| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? 14:58 - Sep 7 with 2056 views | unstableblue |
In response to LATractorboy’s thread on stadium improvements yesterday I wrote the below tome in response.
Three questions that came to mind when scribbling my ramblings:
1. One of our group has given up their season ticket for a year due to work, but wants to rejoin next year. Now he’s rightly concerned due to 21k cap and demand about ‘renewing’ is even possible. Add in any redevelopment of the Cobbold and basically the removal of most matchday tickets due to temporary loss of capacity, is it a surprise that there is as yet no talk of a season ticket waiting list? As per the likes of Spurs, Arsenal. Where I believe you pay a fee to be on it, and show some loyalty credentials.
2. Would you agree that the development of the Cobbold is more likely to be a la Ashton Gate with a larger lower tier, exes boxes, than a smaller upper tier?? Taking lessons from the failing layout of the new north stand. See photo below.
3. Would the new main stand becoming the main arrival for the ground and housing the dressing rooms, tunnel and team benches? I’m thinking not with Constantine road still remaining where the coaches arrive, the main reception and the flow from dressing rooms to benches? Albeit changing room size is maybe an issue!!
Again a slow news day as we await news from West Ham friendly! But what do you think??
Ashton Gate ‘new’ main stand:
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I think the only current planning consents that are live are:
- finishing memorial garden
- building out remaining Pioneer/West boxes at North Stand end
- some cladding and cosmetic changes to back of Churchmans/Sit Alf to improve kits sponsorship link and ‘arrival’ to stadium feel
Not everything needs planning consent, such as the minimal but excellent changes by rendering and blacking out the Cobbold and the the new tunnel area.
I’d suggest the objectives for Portman Road improvement are:
- Be a stadium and venue fit for the Premier League
- Increase revenue on multiple fronts, including non-matchday
- Improve the fan flow around the stadium, including the ‘arrival’
- Increase the condition, prestige of the stadium and the wow factor
- Support community ties and multi-purpose use
I think they’ll continue to be minor works and incremental improvements - so things like the bars in Pioneer/West Stand.
But I guess the 3 big improvements are
1. The West Stand practice pitch, fan zone and hospitality
- our hospitality revenues are probably relatively small, if we make it back to the Premier League the hospitality marquees linked to seats in the Pioneer/West Upper would return and need space/facilities
- the Astro is a complete dog.. and I am amazed that it is still used for community training and matches. Perhaps they’ll find a way to put in two 5G pitches that can be boarded over on MATCHDAY for the fan zone? And the fan zone area is made more formal, permanent?
2. Develop the significant area now ready behind the Churchman/Sir Alf
- Ashton seems to want to make the arrival at the club from the station.. through that area (albeit most are coming across the Portman road car park from Curve Bar and to the Sir Alf statue
- I do wonder if this is going to be the new fan zone, with large scale sports bars that can then support non-matchday revenue, e.g. world cups, euros. Think BoxPark Wembley?
- perhaps the Club Shop moves here and is enlarged, it’s chaos in the club shop on matchday. This would free up the current shop as a hospitality venue, like Hall of Fame
2. Redevelopment of Cobbold Stand and adjacent car park
- the most pressing issue emerging is capacity and more seats… we’re basically selling out every home game. Make it to the Premier League and the demand goes ballistic. Amazed they haven’t started a season ticket waiting list yet!
- how do you do this? Well it’s really only the Cobbold and a massive redevelopment to add 5k seats. Making this the major stand.
- a big focus on hospitality venues and exec boxes as well as large banks of fans to generate at atmosphere
- I’d suggest a large lower tier, boxes and a smaller upper tier - mistakes of North Stand learnt
- perhaps all liked to some commercial development of the car park behind, and a rerouting of Portman Road - so council linked regeneration, they’ve talked about a swimming complex?!
- the challenge is the huge cost involved when not settled in the Premier League, and the impact on atmosphere and capacity whilst being built. The loss of the North Stand was bad. Perhaps there is a way to build the roof and infrastructure of the building prior to demolishing the capacity, a la new stand at Anfield
So many possibilities - all very exciting |  |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 17:39 - Sep 7 with 1837 views | Help |
I think the North was restricted by the road and houses behind, right to light as was then etc.
