The Spirit of the Star and Lion
What is the Star and Lion? For the 2025/26 football season, I was asked to manage a specific room at Aston Villa Football Club, the Star and Lion. It was my ninth season at the club and a return to being there for every game, having spent the previous season filling in whenever a room needed management cover. One of sixteen hospitality settings at Villa Park, the Star and Lion was situated in the North Stand, seating around 150 guests who could enjoy a two-course meal served buffet-style from our open kitchen, purchase drinks from our bar and then take their seats in the North Stand just across the concourse. Doors opened two and a half hours before kick-off and, at every game, guests would be visited by our host and former player Pat Heard, along with other previous Aston Villa players, for a pre-match chat and opportunities for meet and greet. That describes the room. It doesn't describe the atmosphere. What Was the Goal? I was tasked with creating an atmosphere that would help...