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Post by countybumpkin on Sept 21, 2022 12:32:35 GMT
Easy to follow the railway line - North to Manchester (ie. Main Stand), South to London (ie. Pop Side) Sorry you've lost me already! If you look at the railway from the Cheadle End, trains go left to Manchester (north) and right to London (south), so the Main Stand is north and the pop is south. It's often more interesting than what's going on, on the pitch at the moment.
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Post by desmond on Sept 21, 2022 12:33:58 GMT
Great to see the launch of the consultation and looking forward to seeing more plans. But we don’t need anywhere near 20,000. 14-15,000 would be a much better long term size to avoid us all rattling around in a half empty stadium. You need to have capacity for the occasional big games, though. Even 14-15000 might not have been enough on about 4-5 occasions last season. And don't forget this is based on getting to the Championship. Given the way the crowdbase has grown recently, we'll be selling out 20,000 fairly regularly if we do get there. I honestly don't think our last go in the Championship (7-8000 with an occasional 10000 sellout) is any guide. I reckon our crowds were lower than they would have been back then due to so many of the games being made all ticket and people thinking they’d miss out.
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Post by desmond on Sept 21, 2022 12:37:02 GMT
Nailed on £25 minimum price for a ticket, even in L2. Probably more like £35-£40 for a halfway line high up seat. But yeah, if the away fans remain in the Railway it'd be great to sit in the corner nearest to them. We've been way too far away from away fans in the Cheadle End for ages, except on the very rare occasion we'd give over the whole of the Pop. Interesting to wonder where the away fans might go. To be honest, I'd get them in the CE, either all of it, or a block. The new RE will be a far better stand (I've gone on before about how crap the CE is), with better facilities, better access, and presumably no restricted views, so we should have that. It'll also be interesting to see if safe standing is part of the plans. Ideally, we could have a standing tier in both behind the goal stands, one for home, one for away. Not sure you could ever effectively separate home and away fans in the CE. Though some may welcome that 😀
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Post by Showergel on Sept 21, 2022 12:37:57 GMT
There's no way Mark Stott & Co. will design and build anything that looks ugly. You can tell with what he's done with the current ground to make it look better he cares about appearance so think it will be awesome. I don't mind 2 corners being filled in but yeah that artist impression has just given me the fear! If we're going to do it, let's do it properly. Not something like some random flat roof corner like the 70s/80s/90s / Maine Road corner vibe. Those days have gone. We can make it look aesthetically pleasing, we can angle the roof and actually join the stand to make it looks as if it's joined together - not 2 different roofs at 2 different levels that makes it look like something that's been added on.
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Post by suedehead on Sept 21, 2022 12:42:50 GMT
I disagree. I was at Millwall not long ago and that’s rubbish. Four distinct stands, everything feels a bit segregated and on its own. Not every corner needs to be filled in but I don’t see any reason not to do it. Ours won't be distinct though It will be unique for us. The New Den is a 90s stadium. Ours isn't. Our Cheadle End will be different to the Railway End, our Main Stand will be different to what will be our new stand. They look different nd be at different heights. We aren't building up from the ground, we are working around what we already have. Our stands are already extremely close to the pitch. 4 close stands to the pitch I personally think would be better and good for atmosphere. Much like the stadiums I mentioned, Tranmere, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston etc. all have a kind of character. You never hear people say "the atmosphere was so good at e.g. Leicester City" but you hear people say, the atmosphere at Crystal Palace is great. The design of the stadium does play a part in that. I meant distinct as in standing on their own, not joined up, as opposed to being unique in their appearance. And tbh there was loads of stories about the atmosphere at the King Power when tey were going for the title. It even registered as a mini tremor after one goal, think it was Ulloa's late goal against Norwich. I'd say any lack of atmosphere at big grounds is down to demographics of supporters, day trippers, big corporate numbers rather than the stadium itself (except in extreme cases like West Ham's ground).
