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Aston Villa owner Tony Xia is prepared to re-open the debate about the possibility of safe-standing at Villa Park.

Xia has tried to immerse himself in all aspects of the club, including fan culture, since his takeover went through last month.

The issue of safe-standing is a sensitive one, but the Chinese businessman believes a serious discussion should be on the agenda.

Xia is maintaining clear lines of communication with Villa fans via his Twitter account.

Asked if he could 'get the ball rolling to make the Holte End safe-standing, he replied: "It is a question asked several times. We will discuss it seriously."

Celtic have recently introduced a safe-standing area at Celtic Park. They have installed 3,000 rail-seats, making them the first club in the UK to bring them in.

Back in 2012, Villla started exploring the possibility of a safe-standing area at Villa Park.

Fronted by then chief executive Paul Faulkner the club held preliminary talks about becoming Premier League pioneers by creating a new style of terracing at the ground.

Senior stadium staff provisionally earmarked the corner of Villa Park, beneath the big screen scoreboard, where the Holte End meets the Trinity Road stand, for a standing ‘test area’.

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Villa held discussions with the Football Supporters’ Federation and began to research ‘rail seats’, which have been used effectively at German club Borussia Dortmund and other stadia across Europe.

These are flip-up seats which are UEFA compliant and can accommodate seated supporters during designated all-seater matches or be stowed away to create a standing area at other times.

A demonstration of the seats was held at Villa Park in October 2013. When Faulkner left the club in July 2014, the proposals were put on the back burner.

For a standing scheme to go ahead, it would require a change to the existing law, which was introduced in the early 1990s following Lord Justice Taylor’s report into the Hillsborough disaster.