Off the pitch improvements

What improvements either short term or long term would people like to see being made at Oakwell? Obviously there is a core section of the fanbase that wants nothing done other than playing good football but in the real world there’s other projects that could and maybe should also happen

Restoration of the West stand?

New signage of the Ponte stand removing the dated and well faded pink ‘Barnsley Football Club’ for something newer and cleaner

Digital advertising boards around the pitch

A proper big screen in the ground ‘controversial I know)

a complete overhaul of the hospitality suits so they don’t resemble something akin to a working man’s clubs tap room

 

Seems like there is a need for better catering and service on the concourses, this has been a concern going way back to the beginning of the Cryne era.

 

Items available in club shop need to massively improve. Key part of income for a football club is merchandise and ours is very poor.

 

This is an ongoing issue at the club and really should be a priority. There is so much potential Revenue being lost to this.
I know a lot of these things aren’t an issue to some fans but with the advent of social media and YouTube in general it’s hard. It to see other clubs around the country just doing thing so much better. As a club that is historically a second tier club I think we are getting left behind on so many areas now and it is being showcased to millions whether people realise it or not

plus it’s interesting seeing what we could possibly do and what others see that need improvement

 

West Stand and its perimeter wall. It's an embarrassment. It's also going to need major work at some point soon.
No money to do it though so I guess it will continue to slowly decay.

 

I'll caveat my comment by saying I'm unlikely to visit Oakwell in the short term, and haven't been since the pandemic, so I can only go on others comments about experience.

Generally though, what I would like to see is a club that is fair, ethical and local in how it makes its choices. That it uses companies who do good, are sustainable and within 10-15 miles and obviously does things which help the local community and the environment.

I know YT suggested to me a while back that El Ahmad had it in his intray to review, but I'd like some simple actions to be taken before. For example, water at some of our recent press conferences. It doesn't take a review to instantly chose to remove the bottled water. And a bit of a shame we're shipping in non alcoholic beer from the US when I'm sure there are plenty of options in the UK and probably within Yorkshire.

 

It’s very basic and the standard fayre, mugs T-shirts towels that’s it

 

The red wall all along Grove Street must be one of if not the worst unwelcoming sights in the top three leagues and probably beyond .
I know some are gonna say it’s nostalgic etc etc but it’s not welcoming whatsoever a red brick painted wall with glass on the top doesn’t imo say this is the home of the Second Tiers most frequented Club .

 

The red wall is a controversial one, personally I like it I like the history of it but the rest of the west stand isn’t historic it’s just decaying and in need of ‘sympathetic’ works.

 

A new stand is needed and the entrances incorporated into the structure as in the East Stand .
Doesn’t need to be much bigger in terms of crowd size or higher than it is now . But something needs doing and also incorporating the players entrance and subs benches etc .

 

Would definitely like to see the players tunnel return to the west stand in whatever guise the west stand would be

 

Get it right on the pitch before we do most of the things mentioned. Increased fan attendance will then follow. And further investment will follow that.
The screen is an embarrassment but not essential. Just take the thing down.
Digital boards already in use.
Hospitality suites from what I've seen are more than adequate.
We need to get people through the gate. All of the above can wait.

 

It's further back to the road from the pitch than people think. If we rebuilt the stand back to the wall it would probably dwarf everything else. It just needs the box structure replacing with a single tier structure. This would make it a double tier stand with no need to alter the existing lower tier. Also the roof needs to be extended to the touchline.

 

Need a lot better fan zone.
West stand needs modernising.
I think it’s sh17 where the tunnel is and the team needs to come back out via the west stand!
Indoor alternative pub/club.
The last upgrade to the scoreboard was shameful and needs to be much more up to date

 

I'd like a proper bar that was fitted out like a pub. Readfearn's was o.k but it was a bit school canteen. I didn't feel like I was in a pub.

 

Get what you’re saying but it’s never the right time if we depend on the playing side being right .
We did the East and Ponte whilst doing ok and we could have done the BM stand probably on a lesser grander scale .
It just needs initiative to get on with it imo and first impressions can galvanise and incentivise what takes place on the pitch as it did in the nineties after the two new stands .

 

I'd have a new bar open all year incorporated into the structure of the new West Stand.

 

A new supporters club would be a must on Grove Street imo either in the new structure or where the school was .