The 1000 extra seats required.

[Back of the net]

Your would have to be mad to want to sit in the HS end on a wet and windy day, which is usually most of the season.

[spirit of 1990]

I think the ground would improve dramatically if the X Bar end were redeveloped…but, we already have the new fanzone in the way, I suppose there’s ways around that but surely that would increase any costs and pretty much destroy what has become quite a decent little venue for a pre match pint. Add onto that what is underneath that area (look at the trouble they had with the foundations for the fanzone alone) and I think these issues would rule that end out.

Not sure giving the HSE over to seating is a good idea as that does away with the traditional standing behind the goals support…at both ends.

It looks like flattening the East terrace is on the cards for close season (thankfully….) so extending onto that, or adding two smaller wings either side of the main stand would be the best way to go and as well as meeting EFL regs, also make the ground look much better.

Unfortunately, I think it’ll be more a case of fitting the seats in wherever they can due to cost.

[Methuselah]

The cheapest solution would be to put the seats in the Holker St end,but not nessarily the best.I would go for extending the main stand at each side.It would look far better than shoehorning extra seats into the Holker St end thereby depriving loyal supporters of their standing area behind the goal.
If it was only going to be a temporary solution to enable the club to comply with the EFL I would go along with it with a commitment from the owners that they would be removed when funds became available to extend the main stand.
Probably the only way this will happen is by attracting bigger crowds on the back of improved performances with perhaps promotion to league 1.

[Jonty]

Think time and cost are the fixed constraints here that the club will be working to. I would love nothing more than a continuation of the mainstand full length of the pitch and putting the floodlights in the corners (which is where they should have gone int he first place) but the more I look at the it, i cant see beyond the HSE as the solution, pillars included. An additional row or two at the front, remove that concrete wall and theres your thousand seats and give it to away fans. Sorry folks. They could replacing the missing steps on the pops side and bring it back to pitch level which would make the popside a big old terrace. Anything at the crossbar end would be shortsighted as surely the longer term aim is to put a new terrace / stand there, which could then become the new home end.

[bamber678]

Isn’t there funding available for this kind of thing? Surly that’s how other clubs have been able to afford these grandstands.

[andyg]

I would like to see the main stand extended to reach the required number of seats. We then need to get to grips with improving the changing room area for players. There is a lot of room under the main stand to achieve this. However, this is going to cost. I realise there have been some improvements made to the changing rooms particularly the away dressing room this summer but they are pretty poor to put it mildly. If that can be achieved then we will be in a position to look at what needs to be done at the Steelworks End. There are funding agencies available one being this site https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant ... ement-fund but I don't know what the club intends to do there particularly as there are some worrying statements being made on another thread regarding non payment of some businesses.

[HenneysKnee]

Think we all would love the main stand to be extended to solve this problem; realistically it’s probably more likely we use some form of temporary structure at least until it’s decided what’s happening with the crossbar end (knock it down would be the answer in an ideal world!)

[Jonty]

As a 10% shareholder, I hope the Trust get a chance to help the club with the decision making. Even if it is only as much as gauging some fan opinion on any options.

There has to be some longer term thinking as well. If we go main stand extension, It will undoubtedly be as big a ground development since the main stand went up nearly 30 years ago and it would give chance to incorporate some hospitality, change rooms, offices, shop etc. That would clear the way to finally get rid of the Crossbar- but i just cant see that happening as it would be too costly, unless we can attract more investors to get on board.

Funding options would help but not sure where we sit with that when considering any previous support we may have had used for floodlights and HSE roof.

Whatever we do, I hope it integrates into the ground and is not a bolt on to satisfy a requirement.

[Falstaff]

Would we be allowed to install a temporary stand alongside the main stand. Like a golf stand or something? Blackpool had one of these for a while at Bloomfield Road when it was being rebuilt? Or some kind of modular construction that could be craned in. These come in various shapes and sizes these days.

