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Author Topic: The North Stand  (Read 17608 times)

Offline Dave Clark Five

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The North Stand
« on: March 18, 2014, 10:24:23 PM »
Anyone heard anything about the North Stand works? It has gone very quiet of late.

Offline leylandalbion

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2014, 10:28:30 PM »
Until we start selling out 8-10 games a season whats the point!  If Faulkner and Co read this (prior to Saturday) they could have been excused for wanting to down size given the negativity over ST sales

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2014, 10:29:58 PM »
Facilities is part of the point. The North Stand will happen.

Offline leylandalbion

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2014, 10:35:35 PM »
I hope it does...a bigger lower tier would increase atmosphere...but surely something re:plans would have been leaked if it was on a 4-5 year radar?

Online olaftab

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2014, 10:45:59 PM »
This is a perennial question. It's sign of spring in the air.

Online Toronto Villa

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2014, 10:55:17 PM »
This is a perennial question. It's sign of spring in the air.

We could do with something to remind me of the spring. It's been a miserable winter here. But yes, this topic always comes up and I for one will miss discussing it when the stand finally goes up.

Seriously though I don't think we need the attendance to justify building it. It has commercial value beyond regular supporters being there. And in any case, our attendance has been superb despite an average season and until very recently terrible home form. I think we'd be fine with a 50,000 capacity.

Offline KevinGage

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2014, 11:01:50 PM »
This is a perennial question. It's sign of spring in the air.

We could do with something to remind me of the spring. It's been a miserable winter here. But yes, this topic always comes up and I for one will miss discussing it when the stand finally goes up.

Seriously though I don't think we need the attendance to justify building it. It has commercial value beyond regular supporters being there. And in any case, our attendance has been superb despite an average season and until very recently terrible home form. I think we'd be fine with a 50,000 capacity.

I'd have no qualms about us starting the project, and doing it in such a way that the new stand can accommodate an extension in the way the present one can't. 

But boosting the capacity to 50,000k in the short to medium term wouldn't make sense in all honesty -and I say that as someone who has been in favour of extending the ground before. 

We don't need to be selling out before we expand, but there does need to be some forward momentum about the place before we even think about getting 40-45k on a regular basis, never mind 50,000.

In all honesty, I think it will take a new owner for that to occur.

 
« Last Edit: March 18, 2014, 11:05:10 PM by KevinGage »

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2014, 11:08:09 PM »
I'm pretty sure it will be a straight forward case of knock the old stand down and build a new one. Within 5 years. Most likely less.

Online Toronto Villa

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2014, 11:11:20 PM »
For a while under MON we were getting pretty consistent attendances over 40,000. And MON's brand of football wasn't much better than some of the stuff under Lambert. I think the support is there and if the home form continues to improve and you get a couple of really good players in I believe we could get to 43,000-45,000 each week. The club needs to give fans a reason to come back.


Online olaftab

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2014, 11:11:50 PM »
We could do with something to remind me of the spring. It's been a miserable winter here. But yes, this topic always comes up and I for one will miss discussing it when the stand finally goes up.
I was listening to talksport  on the way home from work and they were talking to a Canadian fella, from your town, a big arsenal fan about Drogba v Henry as to who is better. He mentioned the weather and temperature hovering around -20 for weeks. Now that's cold from my experience in Sweden.

Offline Havencheese

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2014, 11:19:54 PM »
Apart from relegation and/or budget constraints there's no reason why a 50,000 capacity shouldn't be implemented at some stage soon. All games against top 4-6 clubs will still sellout or exceed our current capacity, it requires is a good team to either sellout or reach near capacity for matches against the likes of say Hull or Norwich.

Building a stronger squad should come first, re. 'requiring a good team'

Offline saunders_heroes

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2014, 11:33:06 PM »
We should have built it when we were averaging 40k under O'Neill. Every time we've rebuilt a stand over the years our average attendances have gone up, so I don't see why it wouldn't thins time.
Build it and they will come, and all that....

Online Toronto Villa

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2014, 11:34:00 PM »
We could do with something to remind me of the spring. It's been a miserable winter here. But yes, this topic always comes up and I for one will miss discussing it when the stand finally goes up.
I was listening to talksport  on the way home from work and they were talking to a Canadian fella, from your town, a big arsenal fan about Drogba v Henry as to who is better. He mentioned the weather and temperature hovering around -20 for weeks. Now that's cold from my experience in Sweden.

I've been in Canada for 16 years now. All except for two years i've lived in Toronto. This has easily been the worst winter. Cold, snow, never ending. The only time the winter was worse was in those two other years I was in Ottawa where one night with the wind chill it hit -52C. Hideous

Offline KevinGage

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2014, 11:40:46 PM »
We should have built it when we were averaging 40k under O'Neill. Every time we've rebuilt a stand over the years our average attendances have gone up, so I don't see why it wouldn't thins time.
Build it and they will come, and all that....

Yes, if our gates were showing an upward curve. 

Fact is Villa Park already has quite a sparse feel to it on many a matchday. 

Under Little and even Gregory, to a certain extent, we were close to punching our weight as a club.  Or closer, at least.


Online pauliewalnuts

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Re: The North Stand
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2014, 11:44:38 PM »
The question isn't just "does the North Stand need to be replaced to increase capacity", it is also "does it need to be replaced to improve facilities".

It is a dreadfully outdated stand. I couldn't believe, on the stadium tour, how shabby it is. As for the seating, the views are very good, but if you're over 6 ft tall you will struggle. I couldn't sit comfortably without the back of the seat in front digging into my knees.

If we are going to rebuild to improve facilities, then it obviously makes sense to do so in a way which provides extra capacity if it is needed in the future.

 


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