Club apologises over disabled parking fees

Aston Villa Football Club says it will reimburse fans who were overcharged

A Premier League football club has apologised after it had reportedly doubled the cost of parking for disabled supporters at its ground.

Aston Villa said on its website disabled supporters who had booked matchday parking at Villa Park for 2024/25 would be charged last season’s parking rates.

It added fans would be contacted by the club’s ticket office by telephone before the next home game against Everton and reimbursements issued for those who have been overcharged.

“The club wishes to apologise to those affected,” it said.

The club contacted supporters who held a disabled parking space outside the North Stand last season to inform them of the price hike, on the week before Villa's first home game against Arsenal on 24 August, according Birmingham Live.

The report claimed fans were given no prior warning before being asked to pay double what they had previously to keep their spot, with the cost of a disabled car parking space rising from £190 to £380.

If comes after Villa fans called the club "out of touch" earlier this week for charging up to £97 a ticket for home Champions League matches this season.

It was announced on Wednesday that adult tickets for their four home matches in the new 36-team league format will be priced at £85, £94 and £97.

Season ticket-holders will get discounted rates of £70, £79 and £82 respectively.

The Premier League side will host Bayern Munich, Bologna, Juventus and Celtic at Villa Park in their return to Europe's top club competition for the first time in 41 years.