| Cobbold Rebuild 06:34 - Aug 8 with 5990 views | LA_Tractor_Boy |
Unless the Cobbold Stand becomes unsafe, I can see it being a few years until GC invest substantial funds to rebuild the Cobbold.
Our first home match back in the Championship will probably sell out, but it's hardly been a scramble for tickets. Been on general sale for 24 hours and tickets still available.
I know a new stand will increase the value of the club, but I think we need to sellout consistently in the CS, or be an established PL club before a rebuild happens.
|  | | |  |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:04 - Aug 8 with 1607 views | Churchman |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 12:53 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
What’s it like getting away from the ground now? Geography means I haven’t been for years - but the mysterious Bury Road/ Ring Road junction had become a huge bottleneck in recent years - even with tiny crowds. Must be hell for franchise followers nowadays (and residents, most of whom, lest we forget don’t go to football). - let alone with another 5,000 stuck in a traffic jam. Parking had also shrunk since the heady days of the 70s/80s when there was no resident’s parking and people didn’t assume ownership of the road their house is on.
Ultimately for chancers looking for a relatively quick Buck, extensive stand development is madness - it’s made the club insolvent the last two times it’s happened and the club (or chancers) don’t own the ground. Something in partnership with the council as part of a long term plan for the area is a different kettle of poissons - and by happy coincidence ‘adds value’ at someone else’s expense. |
What’s it like to be as miserable as sin about everything?
You get one chance on this planet. You should be happy, grateful and finding things in life to enjoy, whether it’s the Beano or Norwich City.
Since you clearly hate this football club and everything about it, why bother coming on this forum? Do you do it to educate or to irritate? Either way it’s a bit pathetic. |  | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:19 - Aug 8 with 1542 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:04 - Aug 8 by Churchman |
What’s it like to be as miserable as sin about everything?
You get one chance on this planet. You should be happy, grateful and finding things in life to enjoy, whether it’s the Beano or Norwich City.
Since you clearly hate this football club and everything about it, why bother coming on this forum? Do you do it to educate or to irritate? Either way it’s a bit pathetic. |
Curious - your opening post was very negative. But clearly common sense and recognising the club as part of the community elude you. Have you considered that the ground is effectively owned by the good folk of Ipswich, via the council and as such should ideally be an amenity for all, rather than a profit opportunity for chancers and gratuitous entertainment for a maximum of 30,000 people 30 times a year - most of whom probably don’t come from Ipswich. | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:25 - Aug 8 with 1530 views | SheffordBlue |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:19 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
Curious - your opening post was very negative. But clearly common sense and recognising the club as part of the community elude you. Have you considered that the ground is effectively owned by the good folk of Ipswich, via the council and as such should ideally be an amenity for all, rather than a profit opportunity for chancers and gratuitous entertainment for a maximum of 30,000 people 30 times a year - most of whom probably don’t come from Ipswich. |
The ground underneath the stadium is owned by the good folk of Ipswich but the facilities on it aren't.
The 'chancers' are actively working with the council to come up with a plan for the area around the stadium that provides amenity value beyond match day. Those chancers have also invested significantly in the work of The Foundation and provide a wide spectrum of activities at significant financial cost. | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:33 - Aug 8 with 1497 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:25 - Aug 8 by SheffordBlue |
The ground underneath the stadium is owned by the good folk of Ipswich but the facilities on it aren't.
The 'chancers' are actively working with the council to come up with a plan for the area around the stadium that provides amenity value beyond match day. Those chancers have also invested significantly in the work of The Foundation and provide a wide spectrum of activities at significant financial cost. |
That’s what I was saying before Mr Churchman went bananas.
Fans and residents of a certain age can remember the excitement of previous regeneration projects around the ground though. And historically the vast majority of town’s support had come from outside Ipswich - though that may have changed in recent years | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 14:17 - Aug 8 with 1426 views | Churchman |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 13:19 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
Curious - your opening post was very negative. But clearly common sense and recognising the club as part of the community elude you. Have you considered that the ground is effectively owned by the good folk of Ipswich, via the council and as such should ideally be an amenity for all, rather than a profit opportunity for chancers and gratuitous entertainment for a maximum of 30,000 people 30 times a year - most of whom probably don’t come from Ipswich. |
Actually, my opening post was objective in terms of how the club might develop the ground. It’s something that interests me. If I post stuff on here from time to time that’s negative I will usually try and balance it with something positive - e.g. draws instead of wins in Feb, I weighed current disappointment with big picture/ where the club is heading.
