| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview 12:11 - Feb 18 with 2393 views | LegendofthePhoenix |
I was always under the impression that our training facilities were first class, at least for where we sit in the pyramid. All previous regimes, including as best I can recall Paul Cook, commented that our training facilities were a huge asset. Now under the new regime, we hear that they are not fit for purpose. I know we've suspected that there might be something amiss that has contributed to countless injuries, but we are now hearing that the training facilities need a major overhaul. I guess McKenna has been used to top class facilities at Spurs and Man U, and it puts Playford Rd into perspective? |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:08 - Feb 18 with 2219 views | markchips |
There seems to have been a remarkable reduction in the number of injured players. We actually have some spare ones these days.
Credit has to be given to a number of areas but it seems the quality of the training pitch is definitely under question and this will have been a contributory factor.
Taking on injury prone players inevitably was a factor too. |  | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:23 - Feb 18 with 2133 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
To be fair, managers right back to Hurst have complained about things not right behind the scenes. |  |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:26 - Feb 18 with 2125 views | hype313 |
15 years of no investment bar a few free weights, no wonder it's looking tired.
On a positive, with a bit of TLC and money it could be done up really well. |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:27 - Feb 18 with 2133 views | PhilTWTD |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:26 - Feb 18 by hype313 |
15 years of no investment bar a few free weights, no wonder it's looking tired.
On a positive, with a bit of TLC and money it could be done up really well. |
If I remember rightly the weights, if you're referring to the changes to the gym in 2018 which seemed to be largely weights-based, cost £55,000. |  | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:35 - Feb 18 with 2075 views | tractorboy1978 |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:27 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
If I remember rightly the weights, if you're referring to the changes to the gym in 2018 which seemed to be largely weights-based, cost £55,000. |
You can see how the 'off the pitch' costs associated with running and maintaining a club of our size soon stack up if you are doing it properly can't you? | | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:37 - Feb 18 with 2059 views | Kieran_Knows |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:27 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
If I remember rightly the weights, if you're referring to the changes to the gym in 2018 which seemed to be largely weights-based, cost £55,000. |
Think that cost included a refurb of the gym. As I've said on numerous occasions, Hurst and his physio Skitt, could not believe the state of the place for a then Championship side. |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:40 - Feb 18 with 2026 views | WeirdFishes |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:37 - Feb 18 by Kieran_Knows |
Think that cost included a refurb of the gym. As I've said on numerous occasions, Hurst and his physio Skitt, could not believe the state of the place for a then Championship side. |
Paul Hurst said to me that the training facilities at Shrewsbury were miles better than what he'd inherited here. |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:43 - Feb 18 with 2014 views | PhilTWTD |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:35 - Feb 18 by tractorboy1978 |
You can see how the 'off the pitch' costs associated with running and maintaining a club of our size soon stack up if you are doing it properly can't you? |
It does all tot up, doesn't it? If I remember rightly all the changes which were made when Lambert came in cost around £100,000 as well. Think the last time the building was refurbished was about 10 years ago.
The main issue with the building is that it was only intended to be an academy facility when it was built but the first team has gradually taken over. | | | |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:45 - Feb 18 with 1961 views | PhilTWTD |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:37 - Feb 18 by Kieran_Knows |
Think that cost included a refurb of the gym. As I've said on numerous occasions, Hurst and his physio Skitt, could not believe the state of the place for a then Championship side. |
The refurb seemed to mainly consist of weights, if I remember rightly. Prior to that I don't think anything had been done to it since we were in the Premier League. | | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:47 - Feb 18 with 1926 views | Kieran_Knows |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:45 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
The refurb seemed to mainly consist of weights, if I remember rightly. Prior to that I don't think anything had been done to it since we were in the Premier League. |
Fair enough, I know bits were done to the actual gym as well at the same time. | |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:56 - Feb 18 with 1864 views | hype313 |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:27 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
If I remember rightly the weights, if you're referring to the changes to the gym in 2018 which seemed to be largely weights-based, cost £55,000. |
Whilst that's a significant sum to you or I, to a club like ITFC that's chicken feed in the grand scheme of things.
Thankfully Ashton has stated on numerous occasions that the training ground will be a priority.
What was interesting in his interview is when he mentioned there were too many people wandering around the place, pretty much confirms that we won't be able to go up and watch anytime soon. | |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:04 - Feb 18 with 1804 views | tractorboy1978 |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:43 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
It does all tot up, doesn't it? If I remember rightly all the changes which were made when Lambert came in cost around £100,000 as well. Think the last time the building was refurbished was about 10 years ago.
The main issue with the building is that it was only intended to be an academy facility when it was built but the first team has gradually taken over. |
The cost of additional off field staff since the takeover must be pushing a couple of million quid a year alone. There was 40 odd vacancies at times over the summer - all for new roles plus Ashton, O'Leary, Rolls and a host of other appointments made. Then you've got the actual improvements being made at the ground/training ground on top of that.
