Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[MikeMcKenna]

A very revealing interview from 2 months ago with Chris Heck talking to a US sport site called "Crossing Board" which in my opinion illustrates that he is a B...sh*tter.  A few extracts: 

 

"Heck: And the difference is that [in the USA a wealthy owner] can just go into his bank account and spend. Here, [in England] you could have the richest owners in the world and it doesn’t matter. It’s how much you actually generate. So how do you do that without ticking off your most loyal fans? That’s the formula that we have found, let’s protect our season ticket base, our local fans first, the core fan, protect them, and then find new revenue streams to pump up the value of the club and the spending opportunity of the club."

 

Later in the article: 

 

"Heck: The other area we’re focused on is that we put a lot of money into completely changing all of our premium seating. It’s a big stadium and we have 5,000 premium seats, about half of which before were made up of suites. So we wiped them out and made restaurants, clubs, loge boxes, at all of these different price points. Some really cool things. We sold those in a much different fashion to generate a lot more money. Who does that affect? It affects the rich, so the common fan doesn’t get upset with that."

 

"Heck: [Talking about the difference between US fans and English] It’s European football, and that’s it. That’s what matters. It really is part of their life, their lifestyle, it’s family, it’s generational. Everyone takes it really personally, and I respect that, and you have to be very careful with that. But I also want to win. If your compass is the right compass of ‘win” by also being respectful and doing things (the right way). I was reading something (recently), and I’ve been pretty good about getting off of social media. But I was getting destroyed for something that was wildly successful, just getting destroyed. But it’s 20 or 30 people killing you. So that’s kind of the game, the deal. The anti-American thing, it’s real. It’s real."

 

https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/07/this-isnt-wrexham-a-q-a-with-former-sixers-president-chris-heck-now-running-business-operations-for-the-premier-leagues-aston-villa.html#:~:text=Running%20the%20business%20side%20is,Officer%20and%20then%20as%20President Full Interview

[MrBlack]

17 minutes ago, thunderball said:

Congratulations on selling out the stadium and generating valuable extra income for the club, despite the hysteria you called it right. There are tens maybe hundreds of thousands of Villa fans who would gratefully have paid the asking price or more to watch Villa in the Champion's league. 
 

I really can’t believe the fans begrudge paying an extra £15-20 a ticket more than they expected for a generational experience of premium European football, that is going straight into the clubs coffers and not some Glazer-esque dividend or interest payment, so over time we are not selling the next Douglas Luiz.  
 

I know a lot on here won’t like that but that’s how I feel. 

This won't be the difference between us needing to sell Watkins next window or not.  It will be the difference between having a fully motivated  crowd or not against Everton though.

That is the choice Heck has made.

Edited September 10 by MrBlack

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 minute ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

Oh no, keep Heck out of KFC! I love it and would happily pay twice the price or more to get that crunchy golden chicken!

Just wait till he announces the new 6 piece bargain meal and you discover it's just 3 separated wings

[mrchnry]

We need this bloke out of the club. 

[thunderball]

11 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

This won't be the difference between us needing to sell Watkins next window or not.  It will be the difference between having a fully motivated  crowd or not against Everton though.

That is the choice Heck has made.

It would be complacent to not use the opportunity to generate andditional income, it might not be possible next season or the next. We need to generate as much as we can, that means sweating the opportunities. People don’t have pay anything it’s a choice. Maybe when we have an income of £500m like the top six which will come through sponsorship/commercial and prize money if we stick around the top end of the league, they have the head room to give back, and I expect our owners to do that. Make no mistake, this is PSR at work.

These tables show you the mountain we have to climb and it won’t happen unless we sustain a presence at the top end. 

[CVByrne]

On 09/09/2024 at 18:02, claretman said:

I presume you don't talk to fellow Villa fans in person?  That is just completely untrue, I have plenty of Villa supporting mates who don't bother with forums/Social Media and people are widely pissed off.  This is national news, not a few fans getting irked online.

