link to regulations about wooden stands?

Seen a few threads about West Stand development on here over last few months but was wondering - anyone got a link to the FA rules saying we can no longer use the West Stand next year/season as it has wood in it?

If so I'm surprised the club haven't announced some renovations to start the day after Wolves come to town.

TIA

 

From Wikipedia

In March 2008, club secretary Don Rowing revealed that the West Stand would be demolished and rebuilt. Given that the average gate at Barnsley accounts for less than 50% of capacity this appeared to be a strange announcement, however there are a number of structural concerns with the roof and the wooden floor of the upper tier and it would seem that a new structure is more financially viable than maintaining the existing one.

No firm timescales or details of the structure have yet been released. Plans for a replacement stand were submitted to the local council several years ago, in this particular case the stand was to have around 9,000 seats - it remains to be seen whether such a large stand would be built. Given the current attendance figures then a new stand with around the same capacity as the existing West Stand would be more than viable.

Sorry fella, can't find link regarding regulations though.....

 

Shame in a way

I have a soft spot for the West Stand with its original seating and olde worlde looks.
A new roof wouldn't go amiss as long as they retained the gable in the middle and a few grand on a luxury shithouse complex in the concourse would be much better than the open topped stink holes currently in operation. Apart from that though, it can stay for me.

 

Only been in there twice in 30 yrs

Sat in there for a change in a cup match a few years ago. I was surrounded by some real characters, mostly quite old. I reckon if the West Stand was demolished some of those characters would just stop attending.

 

One of the few places you can p in the open air and not get arrested. But agree, toilets and a roof and it's fine. Oh and remove the milk bottle fragments from the top of the wall. It has indeed a charm to it, and the rest of the stadium looks great from it.

 

would be a sad day if it went....

....used to sit in the upper when I was a kid and it was the only seated area of the ground, then stood in the lower until it was seated. Sat down there for a bit of nostalgia twice this season and thought the view was superb. Could have been a bit uncomfortable had it rained mind.

 

Yes, I always like the view from that side - West Lower that is

Especially if it is a game with a big away following. Looking at three reasonably populated sides looks fantastic. The view from the East, however, is never as impressive with acres of empty red seats. If there was a reasonable roof over the old terracing I would keep the original structure just for nostalgia's sake, but it is not likely to happen is it. Once the club decide to do something about that side, the whole site will be levelled and something similar to the East Stand will go up - probably just one tier though surely?
Be nice to see the players coming out on the half way line again as well instead of that stupid corner flag marquee thing.

 

When I started going in '88 we sat in upper tier and mates dad had 5 season tickets. Can still smell the pipe smoke from the old bloke next to me now, devine!

Then stood with my dad in lower tier in early nighties before it got shut. Some good memories. Has a traditional feel about the place but the other three stands kind of tower above it now.

 

No need for a new stand with gates of 9,000 next year. Not cost effective either to rip it down and build a new one.

Cant see a wooden stand being a problem since there is a non smoking ban.

 

BFC ought to look at buying the stand at Millmoor

I know its partially built, but guess it would be at a fraction of initiall cost. it looks a decent stand anarl.

 

been there, done that

built for midgets, allreight if you don't own a pair of legs.

 

I'm on about the new one they started to build..

I didn't know it had been opened.

 

So am I

it was partially open last season.

I helped a rotherham supporter friend out by taking his lads to a game for him. I'm 6'2" and had sit with my legs in the aisle.

Don't know which was more painful, watching "Donkey" Holmes or the back of the seat in front.

 

Ah well nivver mind. nt

 

wonder if someone will slap a preservation order on the old Weat Stand.

 

RE: get thesen' a job lot of 'flamecheck'.....

.....what they use in theatres to flameproof scenery, drapes, gauzes, syc etc. and stuff so it cant burn when you get too near them with 2k lights. Best demo I saw several years ago . The guy took a two ply tissue. One side he sprayed with 'flamecheck' and allowed to dry and the other side was untreated. He put the tissue over his hand treated side up then held a blow torch over it with the blue flame going 'full pelt'. He held it there for several seconds and the tissue didn't burn or even scorch(nor did his hand). He then turned the tissue over untreated side up and put it down on a heatproof surface. He waved the blowtorch over it and the untreated layer of tissue went straight up in a ball of flame. Amazing stuff! (Cheaper than a new stand I reckon) Not sure how weatherproof it would be though. I tested the stuff on some untreated timber when I worked in the theatre and could not get the wood to burn however hard I tried.

 

RE: PS: The main problem with wooden stands....

...and what caused the Bradford fire disaster was/is the build up of flammable rubbish underneath the stand and locked unmanned exit points at the rear. Good housekeeping, stewarding and keeping exit points clear makes wooden stands no more dangerous than any other structure.

 

It's not just the risk of fire though. There are issues with regards to the access and complying with the Disability Discrimination Act. You have to make 'reasonable' alterations after undertaking an access audit.

 

Re: Accessibility doesn't really figure since there are three other modern stands AND ....

...a disabled stand. BFC meets the requirements in that respect. NO Accessibility requirements exist that would require a sports stadium to provide access to every part of the ground.

 

West Stand? I love it - leave it alone

That stand holds lots of memories for me. I like the look of it - such a change from the steel- tubed affairs that have sprung up over the past few years - like Huddersfield's.

We already have a disabled stand, thankfully, and isn't there access for disabled supporters also in the East Stand?

Leave well alone is my view. To me the West Stand typifies Oakwell, and as I said, it evokes so many memories.