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Stadium Improvements (including scoreboard)
- Thread starter RuralGreen
- Start date
On what logic could I possibly be advocating a 25,000 capacity never mind an 80,000 one?
Anything more than filling in the corners is pie in the sky unless we made it to the Premier league and I am not advocating anything more than that. Filling in the corners will give us little more than 19,000 usable seats which is just over 2,000 more, not the 6,000 figure you have bandied about.
With a growing fanbase and unbudgeted income of over a million this season along with the insurance windfall I don't see how it would put the club in debt or in any financial jeopardy to at least consider making a start with one of the two corners, preferably Bobby's Garden first.
With a current fanbase of 12,400 which should grow further by the end of the season with some attractive games still to come I don't think 19,000 or even 18,000 is an unrealistic aim. In the 2nd tier we will have a thousand extra away supporters, sometimes double that and home support with the ever improving match day experience and facilities should see an increase in home fans in the home sections compared to our last spell in the Championship.
As I see it the financial burden is not huge and one good transfer fee could make it even more feasible.
I think you may have some competition from the manager for the transfer money, Jerry.
Personally, I think that our capacity is sufficient at the moment. I cannot see the reasoning for spending such money without having evidence of a return or even making a profit for the Club.
We don't have money to waste. What money we do have should be spent on both maintenance (includes improvements at the same time) and profit making concerns (ie scoreboard).
For sure Jim but a big transfer fee would free up funds for other projects I would have thought. Our capacity is sufficient at present apart from the odd top of the table or play off match I agree but I cannot see the sense in having everything right off the field, win promotion with an ever increasing fan base to the 2nd tier and then be hampered by a 16,300 maximum capacity or 17,000 with the grandstand fully usable. Money for the playing budget will be even more important a level higher. A handsome transfer fee for Cooper would certainly help but there's no guarantee of that.
Anyone think we might see some activity in one or both of the Corners? I’d imagine our cash balance will have risen to well over £7.5 million with the improved attendances and Cup Run?
I seem to remember hearing the Green Taverners building can take a 3rd tier. This would make a great option for adding to the Hospitality/conferencing offer. Which is flying by all reports. Wrap it round from the Grandstand.
Maybe the Offices could be added to the back of this? Might explain the Car Park application.
I seem to remember hearing the Green Taverners building can take a 3rd tier. This would make a great option for adding to the Hospitality/conferencing offer. Which is flying by all reports. Wrap it round from the Grandstand.
Maybe the Offices could be added to the back of this? Might explain the Car Park application.
For me i think it is great news that more work is being done on the stadium. The stadium must make money 7 days a week. We will not fill a 20k stadium, away fans do not travel down our way, irrespective of what devision we are in.
The office's should be moved to an annex built next to the bottom floor. People moan about porta cabins but they have come a long way since the basic ones you see on building sites. I work at RAF Coningsby and 12 Sqn offices are a portacabin builing and you wouldnt know it. Very modern and spacious inside.
The office's should be moved to an annex built next to the bottom floor. People moan about porta cabins but they have come a long way since the basic ones you see on building sites. I work at RAF Coningsby and 12 Sqn offices are a portacabin builing and you wouldnt know it. Very modern and spacious inside.
To achieve the goal of being a sustainable Championship club, we're going to need to build up the foundations of the club to support that aim, meaning improving the potential to generate all sorts of additonal income through expanded corporate facilities, transfer fees from players that we have developed and increased gate receipts (i.e. sensible increments to stadium capacity, which thanks to the good management of the club is a little less than we need even this season).
If we go up this season then great but personally I am glad that the club is focusing on getting the foundations right so that if/when we do go up we've got the best chance possible to sustain ourselves.
If we go up this season then great but personally I am glad that the club is focusing on getting the foundations right so that if/when we do go up we've got the best chance possible to sustain ourselves.
I thought it useful to revisit what has been approved under Phase 2 (under the amended planning permission granted in March 2019). The increased capacity of the two quadrants approved was 1,056 (by the dressing rooms) and 1,100 (by the Devonport End). It is a lot of roof and cantilever structure for a relative small increase in capacity. The extension of the grandstand along the full length of the pitch did not include additional seating, (see elevation below) although this can be addressed with revised plans.
The roof for each quadrant will provide the structural stability for the lightweight transparent roof extension over the lower tier. The quadrant roof at the Devonport End will also have to be extended to cover over the steps with no increase in seating.
So it is not just a question of 'filling in' the corners. In addition, the club are considering the options for the reconfiguration of the upper tier grandstand seating. The most likely solution is a lightweight overdecking reprofiling of the concrete tiers to provide a better seating arrangement to meet guidelines as the seat backs cannot be changed to improve leg room. I believe Liverpool and Ascot race course have used this solution. It will reduce the upper tier capacity slightly as it may result in the loss of a row or two.
Then you have to add the cost of reorganising the Grandstand concourse which will require the location of some replacement new build offices elsewhere. Within the ground we also have the hope / expectation of a new scoreboard / TV screen. This is all without any potential extension to the dressing room area which from the views on Matchday Moments look too small with equipment located in the corridors and the replacement of over 12,000 seats in the 'horseshoe' and the cost of the potential future conversion of some seating to safe standing. Have the club got an onside gym or do we still rely on the Life Centre?
Outside the ground the club are proposing an 87 space car park on Higher Home Park with an extensive surface water drainage scheme, external lighting, landscaping and access road., There is also the resurfacing and bollards for pedestrian safety of the area outside of the club shop and ticket office.
