CEO Mark Ashton says the Cobbold Stand will require redevelopment of some type at some point given its age but that the club is looking at the stadium in a holistic manner rather than at any stand individually.

The Cobbold Stand is the oldest at the ground these days after celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer having been built in 102 days in the summer of 1971.

“We’ve been talking about this as a senior team,” Ashton said when asked about plans for stadium developments and specifically the Cobbold Stand at last night’s fans’ forum.

“One of the things that we haven’t had is an estate strategy and you can’t develop any part of any stadium in isolation, you have to make the stadium work.

“We’ve been having meetings with the club’s architects, who have been the architects of the club for many, many years, and the number of schemes that they’ve drawn up for the football club that have never been actioned or built is just incredible, from stands to changing rooms to disabled facilities to pitch reconstruction.

“We’re starting to understand how the flow of the stadium works. It’s quite interesting, the architects said to me that the entrance to the stadium actually means that the club has almost got its back to the town. I’m trying to learn about Ipswich, I didn’t understand.

“I think we’ve got to look at the redevelopment or development of all areas of the stadium, not just the Cobbold Stand. The Cobbold Stand is an integral part of that and if you look at the Cobbold Stand it’s got a lifespan now. It is going to be need to be altered, changed, rebuilt at some point in time.

“But we’ve got to make sure that we’ve for the flow of the rest of the stadium right and that means that we can cater for the commercial customers, mid-level customers, season ticket holders and matchday fans.

“And that the stadium caters for that next generation of supporters too because, as I’ve said before, we really have an opportunity here to pack Portman Road and inspire a generation. We’ve got to make sure that all the facilities in all the stands work to do that.

“It’s a really good question and I think the answer to it in a short sentence is that we’re looking at the whole stadium and how it all works before we get to the specifics of which bit first.”

Photo: Action Images

paulcooperisgod added 11:11 - Nov 9 Didn't understand a word of that, does that mean it's being developed or not?????,
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Bazza8564 added 11:15 - Nov 9 Wow, interesting point and glad to hear that the team are working through it in such a scientific way. Personally, i think the biggest weakness of the stadium is that presents as four separate stands rather than one inclusive arena. The corner blocks that were put in 20 years ago were certainly a first step into correcting that, but if you look at the roof of the West and Cobbold stands, and the stand alone nature of the SRA stand, there is a huge amount of thinking to be done to bring it all together.

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Bazza8564 added 11:16 - Nov 9 paulcooperisgod, i take it as a yes :)
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Bert added 11:25 - Nov 9 Crickey, it doesn't seem that long since the old wooden stand went ! Really pleased that we have a team of people looking at things from a strategic long term perspective. A few years back there was private talk about relocating to an edge of town site. Whilst there are advantages of that, I think that for a town like Ipswich, a town centre stadium is one of its attractions close to the railway station and good parking. It would be good if the club involved supporters in co-producing the strategy for the stadium; preferably one that is for for the Premier League. I live in hope !

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Karlosfandangal added 11:32 - Nov 9 I am guessing that if Town go up this season, there maybe redevelopment of the Cobbold stand to increase the capacity, with increased revenue from the Championship, TV money etc they maybe able to lose some capacity while the stands are redeveloped. The stadium would then be ready for the Premiership and it would be a full house every match day
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ArnieM added 11:37 - Nov 9 OMG, HOW exciting is all of this !! Of course the ground needs modernisation. See it positively, they are NOT planning to move this club away from it's roots, but gradually, and sensitively ( is what Im picking up), re develop this tired old stadium. It won't be done immediately, but I suspect over 2-3 years…and bloody hell, at what cost?? We've been crying out for this for over two decades. Now it seems it's going to finally happen. To put it perspective, clubs such as Spurs, Man City, Arsenal, WHU have all had to move away from their “ home” to achieve what GC20 appears to have planned for this Club. They are not seeing us as we are now, a division three club, they are viewing us in the future, as an established Premier League and possibly future Champions League Club. Why not ? It's amazing! Think big, think outside the box. Look at Leicester now. It's NOT impossible for Town.we have the financial backing .

