Grandstand Update

[GreenArmy1984]

Will be great to see the revamp of the grandstand happen now

Plans look good my only concern is the pillars in the Grandstand

Sure there will be more updates along the way

 

[Argy1e]

If stage 2 is outside of the £5 million, and it probably is, extra funding could come from naming rights and sponsorship of the grandstand.

I'd like to think we would try and generate more money that way as most clubs do, but I seem to recall Brent saying that two names were sacrosanct with those being Home Park and the Mayflower Grandstand so I don't think we will.

I don't remember JB saying there will be no naming rights, I might have missed it, is there a link for his comments?

We had the FES Devonport End four years ago.

I don't sorry. Had a quick look, but couldn't find it anywhere.

 

[Green Matt]

Definitely in favour of this. It'll be nice to know that the old stand is still there and can be given a new lease of life. We need to get supporters back behind the dugouts. And the expectations of supporters are far more likely to be met when not demolishing and working on a blank canvas - most people were underwhelmed with the previous scheme because it did away with the existing stand only to replace it with something fairly small, representing what seemed to be a wasted opportunity.

 

[Princerock]

Why don't we pull down the Mayflower Grandstand & Build a New one

Those pillars in the Grandstand block supporters view unless you're in the directors box

Prefer sitting in the lyndhurst stand these days as much better View

Money

Is that a guess.... :funny:

 

[jerryatricjanner]

Some big improvements there, love the club shop facade idea and look forward to seeing the whole finished job. Downside for me is why can't we see the plans minus phase 2 as that is a bit pie in the sky at this point. Surprised the capacity is going to be a disappointing 17,400 or about 16,500 with our excessive segregation. Isn't that what the first proposed "mini stand" was and didn't JB say phase 1 would take capacity close to 20,000 and any phase 2 over 20,000?

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Some big improvements there, love the club shop facade idea and look forward to seeing the whole finished job. Downside for me is why can't we see the plans minus phase 2 as that is a bit pie in the sky at this point. Surprised the capacity is going to be a disappointing 17,400 or about 16,500 with our excessive segregation. Isn't that what the first proposed "mini stand" was and didn't JB say phase 1 would take capacity close to 20,000 and any phase 2 over 20,000?

Yeah, unfortunately I couldn't see any plans of stage 1 when looking from the pitch, as there are for stage 2.
There were only plans of stage 1 when viewed from behind the grandstand.

 

[Biggs]

I'm just struggling to see how the first phase can be under 18k, when the official capacity NOW is 16,500. We had over 15k in the Pompey play off game, with segregation and half of the grandstand (as in the whole structure) unused.

With a fully utilised and reseated grandstand, surely it would be closer to 20k?

 

[jerryatricjanner]

Exactly what I thought. It was 19,800 with temporary seats so how have we lost 2,000? It can't be so surely?

 

[Green Matt]

If the lower tier is made steeper perhaps it would mean fewer rows? Pure speculation on my part.

 

[cheshiregreen]

I have only been able to view the plans on my phone today so apologies for what maybe a question that could be answered easily on a bigger screen.

Where is the TV filming position? Presumably there is also an extended media area incorporating more up to date facilities too?

Assume this extension will reduce some of the existing capacity in the
Grandstand. How many corporate viewing lounges are there?

Appears to be a really positive step forward for our club.

 

[Argy1e]

Presumably there is also an extended media area incorporating more up to date facilities too?

Lets hope so.

 

[PilgrimLew]

Let's have a safe standing area in Devonport and Lyndhurst.

 

[Biggs]

Let's have a safe standing area in Devonport and Lyndhurst.

People keep saying this, and it keeps being impossible to do, due to standing terraces at Home Park being illegal.

 

[Metal Green Mickey]

I think the plans look good. Certainly, much better than what we have. The factillties for the staff, players and fans will be a remarkable improvement on what is there so that surely has to be a postive thing.

I do think people have to be realistic though about what this will do for the club. I believe in general, it will make us a very decent League one club. The extra revenue will help us I believe to compete at the the top end. Yet it will not propell us into competiting at the top 10 of the championship. You have to look at clubs who are already there. Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham, Huddersfield, Reading, Leeds, Norwich, Derby etc....Clubs that already have fairly new stadiums or huge existing football ground that will hold over 20,000 plus. The smallest of those clubs I have mentioned are Reading and Huddersfield at over 24,000 and Fulham at over 25,000. Now out of all those clubs Reading had the lowest average attendance of 17,505.

If we are to compete at championship level two things have to happen. One that is down to the Argyle board. The other worryingly is down to the Plymouth public. The stage two they talk about has to try and take the capacity over 20,000. However, we need to somehow sustain a crowd that is around what Fulham averaged this season. The worry for me is when we were doing brillantly under Holloway our crowds just didnt get near that kind of level on a regular basis. So for me, will their even be a need for a stage 2? I worry that stage 2 will be talked about like phase two, of us waiting for the main granstand to be built, and as the years tick on we will wonder if its ever to be completed.

Overall, I think the plans depend on how realistic you are. If you can accept this will strengthen us in League 1 but will fall short of competing with the big boys in the championship then you will be very happy with the plans. Thats how I personally feel. However, if you believe the grandstand will make us compete with the top 10 championship clubs then I believe some might be disppointed. For whilst extra revenue will be generated I dont think it will help us compete with the multi-million pound chairman and their football clubs in the championship and only having our own type of "Lansdown" will give us a chance to break through.

 

[Emeraldinho]

I was convinced a long time ago that I'd never see Argyle in the Prem in my lifetime and I see no reason to change that view. Just look at the teams in the Championship, most of whom have billionaire owners, huge fan bases and/or parachute payments to sustain them.