You on the other hand are negative and miserable about everything.
In terms of what I recognise and don’t you have absolutely no idea. Actually, my understanding is the council own the land, not the buildings. Same as if you buy a leasehold flat. If I’m wrong, somebody will correct me which is fine because unlike you I know I’m often wrong.
In terms of an amenity for all, it’s more of an amenity for all now than it ever it was. As a Norwich supporter you may not realise that the area next to the ground was for many years the training pitch. No kids on there during the week or pre match tent etc. The best on a match day was a half time squelch around the training pitch. Before that, a cricket and rugby pitch back when the football club first operated at Portman Road late 19c.
No such thing as fans forums, no restaurants or anything else. It was a football ground. You turned up and went home. A relation might know a director but basically it was a closed shop. A club. Owned a run by rich, privileged men. The paying public supported it through the gate here and elsewhere through shared gate receipts. And for record this club has for decades had a catchment area that went well beyond the confines of Ipswich.
The owners are trying to do precisely what you think they are not. Turn it into an amenity for all who are interested. Did any previous owners attempt to do that? No, not least because it was a different world. The ground was terraces and a small shed, then terraces and two stands and so on. That was it. Food was in vans outside. Toilet was a fetid shed. Ahh the halcyon days of not being able to breath, the upturned trough and hoping the splash extended only to your shoes.
The players were paid closer to what ordinary people were paid in say the 60s and in turn more connected, getting jobs in sports halls, post offices and boozers when they finished. But that whole world is gone. If you yearn for it, local league football is for you.
Do you have anything positive to say about Ipswich Town 2023? Did you see and enjoy Sunday’s game? | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:09 - Aug 8 with 1377 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 14:17 - Aug 8 by Churchman |
Actually, my opening post was objective in terms of how the club might develop the ground. It’s something that interests me. If I post stuff on here from time to time that’s negative I will usually try and balance it with something positive - e.g. draws instead of wins in Feb, I weighed current disappointment with big picture/ where the club is heading.
You on the other hand are negative and miserable about everything.
In terms of what I recognise and don’t you have absolutely no idea. Actually, my understanding is the council own the land, not the buildings. Same as if you buy a leasehold flat. If I’m wrong, somebody will correct me which is fine because unlike you I know I’m often wrong.
In terms of an amenity for all, it’s more of an amenity for all now than it ever it was. As a Norwich supporter you may not realise that the area next to the ground was for many years the training pitch. No kids on there during the week or pre match tent etc. The best on a match day was a half time squelch around the training pitch. Before that, a cricket and rugby pitch back when the football club first operated at Portman Road late 19c.
No such thing as fans forums, no restaurants or anything else. It was a football ground. You turned up and went home. A relation might know a director but basically it was a closed shop. A club. Owned a run by rich, privileged men. The paying public supported it through the gate here and elsewhere through shared gate receipts. And for record this club has for decades had a catchment area that went well beyond the confines of Ipswich.
The owners are trying to do precisely what you think they are not. Turn it into an amenity for all who are interested. Did any previous owners attempt to do that? No, not least because it was a different world. The ground was terraces and a small shed, then terraces and two stands and so on. That was it. Food was in vans outside. Toilet was a fetid shed. Ahh the halcyon days of not being able to breath, the upturned trough and hoping the splash extended only to your shoes.
The players were paid closer to what ordinary people were paid in say the 60s and in turn more connected, getting jobs in sports halls, post offices and boozers when they finished. But that whole world is gone. If you yearn for it, local league football is for you.
Do you have anything positive to say about Ipswich Town 2023? Did you see and enjoy Sunday’s game? |
No i dont watch franchise football and I find what has happened to the club I supported from the 60s rather sad and avoidable. I did see some highlights on You Tube and they seemed quite impressive - as perhaps they should be after overspending by £25 million in the last two years whilst trying to claw their way above destitute clubs in the third division
As. I recall it was not rich men who ‘owned Ipswich’ it was a bunch of toffs who ran the club as a football club with the few shares in a sort of trust of which they were custodians. It was only in the disastrous Sheepshanks era that the shares were opened up to the great unwashed - and then to chancers and opportunists, of whom Sheepshanks was perhaps the first.
