Redevelopment Closer Than Ever?

[everbrite]

Sixfields is a dump, if you turn left at that T-junction roundabout.... you know the one I mean.

Compared with quite a few L2 and even some L1 grounds we are an acceptable "dump". Have you been to Fratton Park or Luton for that matter? They are real dumps and at Fratton Park the toilets are so old fashioned you literally stand in rivers of urine. That's if you can reach them in the first case. As for amenities at both they are terrible. Frankly you are speaking out of your backside.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Compared with quite a few L2 and even some L1 grounds we are an acceptable "dump". Have you been to Fratton Park or Luton for that matter? They are real dumps and at Fratton Park the toilets are so old fashioned you literally stand in rivers of urine. That's if you can reach them in the first case. As for amenities at both they are terrible. Frankly you are speaking out of your backside.

An "acceptable dump"?? Wow, thats a bold statement to make! Its all in the eyes of the beholder I guess. You accpet it...others don't

Some see Fratton Park as a dump, some see it as an old ground with lots of character and a cracking atmosphere.

Sixfields was pretty modern and plush....in 1994! But now its 2019, 25 years have passed and pretty much nothing has been done with the ground. Thats a hard fact for some to swallow I know! In fact, i'd go as far as to say its a worse ground now than it was then......the ground won awards for disabled facilities back in the day. Since the demolition of the viewing gallery and removal of the lift etc our disabled fans have been left out in the cold in more ways than one.

Still, each to their own eh? Everyone is entitled to their own opinon aren't they Evers?

[singcobb]

All apathy has been born out of 20 years of Cardoza and Thomas's inability to show the slightest improvements to our stadium and the progress of our football club.
It could very easily be reversed.

You know as well as everyone else on here that the apathy was around long before anyone had heard the name Cardoza. I can't remember anyone campaigning to have some sort of decent sanitation(the Roman's didn't give it to us) behind the Hotel End and we turned out week after week to watch dross on the pitch with Youth Opportunity players and journeymen just making a wage. Mind you there was a decent atmosphere.

[Coolcat]

Compared with quite a few L2 and even some L1 grounds we are an acceptable "dump". Have you been to Fratton Park or Luton for that matter? They are real dumps and at Fratton Park the toilets are so old fashioned you literally stand in rivers of urine. That's if you can reach them in the first case. As for amenities at both they are terrible. Frankly you are speaking out of your backside.

Evers, if you are seriously trying to say that Sixfields is superior to Fratton Park, then your last sentence indeed applies to you!
You think the whole stadium (19,500 capacity, large atmospheric home and away ends, old skool Archibald Leitch Main stands and floodlights...) issue is based on your opinion of a toilet cubicle???

[everbrite]

Evers, if you are seriously trying to say that Sixfields is superior to Fratton Park, then your last sentence indeed applies to you!
You think the whole stadium (19,500 capacity, large atmospheric home and away ends, old skool Archibald Leitch Main stands and floodlights...) issue is based on your opinion of a toilet cubicle???

You might like Fratton Park but I think the amenities are pp and the cramped seating arrangements are shoddy.  Have you been to Fratton Park?

[Lukey]

He does have a point, Fratton Park is a bit cramped, fans have to make do with what they have and Pompey fans make a fantastic atmosphere down there, but if Pompey had a lot of money to spare and it was worth putting the money into upgrading the stadium i'm sure there are a few of their fans who would like it.

If i was a Portsmouth fan i'd be wanting to get back into the Championship and then after 3 years of stability look at improving infrastructure, but until then i'd accept it as it is like fans have done for many a year while trying to get back to the level that such a well supported club deserves to be.

[Terryfenwickatemyhamster]

I love Fratton park. I loved the old Moyes end at the scum.

I like the character and atmosphere that comes with the old grounds.

[random]

isn't calling Peterborough, scum defamation ?

[Terryfenwickatemyhamster]

isn't calling Peterborough, scum defamation ?

 Certainly hope so.. 

[random]

LOL
 

[guest3245]

Compared with quite a few L2 and even some L1 grounds we are an acceptable "dump". Have you been to Fratton Park or Luton for that matter? They are real dumps and at Fratton Park the toilets are so old fashioned you literally stand in rivers of urine. That's if you can reach them in the first case. As for amenities at both they are terrible. Frankly you are speaking out of your backside.

Oh Evers, you young scally-wag.  You do make me chuckle at times.

If you were a fish, you'd spend most of your time flapping about on dry land with a hook in your mouth.

Would you like to re-read my post, consider the information provided, and once you've used your considerable knowledge of Sixfields, re-formulate your response?

[cobblerwatch]

I love Fratton park. I loved the old Moyes end at the scum.