[Sea Dog Sam]

At some point in the near future the club will need to address the requirement to increase seating capacity to 2000. I have no doubt some optioneering has already been done and reckon it will come down to a decision against one of these three-

1- To reconfigure the entire HS stand to seats
2- Develop either side of the main stand
3- Add seats in front of the Crossbar stand.

Think it will be option 1. Makes most sense and probably be most cost effective and do-able without major construction. Wont be popular with many though. Thoughts?

Disagree with you. Extra seats won't be added to The Holker End.
There is limited visibility on that terrace due to the steel poles that were erected for the new roof. Many people have had to move, due to poor visibility, after finding themselves stood behind one of those poles. That wouldn't be possible if full seating capacity was introduced.

I can see the seats been added to each side of the main stand. However, my own wish would be for the Cross Bar to be demolished and seats placed on the terrace of the old Steelworks End. Doesn't matter about a roof - put the away fans in there I can't see that happening though.

[Jonty]

I am basing it on cost and time constraints. The whole admin of the club is run from the Crossbar, it holds the changing rooms, everything. We would need to have an alternative built before any of that could be bulldozed. Maybe temp cabins on the old west terrace would do the job but that would all add to the cost.
A Main stand extension would be extremely costly, an extensive construction project and potentially a planning permission nightmare because of the housing scheme planned for the derelict Brady’s Yard. The existing main stand structure, longer term probably needs replacing entirely. It has no facilities and a rusting roof. Extending either side doesn't fix that problem unless the roof is replaced and at the same time try and do something with the existing structure. Again costly.

I really cant see beyond HSE all seated, restricted views included. They have made a start already, Stadium Solutions could come back in over summer and just finish it off. Not what many would want, but short of temporary constructions dotted around, what else can the club do. Seats plonked on the open steps at the crossbar end would be exposed to the elements and a really shortsighted fix.

I would like to see some fan consultation on this led by the Trust as part owners. We need to know how it will be funded for starters because a whole new main stand would cost

[BillyBlue]

If the main stand is to be extended or a structure put up at the Crossbar end then any steel supports would have to be cut ready for construction before the end of this season. Probably have to start construction as soon as the season finishes as we'll probably have 12 weeks to complete.

[andyg]

By my calculations if we make HS end an all seater that would mean seating for 845 people. This is on the basis that the two sections that are seated already hold 130 and there are a total of 13 sections undercover at that end counting the supports to the roof. In fact it might be a bit less that 845 as there will probably have to be a gap between the two sets of home & away seated supporters. With about a 1000 seats housed in the main stand we are still about 200 short of FA requirements. In addition to this I would suspect the stadiums full capacity will probably fall below 5000 (based on the Villa game I think the ground holds about 5500). I think somewhere I read the FA expects all EFL teams to at least be 5000 capacity stadiums. Could be wrong on that though. I realise a number of teams maybe below 5000 capacity at the moment (Harrogate, Sutton spring to mind) but I think the FA expects them to hit the 5000 target asap so reducing our ground capacity might not be an option.

I take on board Suffolk's concerns about the Main Stand but by developing that area first might be our only option & I know the FA expects us to upgrade our dressing rooms for both home and away teams because they are clearly inadequate at the moment.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

I take on board Suffolk's concerns about the Main Stand but by developing that area first might be our only option & I know the FA expects us to upgrade our dressing rooms for both home and away teams because they are clearly inadequate at the moment.

I was under the impression the changing rooms had to be upgraded by the start of this season? Originally they were to be under the main stand then that idea was changed and a switch was made to upgrading them during the summer to EFL standard at the cross bar end of the ground using the existing building.

[Jonty]

We are yet to see / hear from the club about what is planned to address this. The main stand extended to full length of the pitch would be the fans choice and the number 1 option, and has been talked about since it was built, but if that was planned, they would surely be under there now sorting out the change rooms, planning use of the space under there now. So far as we know that plan was pulled and they have upgraded the facilities in the Crossbar, which surely at some point has to go, its an absolute carbuncle and effectively we only have a three sided ground, that is about 1100 seats short of league requirements. If the club wants to generate some feel good factor, ground development is always one way to do that, so hopefully some news soon.