Poor Facilities at The County Ground.

[Bob's Orange]

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.

I think there are similarities with the CG too. Good position near to the train station, town, bars etc. So its a little run down, so what!!

[kerry red]

I don't think anyone wants to move to a newly built stadium, but the TE and the Bank are embarrassing - even at L1 level.

[Outletred]

Agree

[The Million Pound Man]

I dont blame LP/ previous owners for not touching the ground, why would they?

The issue in my opinion is the council- they either need to sell up, or fund some sort of redevelopment.

From a business point of view why would you pump money into a rented site? It adds no value to the club for potential investors.

I love the CG, but I love the club more (of course the CG is part of the club, which is where it clouds many peoples judgements (mine included)) and for the club to progress its vital we open up revenue streams all year round and not just on 23 home matches, plus any home cup ties.

I would be upset if we left the CG, but unless the council sell up redevelopment is unlikely in my eyes. There is some derelict land pretty central to Swindon that could house a decent football ground- I cant see the Oasis redevelopment scheme going anywhere for example.

[TheMajorSTFC]

My own thoughts on the subject - I'd like to see a revamped Town End and Stratton Bank, and leave the Arkells for now - maybe add some boxes in the DRS (yes that again). Have something like Plymouth and redevelop the Arkells as and when needed.

[JayBox325]

My own thoughts on the subject - I'd like to see a revamped Town End and Stratton Bank, and leave the Arkells for now - maybe add some boxes in the DRS (yes that again). Have something like Plymouth and redevelop the Arkells as and when needed.

I'd say redevelop the bank first. Knock it down and start again. Hopefully they wouldn't build an overly modern stand though, cause that would stand out like a sore thumb. The problem with redeveloping the Bank first would be that home fans would want to go in it. But having the away end at the side of the ground with the car park, offices and shop doesn't make sense.

The PERFECT Swindon Town redevelopment would be not to build one of the new 'modern' style stadiums but build a stadium using old style brickwork styled like an old railway building. That could look good. But I have had this idea for all of 5 minutes...

[Ardiles]

I don't think anyone wants to move to a newly built stadium, but the TE and the Bank are embarrassing - even at L1 level.

Agree.  The consensus whenever this has come up for discussion before is that the location of the County Ground is ideal.  Leave it where it is.

But in order for that to work, you do need to invest in the asset from time to time.  If you don’t, it will fall down.  As mentioned earlier in the thread, the last time any substantial capital investment was made to the ground was in 1994 (construction of the Intel/Don Rogers Stand).  Since then, we’ve given the place a lick of paint here & there and Jed may have spent a couple of grand creating a bar in the Town End.  But that’s about it.  I can't think of any other club that has done as little as we have with its ground during the last 20 years.

Someone will correct me if I’m wrong here, but while the Council owns the freehold of the County Ground, I'm fairly sure that the Club owns the ground itself.  Too often, I think the Club hides behind the Council’s ownership of the freehold as an excuse not to invest in the asset/ground itself.  The ground is the Club’s asset and, therefore, the responsibility for its upkeep lies with the Club.

[Samdy Gray]

The PERFECT Swindon Town redevelopment would be not to build one of the new 'modern' style stadiums but build a stadium using old style brickwork styled like an old railway building. That could look good. But I have had this idea for all of 5 minutes...

You are Gary Stanley and I claim my £5.

[TheMajorSTFC]

The PERFECT Swindon Town redevelopment would be not to build one of the new 'modern' style stadiums but build a stadium using old style brickwork styled like an old railway building. That could look good. But I have had this idea for all of 5 minutes...

That would probably cost a bit of money to do something different, which is why I think we'll do it on budget and get something 'normal'. There were plans many years ago to build a Preston style ground - whether that was new or redevelop the CG I don't know.

[Ardiles]

From a business point of view why would you pump money into a rented site? It adds no value to the club for potential investors.