Actually your miserable view of what the club once was is not as I recall it. A highly successful small town club of which supporters were proud and never seemed to lose touch with reality. They identified with the players - and the Cobbolds. ~Awaydays on blue arrow trains were genuinely fun and exciting for people following a little club in as you say a bygone era. I dont recall wanting a fan zone or more signings. And expecting to win every game
Once Evans arrived I went to Cambridge to help them recover from parasitic owners - and I maintain to this day that Cambridge is a model local club run on sound foundations, with perhaps more opportunity for chancers than Ipswich.. Even in non-league football it was more interesting than watching Ipswich being asset stripped, the football was better and there were two trips to Wembley - as to some extent are Luton - rejecting betting money as they climbed out of non league football without selling their souls and becoming an offshore profit vehicle. It IS possible for a football club to represent its home - and perhaps just to keep it in East Anglia, Norwich have done exactly that in the last 20 years and been markedly more successful than Town - though it looks like they are now in for a cycle of decline too. So to my mind, Town are the only club in East Anglia who have tossed away their soul and identity whilst recovering from rogues - and two of them dropped into non-league football, not just the third division
I’m not sure what the owners are up to. I can see that inflating figures can help the three amigos , O’Leary and ~Ashton get a big pay day… after all Evans allegedly sold it for 5x what he paid for it despite somehow losing £100 million and getting relegated., keeping part of the training ground AND keeping as many shares as the three amigos. TBut the Bristol City franchise didn’t work at Bristol and transferring it lock, stock and barrel to Ipswich doesn’t alter the underlying fundamental problem…he championship is full of clubs who made themselves skint in the Prem… and not many make a profit in the Prem - especially small town clubs who will be asset-stripped of players and managers. | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:25 - Aug 8 with 1364 views | Stewart27 |
I do agree. I think our current capacity is pretty much bang on. I noticed the Stoke ticket sales too which pretty much reinforces this. Will probably just sell out which is great.
However we may opt for a new stand purely because the old one will not be fit for purpose soon. And with a fresh new stand it may be very appealing for more people to attend PR. | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:52 - Aug 8 with 1312 views | Churchman |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:09 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
No i dont watch franchise football and I find what has happened to the club I supported from the 60s rather sad and avoidable. I did see some highlights on You Tube and they seemed quite impressive - as perhaps they should be after overspending by £25 million in the last two years whilst trying to claw their way above destitute clubs in the third division
As. I recall it was not rich men who ‘owned Ipswich’ it was a bunch of toffs who ran the club as a football club with the few shares in a sort of trust of which they were custodians. It was only in the disastrous Sheepshanks era that the shares were opened up to the great unwashed - and then to chancers and opportunists, of whom Sheepshanks was perhaps the first.
Actually your miserable view of what the club once was is not as I recall it. A highly successful small town club of which supporters were proud and never seemed to lose touch with reality. They identified with the players - and the Cobbolds. ~Awaydays on blue arrow trains were genuinely fun and exciting for people following a little club in as you say a bygone era. I dont recall wanting a fan zone or more signings. And expecting to win every game
Once Evans arrived I went to Cambridge to help them recover from parasitic owners - and I maintain to this day that Cambridge is a model local club run on sound foundations, with perhaps more opportunity for chancers than Ipswich.. Even in non-league football it was more interesting than watching Ipswich being asset stripped, the football was better and there were two trips to Wembley - as to some extent are Luton - rejecting betting money as they climbed out of non league football without selling their souls and becoming an offshore profit vehicle. It IS possible for a football club to represent its home - and perhaps just to keep it in East Anglia, Norwich have done exactly that in the last 20 years and been markedly more successful than Town - though it looks like they are now in for a cycle of decline too. So to my mind, Town are the only club in East Anglia who have tossed away their soul and identity whilst recovering from rogues - and two of them dropped into non-league football, not just the third division
I’m not sure what the owners are up to. I can see that inflating figures can help the three amigos , O’Leary and ~Ashton get a big pay day… after all Evans allegedly sold it for 5x what he paid for it despite somehow losing £100 million and getting relegated., keeping part of the training ground AND keeping as many shares as the three amigos. TBut the Bristol City franchise didn’t work at Bristol and transferring it lock, stock and barrel to Ipswich doesn’t alter the underlying fundamental problem…he championship is full of clubs who made themselves skint in the Prem… and not many make a profit in the Prem - especially small town clubs who will be asset-stripped of players and managers. |
It is not a miserable view. It’s a memory of how it was. What was acceptable then is not acceptable now and nor should it be. It’s called change.
