Meccano Stadiums

[Worksop_Blade]

Last night was my second trip to the Ricoh and it's not the most awe inspiring new stadium and is a terrible successor to Highfield Road. From a money making point of view though, it has a ton of potential revenue from concerts, conferences etc.

At half time I asked one of the lads if he would take a new soulless bowl over the Lane and his affirmative answer surprised me a bit.

So, say in 5 years time we're still in League One and have finally ended up in admin. There's a very rich consortium willing to buy the Football Club but the only stumbling block is that they will not pay rent for The Lane and McCabe's asking price is too high for something that doesn't have many revenue streams.

Their plan is to build a 30,000 stadium on Highfield Spring off the Parkway behind the back of the Morrisons etc. The ground will host concerts, conferences throughout the year, have triple the executive boxes and hospitality seats, boast full on site parking for 5000 cars and the supertram will be extended all the way out to the stadium.

It would look almost identical to every other new stadium built in the last 15 years, have its naming rights sold so it would be called something like "The FedEx Arena" and it be ready for the 2018/19 season.

The question is how would you react and would you attend as regularly as you do now?

 

[Chapel Allerton]

Of course I would attend! Love BDTBL though.

 

[TarquinDelouche]

I've visited the Huddersfield ground for both football matches and gigs. The atmosphere at both were comparative to that of a wake. The mock-up you've got there isn't too bad though, but one thing I love about BDTBL and all these older stadiums is their mix n match, thrown together feel. You've got bits that don't quite match up and it's all higgledy-piggledy. It's brings character to the stadium.

 

[Bath Blade]

Being a part-timer, I'd struggle to attend much less than I do now, but I would hate it, like I hate all identikit stadia. The character of each individual ground helps make away journeys so much more special and I'm getting fed up of going to away matches where the only option for a bit of pre-match entertainment is a wander round the B&Q on the adjacent retail park.

I remember being impressed by Leicester's ground when they first moved in, but I've since been to Reading, Southampton, Middlesbrough, Cardiff etc, and become bored with them all being the same (bar the different coloured seats).

 

[borbokis]

I don't actually mind the new stadiums but where they are. In the the middle of fucking nowhere mostly. You've got to ask though why is the atmosphere so shit in these 'bowls' you'd think an architect who has been paid to design a football stadium would be able to come up with a solution to this problem. Rotherham's stadium doesn't look too bad I don't think i'd mind if it was square to the pitch rather than a bowl shape. To be hones the Lane has started to look like a bit of a joke with the stupid office block in one corner and an empty hotel in the other

 

[Revolution]

I agree with Borbokis re the Lane. The additions have ruined the aesthetic a bit for me, and the kop housing will only make this worse...

Sometimes there's a good reason to build a new ground and it's a huge improvement on the old - Derby, Bolton and Southampton spring to mind. But I will never understand why Coventry felt they needed a new stadium. There was nothing wrong with Highfield Road.

 

[StarBlade]

Most new stadia in England is poor, probably all built with "best-practice" in mind, perhaps rightly so, but in my opinion that makes a visit to a new ground all the less exciting. Coupled with the fact that often these new grounds aren't really integrated in the town/city they represent, it means the visit to a football match is equivalent of going to an out of town entertainment complex. The soul of going is lost, for me anyway.

The gains are better views, and increased safety due to updated building regulations. The losses are the fact that there's little unique about each ground, or each stand in a single ground. It's the same all round. I've been to a few of the new grounds, and I've rarely walked away impressed. Go to a lower league shed and I'm far more interested, it'll have character that's been built up over decades by locals at different periods of success or even decline.

Ricoh is one of the worst new stadiums in my opinion simply because the one side that is different is actually smaller than the other 3 sides, and as Revolution says, there was nothing wrong with Highfield Road. Ricoh can have all the concerts in the world, CCFC won't get a penny because they are just tenants.

