I had to this morning and boy did that feel strange at this time of the year! No idea what the view is like (can't go into the new stadium for a tour as it's still a working site), facilities etc - just take it for granted as a football fan. Not keen on new stadia personally, but they say its progress. We'll see.
I'm going to regret never visiting Ninian Park before it's knocked down. How far away is your new ground? Hopefully it will have good away parking and a pub (unlike the new ground of your favourite neighbours).
Its about 50 yards from Ninian Park! NP is unique, particularly these days, but is tired and dated. Would cost far too much to upgrade & we've had the new stadium built largely for nothing by selling the retail space attached to the parcel of land given to us by the local council. There's supposed to be a pub inside the ground as well as the usual bars but I'm not so sure it'll be open to away fans. Plenty of parking. Can't believe that sw*nsea didn't allow for parking facilities (home or away). They just assumed they'd be able to use the parking spaces of the retail development attached to it - without thinking that the shops tend to be open on Saturdays! Caused mayhem there when it 1st opened. Typical backward thinking down there though.
Prefer sentimental ...too many good mammories, sorry memories, at NP. Spent most of my bloody life there! This'll be my view next year apparently, can scroll around whole ground http://www.cardiffcitystadium.co.uk/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=66
But that's the thing ...it's OUR club, no matter who you support, the feelings the same. It's a strange one. I'm looking forward to the move but dreading it at the same time. At least we're staying in the same place & not moving to the Bay as was mooted. The facilities are better at new stadia but the atmosphere's dire and again there's the memories. Got no choice obviously but it'll be a sad day for me and many others & having to buy a s/t for the new ground just seems to bring the reality home.
Drove down past the new ground a couple of weeks ago Honestly didn't think it looked much cop from outside, to be brutally honest. Maybe it will be better from inside, but I think I expected something more impressive having seen those drawings in the press of the '4 stages' which supposedly culminate in a 70,000 capacity ground.
Its ok ...nothing different from any other flat-pack stadium imo. The "funky" cladding design is the work of our vice chairman in order for it to look a little different. Does appear better on the inside. The original plans were the ones drawn up by Sam Hammam. Trouble is, he had no way of paying for them and could not put a business plan forward (despite numerous requests) to the Council for approval. That's why it was a non-starter under him. Anyone can get an impressive set of plans drawn, paying for them is a different matter. The Council and primary retail tennant (Tesco at the time, now Asda) refused point-blank to work with him. Unsurprising when you hear about his business methods. Make your skin crawl tbh. Lets be honest, the 60k stadium was never going to happen. Everyone knew it, but if it got approval Sam would have been able to walk away with an awful lot more money without ever having to use a penny of his own.
Capacity Jeff ? looks around 25k to me, if your chairman was John Ryan it'd be the 'Emirartes Stadium' of Wales !!!</p>