Watching the portacabin sh1thouse being rocked up and down with waves lapping at each end at Eastville was hilarious. Packed terraces where you better have your spot by 1.30, fun, a few overflowing bogs at the end of the Clock End at Highbury with 20k on it was accepted. Normal. A Wild West show followed by a riot at the Den wasn’t but few were surprised.
Wooden stands that creaked when you walked on them, slight smell of decay. Accepted. Even burning a stand down for insurance didn’t raise an eyebrow. I loved it. Even being chased at West Ham was normal. The football was great and so was our team. Ignored the bad bits. That was how it was.
In terms of the downside of football it took Valley Parade, Hillsborough, violence going all the way back to change that. The demographics of who goes has changed and so has what people expect. It’s called change and it’s mostly for the good.
As for your dewy eyed nostalgia, my dad used to go a lot in the late forties, fifties. He told me him and his mates would travel for the booze, fun, a fight and the football, especially at places like Norwich. He used to tell me what fun it all was but how decrepit it was compared to the present (going back a few years now). It was of it’s time.
The point is that the debate about the development of Portman Road after two long decades is interesting and fun. What’s bad about it? What harm does it do? The club is its supporters. 29k next Sat including me and 1000s more around the county. I’m looking forward to it. You don’t care.
If all you have is a warped memory about a distant time and warm feeling towards Cambridge and Carrow Rd, you know where to go. | | | |
Login to get fewer ads
| Cobbold Rebuild on 16:20 - Aug 8 with 1274 views | OldFart71 |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 12:53 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
What’s it like getting away from the ground now? Geography means I haven’t been for years - but the mysterious Bury Road/ Ring Road junction had become a huge bottleneck in recent years - even with tiny crowds. Must be hell for franchise followers nowadays (and residents, most of whom, lest we forget don’t go to football). - let alone with another 5,000 stuck in a traffic jam. Parking had also shrunk since the heady days of the 70s/80s when there was no resident’s parking and people didn’t assume ownership of the road their house is on.
Ultimately for chancers looking for a relatively quick Buck, extensive stand development is madness - it’s made the club insolvent the last two times it’s happened and the club (or chancers) don’t own the ground. Something in partnership with the council as part of a long term plan for the area is a different kettle of poissons - and by happy coincidence ‘adds value’ at someone else’s expense. |
Depends what you mean extensive developement. Might I remind you that the situation now is so much different than before when ground developement was made. Sheepshanks decided to build the North and Churmans new developements on the back of a 5th place finish in the Prem. He didn't have 800 million in his back pocket, there weren't parachute payments from Prem to Championship as there are now and we wouldn't, I'm sure, be buying a Matteo Sereni and Finidi George who not only did we have to pay them several million to get rid of, but didn't get any transfer fees for them either. Whereas the likelyhood would be that there were players who were assets able to be sold should we reach the Prem and then be relegated. Much more thought would go into developement and making sure that player purchases would be assets. | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 16:34 - Aug 8 with 1254 views | SmithersJones |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 08:42 - Aug 8 by Guthrum |
35k will take us back to around the capacity before all-seater was introduced. While some games in that era were nearly full, the averages seem to have mostly been a bit under 25k.
Based on that, there is no need to go mad in adding thousands more than that. Especially as football is a more expensive hobby than it once was, with lots of games televised in the top two tiers.
As others have said, I think the additional infrastructure (e.g. conference rooms), providing extra revenue streams, is going to be as important as a large number of additional seats. |
I’m not convinced that conference facilities etc is such a big deal financially for clubs where we aspire to be, at the top end of the league. Get the fan experience right (including the results) and you can add, say, 5000 to the average attendance, so call that £150k every couple of weeks, or £3m per season. That dwarfs anything you’d make during the week (and I don’t live in Ipswich so I’m not sure how well stocked the town is for these facilities anyway, or what the demand is). If you’re a league 2 club, it’s a different ball game and that’s where these things can make a difference. | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 17:02 - Aug 8 with 1207 views | SheffordBlue |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 16:34 - Aug 8 by SmithersJones |
I’m not convinced that conference facilities etc is such a big deal financially for clubs where we aspire to be, at the top end of the league. Get the fan experience right (including the results) and you can add, say, 5000 to the average attendance, so call that £150k every couple of weeks, or £3m per season. That dwarfs anything you’d make during the week (and I don’t live in Ipswich so I’m not sure how well stocked the town is for these facilities anyway, or what the demand is). If you’re a league 2 club, it’s a different ball game and that’s where these things can make a difference. |
Even the Premier League clubs take this stuff seriously as it's money that you can bring in that you otherwise wouldn't and you can maximise the usage of your venue.