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Post by desmond on Sept 21, 2022 12:44:20 GMT
No way would we have got 14-15,000 on any occasion last season. All the games went on general sale before a few sell outs and even then you could spot space where I don’t think we actually had. I think we could regularly get around 10,000 home fans if we made it to the Championship. Would rather have a smaller, modern stadium where we’re closer to capacity and keep the atmosphere in than a vanity project based on fingers plucked from the sky. The last time we had a climb up the divisions our crowds rose from 2000 at the bottom of Division 4 to 7.5k in tye Championship, so increasing in size by a factor of 3.75 This time round we started from a lower position with larger crowds. We were getting 3.5k when mid-table in National League North. Multiply 3.5k by 3.75 = circa 13k. Throw in a few more to account we'll have climbed further from a lower position and we had the benefit of hardly any away fans in NLN and bang you're at around the 14k mark. Our fanbase is exploding. All the work with youngsters on free tickets in the 90s and 00s is really paying off, those youngsters are coming but now bringing their own kids, and their kids mates, and their kids mates mum and/or dad, etc... And not based on figures plucked out of thin air. I think anyone using the phrase vanity project probably has an axe to grind somewhere.
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Post by Henry Pratt on Sept 21, 2022 12:46:21 GMT
Interesting to wonder where the away fans might go. To be honest, I'd get them in the CE, either all of it, or a block. The new RE will be a far better stand (I've gone on before about how crap the CE is), with better facilities, better access, and presumably no restricted views, so we should have that. It'll also be interesting to see if safe standing is part of the plans. Ideally, we could have a standing tier in both behind the goal stands, one for home, one for away. Not sure you could ever effectively separate home and away fans in the CE. Though some may welcome that 😀 Yeah, true - it's not designed for segregation at all is it? I'm with others - stick em in a corner if we are likely to sell the rest of the ground. If we aren't - give them the CE and we can have the nice new facilities in the RE
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Post by Stranded Hatter on Sept 21, 2022 12:49:46 GMT
I hope they consider some sort of digital consultation for those of us who can’t be there physically. There’s already a link on the website to a fairly basic questionnaire I hadn’t noticed that. I’d just seen a list of dates that don’t align with my next trip up to County. Fairly basic worries me. I’ve had thoughts on this as a kid and would like to be able to take part in proper consultation. It really isn’t beyond the wit of man to do a zoom forum with people able to ask questions and make comments to people in real time. I run hybrid meetings for my union branch all the time using my own kit so with all the flash media people the club has it should be a doddle.
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Post by william72 on Sept 21, 2022 12:51:44 GMT
It's very exciting this. 20,000 seems a lot but the higher the club goes the bigger the away crowd as well. Stockport as a town is expanding massively so maybe it's tied in with that. Built it and they will come!
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Post by Showergel on Sept 21, 2022 12:55:01 GMT
Ours won't be distinct though It will be unique for us. The New Den is a 90s stadium. Ours isn't. Our Cheadle End will be different to the Railway End, our Main Stand will be different to what will be our new stand. They look different nd be at different heights. We aren't building up from the ground, we are working around what we already have. Our stands are already extremely close to the pitch. 4 close stands to the pitch I personally think would be better and good for atmosphere. Much like the stadiums I mentioned, Tranmere, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston etc. all have a kind of character. You never hear people say "the atmosphere was so good at e.g. Leicester City" but you hear people say, the atmosphere at Crystal Palace is great. The design of the stadium does play a part in that. I meant distinct as in standing on their own, not joined up, as opposed to being unique in their appearance. And tbh there was loads of stories about the atmosphere at the King Power when tey were going for the title. It even registered as a mini tremor after one goal, think it was Ulloa's late goal against Norwich. I'd say any lack of atmosphere at big grounds is down to demographics of supporters, day trippers, big corporate numbers rather than the stadium itself (except in extreme cases like West Ham's ground). Leicester fans were given clappers to help their atmosphere Could never be my club
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Post by Henry Pratt on Sept 21, 2022 13:06:02 GMT
There’s already a link on the website to a fairly basic questionnaire I hadn’t noticed that. I’d just seen a list of dates that don’t align with my next trip up to County. Fairly basic worries me. I’ve had thoughts on this as a kid and would like to be able to take part in proper consultation. It really isn’t beyond the wit of man to do a zoom forum with people able to ask questions and make comments to people in real time. I run hybrid meetings for my union branch all the time using my own kit so with all the flash media people the club has it should be a doddle. Tbh whilst in-person events are great, from a PR point of view especially, with models and Powerpoints, etc, most consultation should be done online. You'll get far more responses that way. In person events are great for people who like asking questions, or who aren't nervous about public speaking, but online consultation will get a better, more detailed response, from many more people.