I have 6 Villa supporting friends I talk to all the time and none of us are Season ticket holders nor live in Birmingham. So the small increases in ticket prices are essentially irrelevant to us. When we go to a Villa game it's more about getting time to go, stay overnight, trains/flights, accommodation, eating dinner out etc. all costs. Ticket is the small part of the whole thing. 

What you have got is a bubble or divide whatever you want to call it. Season ticket holders or people who go to multiple games a season and live in or very close to Birmingham and everyone else who supports Villa.

Look at it this way. We will have let's say 24/25 top level home games this season between Premier League and Champions League. We've huge demand for tickets, 30,000+ waiting for a chance to get a season ticket. 

For every £1 on average more the club charges per seat per game that's over £1million in additional revenue. Average £10 is £10 million. If an existing fan finds the prices too high there is a giant queue of people behind him desperate to take that seat and pay for it. 

Why should I care which fan pays for the ticket? They're all passionate fans wanting to see Villa. 

This is the economics of the sport. This is the reality of the sport. Aston Villa FC is a top Premiership side in the Champions League. Chris Heck is making the right commercial decisions for the club economically. Giving additional finances for investment into the playing squad. 

Across the board he is here to increase revenue. All aspects. It's long overdue and is fundamentally critical to the long term success of Villa. That's why I am so happy with his performance so far. 

 

[TDR V2]

So Chelsea are almost £92 per fan and they are in the same PSR boat as Villa.

Not a great plan then is it, and first graph kind of proves its the commercial side that needs to improve. 

[Tomaszk]

50 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

This won't be the difference between us needing to sell Watkins next window or not.  It will be the difference between having a fully motivated  crowd or not against Everton though.

That is the choice Heck has made.

Truth.

[Tomaszk]

7 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

For every £1 on average more the club charges per seat per game that's over £1million in additional revenue. Average £10 is £10 million. 

Wrong.

[thunderball]

2 minutes ago, TDR V2 said:

So Chelsea are almost £92 per fan and they are in the same PSR boat as Villa.

Not a great plan then is it, and first graph kind of proves it’s the commercial side that needs to improve. 

We are swimming against a legacy tide, how it was when the status quo was established, no one will help us out with that hurdle, PSR is the glass ceiling: the rules in place to keep a boot on our ambition.

Unless you are in the shop window the commercial deals won’t follow. NSWE are subsidising this position and without income we won’t stay there. I don’t know how you can’t see that? We need to everything (every penny this achievement can wring out) aligned to ensure we sustain our level to have a chance of generating enough commercial revenue to have chance of staying at that level.

[CVByrne]

36 minutes ago, thunderball said:

 

 

36 minutes ago, thunderball said:

These tables show you the mountain we have to climb and it won’t happen unless we sustain a presence at the top end. 

 

This just shows how far behind even smaller PL clubs we were in terms of prices. 

I'm sure people think we're the most expensive non big 6 club in terms of average ticket prices now in 24/25 season. We should be because we're a Champions League club bit I suspect Brighton sill charge more on average per ticket than we do. 

Brighton 

The economics of what Heck has to do and the fairness of what has been done in respect to our peers is clear. The club is now charging fair prices now. 

Edited September 10 by CVByrne

[TDR V2]

2 minutes ago, thunderball said:

We are swimming against a legacy tide, how it was when the status quo was established, no one will help us out with that hurdle, PSR is the glass ceiling: the rules in place to keep a boot on our ambition.

Unless you are in the shop window the commercial deals won’t follow. NSWE are subsidising this position and without income we won’t stay there. I don’t know how you can’t see that? We need to everything (every penny this achievement can wring out) aligned to ensure we sustain our level to have a chance of generating enough commercial revenue to have chance of staying at that level.

All fair points but expecting fans to cover this is not on and also not sustainable. Ticket prices don't affect performances but it appears performances do affect ticket prices.

Maybe Mr Heck needs to try something else and earn his probable massive wages that way. 

[thunderball]

16 minutes ago, TDR V2 said:

So Chelsea are almost £92 per fan and they are in the same PSR boat as Villa.

