Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has revealed he plans to increase the capacity of Villa Park to 50,000 in a bid to help the club push on in the Premier League.

After finishing sixth in the table this term, the Villans will undoubtedly be looking to build on that finish next season.

Martin O'Neill's men came extremely close to securing a fourth place finish right up until the final weeks of the season whilst also reaching the League Cup final and FA Cup semi-final.

Lerner wants to redevelop the North Stand at Villa Park and increase the total capacity of the stadium by 8,000.

Lerner told the club's official website: "The capacity issue, the focus on Villa Park, is very real. I do believe that as part of our plan, taking the North End of the ground and improving it and modernising it, should be part of our reasonably near term strategy.

"I am conscious of the fact this is an attendance-driven business and, if you don't have high attendances, then at some point your success will decline.

"There are a variety of balancing acts that go into generating additional capacity and at what cost are you going to do it."


Source - Goal.com