I like the character and atmosphere that comes with the old grounds.

I think we all from a certain era love the old grounds - they had a smell (generally unpleasant), they had a fear factor and they belonged to the fans - atmosphere never created in the newer ground (maybe the architecture but more likely the type of fans that now attend)

[everbrite]

Oh Evers, you young scally-wag.  You do make me chuckle at times.

If you were a fish, you'd spend most of your time flapping about on dry land with a hook in your mouth.

Would you like to re-read my post, consider the information provided, and once you've used your considerable knowledge of Sixfields, re-formulate your response?

Ha Ha - I asked you a question. Were you blindfolded when you went to Stanley,Oldham, Luton and Pompey.  Obviously you were. These a poor grounds and there are more no better than sixfields ; FGR for example.

[DrillingCobbler]

Factoring in capacity, corporate facilities, general state of ground etc...but most importantly, being able to make money out of it...I reckon, worse than Sixfields:

League2:

Forest Green
Stevenage
Newport
Crawley
Cheltenham
Morecambe
Macclesfield

League1:

Accrington
Fleetwood
AFC Wimbledon

*Luton is an utter dump but capacity is over 10,000 and they also have numerous boxes.
*Fleetwood is debatable given its excellent facilities, its just got a very small capacity.
*Wimbledon are having a new ground built, as ar Forest Green. Luton are also making good progress in that regard.

So out of the 92, I reckon theres 10 grounds that are worse than ours.

Interestingly, none of those grounds are big towns/cities. Even with my claret tinted glasses off, we should be a considerably bigger club than any of those on my list, due to catchment area.

When we moved into Sixfields we had a very decent 4th division ground, but so many clubs have moved on since then and our ground is now incredibly worse than what it was when we moved in!

I find it incredible how anybody can even debate otherwise, its plain silly. It needs sorting and the current owners are not doing it. Despite promising to do so on their arrival.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Factoring in capacity, corporate facilities, general state of ground etc...but most importantly, being able to make money out of it...I reckon, worse than Sixfields:

League2:

Forest Green
Stevenage
Newport
Crawley
Cheltenham
Morecambe
Macclesfield

League1:

Accrington
Fleetwood
AFC Wimbledon

*Luton is an utter dump but capacity is over 10,000 and they also have numerous boxes.
*Fleetwood is debatable given its excellent facilities, its just got a very small capacity.
*Wimbledon are having a new ground built, as ar Forest Green. Luton are also making good progress in that regard.

So out of the 92, I reckon theres 10 grounds that are worse than ours.

Interestingly, none of those grounds are big towns/cities. Even with my claret tinted glasses off, we should be a considerably bigger club than any of those on my list, due to catchment area.

When we moved into Sixfields we had a very decent 4th division ground, but so many clubs have moved on since then and our ground is now incredibly worse than what it was when we moved in!

I find it incredible how anybody can even debate otherwise, its plain silly. It needs sorting and the current owners are not doing it. Despite promising to do so on their arrival.

Not a bad summary.......i'd like to add Scunny to the list, the first of the new grounds....opened in 1988, looks very tired now. Maybe Sixfields will look similarly tired in a few years time!

[everbrite]

Factoring in capacity, corporate facilities, general state of ground etc...but most importantly, being able to make money out of it...I reckon, worse than Sixfields:

League2:

Forest Green
Stevenage
Newport
Crawley
Cheltenham
Morecambe
Macclesfield

League1:

Accrington
Fleetwood
AFC Wimbledon

*Luton is an utter dump but capacity is over 10,000 and they also have numerous boxes.
*Fleetwood is debatable given its excellent facilities, its just got a very small capacity.
*Wimbledon are having a new ground built, as ar Forest Green. Luton are also making good progress in that regard.

So out of the 92, I reckon theres 10 grounds that are worse than ours.

Interestingly, none of those grounds are big towns/cities. Even with my claret tinted glasses off, we should be a considerably bigger club than any of those on my list, due to catchment area.

When we moved into Sixfields we had a very decent 4th division ground, but so many clubs have moved on since then and our ground is now incredibly worse than what it was when we moved in!

I find it incredible how anybody can even debate otherwise, its plain silly. It needs sorting and the current owners are not doing it. Despite promising to do so on their arrival.

Thank you for identifying at least 10 possible worse grounds(you forgot Mansfield and possibly Burton)) than Sixfields. Your point about Sixfields failing to be developed over the years is reasonable.  I would say that when CW moved on then any hope of ground development went with him. The team faltered and the succession of managers proved unsettling.  Perhaps and I hope Curle is the new CW to inspire us to greater things. What ever people say it is a catlayst we need first; with team improvent and increased support. People do like putting the cart before the horse on here.

