Lundan Cabbie":1ycb6cgn said:
Electronic":1ycb6cgn said:
Lundan Cabbie":1ycb6cgn said:
I know it's a lot of pages but have you been keeping up?
The grandstand refurb on its own will not generate the income levels that the club are looking for. It will look prettier and tidier than it is now but that isn't what the whole idea of the refurb is about.
Have you not been keeping up? Anything outside the grandstand refurb won't generate any money at all for Argyle.....oh, sorry, forgot the unbudgetable twelfth of never payment due under the 50% windfall arrangement.
So, actually, the benefit to PAFC is 100% about the refurb. The potential revenue to Argyle will be from the increased capacity, conference facilities, supporters bar etc....all of which are internal to the refurb and nothing to do with HHP....oh, and entirely funded, straightforward and not at all reliant on the superfluous stuff within HHP.
What would be the point of carrying out the refurb on the grandstand if that is all it will achieve?
Increase capacity? Just more empty seats on match days until an underfunded team started to deliver on the pitch
Conference facilities? Which only bring in a fraction of their potential because it is in an isolated location. The hotel is therefore a must to make the conference facilities at least competitive.
Supporters Bar? 340 days a year will be empty because there is nothing to draw people into the area.
The whole point of refurbishment of the grandstand is to bring income into the club. Your plan would be good for match days but it would hardly be a money spinner. It would be like a ghost town on days Argyle weren't playing.
Agree that the hotel is a good idea and have no problem with it. If I said that it was in error. Ditto the ice rink. Still feel the offices, gym and retail units are superfluous. Don't buy the theory that casual Argyle fans flock there because there is a handy McDonalds next to HP and any bars etc would simply provide competition to what is on offer in the ground. James Brent clearly thinks that with his claim of 'competition is good'.
Ultimately, LC, we come at it from different angles. I back the parts of the plan which I feel benefit PAFC and clearly differ on which parts we feel those are. I even back those parts which I think benefit Plymouth as a whole (even though I live in London). To me, that is a balance between a strong football club infrastructure, other sporting/leisure opportunities to enhance the life centre (ice rink) and the maintenance of a good green lung (the park). I also don't want to see HP hemmed in forever by some scratty food/drink outlets (world class, my ass) and unnecessary office space which brings no tangible benefit (in my view) to PAFC.
Finally, i don't see James Brent as the devil incarnate, as some do. I believe he has done some really good things for Argyle but I also feel he could have done other things differently. Time will tell on this latest venture but I maintain the wrong approach has been taken in how it best might benefit the club.
Horse for courses, different strokes for different folks etc.