Would you support a move away from the County Ground?

[JBZ]

I can't see what the posts by 'Audrey' above say but I hope that they are complimentary.

The point is that ground sharing may be a necessary evil for lower league teams in next 20 to 30 years.  If so, this will mean that clubs have to share with their local rivals. 

The passage of time may also mean that rivalries change or diminish. In 30 years' time, later generations of supporters won't know anything about a 'tear up' in the town end in the 1970s etc.  So, what might be unpalatable now, might be acceptable to future generations.

[Samdy Gray]

[Peter Venkman]

 

I can't see what the posts by 'Audrey' above say but I hope that they are complimentary.

So how did you know he posted something?

Ok then.

[RobertT]

I can't see what the posts by 'Audrey' above say but I hope that they are complimentary.

The point is that ground sharing may be a necessary evil for lower league teams in next 20 to 30 years.  If so, this will mean that clubs have to share with their local rivals. 

The passage of time may also mean that rivalries change or diminish. In 30 years' time, later generations of supporters won't know anything about a 'tear up' in the town end in the 1970s etc.  So, what might be unpalatable now, might be acceptable to future generations.

Lets just say we take your suggestion seriously, it fails miserably on the single biggest reason for redeveloping a football ground.  Year round income - to share a ground in a neutral location as you suggest would mean plonking it somewhere in the middle of nowhere, say Faringdon.  No chance it will create enough income so any cost savings are wiped out and then some.

This is also why the debate around 14k,15k,17,18,20,25k etc are sort of moot.  The point is to develop a facility that can be used for more than 23 times a season with people sat in seats.  Even on those 23 days, with a mere 4 hours of operating time, you need to maximise the non-seat income.

[JBZ]

So how did you know he posted something?

Ok then.

Says "this user is currently ignored"  

[JBZ]

Lets just say we take your suggestion seriously, it fails miserably on the single biggest reason for redeveloping a football ground.  Year round income - to share a ground in a neutral location as you suggest would mean plonking it somewhere in the middle of nowhere, say Faringdon.  No chance it will create enough income so any cost savings are wiped out and then some.

This is also why the debate around 14k,15k,17,18,20,25k etc are sort of moot.  The point is to develop a facility that can be used for more than 23 times a season with people sat in seats.  Even on those 23 days, with a mere 4 hours of operating time, you need to maximise the non-seat income.

Yes, that has been noted on other threads.  Some thought would have to be given to what else you can offer. 

[Nomoreheroes]

Taking this seriously for a moment. I wonder how many teams you could ground share with and still have a decent playing surface? For example, could you merge Highworth, Supermarine and Swindon? If you did, could you develop one stadium, have one for training and sell the third to finance the other two? Are the teams spaced far enough apart in leagues so that you could develop players through from one team to the next? If so, that would make more sense to me than to have FL teams sharing grounds.

[4D]

JBZ comes across as an FGR fan

[DV]

Taking this seriously for a moment. I wonder how many teams you could ground share with and still have a decent playing surface? For example, could you merge Highworth, Supermarine and Swindon? If you did, could you develop one stadium, have one for training and sell the third to finance the other two? Are the teams spaced far enough apart in leagues so that you could develop players through from one team to the next? If so, that would make more sense to me than to have FL teams sharing grounds.

I’d imagine any more than 2 and that would be extremely difficult to arrange fixture wise. With two it’s fairly easy with one home and one away each game...but...adding a third so it has to be one home and two away. Unless you had one play on the Sunday instead...or...had back to back games Saturday perhaps.

Also whilst the more teams you have splits the costs multiple ways it also does the same to any revenue generated.

Which is basically why football stadiums need to be football stadiums on match days and something else the other 340+ days of the year - with the large majority of the revenue generated from ‘other’ going back into the football club.


Are there any figures anywhere as to what sort of income vs expenditure Coventry’s Casino did?

[Berniman]

Lets just say we take your suggestion seriously, it fails miserably on the single biggest reason for redeveloping a football ground.  Year round income - to share a ground in a neutral location as you suggest would mean plonking it somewhere in the middle of nowhere, say Faringdon.  No chance it will create enough income so any cost savings are wiped out and then some.

This is also why the debate around 14k,15k,17,18,20,25k etc are sort of moot.  The point is to develop a facility that can be used for more than 23 times a season with people sat in seats.  Even on those 23 days, with a mere 4 hours of operating time, you need to maximise the non-seat income.

