
It's about 15 minutes walk from the pub to the ground, but worth it.
You can also catch the No7 bus from the city centre. Laurel and Hardy
and Chaplin were among artists who once stayed here when appearing
at the now demolished Aston Hippodrome opposite.
To find it on foot from
the ground, take Bevington Road alongside the Upper Grounds
pub in Trinity Road, fork right into Whitehead Road then it's a
straight walk passing two schools on the right until you reach Victoria
Road. Then cross the road past the telephone kiosk and slightly
uphill into Selston Road through the small estate. Walk downhill
past the gospel hall and and you will see the Barton Arms below
you down to your right, over the pedestrian crossing. Limited parking.
Birmingham CAMRA pub of the year 2004. DAFTS recommended.
Click for
street map
The Villa Tavern, Holborn Hill, Nechells/Aston
Cross over the road out of Aston railway station, under the bridge
and walk up the hill for five minutes to reach this little jewel
of a pub dating from the 1920s - tiled inside and some fairly good
Ansells ales. Webpage
Near the ground
Quite a few pubs around Villa Park
are "home fans only", and look shut, or charge a quid to get in, or
all three! These include The Upper Grounds in Trinity Road(pictured above) and the quite good Banks' pub, the Aston Tavern in Witton Lane, closest to the ground.
Cap and Gown, 458 Witton Road
Quite a big club close to the ground, which has separate rooms and
entrances for home and away fans - doormen on duty and it costs £1
entry. Or further along (right from Witton Station) down the hill is The Yew Tree which some Darlo fans used before the 2000 Cup tie and it was a typical local boozer.
King Edward VII, Aston Hall Road
Halfway between Spaghetti Junction and the ground; if walking it's
under the Aston Expressway and around as the road twists right away
from the ground. Traditional local, recently refurbished in Villa
colours. All day breakfast and bed and breakfast also available.
The Manor, Portland Street
Smallish Ansells pub, not far from the old brewery - 15 minutes
walk from the ground, next to industrial estate. Home fans pack
in before the game, Sky TV, pool and limited rolls. £5 parking
available on industrial estate next door.
The Harriers, The Broadway, corner of Davey Road
Quite a friendly Ansells pub, with one mega-lounge and a smaller
lounge, Sky TV; popular with home fans.
Real ale/city centre
There are also some good city
centre pub suggestions on the Birmingham
CAMRA site, with The
Anchor Inn 308 Bradford St, corner of Rea St, Digbeth
near the back end of the coach station, a great Irish real ale pub,
with regular beer festivals and a small terrace outside for good
weather.
Best is probably a new one though,
The Wellington on Bennett's Hill, off New Street. Almost at the
top of the hill on the right (up from Barclays Bank on New Street).
It has a vast choice of pumps, with Black Country ales the "house
beers" but there is a good choice from around the country.
As well as happy hours, the pub also allows customers to bring in
their own packed lunches or sandwiches from the many outlets nearby
serving the usual office crowd.
The Old Joint Stock,
a Fullers' pub at 4 Temple Row, opposite St Philip's cathedral,
and Bennett's, Bennett's Hill off New Street
and The Toad in Hurst Street, for its footie screens.
A little further out, just south of the city centre, is the Lamp
Tavern, 157 Barford Street, Highgate, a one-room pub in
a back street off the A441 - not too far from Digbeth coach station.
It has five real ales on, including Everards and Stanway, and a
mild. For
streetmap
The ground
has a fairly good range of pies - beef and Balti, pizza slices, tasteless
burgers though, but the chip butties are good value. Also chocolate,
tea and coffee but no veggie option to speak of. There are lots of
burger vans around Villa Park, due in part to the lack of decent chippies.
There is one though, which serves good helpings of fish and chips
and fried chicken at the end of Bevington Road.
There is also a small unlicenced Balti between Witton Lane and
Witton station, which is open for lunches before the match - or
a meal after. You're welcome to bring drink - off licence across
the island.
The Villa websites aren't the best
to look at or as innovative as some others in this division, but there's
plenty of choice as far as content goes. They include the best, which
is Heroes and
Villains, which is the web version of the long-running printed fanzine
of the same name (which costs £1.50). The site is mainly a busy
messageboard. Also VillaTalk,
another independent webzine, with opinion articles with posted replies
and a messageboard. The
official site is updated regularly. The Holteenders
Rivals site is quite low key, with its message board not as busy as
the club's others.
Contact
details:
Aston Villa FC:
0121 327 2299
No responsibility is taken for accuracy,
if in doubt check before travelling.