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atty added 11:42 - Nov 9 So much to do, so much positivity, energy, innovative thinking, attention to detail, nouse and commitment. Guess having a proper senior management team in place, a Chairman, a CEO, a COO etc., gives us a resource to drive this Club forward, on and off the pitch. Who'd have thought? Thank God it's happened. The future is bright.
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terryf added 11:57 - Nov 9 Having had the misfortune to sit in The Cobbold for the Cup game the seats were really cramped and not a pleasant experience. Also the loo facilities were few and far between and very basic. Mind you at least the one hand dryer was very powerful unlike the ones in The Sir Alf which are mediocre and seem to only work for about 10 seconds. Would suggest that Mr Ashton undertakes a closer inspection of the facilities as attention to detail is key to the feelgood factor.

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Lightningboy added 12:11 - Nov 9 Whatever you do just make sure you put “IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB” back up there in “that” font. 💙
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ArnieM added 12:48 - Nov 9 Too right Lightningboy👍 But it's interesting that MA (or to be more correct, hope is wife ), made those comments on his very first visit to PR makes me think the senior management had been discussing the stadium development from a very very stage in their take over. I think we're in good hands .
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NorthLondonBlue2 added 12:49 - Nov 9 I think his comment that the 'front' of the stadium has its back to the town centre is the most interesting. That hints at a complete stadium re-design and re-build. I know that the identikit stadia of e.g. Southampton, featuring a single tier 'bowl' are quite cheap to build, in principle and would maintain a capacity of 30k. Southampton's cost £32m (20 years ago!) and holds 32k, for example. Huddersfield built something more interesting for £40m but with a lower overall capacity. By contrast, the 'new' North Stand alone, also built 20 years ago cost £22m and only added a little extra in capacity. In other words, the cost of rebuilding the Cobbold may not be much different from an entire stadium rebuild. So, I'm sure that would be a consideration, particularly as the Britannia is also a bit rubbish and aged. I suppose the conundrum is pressing ahead with undersoil heating if the stadium footprint is going to change. Either way, it's exciting to think that the new owners recognise the need for redevelopment and have the means to do it.

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Bazza8564 added 13:11 - Nov 9 NorthLondonBlue2 I agree, especially with with the last paragraphs, i think that sends a clear message that PR is home and its better to retain the footprint and improve and redesign the stadium rather than start afresh. I too am intrigued about it pointing away from the Town, and I know one of the options they have looked at previously is extending Cobbold back across the road, so maybe a grand entrance, changing rooms under that stand and dugouts opposite their current position is in their thinking. If the control room wasn't where it is (and assume that could be relocated) it quite possible take the SRA "round the corners" so it all joined up. That would take us close to 40000 assuming around 7500 in a top tier Cobbold and the corners combined. That feels like enough to me. The Magnus stand might be able to just get away with a complete makeover, depending on capacity requirements, putting a new roof on the join it all up etc etc, and some decent concourse bars which are dreadful and a general smartening up. The stand itself isn't that bad bar some of the aesthetics. Either way, as people are saying, its exciting to be thinking about these things after all these years of stagnation.No doubt Mr Ashton will come up with a scheme to blow us away, the news that the pitch and giant screen are in train is good enough to keep me amused for now :)

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Tokey added 13:39 - Nov 9 This is good news, sometimes can't believe it's Ipswich they are talking about! If a significant rebuild is necessary, you would imagine it would take longer than the close-season. In which case, where would we play our home games? I'm sure Col U would be up for a bit of ground-sharing but that only fits 10k or so. West Ham? Dare I say it....Norwich?
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Monkey_Blue added 13:51 - Nov 9 I don't want an identikit bowl of a stadium. Of course there has to be an integrated strategy to redevelopment but have some character to the ground. This doesn't mean I object to updating or even replacing the Cobbold but even if we get promoted, fans will get bored if we aren't playoff challengers. Let's be honest even when we were in the championship we weren't selling out except for Derbys or play off games. I don't care how blissful promotion will be, we'll get used to it and get bored if it doesn't lead to constant progress on the pitch. The couple of times I've been in the cobbold the biggest complaint would be leg room. Surely the real issue is the tightness to Portman road so it has to be built up not back.

