Adver News: SWINDON TOWN: Club present their vision to businesses and sponsors

[Reg Smeeton]

One other thing.  (Probably a question for Reg or one of the other old 'uns.)  How long has the Stratton Bank been known as that?  And why is it called the Stratton Bank anyway when Stratton is a good couple of miles away?

It's been the Stratton Bank for as long as I can remember...think it goes back to the origins of the ground. In the early days the CG was pretty much on the edge of town...out the back of the Bank in the 20's you had a bunch of sidings, and not much else...by then Swindon itself had only been incorporated for 20 years, so Stratton was still an important place...up until relatively recently there was a big old place name board along the end of Shrivenham Road...Stratton St Margaret, the sort which greeted you on entering sizeable places. This was the boundary by the footbridge over the railway, so not that far from the CG, and nothing much else in between. Further, Shrivenham Road didn't exist, it was called Stratton Road.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Only negative is putting a roof on the Bank - a shite stand which is falling apart. Get rid of it all together.

Stratton Bank would make an epic home end with a roof on as long as it didn't have any or too many fillers. It does need some upgraded facilities to it though. Maybe the club could look at building just a little bit behind for a drinking area or something.

Then long term you could look at knocking and rebuilding The Town End, which would probably help with the concerts and getting the really big acts here that have been to Ashton Gate like The Who and Bon Jovi.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

So with regard to ground redevelopment, they're sticking with the tried & tested strategy that has served the Club for the last 100 years or so: piecemeal upgrade.

One step at a time, I suppose.  But like it or not, the North Stand (I'm being old fashioned) and the Town End are reaching the end of their natural lives.  You can't keep putting this one off for ever.  A wholesale redevelopment has to happen sooner or later.  The County Ground is an asset that has now been sweated to the point of dessication.

The North/Arkells Stand is seriously hagered now, it always shocks me when people choose to sit there over The Don Rogers Stand.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Seems like the right way to go about it, and given recent history having the man at the top as little involved as possible with team affairs may be no bad thing.

I don't like board members interfering but Fitton had a decent record scouting. Caddis, Ferry and Charlie Austin.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

I Imagine, the work needed on the Stratton Bank will be quite minimal in terms of erecting a roof, there is a height issue with the houses behind, and something about blocking the sun, I beleive (although I could be wrong) that this idea was looked into by Mark Devlin when he was Chief Exect.

If its going to be a temporay structure, then the roof can be easily removed to make room for the staging for the summer concerts. This is why it will prob be so cheap to do. I dont think we will get a semi permanent structure there for that price.

The complaints were from a handful of old fogies who are probably dead or moved on by now. The other option is you could take out a few rows at the back of the bank so it's not as high.

[4D]

Make it completely out of clear perspex, everyones a winner.

[derbystfc]

The complaints were from a handful of old fogies who are probably dead or moved on by now. The other option is you could take out a few rows at the back of the bank so it's not as high.

Unfortunatly that wouldnt be possible because you will be blocking access to the toilets at the back. Plus the roof will have to have an angle for drainage. The 'Old fogies' who complained, will have been replaced with 'new fogies' plus its a planning permission criteria to not block out a percentage of sunlight or something like that into a garden.

It will be interesting to see how the roof is done. My guess would be a semi permanent strut/supports with a removable roof level with the top of the railings at the back of the bank with a slight angle. Nothing to Glam, but will do the job on the cheap

[LucienSanchez]

We can already go up as high as the flag poles, that should suffice.

[thepeoplesgame]

Unfortunatly that wouldnt be possible because you will be blocking access to the toilets at the back. Plus the roof will have to have an angle for drainage. The 'Old fogies' who complained, will have been replaced with 'new fogies' plus its a planning permission criteria to not block out a percentage of sunlight or something like that into a garden.

It will be interesting to see how the roof is done. My guess would be a semi permanent strut/supports with a removable roof level with the top of the railings at the back of the bank with a slight angle. Nothing to Glam, but will do the job on the cheap

We could buy Bristol Rovers' circus tent of them, they won't need it where they're going.

[Simon Pieman]

Well it hasn't got planning permission yet, so if it doesn't happen don't be surprised.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

May be wrong, but I thought that the toilets at the back of the Bank were deemed unsafe/unusable last summer and have since been unused.

As I said before without elaborating too much, I wouldn't bother putting a roof on the Bank, especially for the figures quoted.

The argument that it 'frees up space in the Arkells for home fans'. For as long as we remain in League 1, this makes no difference what so ever. Look at the Brentford play off match for an example. Not needed - any time a big club visits they will be given the full allocation. The reason that the club put the away fans in the Arkells and not the Bank is simple, £££. They can charge away fans £25 to sit in the Arkells when I believe the Bank would be equivalent to the town end, £19?

How often is it needed by away fans, and how often is it used by home fans? Last season, only Portsmouth had it in the regular League season. Why aid the atmosphere and comfort for away fans by giving them a roof.

While most fans will realise that ground redevelopment won't happen any time soon, spending money putting a roof on the Bank will be the biggest indicator yet not to expect any movement on the redevelopment side for a quite a while.

And, well, the main reason I wouldn't bother doing anything to it is simple. It's a shithole that is falling apart and should be first to go when redevelopment starts.

Look at the state of it. An expensive roof won't stop it falling apart.

[Summerof69]

The Trust's take on the meeting :

http://www.truststfc.com/trust-notes-from-stfc-business-plan-meeting/

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

I quite like the fact it's a bit grim though. If we built a new Town End and a new Arkells complete with executive boxes and all that crap, an old school stand like Stratton Bank just with a roof and a few licks of paint would retain character.

[dalumpimunki]

I quite like the fact it's a bit grim though. If we built a new Town End and a new Arkells complete with executive boxes and all that crap, an old school stand like Stratton Bank just with a roof and a few licks of paint would retain character.

That's fine as long as you don't want a piss

[Batch]

The Trust's take on the meeting :

http://www.truststfc.com/trust-notes-from-stfc-business-plan-meeting/

Thanks, seems the folk on here gave a good representation as it seems to pretty much match what was said in this thread. The Trust have to be a bit more careful with publishing the facts.

It does sound very positive, but the proof will be in the pudding.