It is a long list of improvements required to get the stadium and its environs to a Championship standard. The Board have an obvious commitment to work through all that is necessary to achieve it and have made good progress already. Some of it will very lumpy financially and can only be undertaken when there is a degree of certainty that it will reap some financial reward albeit over an extended time period. The important thing is that the desire and commitment is there to achieve it.
The roof for each quadrant will provide the structural stability for the lightweight transparent roof extension over the lower tier. The quadrant roof at the Devonport End will also have to be extended to cover over the steps with no increase in seating.
So it is not just a question of 'filling in' the corners. In addition, the club are considering the options for the reconfiguration of the upper tier grandstand seating. The most likely solution is a lightweight overdecking reprofiling of the concrete tiers to provide a better seating arrangement to meet guidelines as the seat backs cannot be changed to improve leg room. I believe Liverpool and Ascot race course have used this solution. It will reduce the upper tier capacity slightly as it may result in the loss of a row or two.
Then you have to add the cost of reorganising the Grandstand concourse which will require the location of some replacement new build offices elsewhere. Within the ground we also have the hope / expectation of a new scoreboard / TV screen. This is all without any potential extension to the dressing room area which from the views on Matchday Moments look too small with equipment located in the corridors and the replacement of over 12,000 seats in the 'horseshoe' and the cost of the potential future conversion of some seating to safe standing. Have the club got an onside gym or do we still rely on the Life Centre?
Outside the ground the club are proposing an 87 space car park on Higher Home Park with an extensive surface water drainage scheme, external lighting, landscaping and access road., There is also the resurfacing and bollards for pedestrian safety of the area outside of the club shop and ticket office.
It is a long list of improvements required to get the stadium and its environs to a Championship standard. The Board have an obvious commitment to work through all that is necessary to achieve it and have made good progress already. Some of it will very lumpy financially and can only be undertaken when there is a degree of certainty that it will reap some financial reward albeit over an extended time period. The important thing is that the desire and commitment is there to achieve it.
Yep it's all the things you don't think about, that are the niggly and costly things. There's a hell of a lot to do.
I'd forgotten about the dressing rooms, I think on reflection they are too small. Not necessarily the dressing rooms themselves, but all modern Championship and Premier League stadiums would have warm-up areas and a gym, it seems mad to be having exercise bikes effectively in the tunnel area.
Long shot but I can see the Bobby's Garden area being developed to include a hospitality area that could include offices, as I think the club may have looked at the success of the GTs and grandstand hospitality and think it may justify the expense... certainly moreso than just seating. It could just be a building similar to the Burnley one below, that doesn't need a proper cantilever roof etc.
Absolutely no idea though!!
I'd forgotten about the dressing rooms, I think on reflection they are too small. Not necessarily the dressing rooms themselves, but all modern Championship and Premier League stadiums would have warm-up areas and a gym, it seems mad to be having exercise bikes effectively in the tunnel area.
Long shot but I can see the Bobby's Garden area being developed to include a hospitality area that could include offices, as I think the club may have looked at the success of the GTs and grandstand hospitality and think it may justify the expense... certainly moreso than just seating. It could just be a building similar to the Burnley one below, that doesn't need a proper cantilever roof etc.
Absolutely no idea though!!
Seating is fine if you are about 5' 8'' !!
Otherwise I find it is not possible to sit straight without your knees being assaulted every time the person sat in front leans back !!
While i am 100% 'FOR' replacing the existing horse shoe seats, it concerns me that when we do eventually have the corners filled in with new seats, the new horse shoe seats might be a slightly different shade again to the corner ones, if they're replacing them in the next few years say..
And i also don't see how anyone can say the upper grandstand legroom if fine lol!! Im 5ft 10 (ish) and actually have trouble with legroom in the lyndhurst, let alone the upper grandstand!!
are the club getting these works done for free? As the architect clearly didn't plan these things correctly.. ie legroom in the upper, and concoarse..
are the club getting these works done for free? As the architect clearly didn't plan these things correctly.. ie legroom in the upper, and concoarse..
Re: expanding capacity, I can just about remember the old Home Park when the ground apparently held about 20k but seemed busy and atmospheric even with 5000 in.
All seaters are different - empty seats tend to be very obvious and look really ugly and small time. It's a struggle to create a sense of occasion for any game that is below like 75-80% of capacity.
One of the things that's been great about this season is having 4 stands (mostly) open and close to full so regularly. I reckon it will have made a real impression on any casual fans who have come along that they wouldn't have got from a bigger but emptier ground.
I'd be very wary of adding more seats unless we are in a position where we're turning fans away on a sustained and regular basis.
All seaters are different - empty seats tend to be very obvious and look really ugly and small time. It's a struggle to create a sense of occasion for any game that is below like 75-80% of capacity.
One of the things that's been great about this season is having 4 stands (mostly) open and close to full so regularly. I reckon it will have made a real impression on any casual fans who have come along that they wouldn't have got from a bigger but emptier ground.
I'd be very wary of adding more seats unless we are in a position where we're turning fans away on a sustained and regular basis.
I think the benefit of having the grandstand joined to the horseshoe goes beyond the increase in capacity. It would make Home Park an enclosed space and greatly enhance the aesthetic and atmosphere, whilst also improving the look of the grandstand.
I did hear safe standing in the corner areas mooted at one point. Could this be a possibility, if permission for this is rolled out to the lower leagues in the near future?
There is a sense that interest in Argyle is generally growing. If the funds are there, it feels a perfect time to get the capacity back up to around 20K and make the ground fit for the Championship.
I did hear safe standing in the corner areas mooted at one point. Could this be a possibility, if permission for this is rolled out to the lower leagues in the near future?
There is a sense that interest in Argyle is generally growing. If the funds are there, it feels a perfect time to get the capacity back up to around 20K and make the ground fit for the Championship.
