Swapping DE to BPE and vice versa.

[Quintrell Green]

The changing rooms etc are quite small and poky where they are so not a bad idea, buck.
I still think it's a shame the teams don't come out in the centre of the Mayflower like they used to.

The Home dressing room is far better and by no means smaller than the dressing room that existed in the old Mayflower Grandstand. The new away dressing room is smaller than the home one but I think that was deliberate in order to make the opposition less comfortable. At least the away dressing room floor is not made wet purposely before the opposition arrives, as was the welcome tactic with some clubs in years past!
Unless it becomes a major stewarding issue in the future, I think the Devonport End clientele should stick where they are. Any plan to switch supporters would generate the same level of back lash as scrapping Semper Fidelis.

 

[IJN]

Think that was before Dan Ian, I started going 82 / 83 and I cannot remember the DE being any different other than a roof being added which again was before Dan took over.
Agreed as I grew up the Lyndhurst was the place to be at the time

Yeah it was mate, as Andy has said above. It's probably my deep seated dislike of Dan that made me think it was him.

I can remember us all being ashamed by the new roof though. It was a shadow of what it used to be.

 

[IJN]

No. Silly idea.
1. The Devonport IS considered our home end by most and moving away fans there would fragment the atmosphere
2. The BPE feels separated from the rest of the ground, partly due to the grandstand not reaching as far in that direction.
3. As stated the BPE gets the prevailing wind and rain, worsened by the aforementioned gap between the grandstand and the end itself.
4. Most of the club facilities such as the shop/ ticket office etc are at the Devonport End.. By moving the away fans to that end of the ground you'd have thousands of, say, Leeds or West Brom fans congregated around that area making it less likely for Argyle fans to pop in the shop etc.
There's literally nothing behind the BPE.. just some scrub and a gravelly path.. Why give Argyle fans the inarguably worse end of the ground?

All round its just a really naff idea if its literally just for the sake of getting away fans on their busses quicker (bearing in mind that probably a maximum 20% of away fans arrive by coach anyway). To my knowledge there have been no major flashpoints with away fans getting their coaches this season and the away end has been as full as it would be next season, regardless of who is relegated (if we stay up).

It's NOT for the sake of them Patrick, that is almost a bi product.

By the way, I'm not saying for one minute that I think it's a good thing to move, but if I was involved with stuff at Home Park, I would certainly be discussing it as an option.

But I've never signed up for 'The DE is our ancestral home' stuff, as I said the vast majority of 'lads' (that's what it was like in those days) decided that the Lyndy was the place to be.

 

[Argylegames]

I agree about putting away fans in a corner - but that would double the concourse problems we had in trying to reduce the away end to allow more home fans. Sitting in the away end facing west is not ideal with the wind, rain, and sometimes sun in your face - it would need the roof extended outwards.

 

[up the line]

It's NOT for the sake of them Patrick, that is almost a bi product.

By the way, I'm not saying for one minute that I think it's a good thing to move, but if I was involved with stuff at Home Park, I would certainly be discussing it as an option.

But I've never signed up for 'The DE is our ancestral home' stuff, as I said the vast majority of 'lads' (that's what it was like in those days) decided that the Lyndy was the place to be.

Why?
What potential benefits are there to trying to relocate Argyle's most vociferous 3/4 thousand fans to the opposite end of the stadium to an inarguably less advantageous stand, away from any of the ticket office/shop/statue/burger vans/car park etc?

 

[Lancastergreen]

Why?
What potential benefits are there to trying to relocate Argyle's most vociferous 3/4 thousand fans to the opposite end of the stadium to an inarguably less advantageous stand, away from any of the ticket office/shop/statue/burger vans/car park etc?

Exactly, it reads more of old fashioned vision than new age vision.
I think that's why younger owners come in, less grey haired grey suited people thinking old fashioned.

 

[EastoftheTamar]

The simplest solution that will have the biggest impact would be to relocate the family enclosure the the upper mayflower west, younger children will not have the issues with smaller seats and this may also allow the Event Safety Group to increase the capacity slightly, this would then free up larger leg room space for the larger adult supporter, there is also less foul language in the grandstand so would be beneficial for all.

 

[Greenarmy1234]

Why not a segregated area in the lower mayflower with an access route built and directed up between Devonport end corner. That way would keep the away fans quiet on the wet and windy games, and free up nicer areas for home fans?

 

[Dunc67]

The best solution would be to have the Green Army behind both goals, and the away fans somewhere else in the stadium.

But where would be the best place?

Devonport end of the lower Mayflower, out in the rain.

 

[Graham Clark]

The Club have spent money on segration and requisite facilities at the Barn Park End incrementally to achieve the 10% allocation (or there abouts) for away fans. Regularly, now 1,700+ are accomodated with the club now able to consistently sell around 15,000 to home fans. To try and accommodate 1,700 away fans in elsewhere the current stadium configuration would require segregation on both sides if in one of the Lyndhurst corners. To fully locate away fans in the Devonport would be unnecessariliy antagonistic at a time when 'One Argyle' is displaying its full virtue.

An increase in ground capacity will also have implications for increasing the away capacity. The Barn Park End is still capable of accommodating that increase if the capacity is increased in one of the three other sides or the two vacant corners. The club, now that away fans coaches are parked at Harpers, have effective control over away fans access and egress to the club. It makes no sense to change it now, given the recent investment, or any time in the immediate future, if or when capacity is increased.

To manage the necessary change of seating would be an organisational nightmare. I remember the kerfuffle when season ticket holders in the Upper Mayflower found that their seat would be marginally moved from its original location. Imagine the furore if the club even tried to relocate those fans who have sat in their seat since 2002 when the 'horseshoe' was completed.

It is a resounding 'no' from me.

 

[ghost of hughie reed]

Listening to how loud the boos were near the tunnel only proves the theory that the away fans have the definite advantage.

I dont think it proves anything.
I dont think the booing by away fans impacts the players performance.

What might affect their performance is being booed by Argyle fans, I remember the horrifying vitriol aimed at the Argyle players exiting the Devonport End to the temporary changing rooms once or twice during the Adams era. I was close by and can tell you the players did not like that.
So from that perspective, having to walk past away supporters is actuall protective at times.

The weather related arguement really trumps it though. The match day experience is deminished when viewing from the Barn Park if conditions are not right.

 

[rongreenblood]

Until then, leave it.

Just leave it. It ain't broke-------

 

[JPB]

I've a ST in the D'port. I've gotten to know everyone around me over the last few years (don't know any of them outside of Argyle). If we swapped ends we'd almost certainly be split up. The ritual of discussing the team news, the game, the next few fixtures, or how they are getting on with work / their personal life would be lost. Would be a shame!

 

[Emeraldinho]

Upper Mayflower

Sod off!

 

[Argylegames]

The simplest solution that will have the biggest impact would be to relocate the family enclosure the the upper mayflower west, younger children will not have the issues with smaller seats and this may also allow the Event Safety Group to increase the capacity slightly, this would then free up larger leg room space for the larger adult supporter, there is also less foul language in the grandstand so would be beneficial for all.

Teach the kids early how to moan by putting them in the moanflower - genius!