I've run workshops out of Chelsea's ground before - my client found the venue and footed the bill but it was conference facilities for 2 days for 100 people, everyone accommodated in the hotel that's part of the stadium and all meals taken on site. That's a hefty bill at any level and we were one of several businesses using the site.
Ashton's talked at Fan Forums about increasing the non-match day revenue and I'd be surprised if this wasn't a key part of any development. We've already started to see some of it with comedy nights and tribute acts put on. The new pitch will now allow concerts to take place at times as well which will be a big revenue opportunity. | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 17:45 - Aug 8 with 1168 views | rgp1 |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 16:20 - Aug 8 by OldFart71 |
Depends what you mean extensive developement. Might I remind you that the situation now is so much different than before when ground developement was made. Sheepshanks decided to build the North and Churmans new developements on the back of a 5th place finish in the Prem. He didn't have 800 million in his back pocket, there weren't parachute payments from Prem to Championship as there are now and we wouldn't, I'm sure, be buying a Matteo Sereni and Finidi George who not only did we have to pay them several million to get rid of, but didn't get any transfer fees for them either. Whereas the likelyhood would be that there were players who were assets able to be sold should we reach the Prem and then be relegated. Much more thought would go into developement and making sure that player purchases would be assets. |
Could the whole stadium be rotated 90 degrees and redeveloped given the amount of land around it potentially available? | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:01 - Aug 8 with 1149 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 16:34 - Aug 8 by SmithersJones |
I’m not convinced that conference facilities etc is such a big deal financially for clubs where we aspire to be, at the top end of the league. Get the fan experience right (including the results) and you can add, say, 5000 to the average attendance, so call that £150k every couple of weeks, or £3m per season. That dwarfs anything you’d make during the week (and I don’t live in Ipswich so I’m not sure how well stocked the town is for these facilities anyway, or what the demand is). If you’re a league 2 club, it’s a different ball game and that’s where these things can make a difference. |
Lets Put it this way.
Manchester United: Q1 Revenues 2023:
Matchday Revenue - £49.9m
Commercial Revenue - £69.4m (139% of matchday revenue)
Sunderland 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £9.7m
Commercial Revenue: £8m (82% of matchday revenue)
West Brom 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £7.8m
Commercial Revenue: £6.1m (78% of matchday revenue
Ipswich Town 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £8m
Commercial Revenue: £6m (75% of matchday revenue)
For avoidence of doubt, I've bundled 'retail' in with gate receipts to get the 'match day revenue', (even though much of retail operations happens on a non match day), everything listed 'commercial revenue' has gone there.
Even with my back of a fag packet maths, you are looking at commercial revenue adding upto 80% of our cashflow. We need to maximise this, and we'll need to until, like Man Ure, commercial operations outstrip all other operations.
Its massively important financially. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 18:05]
|  |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:29 - Aug 8 with 1098 views | SmithersJones |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:01 - Aug 8 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Lets Put it this way.
Manchester United: Q1 Revenues 2023:
Matchday Revenue - £49.9m
Commercial Revenue - £69.4m (139% of matchday revenue)
Sunderland 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £9.7m
Commercial Revenue: £8m (82% of matchday revenue)
West Brom 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £7.8m
Commercial Revenue: £6.1m (78% of matchday revenue
Ipswich Town 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £8m
Commercial Revenue: £6m (75% of matchday revenue)
For avoidence of doubt, I've bundled 'retail' in with gate receipts to get the 'match day revenue', (even though much of retail operations happens on a non match day), everything listed 'commercial revenue' has gone there.
Even with my back of a fag packet maths, you are looking at commercial revenue adding upto 80% of our cashflow. We need to maximise this, and we'll need to until, like Man Ure, commercial operations outstrip all other operations.