The more you see the new guys operating, the more you realise how financially out of his depth (either through choice or lack of liquidity) Evans actually was at Championship level. | | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:08 - Feb 18 with 1766 views | hype313 |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:04 - Feb 18 by tractorboy1978 |
The cost of additional off field staff since the takeover must be pushing a couple of million quid a year alone. There was 40 odd vacancies at times over the summer - all for new roles plus Ashton, O'Leary, Rolls and a host of other appointments made. Then you've got the actual improvements being made at the ground/training ground on top of that.
The more you see the new guys operating, the more you realise how financially out of his depth (either through choice or lack of liquidity) Evans actually was at Championship level. |
I think it was choice, certainly wasn't liquidity given his wealth, wasn't he one of the wealthiest owners at one point?
It's obviously been done to death, but he clearly didn't have ambitions of continuous investment of PR or the Training ground under his tenure, and we can all see the fallout of this.
The running costs of a football club are eye watering and that's just the players wage bill, all the other ancillary things then mount up, you need deep pockets to own a football club these days. | |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:10 - Feb 18 with 1753 views | Churchman |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:47 - Feb 18 by Kieran_Knows |
Fair enough, I know bits were done to the actual gym as well at the same time. |
It all sounds a bit piecemeal and on the cheap to me. Making do, tinkering here, little bit there. Box of smartprice seed for the pitch, job’s a good un etc.
Regardless, whether or not MA, Hurst etc are playing down the existing facilities and Evans poured his last shilling into them (well, the turnstiles anyway), the evidence of the football ground itself tells me that the infrastructure of the football club was just not a priority.
I’m glad the new owners and management see it a little differently. |  | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:14 - Feb 18 with 1695 views | tractorboy1978 |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:08 - Feb 18 by hype313 |
I think it was choice, certainly wasn't liquidity given his wealth, wasn't he one of the wealthiest owners at one point?
It's obviously been done to death, but he clearly didn't have ambitions of continuous investment of PR or the Training ground under his tenure, and we can all see the fallout of this.
The running costs of a football club are eye watering and that's just the players wage bill, all the other ancillary things then mount up, you need deep pockets to own a football club these days. |
A wealthy man no doubt, but I do wonder how cash rich he actually was. Being 'worth' £700m and having the cash readily available to run and maintain a club like ITFC are two different things. | | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:17 - Feb 18 with 1653 views | Fixed_It |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:08 - Feb 18 by hype313 |
I think it was choice, certainly wasn't liquidity given his wealth, wasn't he one of the wealthiest owners at one point?
It's obviously been done to death, but he clearly didn't have ambitions of continuous investment of PR or the Training ground under his tenure, and we can all see the fallout of this.
The running costs of a football club are eye watering and that's just the players wage bill, all the other ancillary things then mount up, you need deep pockets to own a football club these days. |
Don't think Evans was particularly 'cash rich' compared to some owners. But it is clear that he prioritised investing in the playing squad (to a degree) at the expense of everything else. Clearly a short-sighted view given the investment required to remedy things now. |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 14:35 - Feb 18 with 1567 views | textbackup |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:45 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
The refurb seemed to mainly consist of weights, if I remember rightly. Prior to that I don't think anything had been done to it since we were in the Premier League. |
The entire squad has a (free?) membership at David Lloyd, I guess the money was spent sending them there instead of buying equipment |  |
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| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 16:53 - Feb 18 with 1305 views | PhilTWTD |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:56 - Feb 18 by hype313 |
Whilst that's a significant sum to you or I, to a club like ITFC that's chicken feed in the grand scheme of things.
Thankfully Ashton has stated on numerous occasions that the training ground will be a priority.
What was interesting in his interview is when he mentioned there were too many people wandering around the place, pretty much confirms that we won't be able to go up and watch anytime soon. |
Think that was more aimed at the academy being in the same buildings/facilities so so many people coming and going over the course of a day/evening. From what's been said once the Covid protocols end fans will be let in for U18s/U23s matches but it won't happen this season. | | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 17:02 - Feb 18 with 1272 views | Veggie |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:43 - Feb 18 by PhilTWTD |
It does all tot up, doesn't it? If I remember rightly all the changes which were made when Lambert came in cost around £100,000 as well. Think the last time the building was refurbished was about 10 years ago.
The main issue with the building is that it was only intended to be an academy facility when it was built but the first team has gradually taken over. |
Wasn’t the main thing that Lambert wanted at the training ground was a fence around it? Probably to prevent anyone from being able to see how bad his coaching sessions were. |  | | |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 23:39 - Feb 18 with 956 views | patrickswell |
| The comments about Playford Rd in the KoA interview on 13:40 - Feb 18 by WeirdFishes |
Paul Hurst said to me that the training facilities at Shrewsbury were miles better than what he'd inherited here. |
It's just a shame that he also believed the players at Shrewsbury were better than what he inherited here as well. |  | | |
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