For any general information that could assist for supporters going to the game at Aston Villa - but not for ticketing or coach travel issues.

If expecting a beer in the ground, you can only do so if you are in the lower tier of the Doug Ellis. If you find yourself in the Upper section, be aware that you cannot wander to the lower level to get a drink.

Aston Villa Away Friendly Fan Pubs:

Formerly known as the Cap ‘n’ Gown, The Witton Arms is a dedicated away friendly pub within walking distance of the away turnstiles.

Whilst traditionally it was known to segregate both sets of fans, it is now considered an away pub only.

Directions:

On arrival at Villa Park, facing the away turnstiles, turn right and walk away from the ground for around 2 minutes.

You will reach a small roundabout where you will see The Aston Hotel.The pub is on your right.

If getting the train to New Street then the 2 train stations nearest the ground are Aston and Witton. Think Witton will be slightly closer to the away end and handier for the away pub that Leisure mentions.

Drink in town then get train last minute. Aston is grim.

Top tip from a midland Claret - wear a plain claret and blue scarf without and identifiable Burnley motif or lettering and you can wander freely in home and away pubs.

It helps if you have or can put on a midlands / brummie accent so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re a broad speaking Burnley thoroughbred.

Real ale pub I can remember off the top of my head in Birmingham city centre:
The post office
The Wellington
The bank (?)

Free parking is available there is 2500 free spaces so plenty of them but it's about 1.5 miles away and a 25 minute walk. It's at the Star City leisure complex which is well signposted, on leaving the M6.

Plenty of places to eat including the usual McDonald's, kfc, Subway and Nando's. The postcode is B7 5SA

https://starcitycentre.co.uk/

For anyone in the top tier there'll be no beer on sale up there. Only in the Lower tier.

Leisure wrote:For anyone in the top tier there'll be no beer on sale up there. Only in the Lower tier.

Also, the concourse of the upper tier is quite small. (maybe the reason that they don't sell beer up there).

Away friendly pubs are The Witton Arms (situated on the roundabout near to the ground), The Yew Tree (situated in Brookvale Road, which is just down the road from the Witton Arms) and The Lad in the Lane (which is just off Junc 6 of the M6 on Bromfield Lane).

Rowls wrote:Top tip from a midland Claret - wear a plain claret and blue scarf without and identifiable Burnley motif or lettering and you can wander freely in home and away pubs.

It helps if you have or can put on a midlands / brummie accent so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re a broad speaking Burnley thoroughbred.

Real ale pub I can remember off the top of my head in Birmingham city centre:
The post office
The Wellington
The bank (?)

Frequent brum several times a year with work..

The post office vaults was recommended to me but found the stale smell of sweat and beer choice not to my taste.
Cherry Reds had a few decent beers
Brew dog is opposite it too if that’s up your street.
Near the vaults is pure craft which had some decent beers - it’s owned by purity brewery
Just around the corner next door or a few doors away from the Wellington on Bennett’s hill is a place called the pint shop...

This serves decent food and the beer choice is usually very wide ranging... https://pintshop.co.uk/locations/birmingham/#menus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the above bars are within a 5 min walk of new street station

clarethomer wrote:Frequent brum several times a year with work..

The post office vaults was recommended to me but found the stale smell of sweat and beer choice not to my taste.
Cherry Reds had a few decent beers
Brew dog is opposite it too if that’s up your street.
Near the vaults is pure craft which had some decent beers - it’s owned by purity brewery
Just around the corner next door or a few doors away from the Wellington on Bennett’s hill is a place called the pint shop...

This serves decent food and the beer choice is usually very wide ranging... https://pintshop.co.uk/locations/birmingham/#menus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the above bars are within a 5 min walk of new street station

Is that Post Office Vaults subterranean?

The Witton Arms (away friendly) is reportedly now charging £2 entry and food seems limited to a burger van/stall. See Leisure's post (#9) for other options near the ground.

Anybody know what parking is like near to the ground?

Coaching kids 10-11 so earliest we will be able to leave is 11:30 so expecting to get there 1:30/2

JohnDearyMe wrote:Is that Post Office Vaults subterranean?

Yes and no, depending on what entrance you go in.

It's at street level on one side and below ground from another.

Rowls wrote:Yes and no, depending on what entrance you go in.

It's at street level on one side and below ground from another.

Thanks, think i know which one you mean.

wilks_bfc wrote:Anybody know what parking is like near to the ground?

Coaching kids 10-11 so earliest we will be able to leave is 11:30 so expecting to get there 1:30/2

see post 6 John...this looks favourite for a 'late' arrival!

https://starcitycentre.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck!

claretblue wrote:see post 6 John...this looks favourite for a 'late' arrival!

https://starcitycentre.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck!

Thanks.
Might be a bit far for dad to walk in time we may have.
Will see how he is on day

Anybody tried this?...

https://www.thebartonsarms.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wilks_bfc wrote:Thanks.
Might be a bit far for dad to walk in time we may have.
Will see how he is on day

drop yer dad at the ground then park-up and 'sprint' back to meet up before kick-off wilks!

claretblue wrote:drop yer dad at the ground then park-up and 'sprint' back to meet up before kick-off wilks!

If we're doing that then my brother can drive & do the running

Taken from a West Ham site prior to their recent game at Villa -

Travel:

Train

From Birmingham New Street you are able to get the train to either Aston or Witton stations. Witton is closest to the away turnstiles. Turn left out of the station and keep walking down until you get to a roundabout, go left and the entrance to the away end is on the right as you walk down the road.

Car

Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and follow the signs towards Birmingham (NE). At the roundabout, turn right and Villa Park is well signposted from this point. You can see Villa Park from the motorway.

