West Stand

It's can't be done like that the footings for the new stand would have to go through it would cost more to leave it like that

 

I just think it’s bloody great that we are actually having a conversation about *needing* to upgrade the West Stand. Positive results are a catalyst for many things.

 

I honestly believe if we do get promotion we will be playing our games away from Oakwell. The board arnt going to invest in something they don't own

 

Playing away from Oakwell, short term, is a price worth paying to stop the Board (and any Board in future) from owning the Ground outright.

 

Do you honestly think it’s easier to find land, get planning permission and build a new stadium, than it is to buy our existing stadium?

 

No I don't I think we will end up ground sharing with Sheffield Utd or Leeds

 

Whilst we’re all a little risk averse regarding foreign owners*.

We need a stadium that belongs to the club so that it can develop along with the club. The current situation is starting to look like an obstacle to future plans.

*this is actually illogical, as most clubs that have had massive financial failures are actually because ‘local’ investors have got in over their heads.

 

100% this

 

didn’t Carl Tiler pay for em?

 

Can’t be done on a permanent basis. Would have to be in the borough.

The FA closed the door after Wimbledon bolted.

 

According to Norman Rimmington they were.

 

This conversation has been going on for decades now, it seems everyone falls in to one of a few camps. 1) Don't touch it, as it's historical and we can't fill it anyway, 2) bulldoze it and "mirror" the East Stand, 3)Eiter modernize it, or build a similar-sized stand in its place, as we don't need anything too big.

I can't decide where I am in it though. One side of me thinks of the west stand seats question like a condom. It's better to have one and not need it, than need one and not have one. So it's better to have the seats there in case a big game comes up so we can capitalise on it.

As for the new stand, again people are either in the "build a massive stand and futureproof the thing camp, or build something smaller and more modest. I'm in neither though. You build a stand that is a single-tier one, a similar height to either the Ponty or North Stand(allowing you to join them at the corners, but design it so it can be easily built up to a second-tier should demand call for it in the future.

It's all a pointless argument, anyway. Only was there will be major money spend of the place is if the owners buy it...

 

But if the owners (any owners) never own the ground outright then they'll never put any money into it to improve it. Oakwell as it is now would rot and die and we'd end up playing in some soulless bowl in Wath.

 

That would make our capacity 30,000+.

Whether it's 8pm on monday night against Burnley in the prem or a tuesday against Luton in the championship, we are always going to have numerous games where we struggle to eclipse 14,000.

 

This^
The status quo has a limited shelf life.

The ground ownership has to be resolved (the current owners don’t want to own it, the club does)

The West Stand needs updating (it’s a H&S nightmare and will only get worse)

 

There has to be some worthwhile caveats inserted imo .
Don’t want the farcical happenings at Hillsborough to taint our club .

 

That's why I said I would design the stand to be a smaller one, with the ability to build upon it if the demand for seats calls for it. Get the capacity to ~24,000/25,000 with a West Stand that can be used 100%. That way, you're not going to fill it week in, week out but for the bigger games against Utd, Liverpool etc, you're not losing potential ticket revenue.

Then, if the impossible does happen and we establish ourselves up there and the average attendance creeps up and up, the foundations and plans are already there to quickly and easily add the second tier to it, taking the capacity closer to 30,000*.

*Obviously, the above plan is only once top-flight football has been achieved. I honestly don't think we will ever have enough demand for tickets to justify a full rebuild of the West Stand whilst in the Championship or below.

 

The old ones maybe, as Gorden Owen says, the current ones were put up in the 90's.

 

Maybe they don't want to sell?

 

What would make our capacity over 30,000? Nobody has suggested a stand double the size of the east