Matchday Guide & Team Welcome: Aston Villa v Chelsea

Aston Villa supporters are again encouraged to welcome the team’s arrival at Villa Park on Saturday for our Premier League clash against Chelsea.

We’re calling all fans to help create another amazing atmosphere this weekend, giving the players a pre-match boost and special show of support as we look to record a third successive league victory.

Villa’s team coach will arrive at approximately 6.30pm and park on Trinity Road outside the gates to the forecourt.

The players will then enter the stadium through Trinity Road Stand reception, near the William McGregor Statue and Fan Zone.

Supporters are welcome to gather in the Trinity forecourt / Trinity Fan Zone pre-match entertainment area.

Speaking after last weekend’s victory over AFC Bournemouth, head coach Unai Emery was thankful to Villa fans for their support as thousands waited to greet the team coach as it pulled into Villa Park.

“We started with our supporters waiting for us in the stadium when we were arriving,” he said. “They created a great atmosphere and it was necessary as well because we had to be motivated and we had to be together.

“We had motivation to play thinking of them and trying to transmit our energy, our style and our skill with the players. It was a fantastic match – difficult but fantastic.”

UTV!

There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the match. Find your seat and book here.

Season ticket holders unable to attend can list their seat for resale online or by calling our ticket office on 0333 323 1874. Resale is open until 24 hours before kick-off. 

The best way to secure tickets for future matches at Villa Park is via a Membership. 

Tickets for upcoming Aston Villa Women games can be purchased here.

Supporters can get tickets for the club's ultimate fan experience in the Terrace View suite, with seats in the heart of the Holte End. Check out all the information here and book online.

Fans can also secure their spot in The Lower Grounds for the encounter. The Lower Grounds is the club's new matchday offering - creating a fan-focused experience which includes food and drinks as part of the package. You can book online here.

Hospitality bookings for our upcoming home matches can be made over the phone on 0333 323 1982 (option 1) or by emailing hospitality@avfc.co.uk.

Many supporters may not be aware of the policy regarding under-3s, so we are reminding supporters that under-3’s are only permitted to be in the Family areas in the Trinity Road stand at Villa Park and must have a match ticket. Further information can be found here Aston Villa Ticketing (avfc.co.uk)

Villa Park is now fully NFC ticketing enabled for supporters to access the stadium. Near-Field Communication (NFC) enables fans to enter the stadium via Apple or Google Wallet. Click here for more information. 

Supporters can now also access their match-by-match tickets and enter the stadium directly via the Aston Villa app. Simply log into your Digital Account in the app and your tickets will appear under the ‘Tickets’ section. Supporters must update their app to the latest version to ensure in-app ticketing works without issue.

It's important that supporters take steps to plan their visit to the stadium. 

Turnstiles open at 6.30pm, so make sure you arrive at the stadium in plenty of time ahead of kick-off to ensure smooth entry. 

Please note, access to stiles is maintained during the first half and will close once the half-time whistle is blown.

However you're planning on getting to the match, take a look at our Travel & Parking guide before leaving home. 

A traffic exclusion zone will be in operation around the stadium, meaning there will be less traffic on Trinity Road and Witton Lane from up to two hours before the match starts. 

The Holte Pub will open three hours prior to kick-off and close two hours after full-time.

Aston Villa supporters can pre-book official matchday parking for the first time thanks to new partnerships. 

Supporters can pre-book their space via either of the links below.

www.astonvillaparking.co.uk

www.countrywidemanagementsolutions.co.uk

Supporters are also advised of the following matchday parking sites around Villa Park:

• Powerleague (£10 – payment by cash or card)
• Aston Tower School (£7 - cash only)
• Birchfield School (£7 - cash only)

Broadway School and Aston Social Club should also be available for supporters to access.

The club has a dedicated bus service that runs to Villa Park on matchday; AV1 which runs from Tamworth. You can purchase tickets here.

The bike rack at Villa Park has now been moved behind the Villa Village building on the North Stand car park. 

New covered cycle parking is also available at our Inner City Academy on Witton Road.

Please plan ahead and leave more time for your journey. To plan your journey by public transport, visit www.tfwm.org.uk. 

A new city centre shuttle bus service is available, helping supporters travel more easily and efficiently to and from Villa Park on matchdays.

With a nod to the club’s finest hour and our 1982 European Cup victory, the ‘AV82’ service will run on a trial basis for all men’s home matches until the end of the 2023/24 season, including for UEFA Europa Conference League fixtures.  

Run by Stagecoach, the AV82 shuttle will pick up from outside Birmingham New Street Station on Dudley Street, running direct to Villa Park. Buses will run at regular intervals, starting three hours before kick-off for every home fixture. Buses will depart from Grosvenor Road and run back to Birmingham New Street at regular intervals for up to two hours after the final whistle for every game.

