Aston Villa chief slammed over ‘terrible’ decision made by club
Dan Bardell has slammed Chris Heck and Aston Villa for the treatment of supporters after the introduction of the latest corporate area at Villa Park.
The President of Business Operations for the Villans recently conducted an interview with The Telegraph (13 June) about his ambitions for the future.
One quote which caught the eye was when Heck said: “I appreciate it’s an inconvenience, I really do. I just hope that we can be clear & that everybody understands what the big picture is.
“That is that fans are first and the number one thing we want to deliver our fans is a winning team.”
After moving some season ticket holders from their seats ahead of next season, Sky Sports and talkSPORT journalist Bardell has hit out at Heck for this comment and his actions.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “The proof is in the pudding. I can’t say as a fan that I feel like I’ve been put first by the football club and nothing drastic has really happened to me.
“You can’t say that you are putting the fans first because you’re not. You’re putting revenue and certain types of fans first. It doesn’t feel to me that there is a fan-first mentality at the club.
“More decisions have come out this week. I look at ‘The Cells’, whatever that is. They’ve moved people from their seats to turn it into a corporate-type area.
“The communication has just been terrible around it and I don’t believe it has been run past the fan consultation group which is what it is there for.
“I’m seeing more and more things done by the club off of the pitch that I don’t like.“
Chris Heck criticised for Aston Villa season ticket drama
The Villans qualified for the Champions League last season in a moment which Villa fans will never forget for all the right reasons.
Considering the large majority of season ticket holders were there in the Championship, playing the European elite was a far-flung dream.
It is now a reality and in recent weeks fans have been purchasing their season tickets ahead of a historic season at Villa Park.
This process has been made difficult with some fans being moved from their seats after a period of poor communication.
In a bid to increase revenue, season ticket holders were moved to turn certain areas into corporate-style areas ahead of the new season.
This has certainly left a sour taste in fans’ mouths as it feels as if the regular, match-going supporters are becoming second-rate.
The club needs to make additional revenue, and fans understand that but there is a way to go about it, which Heck and Villa have not done right.
In other Aston Villa news, Chelsea in ‘serious’ financial mess as Conor Gallagher transfer news emerges.
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