council want to talk to Town about new stadium

Quoted from BS baffles brains

when the Findus stand was originally built, I believe the plan was to buy the houses at the back of the main stand, in Harrington street, and revolve the pitch, hence the reason the Findus stand doesn't cover the full length of the pitch. A good idea still.

That's certainly an interesting concept. Putting the area itself for one side to a moment, the fundamental issue with redeveloping BP on its existing footprint is that it simply isn't big enough to build a modern stadium of sufficient capacity with the required facilities required to make such an investment worthwhile.

Using Rotherham's 12,000 seater stadium as a template, you can see from the mock-up below (all to scale) that the land BP sits on is simply way too small for this to work (assuming the homeowners surrounding the ground aren't prepared to give up their garden and perhaps even a bit of their kitchen):

[img]https://i.ibb.co/ykF0wMw/Current.png[/img]
If however you did own those houses on Harrington Street you increase the size of the plot by around 30%, and in rotating the stadium you could, just about, fit a stadium similar to Rotherham's. In fact, given the plot-imposed limitations of Rotherham's smaller side stand you could probably squeeze in something approaching 14,000 if the ground was well enough designed.

[img]https://i.ibb.co/y04F531/Rotation-Rotation.png[/img]
It might be an option, who knows, but just like other mooted locations it has plenty of complexity associated with it - not least the fact you'd have to purchase the best part of £2m of property (which let's not forget, are people's homes) which would take a substantial amount of time, and that attempting to play football there while it was rotated and redeveloped would be very difficult if not impossible. I have a feeling that Bournemouth and maybe even Blackpool may have done so, but they weren't as hemmed in by houses as BP is.

I don't see any other way that BP could be adequately redeveloped (an architect though I am not), and personally this approach looks potentially expensive, risky and complex to execute. If nothing else though, it's an interesting idea.

Not sure if this has already been pointed out earlier in the thread... but the parking issue flagged at the proposed site on the docks can also be mitigated by the fact there's an existing train station at Grimsby Docks. Must admit I've never got the train to Grimsby Docks so don't know if it would be suitable for transporting thousands of people on a match day, but I'd like think it'd be in National Rail's interest to ensure it is, and lay on extra trains on a match day/night.

Quoted from Poojah

Didn’t know that about the Main Stand; that probably is the Osmond then. If you look to the left and the stand there appears to be the early framework for some more terracing; I imagine this is probably where you’ve got the slight distinction between the two sections of the stand today (considering the position of the goal).

Interesting that it shares quite a lot of architectural features with the old Barratt Stand. I was born just after the Barratt Stand was demolished, but the view from the very back of the stand must have been shocking - two layers of supporting pillars. Looks a cracking old school stand though.

[img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BudkC0jIQAMEqPK?format=jpg&name=large[/img]

Pretty sure the Osmond came later Poojah. The stand in that picture might be the one they relocated from the old ground.

I'd echo Ginny's comment that the Barrett seemed massive as a kid.

use to frequent the Barratts with my brother. Town were playing Cambridge, Bobby Cumming got the ball on the halfway line and motored down the wing, unleashed a thunderbolt into the roof of the net. I was stood on the very top step. I jumped up to celebrate the goal not realising that there was a large RSG above my head. I smashed my head on the girder splitting it open (my head not the girder!)

Quoted from Poojah

Didn’t know that about the Main Stand; that probably is the Osmond then. If you look to the left and the stand there appears to be the early framework for some more terracing; I imagine this is probably where you’ve got the slight distinction between the two sections of the stand today (considering the position of the goal).

Interesting that it shares quite a lot of architectural features with the old Barratt Stand. I was born just after the Barratt Stand was demolished, but the view from the very back of the stand must have been shocking - two layers of supporting pillars. Looks a cracking old school stand though.

[img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BudkC0jIQAMEqPK?format=jpg&name=large[/img]

Looking at the photo there is a gas tower in the background which is probably the one that was near Chapman's pond. If correct it would make this stand on the site of the old Barrets Stand.

There is an interesting article in the GL promoting a new vision for Cleethorpes. Could a new ground located at say the old Findus factory site be part of the vision?

Just wondering, and yes parking would still be a problem but it is nearer to Grant St.


https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/new-vision-cleethorpes-make-resort-6156783

Talking of parking. I got to the ground too early on Saturday and they struggled to give parking to all the players. A couple lads did not look happy especially when they had a meeting in 5 minutes time and they where stuck outside the main stand in their cars...

Quoted from Withnail

Not sure if this has already been pointed out earlier in the thread... but the parking issue flagged at the proposed site on the docks can also be mitigated by the fact there's an existing train station at Grimsby Docks. Must admit I've never got the train to Grimsby Docks so don't know if it would be suitable for transporting thousands of people on a match day, but I'd like think it'd be in National Rail's interest to ensure it is, and lay on extra trains on a match day/night.

It would cost a lot of money to upgrade Docks Station to accommodate even the TPE 3/6 car trains for the Manchester to Cleethorpes run. Network Rail do not run the trains, only the franchise operators do this. On how many occasions would these "thousands" of passengers use this facility, bearing in mind we only have 22/23 home games a season. This idea of using Docks Station or New Clee Station for accommodating football fans is a non starter.

Quoted from rancido

It would cost a lot of money to upgrade Docks Station to accommodate even the TPE 3/6 car trains for the Manchester to Cleethorpes run. Network Rail do not run the trains, only the franchise operators do this. On how many occasions would these "thousands" of passengers use this facility, bearing in mind we only have 22/23 home games a season. This idea of using Docks Station or New Clee Station for accommodating football fans is a non starter.

Trains don't need to fit every platform, I have been on 6 Carriage trains before where only 3 of the carriages has fitted the platform and those wishing to alight who are in a carriage that doesn't fit the platform they just walk through the train.

But I do concede that I don't think Docks or New Clee station can even fit 3 carriages can they? I wonder if a 3 carriage train and 2 of them fits into the station would work? Works at other stations but I'm not sure those trains are carrying loads of football fans!

Quoted from Davec

Trains don't need to fit every platform, I have been on 6 Carriage trains before where only 3 of the carriages has fitted the platform and those wishing to alight who are in a carriage that doesn't fit the platform they just walk through the train.

But I do concede that I don't think Docks or New Clee station can even fit 3 carriages can they? I wonder if a 3 carriage train and 2 of them fits into the station would work? Works at other stations but I'm not sure those trains are carrying loads of football fans!

That is a fair point. The present TPE sets from Manchester are 3 car sets but a lot have been doubled up to 2x3's with no interconnection between the two sets. I still don't think it would be a financially viable option for any train operator to amend it's timetables and unit usage to accommodate the possibility of increased passenger numbers due to football fans on a maximum of 26 occasions a year.
As a point of interest I have a picture of an LNER railway "flyer" from 1933 advertising half day excursions from Boston to Grimsby via Skegness, Spilsby, Alford, Mablethorpe and Louth to coincide with the GTFC home games of that season. These excursions only went as far as Grimsby Town Station, not Grimsby Docks or Cleethorpes as you might have expected.