Redevelopment Closer Than Ever?

[Claretopia]

There is a trend here on the term 'safe' standing when mentioning terraces? Are people confusing it with 'rail seating'? Or is the word 'safe' now indoctrinated into some? Stay safe, safe space etc. are currently topical phrases..

Personally, I'd like to see old-fashioned terraces replace both the North and South stands. It would be cheap, increase capacity, improve the atmosphere and fans would love it. Whenever I've been to a Cobblers away game, the atmosphere is often superb when the fans are stood on a terrace..
For example, look at the atmosphere created by the Exeter fans on their home terrace..

[guest49]

There are similarities with the MK model, although not that similar! They had the childcatcher and a forward thinking council, we have KT and errrr our council.
Asda and Ikea stumped up about £60m to enable the ground. Despite their stadium it doesn't get used to its full potential, either when playing or on non match days. They rarely have big events there. They typically generate debt.
We have some contaminated land....and typically generate debt.

I think if we doubled the size of our ground then we might add 1,000 on our gate. It all comes down to the football. I'd rather we invested to have a better chance of establishing ourselves in league 1 if/when we get there again. It is why the ground was going to be immediately tackled if we had beaten Grimsby. Get to the Championship and then we'll need something with 12,000+ and then the conversation can move onto Beds saying we need something with 20,000.    
If MK go up they will struggle in the Championship again as they won't be able to afford to support the budget required. Their Championship is our League One.

We just haven't got anyone or the means to extend the ground as a speculative approach. No one will be able to produce a business plan around a league two team paying back for the investment required.
The only way that will ever happen if someone said "Here is £15 million for the ground and my people are building it". You'd probably flatten the ends and East Stand and start again.

I don't think it's unfair to make the observation that the current owners have zero interest in being the 'Northampton childcatcher' and the longer term growth of the club. The 'promise' to complete the East stand is the means to access the sale of the land. I think we all know that.

[guest3481]

There is a trend here on the term 'safe' standing when mentioning terraces? Are people confusing it with 'rail seating'? Or is the word 'safe' now indoctrinated into some? Stay safe, safe space etc. are currently topical phrases..

Because thats what its know as...

https://thefsa.org.uk/news/32-year-safe-standing-campaign-finally-wins/
https://sgsa.org.uk/licensedstanding

[Shoemaker]

As ever extremely well put Tel.

I could not agree more and as the club "waits" for the outcome over the ACV the south stand is prime for a rudimentary extension.

After Saturday this may become almost essential looking at league one. I would hope some of those close to the club and fans representatives will be asking this very question.

Nothing changed in any way the last twice that we went up.
Why would it this time?

[guest3429]

Nothing changed in any way the last twice that we went up.
Why would it this time?

Sadly you have a point but its always worth asking again!

Lets just hope an alternative emerges?

[guest49]

The alternative needs to be paying the likes of Roberts and Horsfall to stay, or at least trying to keep them. I am sure they are enjoying their time with us. Roberts is a good example that you never know what you are going to get with a keeper. We saw it with Adam Smith. A lot of form, luck and timing involved. 
I appreciate if another club suddenly offers any player £5-10k a week then there probably isn't much we can do. We could get a decent striker on loan and bolster where needed. We'd have all the same conversations that Hoskins isn't good enough for League one etc.

From memory wasn't it only Richard Hill that moved on after the Carr promotion? At the time it was a big sale to Watford that made that unavoidable. Then we went close the following season. Then normal service was resumed. If we take the bargain basement league one approach we'd probably struggle, sack Brady by Xmas and round we go again.
I don't know Brady but get the impression he may hang around if we see some success, unlike Wilder.

You then have to remember how the owners look at us. It's a shame as it's the only way we'll do something different to the usual pattern. Maybe the real problem is the game today, as it must be harder than ever to hold onto decent players. When you get these odd gems that sell for hundreds of thousands, that goes a long way towards balancing the books before the subsequent clubs go on to make the big bucks.

[BedsCobb]

I'm really sorry but I cant resist any longer.

I love your passion Beds but please tell me how some terracing open for 20 odd days a year makes money for the club?

Im not pissing on your parade, far from it, love your proposals and I do hope they see the light of day,
but it hasn't escaped your notice that our tiny ground can lose up to 20,000 ticket sales per L1 season ..
That's  3 to £400,000 per season.

