Poor Facilities at The County Ground.

[Frigby Daser]

If we had a ground redevelopment, I'd want the Town End is be retained and slotted into the bottom tier of a new end stand, complete with piss soaked, smoke filled bogs. It's part of football. I don't really want the same ground as everyone else. It would be like moving from an old characterful house, with a story, to a tidy, well kept, convenient new build.

That's the emotional side of me talking. Financially and strategically, we need a redeveloped ground, but what's new?

As an aside, I can imagine that there may have been a fair few City fans who, after a day on the beer, may well have wet themselves on Saturday, or worse, as there was approximately one portaloo per 750 people. Nobody deserves that, unless it was one of the Burberry-clad meatheads. That would be quite entertaining.

[4D]

I remember the bogs at the back of the bank, had a bank season ticket in 93/94.

[Hoboken]

My avatar is the Intel stand under construction, when I took the pics it was on a manual wind camera  

One of the wurzel fans criticised the fact that the ground had pylon floodlights (outdated)    

Those floodlights are iconic. They are just like the ones in Subbuteo. I can see them when walking home from work, when I'm walking the dog or playing football at the top of the Lawns,  and when I'm driving back into town from Junction 15. They're great. When the Town End eventually does go, they'll need to go with it, and it'll be a sad day...

[Reg Smeeton]

My pet subject!

There comes a point where the 'do nothing' option is simply no longer viable.  We are pretty much the only club to

I must have bored the regulars on here rigid about this over the years, so apologies for the repetition.  A quick search pulled up a few other comments, just for good measure...

Mr Power has been up front....he's doing nothing with the ground. Now we're out of the cups, the Bank won't be used again this season, unless we get to the PO's.  If SBC choose to close it and the TE down, we'll have 2 sides, still more than enough for most games.

In an ideal world, you'd like to think the landlord, ie SBC, might put a bit in to providing at least a decent minimum facility for visitors to our town....namely a roof and some bogs, but it still remains sadly beyond them.

I remember the excitement, when the existing bogs were built on the Bank and a block was built on the corner between the Bank and South Side.  If you were in the Shrivenham Road upper, then you had to leave the ground and go for a piss in those bogs.

[Outletred]

Our facilities ain't great but better than some. Would like too see redevelopment in future as we could fall behind other clubs

[4D]

Reg seems to have forgotten we still have to play the gills at home 

[kerry red]

My problem with the no redevelopment is the message it gives out.

Almost an admission of failure in advance.

If we have any pretensions of becoming a sustainable Championship club the 2 ends have to be replaced.

Not sure if the Bank would be allowed in the Championship - the money we would lose from that being shut would be huge

[Tails]

The ground is a shithole, but its our shithole and I love it. Stadium:mk looks mint and inside its nice, but it has nothing on ours. No character, no soul, no identity. Same with the Emirates, you go inside and think "wow, this is pretty" but even the County Ground in silence has more to it.

It does need to be rebuilt and I shan't be complaining when it does, but I will feel a bit of sadness when the town end and stratton bank are replaced.

[Peter Venkman]

The ground is a shithole, but its our shithole and I love it. Stadium:mk looks mint and inside its nice, but it has nothing on ours. No character, no soul, no identity. Same with the Emirates, you go inside and think "wow, this is pretty" but even the County Ground in silence has more to it.

It does need to be rebuilt and I shan't be complaining when it does, but I will feel a bit of sadness when the town end and stratton bank are replaced.

Spot on.

[JayBox325]

The ground is a shithole, but its our shithole and I love it. Stadium:mk looks mint and inside its nice, but it has nothing on ours. No character, no soul, no identity. Same with the Emirates, you go inside and think "wow, this is pretty" but even the County Ground in silence has more to it.

It does need to be rebuilt and I shan't be complaining when it does, but I will feel a bit of sadness when the town end and stratton bank are replaced.

The fact you can see the rolling Wiltshire hills either side of the DR stand. The Legends Lounge. The massive pylons. The terrible music. The terrible sound system (that is actually OK in Arkell's). I could go on. I love all of it.

[Reg Smeeton]

The fact you can see the rolling Wiltshire hills either side of the DR stand. The Legends Lounge. The massive pylons. The terrible music. The terrible sound system (that is actually OK in Arkell's). I could go on. I love all of it.

I don't go in the Arkells often, but have done so, I suppose by now on a lot of times.  I do like that view, over the TE, you can see Swindon away to the Lawns and over Queen's Park.  Over the Bank, away to the Downs, and Vale of White Horse.

Spirit of place....magic. I'm glad all over that you like it.

[PetsWinPrizes]

Col U shows the danger of moving to a new stadium at our level, they've moved to the arse end of no where, there's no pubs and no soul and for what? Yes they've got new facilities, but it's horrible, and I know a lot of their fans feel the same.

[Reg Smeeton]

Col U shows the danger of moving to a new stadium at our level, they've moved to the arse end of no where, there's no pubs and no soul and for what? Yes they've got new facilities, but it's horrible, and I know a lot of their fans feel the same.

Which is why, and it seems like a lifetime ago now, I counselled against the Brady, Blagrove project. Bit of a lone voice on that one, but a quintessential arse end of nowhere, one road in to industrial estate,  cramped site, wedged between the railway and M4.

[Bob's Orange]

It will be interesting to see what Posh are doing with their ground. Its in a great position and has some character to it.

[4D]

Agreed BO,  London Road is in a great position,  10 mins hop over the bridge and you're in the town centre. Massive car park over the road too.