Its massively important financially. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 18:05]
|
Good to get some facts around what’s otherwise a data free discussion. It would be interesting, though, to see a further breakdown of “commercial” revenue. If you take Man Utd, for example, they have multiple sponsorship deals (for example Estée Lauder are their Official Skincare Partner) but this comes in regardless of how much they’re using Old Trafford between games. So I don’t think it’s as simple as saying a new stand needs to be geared around sweating the asset. And while I take Shefford’s point earlier, Ipswich is way different to Chelsea as a conference location. Again, there’ll be data on this - are we currently missing out on significant conference non match day business because of the size of our facilities? | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:34 - Aug 8 with 1071 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:29 - Aug 8 by SmithersJones |
Good to get some facts around what’s otherwise a data free discussion. It would be interesting, though, to see a further breakdown of “commercial” revenue. If you take Man Utd, for example, they have multiple sponsorship deals (for example Estée Lauder are their Official Skincare Partner) but this comes in regardless of how much they’re using Old Trafford between games. So I don’t think it’s as simple as saying a new stand needs to be geared around sweating the asset. And while I take Shefford’s point earlier, Ipswich is way different to Chelsea as a conference location. Again, there’ll be data on this - are we currently missing out on significant conference non match day business because of the size of our facilities? |
'Sponsorship' is a separate entry on financial reports and as such, I've not included it in the figures.
Yes we are missing out significantly. None of our rooms are big enough for large scale events, and it's not as simple as knocking through a wall when you are dealing with a cantilever stand built in in 1971.
Why do you think the end of year dinner is never held at the stadium? | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:36 - Aug 8 with 1068 views | AVJones |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:52 - Aug 8 by Churchman |
It is not a miserable view. It’s a memory of how it was. What was acceptable then is not acceptable now and nor should it be. It’s called change.
Watching the portacabin sh1thouse being rocked up and down with waves lapping at each end at Eastville was hilarious. Packed terraces where you better have your spot by 1.30, fun, a few overflowing bogs at the end of the Clock End at Highbury with 20k on it was accepted. Normal. A Wild West show followed by a riot at the Den wasn’t but few were surprised.
Wooden stands that creaked when you walked on them, slight smell of decay. Accepted. Even burning a stand down for insurance didn’t raise an eyebrow. I loved it. Even being chased at West Ham was normal. The football was great and so was our team. Ignored the bad bits. That was how it was.
In terms of the downside of football it took Valley Parade, Hillsborough, violence going all the way back to change that. The demographics of who goes has changed and so has what people expect. It’s called change and it’s mostly for the good.
As for your dewy eyed nostalgia, my dad used to go a lot in the late forties, fifties. He told me him and his mates would travel for the booze, fun, a fight and the football, especially at places like Norwich. He used to tell me what fun it all was but how decrepit it was compared to the present (going back a few years now). It was of it’s time.
The point is that the debate about the development of Portman Road after two long decades is interesting and fun. What’s bad about it? What harm does it do? The club is its supporters. 29k next Sat including me and 1000s more around the county. I’m looking forward to it. You don’t care.
If all you have is a warped memory about a distant time and warm feeling towards Cambridge and Carrow Rd, you know where to go. |
Brilliant post, and riposte.
Could we all agree please - as per tradition - that we never talk about or mention the elephant in the room. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 18:37]
| | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:54 - Aug 8 with 1036 views | Churchman |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:36 - Aug 8 by AVJones |
Brilliant post, and riposte.
Could we all agree please - as per tradition - that we never talk about or mention the elephant in the room. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 18:37]
|
Agreed! | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:04 - Aug 8 with 968 views | Horsham |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 18:01 - Aug 8 by Cheltenham_Blue |
Lets Put it this way.
Manchester United: Q1 Revenues 2023:
Matchday Revenue - £49.9m
Commercial Revenue - £69.4m (139% of matchday revenue)
Sunderland 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £9.7m
Commercial Revenue: £8m (82% of matchday revenue)
West Brom 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £7.8m
Commercial Revenue: £6.1m (78% of matchday revenue
Ipswich Town 2022 Financial Statement:
Matchday Revenue: £8m
Commercial Revenue: £6m (75% of matchday revenue)
For avoidence of doubt, I've bundled 'retail' in with gate receipts to get the 'match day revenue', (even though much of retail operations happens on a non match day), everything listed 'commercial revenue' has gone there.
Even with my back of a fag packet maths, you are looking at commercial revenue adding upto 80% of our cashflow. We need to maximise this, and we'll need to until, like Man Ure, commercial operations outstrip all other operations.