Yes a bank of terracing built up behind the left in situe south stand seats would  give an extra 2500 capacity that would very quickly pay for itself and give our club the chance to compete and even challenge in L1...

Where's the money coming from I hear you all smashing out on your keyboards,  well that would be the retention of the 4 acres of running track from the grasping hands of cdnl...


It's what Posh, mk, Oxford Luton,  Rotherham,  Doncaster wigan, Bristol rovers, etc, earn more than we do per L1 season,  which should've been addressed 20 years ago.

The daft thing is it's an obvious solution but those blind with loyalty to cdnl these past 12 years or so won't allow themselves to see it for fear of losing face...

Lets keep the running track to get things done.

[guest3481]

Im not pissing on your parade, far from it, love your proposals and I do hope they see the light of day,
but it hasn't escaped your notice that our tiny ground can lose up to 20,000 ticket sales per L1 season ..
That's  3 to £400,000 per season.

Yes a bank of terracing built up behind the left in situe south stand seats would  give an extra 2500 capacity that would very quickly pay for itself and give our club the chance to compete and even challenge in L1...

Where's the money coming from I hear you all smashing out on your keyboards,  well that would be the retention of the 4 acres of running track from the grasping hands of cdnl...


It's what Posh, mk, Oxford Luton,  Rotherham,  Doncaster wigan, Bristol rovers, etc, earn more than we do per L1 season,  which should've been addressed 20 years ago.

The daft thing is it's obvious solution but those blind with loyalty to cdnl these past 12 years or so won't allow themselves to see it for fear of losing face...

Lets keep the running track to get things done.

Sorry but can you please explain how not selling land makes money?

[BedsCobb]

Morning Beds.
Home fans aren't allowed in the away end. Happy to help you with that one.
The numbers I provided were from MK Dons actual figures not made up ones. Again MK Dons was your suggestion.

No they get housed in the newly built south stand extension earning our club when ALL*  things are considered an extra 3 to £400,000 per L1 season.

* More visiting fans, up to 3000 attracted to a real bank of terracing..

* Much fewer all ticket restrictions per season allowing more home fans to attend the bigger games.

* More Northampton Town supporters attracted to a more professional atmospheric ground as opposed to the non league looking current Sixfields.

* extra income to help retain our L1 status and  even challenging at the top...

If you want numbers to chew on, try seeing how many more supporters visit Rotherham Doncaster,  Posh, Wigan etc, since they improved their infrastructures.

[BedsCobb]

There is a trend here on the term 'safe' standing when mentioning terraces? Are people confusing it with 'rail seating'? Or is the word 'safe' now indoctrinated into some? Stay safe, safe space etc. are currently topical phrases..

Personally, I'd like to see old-fashioned terraces replace both the North and South stands. It would be cheap, increase capacity, improve the atmosphere and fans would love it. Whenever I've been to a Cobblers away game, the atmosphere is often superb when the fans are stood on a terrace..
For example, look at the atmosphere created by the Exeter fans on their home terrace..

100% old school terracing  that is safe by ticket admission, well stewarded and not over crowded etc.

We can introduce railed seating when we get into the premiership with the £150m.

[BedsCobb]

Sorry but can you please explain how not selling land makes money?

If the 4 acres of running track are retained, used exclusively for and by The football club of Northampton,  NTFC,
Therefore not falling into the grasping hands of CDNL etc
It will be of great value in aiding the growth of our clubs infrastructure.

Lose it to Buckinghams/Dubai/Florida bank account to become a warehouse and its car park, it will be yet another sad day for ntfc.

Sadly WNC think CDNL are our club so its very likely already sold down the river and with it any hope of a recovery for our club.

But we live in hope.

[guest3481]

If the 4 acres of running track are retained, used exclusively for and by The football club of Northampton,  NTFC,
Therefore not falling into the grasping hands of CDNL etc
It will be of great value in aiding the growth of our clubs infrastructure.

Lose it to Buckinghams/Dubai/Florida bank account to become a warehouse and its car park, it will be yet another sad day for ntfc.

Sadly WNC think CDNL are our club so its very likely already sold down the river and with it any hope of a recovery for our club.

But we live in hope.

Doesn't answer the question. But I think I'm following.
So to generate money to build the stand, the ACV land is used in such a way that provides profit and therefore fund the stand.
One quick question. Who pays for the thing on the land that generates the money?

