Full House?

[Jim_Delsey]

The bogs were a bit small and basic but who cares? It's football.

Overall the space made available to us was fine. It is what it is. Give me Barrow's away end all day with 600 Dale fans over MK Dons padded seats at £25 each with 200 Dale fans there. I know it rained and we got a bit wet, but who cares?

My sentiments exactly. Watching football has become over-sanitised, and that is trickling further and further down the leagues.

Absolutely!

Yesterday, the away end was nowhere near proper full and fans came and went as they please to the snack bar and toilets etc.

Back in the day proper full meant you couldn't get your fags out of your pocket and if the bloke behind you needed a wee you'd feel it on the back of your legs.

[HenneysKnee]

Wasn't as packed on the pop side as I expected, enough room to get about easily etc
Was the attendance the actual attendance or tickets sold?

[Jonty]

It was good to get a feel for the ground with 4400 in it. Clearly room for more. If the main stand does get extended and the Holker End upgraded to meet current requirements, then the capacity would probably be nearer 6000 and that's without doing anything to the Pop side or the Cross Bar end.

[Ste Story]

I was told it was because the Holker End isnt covered and if there is torrential downpours, the majority would/could all dive for cover under the pop side which would cause that to be over crowded and dangerous. Out of the clubs hands i think

Not TOO sure about that DAN, if that were the case we could just close the gate at the end of the pop side

Hasnt that gate been taken off?

[Shaun]

A roof on The Holker End? It's NOT going to go away this, Mr. Casson...

Just out of interest - genuine interest (sorry if it's been talked about elsewhere) - but what's the most recent and official line on this? I remember right back at the start PC said he was going to put a 'lid' on the HSE.
Just wondering....

[The Real Slim Azza]

A roof on The Holker End? It's NOT going to go away this, Mr. Casson...

Just out of interest - genuine interest (sorry if it's been talked about elsewhere) - but what's the most recent and official line on this? I remember right back at the start PC said he was going to put a 'lid' on the HSE.
Just wondering....

They are still in the 3 year process of naming the steering group aren't they ?

[barrowfan_chris]

No lid on the Holkeer street end is the official line as you need to build new foundations underneath the stand so would cost too much for little gain.

I would expect main stand to be extended and popular side if we are doing any improvements although this could be years away as it seems we will only do it in the football league with the larger grants.

End of the day its his money to do as he wishes we can only moan on here.

I do think more would attend if we spent more on upgrading the ground look at Fylde for example.

[tommy2thumbs]

I do think more would attend if we spent more on upgrading the ground look at Fylde for example.

I thought that we'd established that Flyde's attendances were only up due to disillusioned Blackpool fans?

[The Tomahawk Kid]

No lid on the Holkeer street end is the official line as you need to build new foundations underneath the stand so would cost too much for little gain.

I would expect main stand to be extended and popular side if we are doing any improvements although this could be years away as it seems we will only do it in the football league with the larger grants.

End of the day its his money to do as he wishes we can only moan on here.

I do think more would attend if we spent more on upgrading the ground look at Fylde for example.

I - and many others - have always doubted that 'official line'.

Have the club actually sat down with EXPERTS regarding this matter? I'm not quite sure I get the "would cost too much for little gain" excuse regarding the foundations. Little gain?

Keeping people dry?
Increasing capacity?
Increasing attendances?
Increasing atmosphere?

Little Gain???????

[sanddevil-temp]

No lid on the Holkeer street end is the official line as you need to build new foundations underneath the stand so would cost too much for little gain.

I would expect main stand to be extended and popular side if we are doing any improvements although this could be years away as it seems we will only do it in the football league with the larger grants.

End of the day its his money to do as he wishes we can only moan on here.

I do think more would attend if we spent more on upgrading the ground look at Fylde for example.

I - and many others - have always doubted that 'official line'.

Have the club actually sat down with EXPERTS regarding this matter? I'm not quite sure I get the "would cost too much for little gain" excuse regarding the foundations. Little gain?

Keeping people dry?
Increasing capacity?
Increasing attendances?
Increasing atmosphere?

Little Gain???????