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Andy
Frequenter
Posts: 135
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Post by Andy on Sept 21, 2022 13:08:51 GMT
A lot of debate on here about 20k and if it's too big etc. From what I can see the only negative to having a bigger ground and NOT filling it, is a possible lack of atmosphere. Don't forget the stands won't be there to just house fans, it'll be built as a year-round income generator for corporate days/events. It'll probably have some retail outlets or office accommodation within it, a gym etc, all money generating elements. Also, just purely from a footballing perspective and geographical perspective, Stockport is huge. Lots of investment going in to the town. Just look at the new developments for housing in the centre and around the Pyramid. That's a lot of new people who will have a football team on their doorstep, hopefully playing decent football at a decent level. Yes we've got City & United on our doorstep, but Oldham, Macc, Rochdale, Bury, all teams that have fallen away around us too. Also, there's plenty of teams with bigger stadiums that you could say don't need them who are doing just fine. Are Blackpool any different to us? Reading? The only differences are they've had a brief moment in the top leagues and managed to stay in and around the Championship. That's what we were capable of doing back in the late 90's but we blew it. This time I think we could do it properly (admittedly on steroids with Stott's money) but get back to that level and be a comfortable top of league 1, lower Championship side with decent but fluctuating support between 10-20k. I think what's being proposed with the ground is perfectly in line with what's proposed for the town, and I bet that's all been part of the deal with Stott agreeing things with the council regarding the ground.
Should be great times ahead really.
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Post by stonerose on Sept 21, 2022 13:49:29 GMT
This day has been a long time coming since Mark Stott announced that he was looking into redeveloping the ground and so far the plans look good but there's loads to go at and consider the more you think about the possibilities.
The expansion will really make the ground an imposing sight for those passing on the train and in the air and I'd like to think some thought will be given to the external design of the stands. As much as the new Cheadle End cladding looks great this is an opportunity to create something that really stands out and won't age like many clubs who have an identikit design.
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Post by hedleyverity on Sept 21, 2022 14:18:11 GMT
This day has been a long time coming since Mark Stott announced that he was looking into redeveloping the ground and so far the plans look good but there's loads to go at and consider the more you think about the possibilities. The expansion will really make the ground an imposing sight for those passing on the train and in the air and I'd like to think some thought will be given to the external design of the stands. As much as the new Cheadle End cladding looks great this is an opportunity to create something that really stands out and won't age like many clubs who have an identikit design. Hopefully something as iconic as the main stand façade pointing at the train line, not as ugly as Walsall’s advertising hoardings
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Post by suedehead on Sept 21, 2022 14:21:49 GMT
This day has been a long time coming since Mark Stott announced that he was looking into redeveloping the ground and so far the plans look good but there's loads to go at and consider the more you think about the possibilities. The expansion will really make the ground an imposing sight for those passing on the train and in the air and I'd like to think some thought will be given to the external design of the stands. As much as the new Cheadle End cladding looks great this is an opportunity to create something that really stands out and won't age like many clubs who have an identikit design. Hopefully something as iconic as the main stand façade pointing at the train line, not as ugly as Walsall’s advertising hoardings Hope we retain that Scandia hoarding that's on the Popside, that's just as iconic as the Main Stand facade.
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