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Im not pissing on your parade, far from it, love your proposals and I do hope they see the light of day,
but it hasn't escaped your notice that our tiny ground can lose up to 20,000 ticket sales per L1 season ..
That's  3 to £400,000 per season.

Yes a bank of terracing built up behind the left in situe south stand seats would  give an extra 2500 capacity that would very quickly pay for itself and give our club the chance to compete and even challenge in L1...

Where's the money coming from I hear you all smashing out on your keyboards,  well that would be the retention of the 4 acres of running track from the grasping hands of cdnl...


It's what Posh, mk, Oxford Luton,  Rotherham,  Doncaster wigan, Bristol rovers, etc, earn more than we do per L1 season,  which should've been addressed 20 years ago.

The daft thing is it's an obvious solution but those blind with loyalty to cdnl these past 12 years or so won't allow themselves to see it for fear of losing face...

Lets keep the running track to get things done.

How many of the clubs you have just listed are making a profit? Just so we can dangle the carrot to get the money men rushing to sign up? FYI I’m saying they don’t earn more than we do, they lose more. Happy to be corrected.

[BedsCobb]

How many of the clubs you have just listed are making a profit? Just so we can dangle the carrot to get the money men rushing to sign up? FYI I’m saying they don’t earn more than we do, they lose more. Happy to be corrected.

...And yet again, let me remind you for the umpteenth time

A community football club is not the same as say a blue chip business with many investors desperate to see profits. Just as long as a football club trades within its means, trades to its maximum capacity and doesn't lose a catastrophic amount of money, such as, let's say £7,000,000 (why did I choose that figure?) It will be a success.

You can now see why Northampton Town are failing at so many levels and continues to do so.

Hope that helps, you're very welcome 😊

[BackOfTheNet]

Doesn't answer the question. But I think I'm following.
So to generate money to build the stand, the ACV land is used in such a way that provides profit and therefore fund the stand.
One quick question. Who pays for the thing on the land that generates the money?

Magic beans.

[Shoemaker]

Sadly you have a point but its always worth asking again!

Lets just hope an alternative emerges?

I want to be proved wrong but I think it will take a change in mindset or ownership to move forwards….
Are the board still actively looking for extra investment partners?

[guest49]

It’s not breaking news but football clubs do not make a profit. The exceptions that do can be counted on your hands across Europe. Even those that do make a profit are in millions of debt to a level that makes our debt look like small change.
The very best you can hope for us to run on an even keel. I’m not sure how many examples of those there are (not losing money and debt free) but doubt they are storming up the leagues.

To own one you have millions/billions to burn, or on an ego trip, or an ulterior motive linked to owning it. None of these multi million/billionaire entrepreneurs made their money in football.

IF and it’s a big if, KT ever left us debt free with a finished ground it would be a decent achievement, although we still wouldn’t be worth anything, especially without any land and no tangible assets.

[singcobb]

...And yet again, let me remind you for the umpteenth time

A community football club is not the same as say a blue chip business with many investors desperate to see profits. Just as long as a football club trades within its means, trades to its maximum capacity and doesn't lose a catastrophic amount of money, such as, let's say £7,000,000 (why did I choose that figure?) It will be a success.

You can now see why Northampton Town are failing at so many levels and continues to do so.

Hope that helps, you're very welcome 😊

Let me point out to you for the umpteenth time. NTFC is not a community football club it is a business and has to survive just as all businesses do.
Should WNC buy the Cobblers it would become a community asset. As that is never going to happen you just have to go with the situation as is.

Hope that helps you, but I doubt it as you don't seem to have the intelligence to grasp even the most simple of facts.

[BedsCobb]

Doesn't answer the question. But I think I'm following.
So to generate money to build the stand, the ACV land is used in such a way that provides profit and therefore fund the stand.
One quick question. Who pays for the thing on the land that generates the money?

What's it matter who pays?
As long as someone is happy to pay for the land, that goes towards the extension of the South stand and improving match day facilities.

CDNL are all over the running track like a rash.
Why not ask them what they propose to do with it once the council allow them to annex it from our football club?

[BedsCobb]

Magic beans.

What does it matter who NTFC (not cdnl) sell the land to as long as it doesn't dissappear into the grasping hands of cdnl that will give nothing to Northampton Town and its urgent South stand expansion needs.

Cdnl/Thomas have 17 acres in which to finish the East stand and fill their boots, but they are now back for another 4 acres of the football clubs foot print..

While WNC think cdnl are the club, ntfc will lose out again.