(Credit: Imago/Manh Tung - Breaking Media)

James Murray

Mon 27 April 2026 19:51, UK

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Aston Villa have made a “very surprising” decision to close the North Stand at Villa Park next season.

That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the ideal scenario would be to keep part of the stand open to ensure Villa continue to generate revenue from the existing infrastructure.

Villa confirmed on 21 April the North Stand will be closed for the entirety of next season to facilitate the redevelopment.

While the temporary closure will see Villa Park’s capacity drop from 42,000 to around 37,000 in 2026-27, the stadium will be able to hold more than 50,000 fans after the work is completed. 

It will have an impact on Villa’s financial situation in the short term, but the club’s matchday revenue will improve once the project is completed.

Why Aston Villa had ‘no choice’ with stadium regeneration plans

Football Insider revealed on 22 April Villa could lose around £5m in revenue after deciding to close the North Stand. 

The West Midlands giants posted their accounts for last season earlier this month, showing their revenue improved from £275.7m in 2023-24 to £378.1m in 2024-25, making a new club record. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson discussed Villa’s decision to close the North Stand next season.

“I suspect they had no choice,” said Borson.

“I wonder whether it was really part of the plan. I suspect that this plan came later in the day than they imagined actually, and that the original plan did not have them closing the stand.

“To close 5,000 seats now in a Champions League season, which it looks very likely that it’s going to be, when you’re in a settlement agreement with Uefa already, so you have certain obligations that you need to meet with them in terms of your revenue and profit, it’s very surprising that you would have the leeway and the flexibility to be able to close the stand in its entirety for a whole season.

“But clearly, the upside is however long that lasts is 25 years, 50 years of better revenue from that end of the stadium, so you can obviously understand it.” 

Why Aston Villa would like to have followed Man City stadium plans

Borson revealed there will be a financial impact on Villa after deciding against completing the redevelopment in phases. 

“You obviously have to take some pain at some point,” said Borson.

“It’s just slightly surprising that there wasn’t a kind of two-phase situation, where maybe you do the back of the stadium and you leave the lower part open, which is what a number of clubs have done over the years.

“City are doing it now, for example. Liverpool did it at one point. You continue to generate revenue from the existing infrastructure, but you build around it and on top of it. 

“Now, obviously that would have been the preference. They obviously haven’t been able to do it for whatever reason, whether that’s building, planning, or maybe just the whole scale of the change means that they can’t do it.

“But it’s not ideal for them to have to close one end of the stadium in a Champions League season.”

Unai Emery’s side currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, with five Champions League places on offer to top-flight clubs.