Oakwell old Spion Kop

Debate at work going off asking why the away end got built first and not the west stand? Was there a health and safety issue or any reasons to why that stand got chosen before the west? Work colleagues suggest it’s rubbish coming out of the away end tunnel (I agree with this) and ask why everything got built in the away end?

I’m sure someone will know or have an idea on this.

Work colleagues ask why the club didn’t do a smaller stand (or just put a roof on the spion kop) and then use the money to develop west stand incorporating new players tunnel etc….

One for those with more knowledge than me on this topic but intrigued to find out.

 

West Stand had opposition from houses behind it on Grove Street and the School. To do with light apparently. Then it was cursed by a voodoo brewery covenant.

 

Covenanters helped cause the English Civil War.

 

Aye. Cromwell was a devout puritan.

 

Just my opinion.
The away end before the stand was built. Was totally unfit for purpose. No cover. No standing and temporary seats during the premier season. To me it was the right decision. The west stand although ancient was/is still useable.

 

The Spion Kop was the only stand with corner seating.

 

Guess that was in the makeshift era. ? Including the premier.

 

Yeah when seats were introduced. There were seats underneath that box thingy.

 

Near them floodlight thingys I assume.

 

Yeah . Joking aside it got me thinking why didn't the club put something similar in the other corners because for a while they were just smoothed over concrete. In fact the corner between the West Stand and the Ponty is still like that now.

 

Certainly would work for me. Decent Seating and a low roof. Leading from/to the ponty concourse.

 

I think the club could get away with putting a new roof over the West Stand and extending it over that corner. It would be cheaper than building a new Stand because there isn't demand for extra capacity. If you look at the away end at Forest they have an angled stand and it works quite well.

 

This all day long, then you need to consider what is funding it and the restrictions that may come with that funding to encourage/ discourage particular paths.

 

I have posted before on this subject, the utility pipes below the stand are lagged in asbestos and the roof if you look carefully is cement bonded asbestos. Patrick Cryne was going to demolish west stand in first couple of years of taking over to save on business rates,utility bills,stewarding,maintainance etc but the short term to medium term savings would have been wiped out by the cost of specialist asbestos removal on that scale.

 

Wasn't part of the reason to provide changing room facilities etc for the academy pitches behind the stand? Then it simply became a cost cutting exercise to move the match day facilities in there too

 

The fact it's over 100 years old may well make it difficult to get permission to demolish it.

 

Would look great with a new corner stand building. Perfect location to turn it into a full on purpose built kids club too which would generate money outside of matchdays.