Plans for the future

Quoted from toontown

Yeah unless the rules have changed we can't have terracing. Utterly stupid.

Bonkers innit. We've been all-seater since 1994 and haven't been in the second tier since 2003, yet Scunny, who were in the Championship as recently as 2011, still have their terrace.

That said, based on current legislation, should they reach the heights of the second tier for a third time in the post-Taylor report era, they'll have to go all seater. All credit to them, they seem to be going to some lengths to avoid that scenario...

Quoted from Bigdog

WTF

If we ever get a new stadium, just let fans sit where they want to sit, sing if they want to sing. Stadium, full, empty or half full..

Don't get this stupid obsession some of our fans have got with manipulating atmosphere or creating the illusion of a half-filled stadium looking full..

Thought this was a site for grown-ups, for god's sake..

Many stadiums are designed to manipulate atmosphere, either by amplifying the noise of the vocal home section or limiting the away crowd's impact. Home crowd advantage and all that...

For me it does make a difference when say, the Pontoon noise escapes to the North Sea cos there's no sides, and conversely chants at Stockport away were really disjointed as we were in an open stand.

You may disagree with the idea of encouraging areas that are more vocal and ensuring the acoustics of the stadium support that, but I'm sure many at BP do consider atmosphere as a factor when picking their seats, amongst other things.

Not sure that wanting us to try and fully harness a loud, vocal home crowd if we get a new stadium suggests not being 'grown up' tbh...

Quoted from Bigdog

The difference in cost of building a 14/16k stadium compared to a 12k stadium is minimal. Probably much less than 5%. I don't know what drives your fear in all honesty. I don't understand why you're being so pernickety over 4k additional capacity ie potential income? We've got a board striving every day to get the best possible outcomes out of every possible opportunity with very little ammunition infrastructure wise. We're getting 6k home gates in the National League and you think that the maximum growth that can be achieved from this point over the next hundred years, the lifetime of a new stadium is 70% or so for any eventuality? 30k to our first trip to Wembley, home gates in the 70s and 80s pre Taylor Report and the Fenty era suggest otherwise..

Well a couple of reasons
5% of such a huge cost is still a big sum. 20 mill is often given as a ballpark figure so 5% extra is 1million. When adding the interest on the extra 1 million we would be borrowing that we wouldn't otherwise be, that is hundreds of thousands in interest too over a loan lifetime. That money makes the finances even harder to achieve (its hard enough already). It also means the club have to lose that money from the playing budget each year to pay for it.

The second thing is that my worst ever ground experience wasn't at some old crumbling football ground, it was at Darlingtons shiny over massive stadium. 3 or 4k rattling around in a 20k stadium was such a pitiful atmosphere. The main point of live football is atmosphere and if that is degraded you make it a less desirable experience,and fewer people will want to come. It can be a vicious cycle. 16k in my opinion would be too big and be a detriment. 12 thousand and a fee hundred odd seats would virtually always be enough for us and mean almost doubling the number of good view seats that we have. Room for improvement on what we have now for when times are good, not being detrimental to the experience when times are not so good.

The attendances in the 90s, in the championship, which were pre fenty and pre the all seater were even then only 5k ish once we'd been there a while. Attendances seem to slide off once the novelty of the championship dissipates with town, rather than be relative to position in that league when you look.

This whole subject is crying out for some proper research into non-attenders’ opinions.

Every conversation about Town I get told that they use to go back in the day, but stopped, and lost interest. There's a lot of latent interest in the area, people always ask, and are genuinely interested in the club, but for whatever reason, they have stopped going. Their reasons for stopping are complex and varied. How do we turn this interest into customers? I think the new owners are on the right track to get fans back, but it will take time and a lot of effort, thanks the the malaise of the previous regime.

Quoted from toontown

Yeah unless the rules have changed we can't have terracing. Utterly stupid.

It’s time this rule was looked at again and changed

Quoted from toontown

The attendances in the 90s, in the championship, which were pre fenty and pre the all seater were even then only 5k ish once we'd been there a while. Attendances seem to slide off once the novelty of the championship dissipates with town, rather than be relative to position in that league when you look.