 

[JohnDenver]

Can't see a reason for United ever to leave the Lane. The ground is big enough. Plenty of income generating gubbins already on site. Can't see admininstration being a possibility unless McCabe sells us to dodgy owners....

I'm comfortable at BDTBL.

 

[stannyblade]

Wouldnt want to leave the lane but if we did I would follow them.
What if they up and leave Sheffield altogether (like MK did) would you follow them then?

 

[IOM Blade]

I'm all for this new stadium, the only reason being that it would be much easier to recreate on PES.

 

[Wards]

Pains me to say it but the way forward in the long term (and assuming we're both doing quite well) is to ground share with t'other lot.

I love BDTBL but I wouldn't object too much to a new shared stadium if it was in the right place. Can't see it happening in my lifetime though.

 

[JohnDenver]

What if they up and leave Sheffield altogether (like MK did) would you follow them then?

Nope. Never.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I love Bramall Lane, it holds so many memories and is a fantastic stadium with a great atmosphere. One of the few things we have going for us at the moment. However.....

If it made financial sense and looked as pretty and shiny as the picture in the first post then I'm sure I could get used to it. Yes we know they all look the same these lego grounds but its the way football is going. That said I am in no rush to see the club move.

Yorskhire folk don't like change

 

[metalblade]

Better get used to the idea, we will not be at the lane in 10 years time.

McCrackers has already set about ruining BDTBL as a football stadium with the dumb enterprise centre and hotel neither of which benefit SUFC and soon the other end will be hemmed in by yuppie flats. The lane is fast becoming another Brisbane Road in other words a fookin joke.

Still nothing lasts forever and a ground move might not be all bad, Rotherham have a cracking new stadium bang in the town centre ............... they don't have to be a standard bowl built on an out of town retail park. Treat each side as a stand in it's own right rather than part of a stadium concept and character can be built into a new stadium all it needs is a bit of architectural imagination.

Having said that give me the lane anytime over these meccano grounds. Near to the town centre so good transport links by road and rail just like our neighbours at Rotherham the location don't get much better.

 

[JohnDenver]

soon the other end will be hemmed in by yuppie flats.

£50k for one of those yuppie flats. Guess yuppiedom ain't what it used to be.

 

[StarBlade]

Pains me to say it but the way forward in the long term (and assuming we're both doing quite well) is to ground share with t'other lot.

I love BDTBL but I wouldn't object too much to a new shared stadium if it was in the right place. Can't see it happening in my lifetime though.

I can't see us sharing ever. Mergers and ground-share talk often forget the most vital thing; both clubs, fans, players are at their best when they are in competition with one another. It is just sad that the last competition we had with them was in League 1. I think if we join anything, we lose a little something. Maybe I'm alone but the shared sponsorship even doesn't feel right. But that's for another day.

Can't imagine us ever playing anywhere else. It would be like leaving the family home to move to a non-descript estate.

 

[Blade58]

That Ricoh may have almost everything for raising revenue streams:

Football stadium
Hotel
bars and restaurants
Business units
Exhibition halls

But until such time that it has student accommodation/flats, it wont be a patch on BL

 

[Hugh Nitedite]

Was my first visit to the Ricoh , didn`t think it was as bad as some were making out but i agree that the side with the flat plastic looking wall spoilt the overall look, the view was excellent , so yep, I love the Lane but it`s allready changed so much in my lifetime that moving to a new stadium with good views from every seat wouldn`t be the end of the world.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I went to the Ricoh the year we got promoted. It was ok, nice enough appearance (reminds me of the Madejski) and fairly typical of modern stadia. I dont necessarily buy into this "new stadiums have crap atmosphere" theory. It's up to the supporters to create an atmosphere. All football stadiums in this country have a big gaping hole in the top for sound to escape, its not a feature exclusive to the new ones. Perhaps most of the clubs that have these stadiums haven't had a lot to shout about?

