Keith Wyness: Aston Villa fans won't forgive club after latest 'PR nightmare'

Aston Villa’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed fans will bear a grudge for a “long time” after the club tried to double disabled fan parking prices.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs –insisted the move is a “PR nightmare” and “should never have happened”.

Aston Villa have apologised to fans after attempting to double disabled fan parking prices to £380 a season – which worked out at £20 per game.

The club insisted fans who paid the increased rate will be reimbursed and apologised “to those affected”.

Villa have already faced backlash from fans after setting prices at up to £97 per game for this season’s Champions League home fixtures.

The club’s Supporters Trust has branded the club “out of touch” for that move, which comes amid a cost of living crisis.

Aston Villa fans will bear grudge for a ‘long time’ despite parking U-turn, says Wyness

Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “Villa and Man City have now backtracked on disabled parking.

“This is an own goal which should never have happened.

“Every year I was looking at the prices, and every year I would be trying to find some way to reduce them.

“I just don’t see how you can look at your disabled fan base as a revenue earner.

“It just feels wrong to me, but perhaps I’m outdated.

“I find it incredible, and for Villa to then backtrack just shows it wasn’t thought through.

“The committee who have done this were just trying to follow orders and reach a certain number.

“But they’ve backtracked, done a U-turn – but it’s now going to be held against them by the fans for a long time.”

In other news, Villa reject offers from 40 clubs for star man.

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