The Holte Suite

[dorsetvillian]

No fixed-wheel bike either. Although I am Vegan..

[claret+blue ed]

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned elsewhere but the ‘Lower grounds facility’ was roundly booed at half time yesterday when they were promoting it

It was pretty obvious what most people felt about it

I'm sure i'll get some abuse for this, but seriously, grown up people booing a catering facility??

[chrisw1]

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned elsewhere but the ‘Lower grounds facility’ was roundly booed at half time yesterday when they were promoting it

It was pretty obvious what most people felt about it

I'm sure i'll get some abuse for this, but seriously, grown up people booing a catering facility??

They're not booing a catering facility.  They're booing the gentrification of our traditional fan terrace.  If you can't understand that you must be entirely tone deaf.

[pauliewalnuts]

I have to say £5-£6 a pint has really priced me out of drinking regularly.  Not that I can't afford it.  I just don't want to hand over that kind of money for a pint.  It's ridiculous.

I can't remember the last time I paid less than a fiver for a pint. Genuinely, probably about 5 or 6 years ago.

I think it's almost a cyclical thing with pubs.

Far fewer people go to pubs than did in the past, and it has been like that for ages now. Even with fewer pubs still remaining, and fewer outlets chasing the business, there has been this combination of a massive cultural change to start things, followed by 15 years of economic strife, and then by the impact of covid, and to make money, the prices have to be steep.

I used to work with a guy whose Dad ran pubs for years, and he said that nowadays it was pretty much a given that you had to offer food, and that although you might sell hardly any of it a day, you had to have it and someone to cook it pretty much all day.

All these things must put such a squeeze on the industry.

[dave.woodhall]

I paid £3.60 for the best pint I've had in ages on Saturday.  Food in this pub was cobs or scratchings. It was very busy.

[claret+blue ed]

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned elsewhere but the ‘Lower grounds facility’ was roundly booed at half time yesterday when they were promoting it

It was pretty obvious what most people felt about it

I'm sure i'll get some abuse for this, but seriously, grown up people booing a catering facility??

They're not booing a catering facility.  They're booing the gentrification of our traditional fan terrace.  If you can't understand that you must be entirely tone deaf.

Why is it tone deaf to not understand why grown ups would boo a new facility at the club, while I am not an ST, I have been a regular in the Holte for around 25 years and the gentrification of this started a long time ago

My opinion about the Lower Grounds is that the club went about it totally the wrong way in how it was communicated and the facility delivered, they should have improved the facilities in the existing concourses first, then some kind of outdoor fan park style area in the Holte car park if the Trinity area isn't enough before making the LG area

I don't see that I would use the LG as I usually drive, but don't think it is that bad value if it does suit your usual matchday routine of a few pints and something to eat

How many ST's would have not renewed if they knew that the Holte suite was being removed from the package??

I just think the whole booing and abuse aimed at fellow fans over this is a bit OTT

[chrisw1]

I've also said I understand the Holte Suite refurb more than Terrace View, as TV took a huge part of the concourse and directly impacted on everyone in the Upper Holte.

But even so, LG is a part of a package of measures to take away facilities from traditional fans with little or no mitigation.  It's natural that people will be pissed off. And if we meekly accept everything then I guarantee you the next step is padded seats in the Holte.  And once they're in and people have lost their long-held season ticket seats it will be too late to do anything about it.  Showing dissent now puts the club on notice - don't push it too far.   

[Mister E]

... Far fewer people go to pubs than did in the past, and it has been like that for ages now. Even with fewer pubs still remaining, and fewer outlets chasing the business, there has been this combination of a massive cultural change to start things, followed by 15 years of economic strife, and then by the impact of covid, and to make money, the prices have to be steep ...

Add to that the loosening of the off-licence sales regs - supermarkets have killed the specialist offie and on-licence drinking. I'm committed to pubs, but I know I go less than I used to because I can now sit in front of on-demand TV drinking very good inexpensive beer (all of which probably makes me even more the pub bore when I do go ....)

[Nev]

The very idea that you can pay extra not to stand in the pissing rain went out with away days at Huddersfield. We can fuck off outside if we're not prepared to pay through the nose?

Fan Parks came about through tournaments held in the Summer and shouldn't be the norm through the winter.

I don't agree with individuals abusing other fans but other than booing to express dissatisfaction how are the fans supposed to go about it? Strongly worded and subsequently ignored emails? Go and support someone else? The fans representation boards that appear to have little influence if recent evidence is anything to go by?

I concede that booing an advert for a club initiative sounds incongruous but you have to look how we got to such a point.

[pauliewalnuts]

I sometimes sneer at Costa, and I usually silently boo Frankie and Benny's.

[claret+blue ed]

I haven't actually been in the Upper Holte this season as I have been taking my lad in the family section in the Trinity, but will be in there for the Legia game so will see how much the TV has impacted the space

I'm probably not as dismissive of the LG as others because I have never been able to access this area as not an ST

Agree about the fan parks being suitable for summer events, maybe the club should look at installing some form of marquee to make it a bit more appealing for the winter

Unfortunately booing has become norm for a whole manner of things in this era, we'd normally save it up for ex noses who had seen the light and moved on!

It would be good if the club took notice of members of the fan consulation group as I would expect they would be raising these points

[Holte L2]

I paid £3.60 for the best pint I've had in ages on Saturday.  Food in this pub was cobs or scratchings. It was very busy.

Sounds perfect Dave. Where was this heavenly place?

[VillaTim]

What is the point of sweet potato fries when you can just have potato fries .
They have no place and definitely not at a football match

[Axl Rose]

What is the point of sweet potato fries when you can just have potato fries .
They have no place and definitely not at a football match

People might prefer sweet potatoes to the more common variety?

[Clark W Griswold]

What is the point of sweet potato fries when you can just have potato fries .
They have no place and definitely not at a football match

I must admit, i almost vomited my foie gras up when i saw those.