In Birmingham, you pick a side. Claret and blue or royal blue, Villa Park or St Andrew’s – the Second City derby runs through families, workplaces and, as it turns out, signage studios.
At Hollywood Monster, we’ve been trusted by both. Our Birmingham print and signage team has delivered stadium signage for Birmingham City FC and Aston Villa FC, all designed, printed and fabricated at our production HQ in Tyseley.
We won’t tell you which way the office leans on derby day, but we will take you inside two projects that show what football stadium signage really demands: huge scale, immovable deadlines and zero margin for error in front of a full ground.
Birmingham City FC: four days to rebrand St Andrew’s
Birmingham City was Hollywood Monster’s very first customer, and the relationship has lasted more than 30 years. Over that time we’ve supplied wall and door graphics, hoarding, pitch signage, banners and changing room fit-outs at St Andrew’s.
The project that best sums up that partnership came with a high-profile home game against Sheffield United just four days away. The club needed a complete rebrand of the stadium frontage to welcome fans, launch its new-season look and showcase new sponsor BoyleSports.
What we delivered
- A same-day site survey, moving straight into artwork and production.
- Over 160 linear metres of cladded Dibond, fabricated and installed to give the frontage a clean, modern finish.
- A 30m x 5m banner celebrating “30 Years of Supporting the Blues”, featuring classic kits and players from across the decades.
- A custom overlay for the stadium’s digital screen, tying it into the new branding and sponsor display.
Every element was surveyed, designed, made and fitted by our own team. The frontage was finished within four days, ready for supporters arriving on matchday.
Aston Villa FC: a 25m TIFO over the Holte End
Across the city, Aston Villa came to us with a different challenge. Ahead of a high-stakes semi-final at Villa Park in May 2019, the club wanted a moment that would electrify the crowd and honour the club’s legacy.
The answer was a TIFO – a giant choreographed fan display – on a scale Birmingham hadn’t seen before. It was the first large-scale, coordinated TIFO of its kind in the city, and Villa trusted us to deliver it.
What we delivered
- A 25m x 15m TIFO flag, printed on our dye-sublimation machine with water-based inks for vibrant colour and a more sustainable print process.
- A six-strong roped-access team, because the historic Holte End offered no other practical route for rigging.
- 50mm marine rope to secure the flag safely above a full stand of supporters.
The install was the hardest part. Working at height over a live stadium, safety came first at every stage, and the unveiling went off with zero operational issues.
Two rivals, one brief
A frontage rebrand and a TIFO look nothing alike, but the brief underneath was the same. Here’s what both projects taught us about football ground signage.
Kick-off doesn’t move
Fixtures set the deadline, not the print schedule. Four days at St Andrew’s and a fixed unveiling at Villa Park left no room for slippage.
Scale is the job
Football stadium graphics are judged from the back of the stand and the far side of the car park. That means 160 metres of frontage or a 375 sq m flag, produced without losing colour accuracy.
Installation is half the project
Roped access over the Holte End and rapid frontage fitting both relied on our own installation team, working safely in and around live venues.
Brand and sponsor detail matters
Club crests, kit colours and sponsor marks are seen by thousands of fans and on broadcast. Getting them exactly right is non-negotiable.
Made in Tyseley, a short drive from both grounds
Our 30,000 sq ft production HQ sits in Tyseley, east Birmingham, within easy reach of both St Andrew’s and Villa Park. For Birmingham clubs, that proximity is practical, not sentimental.
- Same-day surveys are realistic when the site is across town, not across the country.
- Everything happens under one roof – design, large-format printing, fabrication and installation – so there’s no hand-off between suppliers when the clock is running.
- Capacity for big jobs, with up to 15,000 sq m of print a day.
We’ve been making signage in this city since Hollywood Signs was founded in 1991. Both clubs are part of Birmingham’s story, and we’re proud to have played a small part in theirs – whichever end we’re sat in.
And we don’t just work with teams in the second city – we’ve worked with the likes of Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, and local teams across the UK – so if you need football signage, we’ve got you covered.
Planning signage for your ground?
Whether it’s a matchday frontage, pitchside branding or a fan moment nobody forgets, we’d love to hear about how we can make a #MonsterImpact. Explore our football stadium signs or get in touch with our Birmingham team to start planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install signage at height or in a live stadium?
Yes. Our in-house installation team includes rope-access specialists, who rigged the 25m x 15m TIFO over the Holte End at Villa Park.
How quickly can you turn around football ground signage?
It depends on the scope, but we’re built for tight deadlines. For Birmingham City, we surveyed, produced and installed a full stadium frontage rebrand in four days.
What does football stadium signage include?
It covers everything from stadium frontage cladding and large-format banners to pitch signage, hoarding, wall graphics, changing room fit-outs and one-off fan displays such as TIFOs.
Do you make stadium signage for football clubs in Birmingham?
Yes. We’ve delivered stadium signage for both Birmingham City FC and Aston Villa FC, and everything is produced at our Tyseley HQ in Birmingham. We also install nationwide.
Read More
Bridging a Rivalry: Inside Our Stadium Signage for Villa and Blues
Flat vs Fabric: Choosing the Right Signage for a #MonsterImpact