Its massively important financially. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 18:05]
|
Thanks for that. It adds a lot of context to the discussion. As an aside would you happen to know the figures for Coventry. Recently I went to a fairly big industry expo/conference there, and was surprised to see there was actually another similar event running concurrently. None of it was done brilliantly but ultimately they have the facilities and great location in the middle of the country and on a big motorway intersection. I was thinking blooming heck this would be hard for Ipswich to compete with! | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:07 - Aug 8 with 953 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 15:52 - Aug 8 by Churchman |
It is not a miserable view. It’s a memory of how it was. What was acceptable then is not acceptable now and nor should it be. It’s called change.
Watching the portacabin sh1thouse being rocked up and down with waves lapping at each end at Eastville was hilarious. Packed terraces where you better have your spot by 1.30, fun, a few overflowing bogs at the end of the Clock End at Highbury with 20k on it was accepted. Normal. A Wild West show followed by a riot at the Den wasn’t but few were surprised.
Wooden stands that creaked when you walked on them, slight smell of decay. Accepted. Even burning a stand down for insurance didn’t raise an eyebrow. I loved it. Even being chased at West Ham was normal. The football was great and so was our team. Ignored the bad bits. That was how it was.
In terms of the downside of football it took Valley Parade, Hillsborough, violence going all the way back to change that. The demographics of who goes has changed and so has what people expect. It’s called change and it’s mostly for the good.
As for your dewy eyed nostalgia, my dad used to go a lot in the late forties, fifties. He told me him and his mates would travel for the booze, fun, a fight and the football, especially at places like Norwich. He used to tell me what fun it all was but how decrepit it was compared to the present (going back a few years now). It was of it’s time.
The point is that the debate about the development of Portman Road after two long decades is interesting and fun. What’s bad about it? What harm does it do? The club is its supporters. 29k next Sat including me and 1000s more around the county. I’m looking forward to it. You don’t care.
If all you have is a warped memory about a distant time and warm feeling towards Cambridge and Carrow Rd, you know where to go. |
You are deluding yourself. Football was a different experience 50 years ago in every aspect on and off the pitch And in all honesty it had become sanitised and less interesting. Yes there were terraces which were a tad crowded. but there were also seats and there was a certain pleasure in going to football without having to plan it like a military operation. IN my youth I always knew where my friends would be - and we arrived at 2,45 - not 1-30. And all matches kicked off at 3 on a Saturday Believe it or not that was quite good.
I’m not sure where your bizarre and deluded rant is going but the mania for ‘safe standing’ shows that some people hanker for a less sanitised football experience. You seem happy that some opportunists are fleecing you whilst buying success at someone else’s expense. I happen to believe that that is not the Ipswich way. Granted 30,000 seem to share your point of view - but I suspect more than 30,000 share mine. I don’t know anyone who thinks the current set up is anything but Ipswich Town in name only.
In some ways it’s a bit like car ownership. I think Jaguars are patently absurd nowadays - and have nothing in common with their roots. But I have one from the 60s - I still consider myself a Jaguar fan though even though I want nothing to do with what they have become. | |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:32 - Aug 8 with 929 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:07 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
You are deluding yourself. Football was a different experience 50 years ago in every aspect on and off the pitch And in all honesty it had become sanitised and less interesting. Yes there were terraces which were a tad crowded. but there were also seats and there was a certain pleasure in going to football without having to plan it like a military operation. IN my youth I always knew where my friends would be - and we arrived at 2,45 - not 1-30. And all matches kicked off at 3 on a Saturday Believe it or not that was quite good.
I’m not sure where your bizarre and deluded rant is going but the mania for ‘safe standing’ shows that some people hanker for a less sanitised football experience. You seem happy that some opportunists are fleecing you whilst buying success at someone else’s expense. I happen to believe that that is not the Ipswich way. Granted 30,000 seem to share your point of view - but I suspect more than 30,000 share mine. I don’t know anyone who thinks the current set up is anything but Ipswich Town in name only.
In some ways it’s a bit like car ownership. I think Jaguars are patently absurd nowadays - and have nothing in common with their roots. But I have one from the 60s - I still consider myself a Jaguar fan though even though I want nothing to do with what they have become. |
It’s not 1963 anymore. Things change, move on, or give up football.
Back then smoking was supposedly good for you too.
This club has to modernise with the rest of football or we might as well pack it all in.
I suppose you were a big fan of Marcus Evans running us on a shoestring and devaluing the stadia and the training ground.
Want to guess how many planning applications went into the council during the entirety of ME’s ‘custodianship’?