A return ticket for the shuttle bus is £5 and single tickets will be available for £3. Tickets can be purchased with cash or card from the bus driver, or purchased in advance through the Stagecoach app. Unfortunately, nBus, concessionary passes and the government’s £2 Help for Household single are not valid on the service.

In addition, we are now pleased to launch a group return ticket where 4 passengers can travel for the price of 3 (£15). This will be in place for all games and the group ticket can be purchased from the bus driver as you board.

New accessibility signage has been fitted at Witton Station thanks in large part to an Aston Villa supporter.

Cameron Wood is a wheelchair user and disability rights campaigner who travels to and from games at Villa Park via train.

Cameron wrote to the club last year to voice his concerns about accessibility at the station on a matchday and a meeting was subsequently arranged with West Midlands Trains.

Following the meeting, new accessibility signage, which can be seen from both ends of the platform by station and onboard staff, was fitted.

Find out more here.

Travelling by train? 

• There are no planned rail service disruptions this weekend and services to Witton and Aston stations are expected to be running run as normal
• Please be advised that there is an overnight closure at Birmingham New Street station from the early hours of Sunday morning. The overnight closure will start from 00:35hrs on Sunday morning, but all Saturday evening rail services will be running as normal 
• Supporters are encouraged to check your entire journey before you travel. You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time journey planner here

Travelling by tram?  

• If you travel by tram to get to and from Villa Park, please visit the Transport for West Midlands’ journey planner to help plan your journey

Travelling by bus? 

• Our AV82 express city centre shuttle bus services will be running between Birmingham New Street and Villa Park before and after the match. This is available for use by home and away supporters
• Return tickets for the shuttle bus cost £5 and single tickets are available for £3
• A discounted group return ticket is available for £15 where 4 passengers can travel for the price of 3. This group return ticket can be purchased on board from the bus driver
• Supporters can find out more information about the shuttle bus in the news article on our website here
• Supporters travelling using local service buses across the West Midlands are encouraged to visit Transport for West Midlands’ 'How to get to Villa Park' and find a timetable pages

The Family Fun Zone in Villa Park’s Academy Building will be fully operational on gameday from 6-7.30pm

Young Villans can take part in a number of exciting, fun activities ahead of kick-off including inflatables and face painting.

We want to see your experiences of matchday at Villa Park. Post your photos, tag #UTV and you could be featured on the big screens at the stadium!  

We kindly ask that fans do not bring their own footballs into the Fun Zone. Unsupervised games of football cause increased risk of harm to all in attendance. Thank you as always for your cooperation and support.

Please use toilets located within the bar area in the Fun Zone or portacabins on Trinity forecourt.

We will have a Welfare Officer based in the Fun Zone, as well as others around the stadium, wearing distinctive high vis who are on hand to help with any questions or concerns while visiting Villa Park.

Purple wristbands will once again be available from the Fun Zone to help keep children safe. Staff will be offering parents the opportunity to receive a purple wristband that your child can wear.

Parents can write their contact details on the wristband and if your child was to become separated from you or felt unsafe, they could approach a steward or another member of staff and show their wristband. Stewards or staff can then duly contact parents and/or Aston Villa's Head of Safeguarding for assistance and support.

Villa Park offers a wide range of cuisine and beverages on a matchday.

Outside the stadium, several street food trucks will be situated on the Trinity Stand forecourt alongside a bar serving alcoholic and soft drinks from 5.45pm.

The Trinity Fan Zone has been renamed 'Lions Square' this season.

Take in some great entertainment as you countdown to kick-off on every matchday at Villa Park. See below for Saturday's line-up...

5.45pm: Bar, food and DJ
6pm: Live music from True Adventurers
7pm: Q&A with former player Kenny Swain

We want to see your experiences of matchday at Villa Park! Post your photos and tag #UTV and you could be featured on the big screens at the stadium!

Please note, Villa Park will be cashless to help ensure safe social distancing practices and minimise contact at all points of sale. This includes the Villa Store, with card payments widely accepted in and around the stadium.

The only exception is programme kiosks outside the ground, which will still accept cash.

In-stadia betting kiosks will also be in operation for this fixture and such service will be provided on a cashless basis.

Pick up your edition of Saturday's Aston Villa News & Record.

The matchday programme is packed with exclusive content and features, including insights from head coach Unai Emery, in-depth player interviews from across the squad, opposition analysis, unrivalled dives into the archives and the latest from the club’s youth teams.

The publications are available to purchase for £3.50 around the stadium via cash or card on matchdays - as always – with each seller armed with contactless payment units for a swifter transaction process.

You can also have every issue delivered direct to your home for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign by taking out a seasonal subscription, and you’ll only pay for the price of 18.

This package covers the claret and blues’ 19 home Premier League fixtures, starting with Everton’s visit on Sunday, August 20 and culminating with Liverpool’s trip to the West Midlands in May 2024.