And add to that bar, toilet and catering facilities could be built under the stand at the same time. The Crossbar is at the wrong end of the ground for many and it's always hopeless getting served in there.

[The Real Slim Azza]

I - and many others - have always doubted that 'official line'.

Have the club actually sat down with EXPERTS regarding this matter? I'm not quite sure I get the "would cost too much for little gain" excuse regarding the foundations. Little gain?

Keeping people dry?
Increasing capacity?
Increasing attendances?
Increasing atmosphere?

Little Gain???????

And add to that bar, toilet and catering facilities could be built under the stand at the same time. The Crossbar is at the wrong end of the ground for many and it's always hopeless getting served in there.

Where would this bar be?

Must remember that there is a road behind the stand and a business built into one side. Would have to be a fairly small bar.

[K_BFC]

A roof on The Holker End? It's NOT going to go away this, Mr. Casson...

Just out of interest - genuine interest (sorry if it's been talked about elsewhere) - but what's the most recent and official line on this? I remember right back at the start PC said he was going to put a 'lid' on the HSE.
Just wondering....

It sounds like once the smaller upgrades are done the main stand is going to be the next major development. I gained the impression the roof is not forgotten but it likely to the be last thing they get around to.

Paul Casson's son was on BBC RC sports night a few Fridays back and talked about the ground. It sounded like they had been seriously considering a move away from Holker Street with a completely new ground in the long term, but just now Holker St is good enough for the foreseeable future. He then went on to listed various must do tasks, which included floodlights, toilets and extending the main stand which in itself would increase capacity. A roof on the Holker St end was mentioned as being on the end of the list as the fans wanted that, but it was simply not a priority as ultimately it is not needed for the club to function. Then came a lengthy bit about how difficult it is to build anything at the current site because of what Holker St is built on top of, the foundations are not good enough to build on. He appeared to apply this to the whole ground and not just the Holker St end.

Years ago we had a 6000 capacity with basically what we have now, but due to health and safety the capacity was reduced for various reasons. Lack of crush barriers in the Holker St end, along with number of trained stewards on match days, among other things.

[audigex]

However, I really think you'd struggle in League 2 if you get there, and you'd need to re-think the away situation as there are several L2 clubs who, on their day, could fill that bit twice over, as we would have done if permitted, and we're one of the worst supported clubs in the league.

That's a problem we'd be absolutely delighted to encounter

[The Tomahawk Kid]

Just out of interest - genuine interest (sorry if it's been talked about elsewhere) - but what's the most recent and official line on this? I remember right back at the start PC said he was going to put a 'lid' on the HSE.
Just wondering....

It sounds like once the smaller upgrades are done the main stand is going to be the next major development. I gained the impression the roof is not forgotten but it likely to the be last thing they get around to.

Paul Casson's son was on BBC RC sports night a few Fridays back and talked about the ground. It sounded like they had been seriously considering a move away from Holker Street with a completely new ground in the long term, but just now Holker St is good enough for the foreseeable future. He then went on to listed various must do tasks, which included floodlights, toilets and extending the main stand which in itself would increase capacity. A roof on the Holker St end was mentioned as being on the end of the list as the fans wanted that, but it was simply not a priority as ultimately it is not needed for the club to function. Then came a lengthy bit about how difficult it is to build anything at the current site because of what Holker St is built on top of, the foundations are not good enough to build on. He appeared to apply this to the whole ground and not just the Holker St end.

Years ago we had a 6000 capacity with basically what we have now, but due to health and safety the capacity was reduced for various reasons. Lack of crush barriers in the Holker St end, along with number of trained stewards on match days, among other things.

Long Term? Doesn't exactly make you want to leap with joy, hearing that - does it?
Fleetwood and Fylde BOTH seem to be years ahead of US!!!

[Steelworks End]

Then came a lengthy bit about how difficult it is to build anything at the current site because of what Holker St is built on top of, the foundations are not good enough to build on. He appeared to apply this to the whole ground and not just the Holker St end.

Presumably weak foundations weren't an issue when the current stand was built - or was that something the property developer Chairman worked around?

With regards to the Holker Street end I wonder if a lightweight roof of the "scaffolding and corrugated iron" type might be a temporary solution until this part of the ground can be rebuilt?