Bristol City

[Batch]

I think you are writing off the current incumbents a bit soon.

Financing redevelopment now is probably the most difficult time in the last 30 years.

The level at which we are being subsidised by the owners can't go indefinitely, and will likely increase the further we climb the leagues. This makes a workable financial solution vital.

They say they are working on a plan. Lets see what happens

[Ardiles]

I must have put my point across badly...sorry.  I did not mean to criticise the present Board at all.  In fact (bar one or two small niggles), I have nothing but praise for them.  Best we've had in all the time I've been a fan.

When I said we had done 'nothing', I was making a much longer term comparison with Reading.  Up until the early/mid 1990s, we were similar clubs in many respects.  But while we were talking about improving our infrastructure at that point, they went and did it.  The respective paths the two clubs have taken in the last 15 years tells a story.  (And there's a parallel, sadly, with how the towns themselves have fared in the same period.)

And just to pad the point out further, I have also made the point a few times previously that we have to get the timing of our redevelopment right as well.  There was press talk about plans being put forward about 12 months ago which, thankfully, were put on the back burner following relegation.  Exactly the right thing to have done in my view, because we need to be planning longer term infrastructure development while we're on the front foot.  Try it when you're about to drop in to the 4th tier, and pessimism would affect the plans and saddle us with a 12,000 seater...cementing in lower aspirations for the club for the next 50 years or more.

So I'm fully supportive that little has been done by the Board up until now.  But - I hope things start moving forward soon, now that we seem to be heading in the right direction again on the pitch.

[Batch]

I was responding to Reg

As much as I appreciate the efforts of the present set up, they've shown no more desire to sort this out, than any of the previous incumbents of the boardroom.

[Reg Smeeton]

I must have put my point across badly...sorry.  I did not mean to criticise the present Board at all.  In fact (bar one or two small niggles), I have nothing but praise for them.  Best we've had in all the time I've been a fan.

When I said we had done 'nothing', I was making a much longer term comparison with Reading.  Up until the early/mid 1990s, we were similar clubs in many respects.  But while we were talking about improving our infrastructure at that point, they went and did it.  The respective paths the two clubs have taken in the last 15 years tells a story.  (And there's a parallel, sadly, with how the towns themselves have fared in the same period.)

And just to pad the point out further, I have also made the point a few times previously that we have to get the timing of our redevelopment right as well.  There was press talk about plans being put forward about 12 months ago which, thankfully, were put on the back burner following relegation.  Exactly the right thing to have done in my view, because we need to be planning longer term infrastructure development while we're on the front foot.  Try it when you're about to drop in to the 4th tier, and pessimism would affect the plans and saddle us with a 12,000 seater...cementing in lower aspirations for the club for the next 50 years or more.

So I'm fully supportive that little has been done by the Board up until now.  But - I hope things start moving forward soon, now that we seem to be heading in the right direction again on the pitch.

Don't agree with most of this...the redevelopment should have next to nothing to do with where we are in the pyramid, tat's just an excuse for the fact that there's no viable business plan for what to put into the new CG.  That is because the local economy is particularly screwed, so there really is no good economic reason for change.

[sn5_red]

The trend is fairly obvious

Wigan- new ground moved up the leagues. Premier League regulars
Reading-  new ground. 2 seasons in Prem, look set to make it back
Swansea- new ground. Prem
Cardiff- new ground, challenging for Premier League
Blackpool- redeveloped ground, up there
Brighton- new ground timed perfectly with promotion to Championship

10 years ago we were playing these clubs every season

[janaage]

Franchise,
Huddersfield...

Chesterfield
Shrewsbury....

Darlington
Oxford

The theme doesn't work for everyone.

[fatbasher]

Franchise,
Huddersfield...

Chesterfield
Shrewsbury....

Darlington
Oxford

The theme doesn't work for everyone.

The fan base may have a bearing on that, amongst other things, like choosing the right management to run the team and the right players to play in said team.

[sn5_red]

Franchise,
Huddersfield...

Chesterfield
Shrewsbury....

Darlington
Oxford

The theme doesn't work for everyone.

franchise- different case

chesterfield- shit little ground
shrewbury- shit little ground
pox- shit little ground

darlington- ridiculous ground development, ruined the club

huddersfield- agreed,  doesnt fit the trend. same way qpr doesnt...they havent spent money on loftus road, just thrown money at managers!

[sn5_red]

apologies to chesterfield and shrewbury. what i meant is the aim there isnt for the top flight

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

The trend is fairly obvious

Wigan- new ground moved up the leagues. Premier League regulars
Reading-  new ground. 2 seasons in Prem, look set to make it back
Swansea- new ground. Prem
Cardiff- new ground, challenging for Premier League
Blackpool- redeveloped ground, up there
Brighton- new ground timed perfectly with promotion to Championship

10 years ago we were playing these clubs every season

We can't fill the ground we have got, so why would the board prioritise ground development.

