Planning permission for the south stand

[s4-blade]

Completely agree with that. The gradient and pillars are the key things to sort – it's presumably possible if we're wanting to do it on the cheap (which I'm guessing we will be) to convert the existing stand to a better gradient. Plenty of stands had to undergo a similar process for conversion from terracing to seating. With some thoughtful design this surely should be able to be done alongside the roofing changes suggested. I'm not convinced increasing the capacity is at all necessary until we hit the top division, if at all to be honest, but the last thing we want to do is simply extend backwards the current problem.

From the drawings, I get the impression that the current bank of seats remain exactly the same pitch wise, just with the loss of the pillars, with the new seats at the back being at a steeper angle. Of course, the cheap (and best imo) solution to the shallow angle would be the installation of safe standing.

 

[s4-blade]

This maybe a bit over cynical, however it's crossed my mind that this may all just be a publicity stunt trotted out every few years to give a bit of under the radar advertising to the architecture company. I mean, any contract where the firm becomes known as the clubs official architect is bound to have a few clauses chucked into it.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

chicken and egg , we need the extra sold tickets to help fund a longer prem stay
sometimes you have to push the boat out , , remove all the mound and utilise every square foot under the new kop stand
doing upgrades a bit at a time isnt prudent long term

Agreed, that would be the ideal scenario. Though I worry the extra investment that would require would simply result in nothing being done to the stand at all.

 

[blade too long]

Agreed, that would be the ideal scenario. Though I worry the extra investment that would require would simply result in nothing being done to the stand at all.

I think theres a will to go ahead with this
mccabes a building developer. he will understand the wasted space that is the mound
it only needs moving once , and these days they can excavate it fairly rapidly
if anyone understands the fiscal ramifications its kevin, weighing it up its beneficial to our future to clean slate the site

 

[The_Green_Man]

With all expansion plans to a rough scale it would still be a pretty isolated building!

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

The ground doesn't need fucking about with. It's absolutely fine as it is.

Really? The south stand needs a face lift, the Kop needs a lick of paint, not to mention much better facilities and much of the surrounding area needs renovating.

I would agree with the above if the year was 2009. But it's been about 7 or 8 years since we developed the stadium.

 

[penthouseblade]

chicken and egg , we need the extra sold tickets to help fund a longer prem stay
sometimes you have to push the boat out , , remove all the mound and utilise every square foot under the new kop stand
doing upgrades a bit at a time isnt prudent long term

Not sure the extra 'sold tickets' would matter, it's all tv money now! Look at the likes of Watford, Hull City, Burnley, Bournemouth, they get 10-20k and it makes no difference!
I agree with your earlier comment however about McCabe; he is surely aware of the potential of full Kop redevelopment......at least I bloody well hope so!!

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

Last bit of the article:

"South Stand - Clean and improve the façade, creating a matching look with the hotel and a clearer identity to the component parts of the stand."

Says to me the club won't be extending the South Stand but its getting a new front to match the hotel. Just when brutalist concrete angles were coming back into fashion...

Thank fook! Makes the whole stadium look shite.

 

[blade too long]

Not sure the extra 'sold tickets' would matter, it's all tv money now! Look at the likes of Watford, Hull City, Burnley, Bournemouth, they get 10-20k and it makes no difference!
I agree with your earlier comment however about McCabe; he is surely aware of the potential of full Kop redevelopment......at least I bloody well hope so!!

as a prem team another 4 or 5 k in the doors means far more merchandising as well as tickets, all griss t,mill
The atmosphere alone would be amazing with 2 tiers of kop,

 

[Tyler Durden]

Really? The south stand needs a face lift, the Kop needs a lick of paint, not to mention much better facilities and much of the surrounding area needs renovating.

I would agree with the above if the year was 2009. But it's been about 7 or 8 years since we developed the stadium.

It's hardly a priority. Any changes need to be cosmetic at best.

It's a moot point anyway now, because the clubs already announced redevelopment plans.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

The atmosphere alone would be amazing with 2 tiers of kop,

A two-tier stand is not a proper kop, and should be avoided if at all possible.

 

[penthouseblade]

as a prem team another 4 or 5 k in the doors means far more merchandising as well as tickets, all griss t,mill
The atmosphere alone would be amazing with 2 tiers of kop,

Griss t'mill......brilliant!!

You do realise the Kop wouldn't be a Kop if it was two tiered? Is that your vision then, a two tiered home end to match the new two tired South Stand??

 

[bornablade]

All this business of waiting for the Premiership before we re-build the kop.

At what point do we make the decision to carry out the development and how long will it take to complete? Could it be done in one close season?

It seems to me that if we are top end of the Championship we may make the decision too early, start the development and not actually get promoted or we may make the decision when we are actually promoted and the development takes so long and we find ourselves fighting a relegation battle in the Premier league.

