Chris Heck confirms Aston Villa plans following uproar over controversial Champions League decision

Villa are set to celebrate an unforgettable 150-year anniversary campaign in style, with a host of plans set out for the coming months.

Heck has confirmed plenty of thrilling events that will take place, with the supporters at the heart of them. Perhaps the most exciting announcement is the confirmation that a new statue will be unveiled behind the North Stand towards the end of the season. There will also be plenty of special edition merchandise available to purchase from the new-look club shop.

Another arrangement is for a piece of artwork from Jamie Cooper - one that captures the full 150-year history of the club - to be displayed within Villa Park. A fan wall will also be unveiled in early 2025, while supporters will have the opportunity to select from over 1,000 first-team players to form an all-time XI.

Villa will have a dedicated home fixture - to be confirmed in due course - to formally mark the 150th anniversary, while the Champions League home clash with Bayern Munich will officially commemorate the 1982 European Cup triumph. Plenty more plans, including a special AV150 syllabus from the Aston Villa Foundation, can be found on the club’s website.

Heck finally addresses Champions League ticket uproar

There’s lots to be excited for on the anniversary front, then, but the elephant in the room still remains as Villa have failed to reduce the cost of home Champions League tickets despite an intense uproar. To buy the cheapest adult seat - including a season ticket discount - fans will have to fork out a whopping £75, even for the pot four fixture against Bologna.

Demands were made to Heck to address the issue for several days and he finally did so earlier this week, albeit not in the fashion most would have favoured as he used the recent profit and sustainability issues as an excuse.

“We recognise and understand the depth of passion felt amongst fans and their recent frustration around ticket pricing,” a a statement from Heck began.

“Achieving our sporting ambitions while complying with financial stability regulations requires difficult decisions. Financial fair play rules prohibit owners from covering shortfalls to finance this ambition, so we need to generate as much revenue as possible through sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales to ensure that we can keep the club rightfully where it belongs - competing at the top of English and European football.

“We want to thank our fans for their patience and for their loyal support whilst we do our utmost to grow the club as a business, and ensure we are all doing our part to support our players on the pitch both home and away.