Second tier on ponty

Maybe - but I don’t think we’ll get it back to the levels it was anyway (noise).

A good squad and manager pushing for promotion whilst playing good football, along with a well maintained stadium will do for me for now - and that will increase the noise too.

 

Good football on the pitch is the biggest factor in noise level/etc - I remember some dire atmospheres at Oakwell when we were playing badly and it was standing

 

It would probably take 10-15 years to pay for itself though. The cost of implementing is not cheap. And I don’t think we’d see many extra folk either.

Only places it might work, are at large sold out grounds. Emirates and Etihad etc. But then if you read reports, attendance money these days is nothing compared to tv and commercial rights money.

 

We were still pretty quiet even when we got promoted. The last good atmosphere I can remember at Oakwell was the 3-3 Boxing Day draw under Davey (I think) Something has to change

 

Why do people want to stand? Before I could afford to sit in the stand I hated it. Getting pushed etc. It is not contributing to the enjoyment.

 

Walsall in the play offs was quiet???

 

It's ironic you have a photo of it as your avatar.

 

Play off semi v Walsall was absolutely bouncing jc. However, I agree, a safe standing section or unallocated seating in an area of the Ponty would improve the atmosphere I reckon.

 

It just wants a new roof putting over which covers the whole seating & smartening up a bit , we love it on there , best view in the ground from the lower west. So before you send the bulldozers in please have a word with people who use it

 

Aye to be fair that was pretty good tbf. I was more thinking of a normal league match rather than a ‘one off’ game.

 

Ive got a picture of an old escort MK11 I had But I’m fookin glad I’m not still driving it . Things move on you see and the one I’ve got now it’s so much better !

 

The last REAL atmosphere I can remember when the place really did seem to be jumping was the cup game against Chelsea - may have been some others but none stick in my mind like that one does.

 

I used to stand up in the brewery stand with my dad but I’m fooking glad I now sit in the east stand . The west stand is an embarrassment and adds to the perception that our club is stuck in the last century it’s long overdue to be consigned to history .

 

If it's just a case of vanity and the stand is still 80% empty.... I know what my choice would be. If it's a case in future we need extra capacity, then agree first phase would be west stand redevelopment. But I can't see us needing extra capacity any time soon. even if we got the vile land of the premiership, I doubt we'd sell out a 30,000 stadium, even giving 5k to the opposition

 

That is your opinion but it doesn"t make you right , I repeat that I think with some investment it could be brought into the 21st century & I sit there & am not embarrassed to admit it

 

Why can't it be a similar capacity to what it is now just and improve the look of the stand? Stand may not be 80% empty if it's improved. Want extra capacity then you can add a tier to Ponty end

 

You’ve every right to your opinion as have I , after all isn’t that what this forum is all about ? But I think if the club want to move into the next century ( god forbid) then it needs a huge amount of investment in the infrastructure . Personally I’d like a new stadium and build it either on the academy complex or the brewery site . A stadium which could be used all year round and generate income . I realise this is far too radical for some “fans” but imo it’s the only way the club will progress and encourage more people to come . Can’t think of too many new grounds where crowds haven’t increased substantially . Didn’t messrs Lee & Conway say they have six months to decide what to do with the ground moving forward ? I think that decision can’t be too far away .

 

They said they didn't want to do anything too radical - I would say a new ground is pretty radical. A new ground doesn't mean you automatically progress - Arsenal is a classic example. Crowd has increased but the cost of the stadium held them back in the transfer market

 

So we spend millions of pounds to rebuild a stand, that doesn't improve capacity.... and won't guarantee any extra attendance.... to make it look "pretty"?

I'd rather we invested in operations, marketing and engaging with future fans to give us the bodies to make it necessary to expand and modernise our ground.

The ground holds 23,000 supposedly. Next season we're likely to see attendances of 10-13,000 depending on how successful we are, or aren't.

 

It's all well and good planning "huge amounts of investment in infrastructure" but if they are to do that, they will need an impressive ROI, either in terms of value add for potential disposal in future years, or generating income. I completely agree in terms of utilising a ground more. And I think this is where a plan to engage with community and fan base is really important. Sporting venues are massively underutilised. But why does the ground have to be hugely developed to utilise it more?

Surrey CC have done some very impressive things of late and have hugely increased revenue from events and sponsorship to then fund ground redevelopment. I'd advocate that, but it would have to match demand. I'd rebuild the west stand if our status is ascending and there is more need for tickets. Until then, it's not the most beautiful thing ever built, but it's not worth throwing millions at while we're in league 1