 

[JohnDenver]

I went to the Ricoh the year we got promoted. It was ok, nice enough appearance (reminds me of the Madejski) and fairly typical of modern stadia. I dont necessarily buy into this "new stadiums have crap atmosphere" theory. It's up to the supporters to create an atmosphere. All football stadiums in this country have a big gaping hole in the top for sound to escape, its not a feature exclusive to the new ones. Perhaps most of the clubs that have these stadiums haven't had a lot to shout about?

Aye, Stoke's ground is cheapo modernism but rocks to the tune of 20,000 semi psychotic potters.

 

[SwissBlade]

Sheffield united will only play at bramall lane, anywhere else just won't be the blades experience for me

 

[Balham]

Sheffield united will only play at bramall lane, anywhere else just won't be the blades experience for me

I don't know if you've noticed since you've been away Swiss but we play approximately 50% of our games away from the Lane already. It's the silent creep I tell thee..

 

[sitwell]

Last night was my second trip to the Ricoh and it's not the most awe inspiring new stadium and is a terrible successor to Highfield Road. From a money making point of view though, it has a ton of potential revenue from concerts, conferences etc.

At half time I asked one of the lads if he would take a new soulless bowl over the Lane and his affirmative answer surprised me a bit.

So, say in 5 years time we're still in League One and have finally ended up in admin. There's a very rich consortium willing to buy the Football Club but the only stumbling block is that they will not pay rent for The Lane and McCabe's asking price is too high for something that doesn't have many revenue streams.

Their plan is to build a 30,000 stadium on Highfield Spring off the Parkway behind the back of the Morrisons etc. The ground will host concerts, conferences throughout the year, have triple the executive boxes and hospitality seats, boast full on site parking for 5000 cars and the supertram will be extended all the way out to the stadium.

It would look almost identical to every other new stadium built in the last 15 years, have its naming rights sold so it would be called something like "The FedEx Arena" and it be ready for the 2018/19 season.

The question is how would you react and would you attend as regularly as you do now?

View attachment 5240

Nearest pub would be the Red lion in Catcliffe. Enough said

 

[Kenilworth]

I don't know if you've noticed since you've been away Swiss but we play approximately 50% of our games away from the Lane already. It's the silent creep I tell thee..

Bit harsh on Swiss there Balhers - he's usually quite vocal.

 

[SwissBlade]

I don't know if you've noticed since you've been away Swiss but we play approximately 50% of our games away from the Lane already. It's the silent creep I tell thee..

Ah yes, the games known as away games. They get in the way don't they.

 

[Bath Blade]

I dont necessarily buy into this "new stadiums have crap atmosphere" theory. It's up to the supporters to create an atmosphere.

I tend to agree. I went to the Stadium of Light (Sunderland, not Lisbon) in their first season there and the atmosphere was amazing. I do think there can be an issue with the atmosphere in a new ground though, whereby naturally evolved singing areas in the old ground are split up and scattered all round the new ground.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I tend to agree. I went to the Stadium of Light (Sunderland, not Lisbon) in their first season there and the atmosphere was amazing. I do think there can be an issue with the atmosphere in a new ground though, whereby naturally evolved singing areas in the old ground are split up and scattered all round the new ground.

Good point, didnt think of that. That could likely be the problem in some cases.

Yes I remember visiting the Stadium of Light that season as well. I went to the second leg of the playoffs. The noise was deafening.

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Some light reading for insomniacs would be "The Guide To Safety At Sports Ground" by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ /http:/www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/GuidetoSafetyatSportsGrounds.pdf

Its full of rules, regulations and in some instances, downright stupidity which has to be followed to N'th degree in order to achieve a saftey certificate and open the doors of a new stadium.

Budgets and location obviously play a massive part but stadiums often start out life as something unique, revolutionary and fantastic and then by the time its made to comply with the above - you find yourself with something reflecting what everybody else who's ever built a stadium in Britain has ended up with, at least on the inside.