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pennblue added 14:57 - Nov 9 Please make sure acoustics and safe standing sections are high up the list of things to consider. But yes, what Bolton and Reading have done seems to make sense, what do their stadium finances look like is the question I guess?
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AlanG296 added 15:31 - Nov 9 In the current climate, having a town centre ground with good access to public transport is even more preferable to an out or edge of town ground. Our ground is in an ideal location. The end stands are currently more than adequate, future development should focus on the east side. The road behind the stand is effectively no longer a public road so I can't see that IBC would oppose building a stand on the road while maintaining the thoroughfare for pedestrians, cyclists etc. Might need to take a bit off the car park but can't see that being a problem. Building a new stand further back would enable the pitch to be moved east creating space for more adequate technical areas and whatever the bench is called these days to accommodate all of the subs and coaches as well as improving viewing from the upper tier.

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ArnieM added 15:46 - Nov 9 With regards to the Cobbold Stand discussed about , was there not plans somewhere that the car park opposite that stand was going to be re developed and have a hotel on it ? What's to stop a new consoles stand being developed as suggested going over the road but like in Monte Carlo , the road goes “ through “ or under the stand / hotel like a tunnel ? It keeps the road open and the hotel would “ front” the Club , like it does at Bolton's ground ( if memory serves me right?)

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Scuzzer added 15:54 - Nov 9 As said elsewhere I think the old idea of building over the road could be a good fix. This could be a way of turning the ground road at the same time. I don't think it would be possible to do a complete ground overhaul as where would Town play for two years, in an area where the only real ground share would be Carrot Road, which is too far away to be useful. If it is to be a complete overhaul then you may as well build a new stadium somewhere else other than Portman Road. Down Sproughton Road maybe?

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AlanG296 added 16:06 - Nov 9 Would hope that the Chairman and CEO have already made contact with IBC and should be making them aware of their vision for the club and how that would fit with IBC's strategy for the area. Would think that going forward, the ground where it is with access to the Town centre and Station is in the best place it could be.
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brendenward35 added 17:07 - Nov 9 Just a thought don't knock me please, sometimes it easy to buy a piece of land and build a new stadium on that this would mean the club owns the land and they could quite easily make the access car parking a lot better. Sunderland is a good example of this built new ground whilst Roker park was still being used. As we all know from Brett they are not scared to build stadiums in better locations and easier to access.

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PackwoodBlue added 17:21 - Nov 9 The IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB has to stay. It's like the Spurs' Cockerel and Highbury clock, both at their new stadiums.
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AlanG296 added 17:24 - Nov 9 Whatever is built it's about planning for the next 30 years and more and convenience for parking cars however they are powered is a thing of the past.
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AlanG296 added 17:45 - Nov 9 Should have said convenience for cars is a thing of the past, whether I like it or not. I don't like it but that's the way things are going.
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Suffolkboy added 22:41 - Nov 9 It's been only too obvious for years and years that little or no attention has been paid to the ground and the Town estate in general . It's has about the same level of planning and forethought as the reality of actually developing and building a proper side and reserve resources to progress to and maintain stability at the highest levels . There's lots of potential to provide a much better ,and better resourced stadium ,and to add facilities which ought to be readily available,but which lack of imagination and drive have to date typically hampered . Overall what we are now seeing is a proper Management Team focused on seemingly all aspects of running and developing the business that is ITFC . Good on yer chaps , all behind you , press on ! COYB

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fifeblue added 11:18 - Nov 11 If they are seriously considering a holistic approach to the stadium and increasing its capacity, given the anbisiton of returning the club to the Premier League then the solution is obvious ... see that big area behind the Britannia? The orientation could be changed so that the pitch is 'side-on' to what it is currently. Where the Cobbold stand is now would be one of the ends. There is enough room at Portman Road to build a much bigger stadium (50,000+) if it is considered necessary. The question is whether it is really necessary. I was at the record attendance match (38,010) in 1975. Can we really imagine Ipswich achieveing regular attendances in the higher 30 thousands?

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