You cannot tell me that this wouldn't make Oakwell fit for the future

In reality, the ground was developed with no real forward thinking in place.

In hindsight;

1. The East Stand was probably a bit too big and should’ve been moved further back when it was built to create more space between the ground and Grove Street to allow a new West Stand to be built.

2. The West Stand should’ve been developed as a mirror image to the (albeit smaller) East Stand.

3. The North & South stands should’ve been identical.

4. More capacity could’ve been achieved by filling in the corners if required.

I think the best opportunity the club had to relocate was when the land at Dodworth was being developed. There were talks at one point of relocating Dodworth station further towards Capitol Park/Toby Carvery which would’ve been ideal if the new ground was built where the warehouses now sit.

 

It hasn't done Wigan Athletic or Wigan Warriors RL side much good on the face of it... financial albatrosses... massive losses and debts year in year out. I'm not convinced the posh oversized stadiums earn a cracker once the novelty has worn off.

 

The same could be said when the other 3 sides were built. However, we did eventually manage to fill it. It's modernisation and planning for the future. We've managed to modernise on 3 sides, why not a 4th.

 

We are similar in size, town wise and club wise, and recent history wise (ish) to Burnley.
Three sides of our ground are VERY similar to Turf Moor. Their away end is smaller than their home and we don't need corporate boxes in our home end. The East is almost identical.

My point:
Most of our fans sit in Ponty and East. The only way we get more in the West is if it is a big game or we consolidate in the Championship. At present it is nigh-on empty, notwithstanding the part closure.
The East needs updating slightly, but we have enough scope there to titivate the concourses and corporate offerings without a rebuild. We simply do NOT need a West Stand that has corporate offering and all mod-cons.
We need nothing more than a modern equivalent of Burnley's which MORE than meets their matchday needs without being anything other than a space for a few thousand bums. Burnley's 'West' is all we need and more. Single tier. Doesn't impose onto Grove Street, doesn't upset residents and more importantly doesn't break the bank; thus not upsetting Barnsley Council Tax payers any more than it needs to.

 

That's fine providing you accept we would be spending a few million on what could well be a virtually empty white elephant.
Aesthetically it's all very nice but a new stand does not put bums on seats, only winning football does that.

 

The thing is if you think small you stay small. Something like that would be out of date in no time. You've got to think big so things are in place for where you want to end up. Corporate is a huge opportunity to make money and more so if we plan to have Boxing and other entertainment events down at Oakwell in the future. Building a new west stand without those facilities would be a shocking decision. At the Blunts you slide a glass door to leave your box to your leather seat. Really simple and how it should be. Our own east stand in comparison is so dated.

 

I've sat in corporate in the East and it is not disimilar to what you describe the Blunts. It's adequate.
Blunts are bigger than both us and Burnley. Were Burnley 'thinking small' when they got to the Prem. Repeatedly.
'Out of date in no time'. I did say a modern equivalent.

What I proposed is ample. It would still give us 20 - 25k capacity. Twice that of Bournemouth. We would fill it in the Prem; 'adequately' fill it in the Champ.

And if you think we are going to pull in more than 25k for concerts or Callum Simpson fights (which are great ambitions BTW) then I think you are wide of the mark. It's a replacement West Stand we need, not a 'Wembley of the North'.

 

". You've got to think big so things are in place for where you want to end up. Corporate is a huge opportunity to make money and more so if we plan to have Boxing and other entertainment events down at Oakwell in the future."

All wishful thinking and a way to go bust pretty quickly. Boxing promoters and other events organisers don't just throw money at you to host an event.

 

Do you think we'd ever fill those 3 stands equating to circa 20k. Home fans. Unless established in the premier.
I would go for a smaller version and if necessary. Develop the north stand entrances and exits to accommodate home and away fans. As necessary.

 

I don't get this attitude that we currently don't get 18k a game and therefore there's no point in having a capacity in access of that. I'm not suggesting we are looking at making the ground into the Camp Nou, but say, having a capacity of 20-25k. I think the psychology of having a reduced capacity and a dilapidated old stand which is on the brink of being condemned all the time acts as a break on ambition.
subconsciously knowing we can never get more then 18k fans - of which 4.5 k would be away fans, thus limiting home support to in effect 14k, kind of puts a limit on ambitions imho, we can't sell 14k season tickets, but do we really try Knowing that's the hard limit?

 

We need a fresh, modern and where possible future proof west stand.

Nowhere near as big as the east is required, but we could have a single tier, modern stand - perhaps with a bit of rail seating/safe standing.

A point was made about winning football being the only thing to put bums on seats. True. But the West Stand being the only seats available would put a lot off currently. A brand new shiny facility wouldn’t - and moreover, a lot would come to a game or two just to see the new stand as well.

Whichever way you look at it, now we are committed to Oakwell for the foreseeable and have the future mapped out in that regard, we have to sort out the west stand one way or another. It can’t stay as it is. It’s costing a lot of money just to stay less than half open.

 

Absolutely. As they say, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Having more seats available would open the opportunity to do like cheaper seats and special deals. Specific games that would have a lower attendance such as a midweek game against a less glamouress game we could do the old tenner a ticket deal we did years ago to pack it.

 

I’d like to think that any new structure would be single tier with a tunnel in the middle where the players come out. Comfortable seats with a bit more leg room like at the MKD stadium would tempt me to switch from the ESL even at a higher price. No need for a massive 7,000 seater. 3 or 4 thousand seats with hospitality along the back would be perfect

 

A brand new shiny facility wouldn’t - and moreover, a lot would come to a game or two just to see the new stand as well...
Obviously that 'support' doesn't come again after the first couple of losses... new shiny stadiums bring nobody in on a regular basis.

 

No need for a bigger stand. update the facilities but leave the old wooden seats in the upper. put a roof over that covers the seats at the front and get rid of the pillars that restrict ya view. we would increase capacity by making the away end of the West stand usable. int it 23k if everything was available..

 

Unlikely they'll incorporate the players tunnel. That would mean moving home and away dressing rooms back into the West.

 

More tinpot than an old decrepit stand with no proper toilets where only half the stand can be used?

 

Honestly? Yes.

I hate the west stand, but while it does look awful it's clearly just because of the age of it. Building something like what's in that document is different because it's a new addition intentionally built to be very low capacity