 

[BushBlade]

Here's a thought. We might not get into the PL for another twenty years. What use is a massive stadium in the Championship? It would be like the Ricoh.

 

[stringjunior]

Here's another thought. We're averaging nearly 70% capacity whilst in the third tier. With the right pricing structure in place, and positive team and club management, it might be wise to get this done soon.

 

[TJB.]

Here's a thought. We might not get into the PL for another twenty years. What use is a massive stadium in the Championship? It would like the Ricoh.

This.

The Kop needs doing because it's a bit of a dump. At a bare minimum* they need more/better catering and toilet facilities. I'd like a steeper stand but in reality it'd be fucking expensive. I'd hate to think that we would spunk shitload on a new stand and skint ourselves on the player budget front (similar to what Arsenal did with the Emirates).

Besides that, I reckon we need to try regularly filling what we already have before even mentioning expansion. It's just not necessary.



*Apologies for using the term 'bare minimum' as I fear Mr. McCabe will be aroused by it.

 

[BushBlade]

This.

The Kop needs doing because it's a bit of a dump. At a bare minimum they need more/better catering and toilet facilities. I'd like a steeper stand but in reality it'd be fucking expensive. I'd hate to think that we would spunk shitload on a new stand and skint ourselves on the player budget front (similar to what Arsenal did with the Emirates).

Besides that, I reckon we need to try regularly filling what we already have before even mentioning expansion. It's just not necessary.

Or similar to what we did with the new stand in the 70s.

 

[I should coco]

What use is a massive stadium in the Championship? It would be like the Ricoh.

Not the best analogy you could have chosen. It will be a few years before the Ricoh sees the Championship again, unless you think Wasps might get demoted to the Greene King IPA Championship?

 

[BushBlade]

Not the best analogy you could have chosen. It will be a few years before the Ricoh sees the Championship again, unless you think Wasps might get demoted to the Greene King IPA Championship?

The Ricoh is oversized for the league it's in. Hence the analogy. It was also oversized when it was in the Championship and has become known as the epitome of a 'soulless bowl'. So most people will understand the analogy, in the same way most people understand the difference between analogy and direct comparison.

 

[I should coco]

So most people will understand the analogy, in the same way most people understand the difference between analogy and direct comparison.

I'm not 'most people'.

My carer says I'm 'special'.

 

[FriethBlade]

Sorry call me old fashioned but I'm more interested in what happens on the pitch than off it and I can remember the financial millstone the south stand was around our necks for 20 years after we built it.

Our ground is more than good enough for championship football and even if we were in the top 6 in that league I doubt we'd fill it more than a handful of times a season.

I'd sooner see us wait until we are established in the championship before redeveloping. Any cash we have available should be spent on the playing staff. If we look at the likes of Wigan and Bristol City it's gonna be hard enough staying up if we get up and what's the point in expanding the stadium at the expense of spending it on players only to risk coming back down ?

 

[Worksop II]

When you see how Kev plays Monopoly ... you will understand his plans for Bramall Lane

 

[blade too long]

I hope its a success, the more money our owner gets the more he has to put into the club
lets face it , no one else puts anywhere near the money he does into the club

plus people get the chance to say they live at bdtbl
some peoples dreams realised

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

If the Kop ever gets redeveloped, as in flattened and start again from scratch, it's bound to eat into part of if not the whole of one season.
In the meantime we could run a lottery type draw on here on a match by match basis for the temporary stand which can be shifted about around the building works......

 

[blade too long]

wed still get 20 k gates with the kop gone so same as now

 

[I should coco]

When you see how Kev plays Monopoly ... you will understand his plans for Bramall Lane

Well Kev would be cheating then. You are only allowed a maximum of four houses or one hotel per property.

Please keep up at the back there!

 

[Worksop II]

Well Kev would be cheating then

I think he calls it maximising his investment ..... you call it what you like

 

[snootyfenooty]

A two-tier stand is not a proper kop, and should be avoided if at all possible.

If the kop is redeveloped by excavating the mound and building a hollow structure, single tiered or not, then that's not a kop either. A football ground's kop was originally named after a hill of the same name as defined in the Afrikaans dictionary.

Here endeth today's lesson.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

If the kop is redeveloped by excavating the mound and building a hollow structure, single tiered or not, then that's not a kop either. A football ground's kop was originally named after a hill of the same name as defined in the Afrikaans dictionary.

Here endeth today's lesson.

I'm aware of the historical origins, but I'd take the impression of a hill-like single incline on an otherwise hollow shell, to two-tiers on the existing mound.

 

[grafikhaus]

Someone mentioned on here the other day apparently the extended tram route is going to go down Bramall Lane, not that it makes any difference as the stadium development won't be happening any time soon

No. A 'spur' to Supertram was mooted a few years ago and The Railway, Cricketers and those dodgy second-hand car lots were closed. Then the powers-that-be realised that a dedicated tram line linking the great unwashed to Hillsborough had already been done.