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Post by Fred Andrews on Jul 26, 2024 17:54:24 GMT
'Due to upgraded Sky Sports coverage throughout the 2024/25 season, supporters should be aware that the West Stand will have a season-long permanent scaffolding fixing placed centrally on the terracing.'
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Post by bartonyellow on Jul 26, 2024 18:09:51 GMT
Which is scandalous when you think about it.
Use the existing gantry or nothing at all.
Especially when we sell out every week as we will be 10 points clear by Christmas…
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Post by Fred Andrews on Jul 26, 2024 18:35:49 GMT
Obviously future stadium development has either been not discussed yet or is being kept hush hush, but I would suspect things such as this will be addressed going forwards.
Remember if the ownership are planning on us getting back to the Championship at some point in the future, which is easier said than done, that we'll need to start thinking about seating, which in turn may well mean stand development due to the lack of size of the terraced stands.
That's probably a discussion for the future.
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Post by bartonyellow on Jul 26, 2024 19:47:03 GMT
Obviously future stadium development has either been not discussed yet or is being kept hush hush, but I would suspect things such as this will be addressed going forwards. Remember if the ownership are planning on us getting back to the Championship at some point in the future, which is easier said than done, that we'll need to start thinking about seating, which in turn may well mean stand development due to the lack of size of the terraced stands. That's probably a discussion for the future. It has to be considered now, given how long east staffs take to grant planning. So worth getting an architect now to design something for the future. A stand similar in size to Shrewsbury / Oldham / chesterfield should work and increase the capacity. Fill the corners in and it will look very tidy. The two ends can be done in due course. I think Ben toyed with the idea of extending the away end by taking the roof off and going further back but relegation put pay to that. |
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Post by Fred Andrews on Jul 26, 2024 20:21:07 GMT
I agree Barton, I do hope they are already making plans. It's a complex debate to have because there are so many ifs and buts, and we don't know for sure how much it would all cost.
I think most of us would agree that the Popside would be the easiest and most realistic stand to redevelop in the shorter term. I'm not sure the Popside in it's current form could be developed properly into a bigger, seated stand with possible function rooms/or executive boxes etc without being completely rebuilt as it just isn't big enough. IF they just wanted it bigger capacity wise (no other additions such as boxes/other facilities) then it would obviously be an easier fix by taking the roof off and building upwards. Apparently the new Oldham stand, which is a lovely design, cost around £6m and seats around 2600. I doubt it would cost us that much as we'd probably do something on a slightly smaller scale, but it does show the costs involved.
The new ownership did apparently mention in one of the recent meetings that they'd like to see the main seated stand being used exclusively by home supporters, although at present that would restrict away capacity to around 1300/1400. I think having away fans confined to one single stand is a better longer term solution, not only to open the ground up on three sides to home fans, but for policing/stewarding as well. If we could get the away capacity up to around the 2500 mark, ideally all seated, that would be plenty. Obviously having a 2500 or so seated stand behind the goal would make the stadium lopsided, but then if needs must...
I think attendances this season will be up, it would be great if we could average closer to the 4000 mark if possible, up from 3400 ish last season. A fuller stadium will likely mean quicker changes.
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Post by cbh1 on Jul 26, 2024 21:02:53 GMT
Which is scandalous when you think about it. Use the existing gantry or nothing at all. Especially when we sell out every week as we will be 10 points clear by Christmas… The new Sky Sports + coverage is going to require 4 cameras. Two of which will be in the gantry. One in the home end and another in the away end, although that may possibly be more at ground level. I too have heard that the new owners would like the main stand to be exclusively home fans ( which would open up the opportunity of some sort of family area, potentially. I think one of the issues is that away fans have to be offered a seated option in their allocation so until such time as seats are available in the East stand that becomes problematic. But I am sure the owners have plans to address this in some way. |
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Post by bartonyellow on Jul 26, 2024 21:06:52 GMT
I am sure you have to provide seating to visiting supporters.
So the only way we can monopolise the main stand is to develop the popside.
I think after 20 years it is right to look at something as in places it looks tired and dated.
Also I can only think of morecambe, and forest green who have 3 sides terracing.
I stand corrected however.
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Post by bartonyellow on Jul 26, 2024 21:07:57 GMT
I am sure you have to provide seating to visiting supporters. So the only way we can monopolise the main stand is to develop the popside. I think after 20 years it is right to look at something as in places it looks tired and dated. Also I can only think of morecambe, and forest green who have 3 sides terracing. I stand corrected however. Actually scrub that. Forest green built a small seated stand for 300 over the away terrace. So it’s just Morecambe. |
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Post by rhys0204 on Jul 26, 2024 21:48:14 GMT
I am sure you have to provide seating to visiting supporters. So the only way we can monopolise the main stand is to develop the popside. I think after 20 years it is right to look at something as in places it looks tired and dated. Also I can only think of morecambe, and forest green who have 3 sides terracing. I stand corrected however. Actually scrub that. Forest green built a small seated stand for 300 over the away terrace. So it’s just Morecambe. The away terrace is still there at Forest Green. The seated bit sits just on top of a section of it. Its a weird stand, two rows of 50 seats. |
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Post by luke on Jul 27, 2024 13:54:20 GMT
It’s even worse because they’ve put tape either side of the scaffolding so it takes away that whole section pretty much
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Post by Fred Andrews on Jul 27, 2024 14:09:48 GMT
You would think there would be another alternative for them really. Even sticking a camera between the Popside & Bovril end, or something on the roof.
Won't be good if we have a good season and that stand is regularly full.
I've just seen a photo of it, not as bad as I thought it would be but still a hindrance.
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