I didn't just live most of my life within the sounds of the CG to finally move out to Faringdon to have such suggestions banded around on a football forum.  Perhaps we should move it to Alpharetta, Duluth or Cumming, see how you like it..  I don't want to walk out of my front door to a load of yellow shirted inbreds

[Jimmy Quinn]

As a kid I used to walk from ferndale to the County Ground and there was someting magical seeing the floodlights lighting up the sky on a winters night 

[RobertT]

I didn't just live most of my life within the sounds of the CG to finally move out to Faringdon to have such suggestions banded around on a football forum.  Perhaps we should move it to Alpharetta, Duluth or Cumming, see how you like it..  I don't want to walk out of my front door to a load of yellow shirted inbreds

Haha - have a plenty good enough stadium smack bang in Downtown Atlanta!  The baseball team moved outside the City but most of the fans are from the Burbs anyway.

[RobertT]

Yes, that has been noted on other threads.  Some thought would have to be given to what else you can offer. 

The club can easily develop on the existing footprint with a bit of creativity.  The purchase of the freehold ensures it can be held as an asset which opens up financing.  Lets say Clem gets his hands on the club, then we can expect some discounts on build costs to provide him his brochure to expand his business.

The location lends itself to a Hotel (despite people moaning everytime a hotel is suggested on the Adver site Swindon fills up most of it's budget/3 star rooms, clearly not from tourists).  Footprint usage would be small and you get an onsite car park.

The Arkells would need to be knocked down and started again.  The same for the TE and Bank.  The DR stand isn't even being used to full potential yet - existing option to expand to a second concourse space.

While it is a different planet, learning from the MLS stadiums would be worthwhile - they are all pushing the catering aspect.  Restaurants that can be leased out year round, matchdays get a boon and then the catering space for matchdays can be massively improved.  While Atl Utd may get 40k a game, the sheer volume of catering sales must be eyewatering compared to UK teams.  I get that many fans may not come before kick off to the concourses, the Spurs redevelopment is a bigger version of what is needed.  They went after getting fans to stay an hour or two after a game, expanding the revenue opportunities.  The CG is a watch the game and get out stadium today bar the Legends Lounge.  Even that feels a bit like you are in the way after a game.

I think you could get Arkells onboard to work with the club on that side of things.

Nothing is a massive ask, it's all about engaging with the fans and giving them something more to spend their time and money on.  Lease space under the ground to get the year round revenue - you don't have to be the operator.

[Jimmy Quinn]

Good points you make but if your going to take three stands down which needs doing the new owner/s would be better off doing whatever it takes to purchase the cricket ground (I know there's issues over the pavilion) and starting from scratch similar to what Leicester did then the existing County ground site could be used for numerous things subject to council planning.

[JBZ]

The club can easily develop on the existing footprint with a bit of creativity.  The purchase of the freehold ensures it can be held as an asset which opens up financing.  Lets say Clem gets his hands on the club, then we can expect some discounts on build costs to provide him his brochure to expand his business.

The location lends itself to a Hotel (despite people moaning everytime a hotel is suggested on the Adver site Swindon fills up most of it's budget/3 star rooms, clearly not from tourists).  Footprint usage would be small and you get an onsite car park.

The Arkells would need to be knocked down and started again.  The same for the TE and Bank.  The DR stand isn't even being used to full potential yet - existing option to expand to a second concourse space.

While it is a different planet, learning from the MLS stadiums would be worthwhile - they are all pushing the catering aspect.  Restaurants that can be leased out year round, matchdays get a boon and then the catering space for matchdays can be massively improved.  While Atl Utd may get 40k a game, the sheer volume of catering sales must be eyewatering compared to UK teams.  I get that many fans may not come before kick off to the concourses, the Spurs redevelopment is a bigger version of what is needed.  They went after getting fans to stay an hour or two after a game, expanding the revenue opportunities.  The CG is a watch the game and get out stadium today bar the Legends Lounge.  Even that feels a bit like you are in the way after a game.

I think you could get Arkells onboard to work with the club on that side of things.

Nothing is a massive ask, it's all about engaging with the fans and giving them something more to spend their time and money on.  Lease space under the ground to get the year round revenue - you don't have to be the operator.

I agree that there is a lot to be learned from our friends over the pond (would be interesting to know whether that might include 'Able'). 

US sports offer more opportunities to sell hot dogs and the like on "game day" because baseball and US style football go on for in excess of 3 hours.