Thetownend.com

Found this in an old Anglo Italian Programme circa 71.

Awesome. I always used to wonder why the Arkell's was a slightly odd shape, then seeing old pictures of a stand raised above ground level confused me even further until I discovered the history of the ground. Always interesting to see how the CG has developed!

Ive got the same picture...but it was after the great hurricane of the eighties!

I've got some photos somewhere of the DRS being built (and they are in colour).

Get em on here!!

Some of the videos on YouTube ref the old black and white games and the 70's/80's games have some good crowd shots showing how the ground has changed over the years. Worth a scout if you're interested in that sort of thing.

doesn't look odd to me

I started watching in 1990, and in the years immediately following that the ground changed quite considerably with the building of the lower 'tier' of the North Stand and then the replacement of the Shrivenham Road Stand.  At the time, I had hopes that the job would be finished and there was talk, briefly, of extending the Town End.  If I recall, there were plans mooted to take the roof off, build a row of Exec boxes and then put another tier behind that.

I love the County Ground, and hope we never go down the Reading route by building out of Town.  (I linked to another a few days back where some Reading fans were discussing their move to the Madejski, and I'll add it again below for anyone who missed it...interesting read.  Start near the bottom of the linked page and then carry on to the one after.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=506677&page=6 )

But...I've also thought that what the County Ground really misses is a proper End.  We all know that the Town End kills the accoustic unless you're in it, which is a shame.  I hope that, ultimately, we stay where we are and build a ground to be proud of - 18,000 to 20,000 capacity probably - with at least one decent end that can generate some serious noise when needed.

 

Dont forget they only added the bottom seats early 90's i think. Before then there was just brick with a 20 foot drop from the lowest seat in the Arkells

I'm pretty sure that when they first built the (the then New North Stand) Arkells the seating went right down to pitch level, it may have been part of the old seating utilised for the purpose but eventually got rid of.

I dont remember, as i didnt start going regularly until about 76 when i'm pretty sure it was all brick wall no seats, then again age dims the memory.

The north stand was built behind the stand that was already there.

The 'front tier' if you like was only built in the early 90's when Ardiles was manager.

That was true for a while but then (after the Bradford fire), they had to put a number of fire escapes down from the front on the stand.

I'd forgotten those, and the manky clear plastic canopy style tunnel.

My mate's company did those stairs....he reckoned the spec required by SBC, was such, that you could have driven a large herd of elephants down them.

Always been a bit of a circus at the County Ground.

When I can find them Flash  :frustr:

Stick em on this thread when you can.

I've got the programme for the friendly match against Derby County in October 71 which was to commemorate the building/opening of the new stand as far as i am aware. There were some photos inside, my scanner doesn't work so had to take photos so hope they come out ok!


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Good pics, and good memories of how the bank used to look, can see exactly where i used to stand as a kid.

I used to stand just in front of the front left hand barrier in that picture, 1969-1972, then I moved round to the corner of the bank/shrivvy road

Thats where i stood, from 74-77, it smelled a bit pissy there ;)

Never used to get that excited.

That's actually the spot where Don Rogers knocked me bandy with a slighty wide screamer from 25 yards, christ that hurt.

Have they ever removed the Asbestos?

I would have thought being hit by a 25 yarder from the Don would knock the asbestos out, yes.

No. They've taken the piss though.

Great pics.........now we need some of the Shrivvy coming down and the Don Rog going up!

Or any pics of the place as a POW Camp during the war.

I'm sure i've got some of those POW ones in an old Programme, i'll have a dig about in the loft next week.

Haven't had a dig in the loft yet, but surfing around found this, lots of shots of the Arkells looking like a building site.

http://www.swindonviewpoint.com/category/tags/swindon-town-fc

........and here they are (on my avatar)

yay !

I can't see the South Oxon Reds flag though  :girlgiggle:

**Sorry Mex**

By the way, any news of it??

Seems wierd, i obviously knew it didnt just appear, but never really thought about the building behind it, thanks :)