Not a great plan then is it, and first graph kind of proves its the commercial side that needs to improve. 

Chelsea: Allegedly, and after spending £1.5B under Boehly, and being out of the Champions League for few years.

if you look at the data, it’s all areas that need to improve.

[CVByrne]

1 minute ago, TDR V2 said:

All fair points but expecting fans to cover this is not on and also not sustainable. Ticket prices don't affect performances but it appears performances do affect ticket prices.

Maybe Mr Heck needs to try something else and earn his probable massive wages that way. 

But we charge middle of the road prices in relation to our peers in the Premier League and we've a massive demand and waiting list for season tickets. 

I don't see anything that's not sustainable tbh. Our season tickets are prices very reasonably tbh. 

[thunderball]

18 minutes ago, TDR V2 said:

All fair points but expecting fans to cover this is not on and also not sustainable. Ticket prices don't affect performances but it appears performances do affect ticket prices.

Maybe Mr Heck needs to try something else and earn his probable massive wages that way. 

They are not though, they are just paying a market rate, that is evidenced by the sell out. If it was too much tickets would be unsold. However much you want to hate on Heck he is doing his job successfully and the club is benefitting, you would be quick to criticise him if he wasn’t delivering so he can’t win?

It’s going to dig my hole deeper, but I have no sympathy with fans who are whining that somehow the club owes it to a [relative] handful of Villa fans to subsidise their privilege to see EVERY. SINGLE. GAME. at a price that suits them, and in some cases, all of their families too. That’s not a privilege that’s extended to hundreds of thousands of other Villa fans? 
 

To be clear, I am no Heck fanboy or apologist, however I can’t get behind the self-interested criticism, and pile-on on every issue that seems to be thrown his way. I have to begrudgingly applaud him delivering what he was appointed to deliver by the owners. 

Edited September 10 by thunderball

[Tomaszk]

1 minute ago, thunderball said:

They are not though, they are just paying a market rate, that is evidenced by the sell out. If it was too much tickets would be unsold. However much you want to hate on Heck he is doing his job successfully and the club is benefitting, you would be quick to criticise him if he wasn’t delivering so he can’t win?

Tickets would have sold out for Bayern if it was £200 a ticket.

If Bologna doesn't sell out, has he got it wrong?

1 minute ago, thunderball said:

I have to begrudgingly applaud him delivering what he was appointed to deliver by the owners. 

Applause! Easy crowd.

What's he delivered?

What a genius he is making us £1m extra per Champions League game. That £6m at the end of the season will really help our transfer kitty.

I'd be more interested if he was riding Unai's coattails successfully and getting some real sponsors through the door.

Nothing on training kit. Nothing on training ground. Nothing on villa park!

[thunderball]

42 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Tickets would have sold out for Bayern if it was £200 a ticket.

If Bologna doesn't sell out, has he got it wrong?

Applause! Easy crowd.

What's he delivered?

What a genius he is making us £1m extra per Champions League game. That £6m at the end of the season will really help our transfer kitty.

I'd be more interested if he was riding Unai's coattails successfully and getting some real sponsors through the door.

Nothing on training kit. Nothing on training ground. Nothing on villa park!

Maybe he should have charged £200 a ticket for Bayern, and maybe that’s the fan empathy? Who knows? 

And it’s easy for you to right off £6m. And it isn’t genius, it’s what’s expected, anything else is not in the interests of the club, but that’s not necessarily what’s happened before either. 

You know Heck initiated the maligned (by season ticket holders) Terrace View, Lower Grounds and now there several other premium hospitality offering that’s have been a massive seller and driver of additional spend. That wasn’t the much celebrated Purslow, or Tom Fox or anyone else, it was Heck.

Something tells me you would happily join the throng of dissenting voices if or when Heck sells the naming rights to Villa Park. It’s another can’t win, let’s all kick Heck moment.

