A roof for the Bank at last.

[PetsWinPrizes]

You have to look with envy at the work going on down the M4, with a capacity increase to 27,000 looming with a re-development

Yes, but they've got a benefactor*willing to chuck seemingly inexhaustible funds at the club** we, simply, don't. You have to cut your cloth accordingly.

*Chump
**Lost Cause.

[Peter Venkman]

Yes, but they've got a benefactor*willing to chuck seemingly inexhaustible funds at the club** we, simply, don't. You have to cut your cloth accordingly.

*Chump
**Lost Cause.

Nail. Head.

[Ardiles]

I'm torn.  Good to see the Trust getting stuck in, again.  Fair play for that.

But I do share a lot of Chang's concerns.  The Stratton Bank was where I started out watching football, 25 years ago - and it's been a real shame to watch it decline to the point where it is now barely usable.  But the sticking on of a roof for £½m and sprucing up the toilets feels like an exercise in turd polishing.

By way of comparison, the construction of the Intel (now Don Rogers) Stand in 1994 cost £1.8m - which, in today's money, equates to £3.2m.  What are we really going to get for £500k?  This feels very short term to me...which is fine if it's intended as a quick fix this summer to bring the Bank back in to proper use if we manage promotion this season.  Longer term, we are going to need to bring in the bulldozers and to start again.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

I thought they were saying it will have one pillar down the middle, like Portsmouths roof that was added within recent years.

Anyway I'd have the bank for home fans. A Stratton Bank with roof and improved facilities sounds better than the current town end to me.

[@mwooly63]

It would be nice to have a roof on the bank if we do get promoted. Hopefully it will get more use than this season. If the facilities are improved on SB then why not give away supporters the Town End?  

You would assume the facilities will be updated though not sure who will pay for that, needs doing if the stand will be used on a regular basis.

Yes only gets used 2/3 times a season at mo but IF we go up I thinks its fair to say there will be an increase in away support so could prove useful as an away end.
Better view than the TE though not sure giving the TE to away fans will be well received.

Wonder if thet will reopen the shrivvy rd turnstiles 

[Matt71]

Propped cantilever is supported by 1 post in the middle ( like the North stand) full cantilever has no posts like the DR stand.propped cantilever cost about a third of full cantilever. Structurally stratton bank is good as the terracing  was dug up and relayed in the 90s costing the club almost 200k to meet saftey standards.The toilets need a totally refurb and the area behind in the above photo will be dug up and landscaped.

[kerry red]

I thought they were saying it will have one pillar down the middle, like Portsmouths roof that was added within recent years.

Anyway I'd have the bank for home fans. A Stratton Bank with roof and improved facilities sounds better than the current town end to me.

Never happen. As far as plod are concerned it's easier to contain away fans in the Bank

[Peter Venkman]

I thought they were saying it will have one pillar down the middle, like Portsmouths roof that was added within recent years.

This one.

[kerry red]

Classy.

Like putting lipstick on a pig

[Frigby Daser]

Excellent initiative. I'm surprised at the criticism. Of course the ideal is a new stand, but it would also be ideal to have £100m in the bank to invest in the squad. The bank isn't servicable as it is. Making it servicable means being able to house away fans in there permanently, means we could theoretically run community days like the Fleetwood game without fear of them being rained on, gives us flexibility to have 3 sides open should the Town End ever be redeveloped, will look drastically better and improve the atmosphere.

Yes it's a sticking plaster. That's a lot better than leaving the wound open.

Great work.

Edit: fingers crossed the Rolex will be suitably repositioned.

[Reg Smeeton]

Classy.

Like putting lipstick on a pig

For some years when I lived down there, I was a regular at Fratton Park, and trust me that is a infinitely better than the old open Milton End.

[Samdy Gray]

Yes it's a sticking plaster. That's a lot better than leaving the wound open.

Great work.

A £500,000 sticking plaster.

What's the return on that? Nothing.

[kerry red]

Stood there a few times meself.

Especially remember the seemingly endless pairings with Pompey - the Kamara years - in the League Cup.

[Ironside]

Having researched slightly, they'd be better off keeping their gunpowder dry, at least until Mr Power comes clean about his Australian appearance...

[Peter Venkman]

Improving the Bank would mean that the 1,200 seats in the Arkells would become available to Town fans, cutting down policing costs in that stand and making away fans more manageable in the single stand as most other clubs do.

It can't look any worse than it already does!

Also when the Town End is finally updated most of the 2,100 (of which currently less than 1,300 is probably used regularly) can be accomodated in the old away section in the Arkells without the need for putting Town fans in the Bank during any future work because of the 1,200 seats freed up by moving the away fans back to the Bank.

Makes sense even if it is not a whole new stand, its good enough for away fans.