The Vile (no replies)

“The wonderful thing is that the club are working with the city to look at the whole area around Villa Park. But I would like to see more people come via public transport. That’s the easiest way as the ground gets bigger"

Speaking at Birmingham City Council’s full meeting on Tuesday (June 13), councillor Lee Marsham (Nechells, Lab) put pressure on Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, to stump up the millions needed to upgrade Witton Station in line with Villa’s grand plans to improve their stadium in the months and years to come.

In response, Cllr Cotton said: “Now, clearly we want visitors to have the best possible experience so improvements to Witton Station are important, not just for this tournament but for the local community and for Villa fans who are travelling for games in the future. Aston Villa is one of the city’s key anchor institutions and I met with the club officials just last week, together with the deputy leader, to discuss not just this bid but their plans moving forward. I’ve tasked officers to work closely with Aston Villa to that effect.”