Not true.  With a long term lease, of course you would invest in the asset.  Covered some of this in my earlier post, but the Club leases only the ground that stadium stands on from the council.  It does not rent the stadium itself.  The stadium belongs to the Club.  It's the same as someone buying a flat with a 99 year lease.  You may a rent to the freeholder, but the flat itself is yours - and, therefore, your responsibility to maintain.

Unless I have all of this completely wrong...

[Reg Smeeton]

I dont blame LP/ previous owners for not touching the ground, why would they?

The issue in my opinion is the council- they either need to sell up, or fund some sort of redevelopment.

From a business point of view why would you pump money into a rented site? It adds no value to the club for potential investors.

I love the CG, but I love the club more (of course the CG is part of the club, which is where it clouds many peoples judgements (mine included)) and for the club to progress its vital we open up revenue streams all year round and not just on 23 home matches, plus any home cup ties.

I would be upset if we left the CG, but unless the council sell up redevelopment is unlikely in my eyes. There is some derelict land pretty central to Swindon that could house a decent football ground- I cant see the Oasis redevelopment scheme going anywhere for example.

Atm, the Tory SBC, are pretty keen to flog off any of our leisure sites to developers....either directly or by stealth.  Even the fucking allotments have been privatised...

http://www.mypatchswindon.co.uk/

so the problem is, SBC would quite happily flog the CG, but it must be for the price of a potential houses/supermarket/MacDonalds etc.....in other words way beyond our means.

The only potential prospect would be a deal whereby we get into bed with a developer, this was the sort of thing envisaged with the St Modwen deal.

I'll quite happily settle for what we've got, but stick some sort of roof and build some inside bogs on the Bank. Shouldn't cost a fortune....get some name sponsors, some fan's fundraising, club could chip in an agreed % from a player sale etc.

[kerry red]

Agree.  The consensus whenever this has come up for discussion before is that the location of the County Ground is ideal.  Leave it where it is.

But in order for that to work, you do need to invest in the asset from time to time.  If you don’t, it will fall down.  As mentioned earlier in the thread, the last time any substantial capital investment was made to the ground was in 1994 (construction of the Intel/Don Rogers Stand).  Since then, we’ve given the place a lick of paint here & there and Jed may have spent a couple of grand creating a bar in the Town End.  But that’s about it.  I can't think of any other club that has done as little as we have with its ground during the last 20 years.

Someone will correct me if I’m wrong here, but while the Council owns the freehold of the County Ground, I'm fairly sure that the Club owns the ground itself.  Too often, I think the Club hides behind the Council’s ownership of the freehold as an excuse not to invest in the asset/ground itself.  The ground is the Club’s asset and, therefore, the responsibility for its upkeep lies with the Club.

You are correct. The Council owns the site, the club own the structure. But this no different to an individual buying a residential house on a 100 year lease.

They will still want to fund improvements to the structure.

Surely all the Council have to do is give the club a mega long lease (or even sell the site).

Whether the club want/are able to fund development is another question

[The Million Pound Man]

Not true.  With a long term lease, of course you would invest in the asset.  Covered some of this in my earlier post, but the Club leases only the ground that stadium stands on from the council.  It does not rent the stadium itself.  The stadium belongs to the Club.  It's the same as someone buying a flat with a 99 year lease.  You may a rent to the freeholder, but the flat itself is yours - and, therefore, your responsibility to maintain.

Unless I have all of this completely wrong...

I see... interesting.

[HexstaticSTFC]

I maybe completely wrong, but was there some talk from the Trust about helping towards a roof on the stratton bank?

[jonny72]

The council are not going to fund any redevelopment as there is absolutely zero benefit to them - they own the land and nothing more. The club can do what they want with the ground, such as selling it off for scrap or demolishing it come the end of the lease. Leases on flats and houses are totally different and not applicable or relevant.

As regards them selling the ground, don't they just have to get a fair market value? Which is open to interpretation, they could sell it based on the income it generates at present or have clauses for balloon payments if certain developments happen within certain periods of time. A large part of it is the councillors being dicks as they don't see any benefit to themselves in helping the club.