County Ground redevelopment

[jonny72]

It will be interesting to see if the Councils attitude to the club has changed as a result of the new owners and better management at the club (especially on the financial side). I know in the past they've said they wouldn't do the club any favours as its a business but maybe the tide has turned, plus there is a very strong argument for helping the club due to the benefits a successful club gives to a town.

If they are planning to increase the capacity to 25k, that sounds like re-building the Stratton Bank and Town End and filling in the corners - all of which would add up to about 25k. I still think the best (and cheapest) option is to move the pitch 10-20 yards over the Town End which will give more than enough space for all the work.

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The last I heard (about 2 months ago) was that they were in discussions with the council about buying the whole site (including the cricket ground and athletics track).  They seemed to be quite hopeful because they could get get a development going quite quickly while all of the other redevelopments in the town centre have stalled.
It was interesting to hear that the boundary at the cricket club it too small to host 1st class matches, and the athletics track doesn't have enough lanes for it to host any meetings!

[jonny72]

I thought the cricket ground was owned privately? Maybe Steve Slattery? Wasn't he trying to push through a re-development a few years back to build houses there and a new cricket ground out of town?

If I remember correctly the Swindon Athletics team was doing pretty well a few years back and they got promoted to a higher division, but couldn't host any meetings at home due to the joke of an athletics track.

Moving the cricket and athletics wouldn't be a big deal and should give them far better facilities so I doubt there would be any objections from them.

[Riddick]

I have to say it seems that attendances have gone up at clubs that have developed a brand new stadium, as opposed to redeveloping which is my only concern. Clearly the town centre location is better though. I wonder if they could start building a new ground on the cricket club so that we dont have to relocate at all?

I wonder if the club will make any comment about this scheduled redevelopment. The best bit about it is that it suggests we will be buying the site, as previously we have said we will not redevelop somebody elses land. Once thats the case and we have assets the board have always said they back the club further financially. Fingers crossed.

[Bogus Dave]

you can't do anything to the cricket club, the pavilions a listed building

[Doore]

you can't do anything to the cricket club, the pavilions a listed building

Maybe it could be incorporated in to the new ground?

[Simon Pieman]

Bollocks, I'm working in Bridgend that day, will have to see if I can do an early start/finish. I've only got 4 shares and plan to attend.

As for the ground redevelopment, I'd assume additional facilities would need a larger stand(s) and thus additional seats would come with that. Lets not be overly negative, we may have more empty seats but a ground with greater potential could see further investment on the pitch in order to realise that potential in the Championship.

[Ardiles]

how many of the floaters, part timers, stay away fans - whatever you want to call them will have a single clue about what was going on off the field?

at a guess I'd say most of them knew very little.

the reason they no longer go to games or stopped going was because the team was shit and falling down the leagues.

we can change the board, the players, the stadium, the hotdogs, the ticket prices - the only way to get more fans in is on pitch success.

You missed my point...and that is that it was the off the pitch mismanagement that caused the decline in our performances on it.

Of course no one is going to give up on STFC because they're appalled at the late filing of accounts or that they don't like the state of the club's balance sheet.  However, over a period of years the lack of direction at board level translated to poor performances on the field...which, in turn, led to falling attendances.

Fix the boardroom problem (and there are signs that a lot of progress has been made during the last 2 years) and - eventually - you will see an improvement on the pitch.  It may take time, but it will happen.  Just as some clubs are known for punching above their weight, I strongly believe that the boardroom troubles at STFC have caused us to punch below ours now for some time.  With stability in the boardroom, I really do think regular Championship level football at the County Ground is achievable.

[Doore]

You missed my point...and that is that it was the off the pitch mismanagement that caused the decline in our performances on it.

Of course no one is going to give up on STFC because they're appalled at the late filing of accounts or that they don't like the state of the club's balance sheet.  However, over a period of years the lack of direction at board level translated to poor performances on the field...which, in turn, led to falling attendances.

Fix the boardroom problem (and there are signs that a lot of progress has been made during the last 2 years) and - eventually - you will see an improvement on the pitch.  It may take time, but it will happen.  Just as some clubs are known for punching above their weight, I strongly believe that the boardroom troubles at STFC have caused us to punch below ours now for some time.  With stability in the boardroom, I really do think regular Championship level football at the County Ground is achievable.

I agree with most of that Ardiles, but I'm not sure we have been punching below our weight.  Perhaps I'm being bit cynical again, but besides the wonderful times of the early 90s (I've just smiled for the first time all day, I wish it was 1993 again) I'd say higher echelons of the third tier is probably punching at our correct weight.  Not that there's anything wrong with ambition.  Although some performances have been poor (and at times, really, really poor) I'd say given the off the pitch troubles the team's performance hasn't been that bad over ten years (relegation aside, and we did bounce straight back).  If we could consolidate as a strong league one side with a stable background over the next couple of years, I'd say that's a job well done.  Being a strong championship side is, at least historically, punching above our weight.  If we develop the club like Reading have done, and the support is there, it could be realistic though.

[Red Frog]

With stability in the boardroom, I really do think regular Championship level football at the County Ground is achievable.

I agree. This is a medium-term project. Think Preston, Burnley, Swansea, Cardiff. Good backroom work translating into sustainable success.

[pauld]

you can't do anything to the cricket club, the pavilions a listed building

I think you're thinking of the bowls club hut. And that can be moved if needed

[jonny72]

The cricket club house and bowls facility are both at the far end of the land so I don't see why they'd be an issue, they could just be left as they are - it doesn't take that much land away from the total area.

[ronnie21]

I thought the cricket ground was owned privately? Maybe Steve Slattery? Wasn't he trying to push through a re-development a few years back to build houses there and a new cricket ground out of town?

If I remember correctly the Swindon Athletics team was doing pretty well a few years back and they got promoted to a higher division, but couldn't host any meetings at home due to the joke of an athletics track.

Moving the cricket and athletics wouldn't be a big deal and should give them far better facilities so I doubt there would be any objections from them.

The whole area is owned by the council, and is - I understand - held by them from the same trust that techncally still own the CG.  Slattery has nothing to do with it, but his group did buy the old BR sports grounds (outbidding the then board of STFC who wanted it as a training ground).  The cricket club who were using it were then forced out due to Slattery and co wanting to redevelop the ground - for which permission has not been granted!

[Reg Smeeton]

 I love the way when ground stuff comes up, as it has been doing on and off for many years, people post the most absurd non factual bollocks.  How difficult can it be to get a few basic facts right?

 DV has it spot on believe it if you see it.

[reeves4england]

I think it'd be quite quirky to have a cricket pavillion randomly stuck in the corner of a new ground. It'd be a nice little break from the boring single-tiered bowl template, and could be something people associate Swindon with - instead of financial mismanagement, relegation and tractors.