will we ever see a new West Stand....?

Exactly yeah, you've probably seen it but the stand they had before was very similar to our West Stand although it had been closed for several years before they built the new one.

If we do get rid of the west then replicating what they've done would be ideal, you'd retain roughly the same amount of seats that are in the lower tier then have media facilities and executive boxes above that, surely it would make TV companies more willing to cover us if the facilities are already in place for them. [Not that I'm really that bothered about TV coverage but it's all extra money int it]. The stand could always be built so that it's possible to add an extra tier should we ever need to - can't see this in the near future but say we did have a freak season and ended up in the Premier again you can bet that we'd be able to sell 25,000 tickets easily and the West is currently the only part of the ground open to expansion.

 

Hope not

 

I think the only way it will be rebuilt is if we did ever get back up which isn't likely but you never know. But as long as the structure stays safe and the league are happy with us using it I'm happy for it to stay and give our ground a bit of character.

 

Hope not. It connects us to our past and heritage, which is what supporting a football team is partly about.

We should be proud of it. I hate identikit footy grounds. Totally lacking soul.

Also there's no need, we don't even come close to filling our current capacity.

 

I'm going to apply to have it listed.

It's a connection to our past. Over 100 years old, a century of history that we can still connect with every week and some lads want to give the media some comfy seats?

F.ck that.

 

I'd gladly build 1 myself if it means replacing that shed

 

Why?

 

Why should we build a stand so the media can get comfy? F*ck the media, our ground, our rules.

 

I've got some hugely fond memories of the West Stand, once upon a time I used to stand in there, towards the kop end, before I eventually graduated over to the Ponty End.

At the risk of sounding like Hemmsy, when my sports-mad Mum took me to my first ever game in 1981 we sat in the West Stand. It was the first game of the season, we won 4-0 against Shrewsbury, and the die was well and truly cast.

I'd like to think they may be able to find a way to maintain and improve it indefinitely without losing the look and feel of the place, but it's obvious that it will gradually become more and more expensive to do so to a safe standard, and eventually it'll be cheaper to just pull it down and build a modern replacement. That'll be an inevitable but sad day.

 

West Stand Bogs - Grade 2 Listed pissers

 

I love the charachter of it and would be open to re-modernising the roof. Im 29 and first started watching the reds in 1993 to 2004 in that stand in Block E. Had some fantastic memories in there especially between 1996 and 98. Used to smell cigar smoke tho quite often in there but it all added to the matchday. The toilets are horrendous but add to the west stand feel and i can understand why some people (Dyson) feel attatched to them. I remember days on Tuesday nights when it was blowing a gale holding my pee in just cos I didn't wanna go out there. All storys that wouldn't have been in my history as a fan though if the stand wouldn't have been there and that's only in my lifetime.

 

I'm Knicking that for fanzine! Cheers

 

Better stands in the Blue Square Premier

 

You mean 'newer'. Doesn't mean better.

I'd like to keep our history.

 

I'm sure they piss on brick walls at Wrexham

 

What's that got to do with our stand?

 

The West Stand's fine as it is. It's the rest of the ground that needs developing so it matches.

 

We soon won't have any choice, only so many more years it can continue to get the certificates to be used. A new stand will close the ground in and improve the atmosphere, I'm all for it. My first ever ST was in the West in '84 up to the building of the East, fond memories and smells!

 

I might have started watching in that stand in 80s, and heard year on year the fact was containing wood it would no longer conform to safety rules, it's still there but needs to be replaced pretty soon.

Glances again at the stand leaving the ground on Friday, unless the road can move there is no room to expand

 

Bollacks to the Ponty. The best sound in Oakwell is when we stamp our feet on them oak boards!! Even the old uns!!