Personally, I love the CG, and would hate to see it knocked down for a "bowl"

I know what you'll all say, why don't you visit it more often............fair point

[RedRag]

There's nothing more reproachful than a huge new ground with three of four pockets of supporters and the shouts of the players echoing around the stadium.  I imagine Darlington must have been the most extreme example.  Reading and Milwall both Championship clubs haven't always risen above that and the North Stand, unfinished for years a la Bristol Shitty, looked horrendous as Town's flirtation with promotion to the top league turned sour with Dave McKay and subsequently nosedived under Ken Beamish.

Where Reading succeeded was in having a genuinely wealthy, astute and also committed backer who was able to develop team as well as ground (as well as infrastructure) and the edge we held over them in the post 69 years evaporated. 

Both towns were doing well economically in those years ... but contrast the ownership.  However it is true that Swindon has been more susceptible to changing economic trends than its neighbour and still may lack a catalyst as wealthy, astute and committed as was Madjeski.

You need to develop a squad AND a ground and if you cant afford or finance both then it's going to be very difficult to attempt what Reg rightly points out is the exceptional Reading like transformation from small to medium other than for a few relatively stellar seasons max.  You need the astuteness to make it all sustainable and to tap into the local and hopefully affluent enough local community.

How confident are we that Wigan will be bigger than us in 10 or even 5 years time?

The first step in a change to the County Ground has to be big now I feel (even though we all love it) but hopefully it can be developed in a way that isn't uniform but perhaps modular.  That is to say allowing for growth in stands and related facilities.  I don't like the stadium concept but the tiering system at Wembley worked pretty well in some respects because the empty spaces were confined to the top tier rather than pitchside or immediately above.  Will there ever be scope, as in Germany, to even have terraces. 

Anyway for now lets just concentrate on our side of the bargain and getting in a position to "take potshots" at the traders.

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

There's nothing more reproachful than a huge new ground with three of four pockets of supporters and the shouts of the players echoing around the stadium.  I imagine Darlington must have been the most extreme example.  Reading and Milwall both Championship clubs haven't always risen above that and the North Stand, unfinished for years a la Bristol Shitty, looked horrendous as Town's flirtation with promotion to the top league turned sour with Dave McKay and subsequently nosedived under Ken Beamish.

Where Reading succeeded was in having a genuinely wealthy, astute and also committed backer who was able to develop team as well as ground (as well as infrastructure) and the edge we held over them in the post 69 years evaporated. 

Both towns were doing well economically in those years ... but contrast the ownership.  However it is true that Swindon has been more susceptible to changing economic trends than its neighbour and still may lack a catalyst as wealthy, astute and committed as was Madjeski.

You need to develop a squad AND a ground and if you cant afford or finance both then it's going to be very difficult to attempt what Reg rightly points out is the exceptional Reading like transformation from small to medium other than for a few relatively stellar seasons max.  You need the astuteness to make it all sustainable and to tap into the local and hopefully affluent enough local community.

How confident are we that Wigan will be bigger than us in 10 or even 5 years time?

The first step in a change to the County Ground has to be big now I feel (even though we all love it) but hopefully it can be developed in a way that isn't uniform but perhaps modular.  That is to say allowing for growth in stands and related facilities.  I don't like the stadium concept but the tiering system at Wembley worked pretty well in some respects because the empty spaces were confined to the top tier rather than pitchside or immediately above.  Will there ever be scope, as in Germany, to even have terraces. 

Anyway for now lets just concentrate on our side of the bargain and getting in a position to "take potshots" at the traders.

And who's going to sit in this big extened stadium ?

[RedRag]

You and me arguing and a few sprinklings of moaners I guess.

It's a modest little dream of mine to imagine 15,000 ultras most weeks and high teens inc day trippers and away fans for some of the bigger Championship teams

[reeves4england]

We can't fill the ground we have got, so why would the board prioritise ground development.

Oh dear. It's been stated 100,000 times before on this forum and elsewhere - the purpose of the ground redevelopment is NOT to build a bigger ground due to weekly sell outs. It is to create new income streams through off-field commercial activities. Why do people find this so hard to grasp?!

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

Oh dear. It's been stated 100,000 times before on this forum and elsewhere - the purpose of the ground redevelopment is NOT to build a bigger ground due to weekly sell outs. It is to create new income streams through off-field commercial activities. Why do people find this so hard to grasp?!

100,000 ?

If only we could get 10% of those expressing an opinion through the turnstiles we would need a bigger ground.

......oh.......sorry 15%