Parking

As with most Premier League grounds, there is a parking scheme around the ground. Street parking is available near Aston train station, or free parking is available about 30 minutes’ walk away at the Star City leisure centre (signposted from the M6 slip road).

Food and drink:

Inside the ground you are able to purchase pukka pies (chicken Balti, steak, chicken and mushroom, cheese and onion) for £3.60, sausage rolls for £3, cheeseburgers for £4.20, hot dogs for £4 and chips for £2.80. There are TV screens showing games between the two sides. They also serve alcohol in the lower tier only of the away section, Carlsberg is £3.80, Somersby cider is £3.70 for a 500ml bottle, Green King IPA is £4 per bottle.

The main away pub is the Witton Arms on Witton Lane (near the roundabout if walking from Witton railway station previously mentioned). It homes both home and away fans, however they are separated into different parts of the pub. There is an entry fee of £2 per person.

There is also another pub which is 15 minutes’ walk from the ground called the Yew Tree, however it doesn’t serve real ale.

Bartons Arms is a grade 2 listed building and is rated as one of the best pubs in Birmingham, also featuring on the CAMRA good beer guide. Thai food is also on offer in that pub.

Order 10 tickets online line yesterday before 10 oclock and the email I got says collect
On the website it said no posting out after dinner time Wednesday
So now have to go down to pick them up is it the ticket office Bob Lord or ticket collection point behind Longside ?

Longside4evr wrote:Order 10 tickets online line yesterday before 10 oclock and the email I got says collect
On the website it said no posting out after dinner time Wednesday
So now have to go down to pick them up is it the ticket office Bob Lord or ticket collection point behind Longside ?

Think its ticket office on Bob Lord during week, collection point on matchdays

I'd ring and check though - I ordered tickets for the Sunderland cup game and the confirmation said collect, even though i asked to post
When i went down to collect they had been posted

Been trying to work out the best way of finding parking etc and it seems that around the ground it is a bit limited and would involve a walk of some distance. Not that I'm lazy but i will have a 9 year old in tow.
I've settled for parking up outside the Bescot Stadium in Walsall at the park and ride behind the away end. Train is direct to Witton Station and takes only 11 minutes. £3.40 return. Pros are that there is little walking and close to the away pub and there is a Subway and a large Tescos around the corner and all being close to the ground. The only downside is that it might be busy at the station immediately after the game but once i get back to Walsall it should be relatively traffic free. Certainly less busy than around the Aston Expressway etc.

In terms of parking for El Clario my villa supporting colleague has recommended £5 parking on a field off Victoria road. Which gets you back on the A38 quickly after the game. 10-15min walk to the ground

Safe travels - UTC

Rowls wrote:Top tip from a midland Claret - wear a plain claret and blue scarf without and identifiable Burnley motif or lettering and you can wander freely in home and away pubs.

It helps if you have or can put on a midlands / brummie accent so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re a broad speaking Burnley thoroughbred.

Real ale pub I can remember off the top of my head in Birmingham city centre:
The post office
The Wellington
The bank (?)

The "bank" ain't there no more. Think it's a restaurant now.

New Street is WAY different to a few years ago, **** loads of boozers now

Something fishy it a right scramble after the game at the station dont get on a witton as the trains will just fly passed as there full with majority of fans getting on at Aston and then it still takes a good hour queuing at Aston right down the Road up the concrete steps and on to the platform nightmare

Longside4evr wrote:Something fishy it a right scramble after the game at the station dont get on a witton as the trains will just fly passed as there full with majority of fans getting on at Aston and then it still takes a good hour queuing at Aston right down the Road up the concrete steps and on to the platform nightmare

Is it walkable distance back to the centre?
Don't mind a 30 -4o min walk if it's not chucking it down

You can grab an Uber

Bad crash at J15 on the M6 avoid if you can.

rufus lumley wrote:Bad crash at J15 on the M6 avoid if you can.

Traffic moving and only a short delay now.

Anyone reccomend a pub near new street that clarets usually frequent. Cheers

The Shakespeare, few clarets in but be discreet

Could be difficult I'm wearing claret and blue

claret3561 wrote:Could be difficult I'm wearing claret and blue

Me too, it's wierd, seems to be loads in claret n blue in here

Reverting to crash on M6 came of at 15 and drove on A road to Stafford and rejoined save an hour at least

Longside4evr wrote:Something fishy it a right scramble after the game at the station dont get on a witton as the trains will just fly passed as there full with majority of fans getting on at Aston and then it still takes a good hour queuing at Aston right down the Road up the concrete steps and on to the platform nightmare

I made a dash for it with about 2 minutes of injury time left (will wait for the "You are not a proper fan" jibes) The concourse on the top tier (is there a smaller one?) and the narrow staircase did not take my fancy in a crush with a 9 year old. Got to Witton and it was populated by quite a few already but plenty of space and it was a 10 minute wait for the train. The thought of it being full crossed my mind but it wasn't anywhere near. The station was shut off once the platform was full too (something they could learn at the Etihad). So the early dash was a good idea. I was at Walsall and back on the M6 before 5.30. Will certainly do that again.

They were running a non stop shuttle train to and from Witton from New Street before and after the game. Rammed of course but well managed by staff at both ends.

Took me an hour fifteen mins at Aston to get on the platform nightmare
But knew what it's like to be honest

Longside4evr wrote:Took me an hour fifteen mins at Aston to get on the platform nightmare
But knew what it's like to be honest

I

Abandoned the idea of getting the train back from Witton. If that was Germany they would have had a big pile of trains all ready to take passengers back to New Street but back to reality and Third World Britain.

We walked it and beat the bumper to bumper gridlock back into the City Centre.

Didn't leave from the top tier until the final whistle, didn't manage to get on the first train but only 5 minutes wait for the next one, not really a problem at all. That was witton by the way.