Four.
1x Portacabin
3x Signage including, 2x ‘Marcus Evans Group’ logos.
And that’s it. Four between 2007 and 2022, nothing at all between Aug 2009 and March 2022. This ground had no investment at all for thirteen years. The longest period with no activity previously was two years, (Two!! Versus Thirteen), between May 1975 and February 1977.
So do one with your negativity over the current ownership, dry your eyes and I’ll play the worlds smallest violin for you. [Post edited 8 Aug 2023 21:46]
| |
| |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 21:00 - Aug 8 with 878 views | Stewart27 |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:07 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
You are deluding yourself. Football was a different experience 50 years ago in every aspect on and off the pitch And in all honesty it had become sanitised and less interesting. Yes there were terraces which were a tad crowded. but there were also seats and there was a certain pleasure in going to football without having to plan it like a military operation. IN my youth I always knew where my friends would be - and we arrived at 2,45 - not 1-30. And all matches kicked off at 3 on a Saturday Believe it or not that was quite good.
I’m not sure where your bizarre and deluded rant is going but the mania for ‘safe standing’ shows that some people hanker for a less sanitised football experience. You seem happy that some opportunists are fleecing you whilst buying success at someone else’s expense. I happen to believe that that is not the Ipswich way. Granted 30,000 seem to share your point of view - but I suspect more than 30,000 share mine. I don’t know anyone who thinks the current set up is anything but Ipswich Town in name only.
In some ways it’s a bit like car ownership. I think Jaguars are patently absurd nowadays - and have nothing in common with their roots. But I have one from the 60s - I still consider myself a Jaguar fan though even though I want nothing to do with what they have become. |
I thought you were a deluded Norwich fan. But you’ve taken this too far now.
This is actually worse. | | | |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 08:11 - Aug 9 with 712 views | Churchman |
| Cobbold Rebuild on 20:07 - Aug 8 by ElephantintheRoom |
You are deluding yourself. Football was a different experience 50 years ago in every aspect on and off the pitch And in all honesty it had become sanitised and less interesting. Yes there were terraces which were a tad crowded. but there were also seats and there was a certain pleasure in going to football without having to plan it like a military operation. IN my youth I always knew where my friends would be - and we arrived at 2,45 - not 1-30. And all matches kicked off at 3 on a Saturday Believe it or not that was quite good.
I’m not sure where your bizarre and deluded rant is going but the mania for ‘safe standing’ shows that some people hanker for a less sanitised football experience. You seem happy that some opportunists are fleecing you whilst buying success at someone else’s expense. I happen to believe that that is not the Ipswich way. Granted 30,000 seem to share your point of view - but I suspect more than 30,000 share mine. I don’t know anyone who thinks the current set up is anything but Ipswich Town in name only.
In some ways it’s a bit like car ownership. I think Jaguars are patently absurd nowadays - and have nothing in common with their roots. But I have one from the 60s - I still consider myself a Jaguar fan though even though I want nothing to do with what they have become. |
Your view of how the things were and are is deluded and weird. There was nothing utopian about the 60s and 70s for many people. But it’s gone now. History. Useful to learn from and great for nostalgia. You seem sour, bitter and disengaged with how the world is now. Unless you can change it, try enjoying the good bits.
It’s no good trying to insult me with terms like ‘deluded rant’ I’m the first to admit the second and I have been deluded for years. It’s part of the fun. And fun is clearly beyond you.
Nobody is fleecing me (beyond this government). I choose to spend my money and time how I wish. It’s discretionary. I bought an ITFC polo shirt the other day and a hat. My choice. Overpriced, not the finest quality, bit daft really. But they made me smile and I like daft. It amuses me. I will wear the hat today and my walking buddy who follows Chelsea will laugh at me and I’ll laugh with him.
I like following my football club. That too is a bit daft. It’s cost a lot of money over the years and made no sense whatsoever. But I couldn’t care a less. Football has given me back far more than it ever cost me. On Saturday for a short period of time my cares will be put aside. I will be elated or disappointed. I won’t care for those two hours if the owners are Americans, old Etonians in Glemham Hall or Lord Voldemort.
Others like may feel different, I don’t care. Not interested. I repeat, we are living in the best of times for ITFC for more than two decades and that’ll do me. The problem you have with the club, its owners and football is yours. Own it. If you like Norwich and Cambridge, the route for you and your old Jaguar is clear. | | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