The Cobbold has the road restriction. Unless you build over the road by a certain height.
However, if the road remains closed and unused in part then I guess there will be some arrangement to agree that the road is no longer used and therefore can be developed on. or the road moved across the car parks. But with the council plans for a multi storey car park and/or swimming pool in that area hard to tell. If you then built a new stand on the Pioneer you can move both away from the existing pitch to give you a larger pitch and run-off area. All speculation obviously. |  |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 18:25 - Sep 7 with 1769 views | Stewart27 |
Really like the idea of point number 2.
I think a box park type fanzone would really work for match and non match days when there are events on. Like this to be the entrance and for the club shop to be a superstore too. It is always rammed in there. |  | | |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 19:53 - Sep 7 with 1723 views | BrockleyBlue78 |
Nice post. Do you’ bowl’ both ends to seamlessly link up with churchman’s and the north stand? Would it even be possible? |  | | |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 19:58 - Sep 7 with 1705 views | unstableblue |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 17:39 - Sep 7 by Help |
I think the North was restricted by the road and houses behind, right to light as was then etc.
The Cobbold has the road restriction. Unless you build over the road by a certain height.
However, if the road remains closed and unused in part then I guess there will be some arrangement to agree that the road is no longer used and therefore can be developed on. or the road moved across the car parks. But with the council plans for a multi storey car park and/or swimming pool in that area hard to tell. If you then built a new stand on the Pioneer you can move both away from the existing pitch to give you a larger pitch and run-off area. All speculation obviously. |
My guess is that to add 5k to the Cobbold you basically reroute Portman Road and need real commitment from the council to basically give quite a lot of the land behind the stand | |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 20:00 - Sep 7 with 1700 views | unstableblue |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 19:53 - Sep 7 by BrockleyBlue78 |
Nice post. Do you’ bowl’ both ends to seamlessly link up with churchman’s and the north stand? Would it even be possible? |
I think you basically keep 4 distinct stands
With the new Cobbold being a new style of a huge lower tier… including away fans. | |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 20:02 - Sep 7 with 1696 views | unstableblue |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 18:25 - Sep 7 by Stewart27 |
Really like the idea of point number 2.
I think a box park type fanzone would really work for match and non match days when there are events on. Like this to be the entrance and for the club shop to be a superstore too. It is always rammed in there. |
I’m sure that a ‘box park’ of some form is the eventual plan.
Town fans would always want to watch BIG footballing events together… even if it’s not their own team… and the bar money from the World Cup game is colossal | |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 10:41 - Sep 8 with 1436 views | Stewart27 |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 20:02 - Sep 7 by unstableblue |
I’m sure that a ‘box park’ of some form is the eventual plan.
Town fans would always want to watch BIG footballing events together… even if it’s not their own team… and the bar money from the World Cup game is colossal |
As long as they don’t shut the bar 30 minutes before KO.
That is literally my only gripe since everything went and got bloody amazing again!
Why on earth do they do this in the fan zone? They are losing so much half time revenue as well. Was quality being able to get a pint at HT in there. | | | |
| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 11:56 - Sep 8 with 1375 views | ScotBlue |
I know everyone i focusing on the Cobbold as it is the oldest stand and really needs replacing but as a left field thought I wondered if the redevelopment might be the Pioneer ( it will always be the Pioneer to me!!). This was attached to the old West stand in the early 80's so is almost 50 years if not older. There is no issue with a road behind as there is only the old training pitch. Redevelopment could commence as they have at Anfield by building a stand behind the current and keeping the seat allocation as high as possible during a season.
https://footballgroundguide.com/about-the-author/developments.html
There are some new stand developments in this link
Palace 13500 seats
Forrest 10,000 seats
The Bristol City stand already mentioned holds 11,500.
Not sure what the Pioneer currently holds but this would allow for a large stand to be built to add additional capacity while time is taken to redevelop the Cobbold which could take longer due to the logistics of building across the "closed" Portman Road | | | |
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| Slow news day… PR development discussion continuation.. 3 questions? on 12:28 - Sep 8 with 1323 views | BiGDonnie |
4. Can our stand handle those amazing Leeds fans? |  |
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