Find out more, here.

Aston Villa will show support for Her Game Too at this fixture. 

Saturday’s Premier League match against Chelsea will raise awareness of the #HerGameToo campaign, which was launched in 2021 by a group of female football supporters who were determined to eradicate sexism in the football industry.

Aiming to ensure women and girls of all ages feel confident and safe sharing their opinion about football both online and in real life without fear of sexist abuse, the campaign has attracted support from players, pundits and fans across the country.

Through Villa Bellas, Villa’s official women and non-binary supporters’ network, the club announced its support for the Her Game Too campaign in 2022, naming Priyanka Jasraj and Lena Curran as Aston Villa’s Her Game Too ambassadors. You can contact the ambassadors using the following details: 

Priyanka Jasraj: priyankaj93@hotmail.co.uk 

Lena Curran: lenacrrn@gmail.com 

The non-profit organisation continues to create awareness, educate, research, develop a strong sense of community and create strong relationships with clubs, among much more.

Further aims include creating regular content to champion women in football (players, staff and fans), creating strong relationships with the Aston Villa Foundation to drive education in the community, having a presence at football grounds and sports bars to build a more welcoming environment for young girls and women as well as continuing to campaign against sexism in football and online abuse.

Via the All In initiative, Aston Villa is committed to avoiding and eliminating discrimination of any kind including sexism and misogyny.

Villa fans are invited to join us in the Fun Zone before kick-off as we team up with NHS Blood & Transplant for an incredible cause.

Between 6-8pm, they will be on hand to spread the word about plasma donation and sign-up potential lifesavers like YOU!

Birmingham has one of only three dedicated plasma donor centres in the country – and more local donors (aged between 17-65) are needed to give plasma used to create life-saving medicines to treat patients with over 50 different conditions.

So, come on over and show your support, have some fun, and be a lifesaver…

For more information or to register as a donor, visit www.blood.co.uk/plasma

There are a number of places where supporters can shop for Aston Villa merchandise on a matchday. Below you'll find the opening times for each shop around the ground...

Villa Store: 9.30am-8.15pm and 9.45-10.30pm

Holte Store: 5.15-8.15pm and 10-10.30pm

Trinity pop-up store: 6.45-8.15pm and half-time

Family Fun Zone: 6.15-8.15pm

82 Lounge: 5.15-8.15pm and 8.45-10.15pm

Lower Grounds: 5.15-8.15pm and 8.45-10.15pm

Pre-order your items and collect at the Villa Store, Holte Store, Holte Suite or Hospitality 82.

Please note, the Click and Collect order option will be turned off at half-time but any orders placed up to then will be available to collect until that retail unit closes. Click and collect now here.

Personalised souvenirs are now available at the Villa Store at Villa Park, with our new interactive touchscreen kiosk. Create unique gifts including tumblers, notepads, keyrings, and coasters with designs made just for you! Prices start from just £5.

If you witness discriminatory behaviour at a match or around a stadium, please report it to the police or a steward.

Supporters at Villa Park can text REPORT to 60060 along with the location of the incident and details of what you have witnessed.

The text line also includes the reporting of any safeguarding concerns. The text service will be supported by our security team and West Midlands Police. Each text costs one standard message at your network rate. The club may share your details with West Midlands Police if further information is required to assist with a criminal prosecution.

We would like to remind supporters that Villa Park is an all-seater stadium.

In all areas of Villa Park, we have children, elderly fans and those with medical conditions who are unable to see or watch the match if supporters stand up in front of them.

Please be mindful of this at all times and thank you for your cooperation.

Our ‘Match Predictor’ game is now live on the memberships portal. Fans can enter for free, you don’t need a paid membership, just a free digital account.

Simply predict the score and first goal scorer for the chance to win prizes. The match predictor will be live for all home games going forward. There is an overall season leaderboard and prizes will be awarded for every home game week.

One lucky fan will win the chance to play 'Prize Where It Lies' with the opportunity to win big on the pitch! Members and Season Ticket Holders can enter NOW for the chance to take part in upcoming games!

We want to know about your matchday experience at Villa Park. Tweet us using #UTV and you could feature on the big screens at the stadium!

The Pride Rewards collection point will be open from 5.30-7.30pm. Please note that the queue may close up to 15 minutes prior to the collection point closing to ensure all fans waiting in line can be served before 7.15pm.

Fans will again be able to take part in the ‘Pick a Player’ game on Pride Rewards for the chance to earn loyalty points. All you have to do is pick a player for the match and their performance during the game will earn you points. 

Season Ticket holders and Members can head to the Pride Rewards page now and use their loyalty points to redeem amazing money-can’t-buy experiences and gifts. Supporters can now enter the draw for the chance to step onto the hallowed Villa Park turf and see the teams up close in our Watch The Warm Up experience.