[meccanostand]

Factoring in capacity, corporate facilities, general state of ground etc...but most importantly, being able to make money out of it...I reckon, worse than Sixfields:

League2:

Forest Green
Stevenage
Newport
Crawley
Cheltenham
Morecambe
Macclesfield

League1:

Accrington
Fleetwood
AFC Wimbledon

*Luton is an utter dump but capacity is over 10,000 and they also have numerous boxes.
*Fleetwood is debatable given its excellent facilities, its just got a very small capacity.
*Wimbledon are having a new ground built, as ar Forest Green. Luton are also making good progress in that regard.

So out of the 92, I reckon theres 10 grounds that are worse than ours.

Interestingly, none of those grounds are big towns/cities. Even with my claret tinted glasses off, we should be a considerably bigger club than any of those on my list, due to catchment area.

When we moved into Sixfields we had a very decent 4th division ground, but so many clubs have moved on since then and our ground is now incredibly worse than what it was when we moved in!

I find it incredible how anybody can even debate otherwise, its plain silly. It needs sorting and the current owners are not doing it. Despite promising to do so on their arrival.

Andy Holt is making great strides at Accrington including ground improvements. Their "matchday experience" now outstrips ours. Obviously Wimbledon have a new stadium on the way so that list is getting smaller.

[BedsCobb]

So the only grounds deemed as bad as Sixfields are those small town clubs newly arrived from the non league, so shouldn't be expected to compete with a much larger sized towns club thats spent 100 years in the football league!  Fleetwood  Morecambe and forest green have superb facilities for towns that have just 20,000 inhabitants, so shouldn't be on the list as they are as good as they can expect.
The other Traditional non league clubs Accrington and Macclesfield are punching so far above their weights, the humble facilities they have , has served then incredibly well.
Stevenage is infested with spurs arsenal and west ham fans so will never be a big draw but saying that, excellent big club house, supporters bar, the away end is quality and they are building a new stand behind the other goal so really ideal for them, so no place on the list for them.
So that leaves just Cheltenham and Newport, the former has a tidy ground and has reasonable facilities for a club that spent most of its time in the non league, so again as much as could be expected.
Newport...  An absolute basket case of a club, spent decades out the league playing wherever they can.
Currently playing at Newport Gwent  Dragons rugby ground, only 3000 turn up for league games despite the size of Newport, maybe Cardiff city going at it in the prem effects the gate?
Anyway, playing at Rodney parade still allows them to compete for promotion as well as regularly playing prem sides in the later rounds of the fa cup, something we unable to do.
Based on ability to  cater for big game capacity and allowing for potential support base growth, matchday facilities,  atmosphere and a ground fans want to return time and again, I would say when all things are considered  us and Newport are level bottom.

[Vintage Cobbler]

I have to disagree with the views of Everbrite and others of that school of thought who argue that you need to create a successful team before you develop the ground.  It is narrow one dimensional thinking.  

Our much needed redevelopment is not just about what happens on the pitch on every other Saturday and occasionally on a Tuesday but to create a stadium with facilities that attract people to spend money at the venue 7 days a week.  

Let me give a concrete example of what I am talking about.  I live and work in the West Midlands.  Worcester RFC is situated just off J6 of the M5 (not much unlike NTFC situated close to 3 M1 junctions) and in recent years demolished a stand worse than our original East Stand and in its place constructed an impressive new stand with restaurants, meeting rooms of various sizes and corporate hospitality boxes. I am not a rugby person but I have been there several times during non-match days at different times and the place has been heaving with people attending training sessions for their companies, marketing functions and so on.  Just outside this stand a John Lloyd Leisure Centre has been built and has a lot of members.  I could go on. Clearly, the club is enjoying a significant income from non-rugby activities that must be of great benefit.  This simple example gives you and outline of what could and indeed should have happened at Sixfields. If supporters cannot see the bigger picture there is no hope and we will continue to be putty in the hands of our owners.

PS. Worcester RFC was recently sold to new owners and the local businessman who developed the ground walked away with a substantial sum of money.

[Manwork04]

Thank you for identifying at least 10 possible worse grounds(you forgot Mansfield and possibly Burton)) than Sixfields. Your point about Sixfields failing to be developed over the years is reasonable.  I would say that when CW moved on then any hope of ground development went with him. The team faltered and the succession of managers proved unsettling.  Perhaps and I hope Curle is the new CW to inspire us to greater things. What ever people say it is a catlayst we need first; with team improvent and increased support. People do like putting the cart before the horse on here.

Mansfield's ground is miles better than Sixfields.
9.5k capacity for a start, you really do talk utter tripe Evers.