When Aston Villa announced that their FA Cup fourth round tie against Newcastle United would serve as this season’s official Heritage Game, we were proud to once again play a central role in bringing the occasion to life at Villa Park.
With the club turning back the clock to the 1990s – a defining decade that included the unforgettable 1996 League Cup triumph, our focus was on transforming the stadium experience to immerse supporters in that era from the moment they arrived to the final whistle.
A 90s Stadium Takeover
For this Heritage Game, we delivered a fully digital rebrand across Villa Park’s extensive stadium platform. The impact came from the strength of the creative and how we integrated it into the matchday programme.
We developed a suite of 90s-inspired digital assets that took over every screen in the ground – from welcome messages and team graphics to goal celebrations and in-game stings. The visual language drew on the culture and character of the decade, creating a cohesive theme that ran throughout the entire venue.
Pre-match, we worked closely with the club to build a show that matched the scale of the occasion. A stadium-wide lightshow and laser display on the pitch elevated the atmosphere, with the laser production delivered by trusted specialist partners to ensure a truly high-impact spectacle. Central to the build-up was a reworked version of “Hi Ho Aston Villa”, the club’s iconic pre-match anthem, synchronised with our visuals to create a powerful, nostalgia-driven moment under the lights.
*Video contains footage of Aston Villa’s new Warehouse Fanzone screen – footage of the screen was filmed during Aston Villa’s Premier League fixture against Leeds United as it was not open during the FA Cup fixture against Newcastle United.
Enhancing the Fan Journey
Our approach extended beyond the bowl. As supporters made their way towards the stadium, the 90s theme was already in full flow.
The external curved screen at the club shop played out bespoke retro content, setting the tone before fans even reached the turnstiles. Although part of the warehouse space was opened for the fixture, our new giant internal screen remained behind closed doors ahead of its official unveiling the following week – building anticipation for what’s to come.
By ensuring the creative was consistent both externally and internally, we helped shape a seamless journey that connected every touchpoint of the matchday experience.
Following the success of the 150th anniversary matchday last season, I was really excited about what we could do when the club said to me that they'd be doing a 90s takeover. The club wanted to bring in a new 90s styled aesthetic into as much content as possible, whilst creating a big showpiece laser show. The idea was to create a feel of the 90s in those moments before kick-off. We had our usual Hi Ho VT, which we'd styled to the 90s branding and used clips solely from that era. The laser show followed this with bright bold colours, with a soundtrack that took you back to the 90s rave scene. With focus on the 90s and the current squad, this helped build the atmosphere right before kick-off.
With the scale of Villa Park's LED install, we were able to use a lot of different techniques on the LED digiBOARD, ribbons and vomitories. Much of the design used each stand as a single canvas to create a more immersive and striking visual.
The game also saw us use our in-house ADI Fan screen platform, with fans sharing photos of themselves in their retro shirts which we aired on the big screen. The interaction for this was very encouraging for the first time we'd used it and was successful enough to now become part of the usual matchday.
The whole project was great to be a part of. Working with Eve, Millie and the rest of the Aston Villa team on projects such as this is something that is always a privilege.
Powered By A Fully Connected Venue
Because we operate and control Villa Park’s integrated digital ecosystem, we were able to synchronise content across screens, ribbons, perimeter boards and signage to deliver a unified stadium takeover. The entire matchday production was driven from our ADI HQ broadcast galleries, ensuring precision playout and complete creative control.
Heritage fixtures like this demonstrate the power of a fully connected venue. By combining strong creative, technical delivery and live production expertise, we can transform a match into a moment — honouring the past while elevating the present-day fan experience.
Our annual Heritage Game took a 90s focus this year, with a full custom look and feel. Making full use of our LED inventory the team were able to create a 360° experience for supporters, from their arrival at Villa Park through to our pre-match show and throughout the game itself.
The highlight was our pre-match show, filling the stadium with colour and energy, bringing our supporters back in time to remember and celebrate the club’s success in the 90s. The editing and production teams at adi successfully brought out concept to life, fully understanding the theme and vision, and their excitement for trying something new made the project as fun and nostalgic as intended for our audience.
Video shot by Shaun Timmins and edited by Adam Greasley