You realise there are far more Villa fans who don’t or can’t get to the game every week, but want the very best for the club? You realise the club isn’t run for the benefit and entertainment of the 40,000 fans who are lucky enough to attend home games? You realise there are 30,000 fans who want a season ticket but can’t get one? 

I could give you a list a mile long of what I would like at a cost that suits just me, at the expense of others. 

But at the same time if you are someone affected, who can no longer afford the games you want to enjoy, it’s unfortunate but expense is the quid-pro-quo of the game at that altitude. Honestly, I enjoyed the Championship years but would rather this to that, or circling the drain every year. 

Edited September 10 by thunderball

[DakotaVilla]

As has been said before just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Bayern would have sold out at 150 so the PSR crowd should be upset with the club that they didn’t maximize the opportunity to take advantage of the fans for this particular game.

Let’s see attendance at Bologna and at remaining home league and cup games around the same period before we take out the bunting to admire what a fine job Mr Heck has done.

 
Most importantly let’s see what the atmosphere is like v Everton and whether these prices impact atmosphere in those games and our performance on the pitch. For the measly premium of 2m (across four games) it’s  basically the equivalent of one championship league win in prize money. 

[icouldtelltheworld]

2 hours ago, CVByrne said:

 

This just shows how far behind even smaller PL clubs we were in terms of prices. 

I'm sure people think we're the most expensive non big 6 club in terms of average ticket prices now in 24/25 season. We should be because we're a Champions League club bit I suspect Brighton sill charge more on average per ticket than we do. 

Brighton 

The economics of what Heck has to do and the fairness of what has been done in respect to our peers is clear. The club is now charging fair prices now. 

GDP per capita in Brighton = £44,013 p/a

GDP per capita in Birmingham = £28,841 p/a

You're making an economic argument, while ignoring the perfectly sound economic reasons that so many of us are irate about the direction of travel at the club 

[Tomaszk]

2 hours ago, thunderball said:

Maybe he should have charged £200 a ticket for Bayern, and maybe that’s the fan empathy? Who knows? 

And it’s easy for you to right off £6m. And it isn’t genius, it’s what’s expected, anything else is not in the interests of the club, but that’s not necessarily what’s happened before either. 

You know Heck initiated the maligned (by season ticket holders) Terrace View, Lower Grounds and now there several other premium hospitality offering that’s have been a massive seller and driver of additional spend. That wasn’t the much celebrated Purslow, or Tom Fox or anyone else, it was Heck.

Something tells me you would happily join the throng of dissenting voices if or when Heck sells the naming rights to Villa Park. It’s another can’t win, let’s all kick Heck moment.

You realise there are far more Villa fans who don’t or can’t get to the game every week, but want the very best for the club? You realise the club isn’t run for the benefit and entertainment of the 40,000 fans who are lucky enough to attend home games? You realise there are 30,000 fans who want a season ticket but can’t get one? 

I could give you a list a mile long of what I would like at a cost that suits just me, at the expense of others. 

But at the same time if you are someone affected, who can no longer afford the games you want to enjoy, it’s unfortunate but expense is the quid-pro-quo of the game at that altitude. Honestly, I enjoyed the Championship years but would rather this to that, or circling the drain every year. 

Empathy, ha. I'd almost like to see what happened if he did. Be more than red cards being held up.

These prices have never happened before because Unai Emery was never here before. Heck wouldn't be doing this if Gerrard was still here chasing play-offs in the Championship.

If anything, genuinely, Heck has failed to capitalise on the UCL success. You can choose to think we wouldn't have got an Adidas deal (with Nassef on the board), or the £ of the Betano deal if you wish.

I agree with your point about fans further afield, or can't go very often, whatever their situation. I do think more should be done to assist these people. In the same way the away tickets are on absolute lockdown and you simply cannot get one without a ballot - I think a ballot should be increased for both home and away tickets.

You don't have to gouge the price is my point, you can cycle through people in other ways. Pricing is not the only way to rotate the 40,000 fans who are lucky enough to attend home games. You're not rotating, you're locking them out by pricing them out.