Trust look to buy the CG

[RobertT]

I don’t understand redeveloping the most developed area of the ground whilst the rest crumbles.

If there was a realistic plan to redevelop other areas in time, it might be acceptable, but my vote to this would be no. We have a three-sided ground now, but there is no focus on the derelict stand.

I wouldn't be entirely against the concept they seem to be floating - it's not even their idea, it has been mooted before.  The issue and concern I would have is two fold - first, they likely end-up paying a contractor exactly the amount we need to avoid triggering the clause on the purchase agreement, but actually spend much less than that.  The building trade, sorry if you work in it, is precisely the type of environment Messrs Austin & Hart hang out in for a reason.  Second, their portfolio of recent work is shocking.  The Legends is one example, but far more public a display of incompetence is the gravel pit.  They took a decent enough concept of a fans park and created something akin to a Country Park walking path that requires your Hiking gear for you to stay clean personally.  Poor old Don is orange as a result - ironic.  They have shown no ability to do things correctly, so Exec Boxes scare me a little.  The modular design means it is easy to make the space, what they put in could be shocking.

[Pookemon]

I dont see the point - Most clubs are removing exec boxes not putting them in.  It's a very 1990s concept, most people want to sit in the stands not isolated in a box. 

The cost will be huge, there's no way a 1990s stand was built with 2024 building regs in mind so any retrofit will be far more costly than you'd expect.  You will also be reducing the capacity of your most popular stand which seems odd when you've already reduced capacity by 2k by allowing one end to fall into disrepair.

[4D]

I agree

[horlock07]

If we do ever build anything please let it not be as dog ugly as this monstrosity....

https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/wrexham-afc-unveils-new-look-kop/

[Nemo]

Not sure the residents of Shrivenham Road would love that design for the Bank...

[Bennett]

Not sure the residents of Shrivenham Road would love that design for the Bank...

Their homes will be destroyed for the moat

[Nemo]

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2025/february/17/nigel-eady-county-ground---joint-venture-update/

Lengthy update which doesn't seem to say a whole lot new apart from suggesting there'll be a Trust vote on a single proposal relating to hospitality in the DRS (details tbc) in April. Plans to be announced in March.

[theakston2k]

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2025/february/17/nigel-eady-county-ground---joint-venture-update/

Lengthy update which doesn't seem to say a whole lot new apart from suggesting there'll be a Trust vote on a single proposal relating to hospitality in the DRS (details tbc) in April. Plans to be announced in March.

Well hopefully whatever it is everyone will vote ‘No’ for as long as we are under this ownership.

[Nemo]

Yeah I can see that being a flashpoint. Whatever the proposal is, I imagine the Trust board will make a recommendation to the JV members to accept/reject, and if that's accept, I imagine SO69 or similar groups might well advocate the reject option.

We'll see what the details are and what the safeguards are against anyone who shouldn't benefit benefitting from the project, I hope.

[TheSpiritof69]

Yeah I can see that being a flashpoint. Whatever the proposal is, I imagine the Trust board will make a recommendation to the JV members to accept/reject, and if that's accept, I imagine SO69 or similar groups might well advocate the reject option.

We'll see what the details are and what the safeguards are against anyone who shouldn't benefit benefitting from the project, I hope.

We will absolutely be advocating all proposals are rejected during Mr Morfuni's tenure and will be vociferously campaigning for people to follow suit.

Simply:
 - No funding plan
 - No obvious benefit to fans
 - Disaster after Disaster on small refurbs

The Trust have publicly called for a change of owner; developing the ground with someone you want to leave is illogical.

[Nemo]

I'd tend to agree that doing anything significant with this board would be foolish. A smaller, contained project with clear safeguards in the building (an independent lead contractor, for example) and a clear business plan as to what the benefit was... maybe.

But we'll see. I'd be surprised if the proposal was that detailed as put to the vote, but I'd hope it would be.

The JV business plan for the year with the maintenance spend broken down was pretty helpful and I voted in favour of that, for example.

And of course it depends where the funding comes from.

[Berniman]

Anyone that doesn't think the current state of the ground and facilities are acceptable should be voting against the introduction of new Hospitality facilities anyway, irrelevant of what SO69 suggest.  They should be prioritising getting the rest of the ground to an acceptable level (when i say acceptable level i mean hot/cold running water, no piss rivers and stands that aren't a health and safety minefield) for the existing fanbase before prioritising what new Hospitality customers they can bring in.

I get the speculating to accumulate argument, but if they have to generate additional funds before they can actually improve the rest of the ground then we are looking at 10 years minimum before we see any improvement elsewhere I would suspect.  Does anyone believe that this ground (DRS aside) will be able to survive another 10 years?

[Audrey]

More hospitality? That’s it?

Fuck off.

[Jimmy Quinn]

Come back Terry Brady at least he had a plan!

[Batch]

More hospitality? That’s it?

Fuck off.

I guess their argument is : More revenue=more they can do, and they can't go on losing 1M a year.

To me that just means they haven't got the funds other than to try and keep heads above water.