Football is much better attended now, comparing 1995 to 2019, Prem is up 57%, Champ up 85%, L1 59% and L2 32%.

https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/nav/attnengleague.htm

Quoted from KingstonMariner

This whole subject is crying out for some proper research into non-attenders’ opinions.

Yes exactly this. Some sort of evidence base would be best to make an informed decision because all of this is just guesswork in both directions.

Atmosphere at. football matches is created by fans, not the stadium. Town fans are better than any other fans in the league for creating atmosphere, even at god forsaken places like Foresr Green, Altrincham Fleetwood, Halifax etc. If for example we had Doncasters new ground and similar numbers, the atmosphere would be much better simply because we would make more noise.

15,000 capacity with 12,000 home allocation would be about right IMHO.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

This whole subject is crying out for some proper research into non-attenders’ opinions.

Being a fan from the late 70s when the Barrett’s was still in use I’d like to try and answer this in a couple of ways and not sure if its common views or not.
I stopped going maybe 10 years ago as it became just a drudge of an experience.  Parking was a pain and unless I sponsored the ball the food was terrible and the toilet facilities just shocking. My family weren’t interested in joining me.
Just a slight divert,. I was the only town fan in the main stand at Macclesfield the last time we played there which was interesting when we scored or maybe I was the only one to jump up.. hard stares all around but I’m ugly so nothing said.   . It had to be done as I hadn’t seen Town score very often.

Now back to the topic.
As I said the whole experience of going to Blundell park was hard work and I feel sorry for the club I am a lifelong fan of.  
People have had better more pleasant things to spend their money on. The last time I was in the Youngs stand watching I went to the stalag toilets and guys were just pissing in the sinks.  That’s the quality of sone supporters. Rather than wait you do that.  Yes the problem is not enough toilets I agree but who the intercourse wants to take guests, friends or potential new supporters to a place like that.  So you lose sales and supporters. I’m not sensitive I started as a labourer on the fish docks but flipping grow up and smell the grass. If you behave like animals you’ll be treated like animals and no one will invest except die hards. You have to attract the floating money which has choices. Fans behaviour has a huge effect on spending. Nod to the pitch invasion posts.

I’ve done ok in life and had a box at old Trafford for years so know how good it can be. ( not a fan it’s just work) I don’t expect that level but what’s on offer at Grimsby has to improve.
For the town to survive it has to attract corporate interest. Man Utd don’t survive on gate receipts and neither can town. It also has to have a nice environment so quality facilities such as food and toilets.  

I sponsored a game in our relegation season to just do my bit and I can not fault the effort of the commercial staff they were fantastic  but what they have to work with is just so out of date and unattractive compared to today’s expectations for all but die hard fans.  
I am delighted that the new owners seem to get this by their obvious efforts to improve things all around the ground.  

I now live away so from for me personally any new ground has to have parking. People do use buses but do they want to wait for a bus from Holton le clay in the cold and rain. No, so they don’t bother going as there’s no parking.
It has to be convenient because we’re all lazy so we like and expect  it that way. Out the car into the ground ( maybe a three min walk but plenty of spaces and no stress finding a space.)

My view on the ground is maybe something like MK dons  built with retail and food outlets but plenty of parking . A hotel and sports facility thrown in and a stadium planned with ability to expand. (Which they did).

Grimsby docks is crying out for investment and if the council have any foresight along with ABP then the land now derelict would be ideal.
Build a new fishing museum. Re purpose freeman street and offer quality shops on the docks to those small retailers, we must retain the same rents for those independents. We have an amazing history that could be harnessed as an attractive centre full of eateries and boutique shopping. Make it all a destination. Some anchor stores to keep up traffic .
Did I mention plenty of parking?  

To get an idea of what I’m seeing in my head go to Hartlepool dock ( once a dump ) and Milton Keynes and combine the two. Make it attractive and the combination will be hopefully a massive boost to the town. It can also lead to the rebuild of the eyesore which is Cleethorpes road .
PS I think the railway line has to go to make it work. Objections to trans pennine please.

Anyway just views from a long time but not so frequent supporter.
I will try to do my bit again this year and plan to come home to attend a few.   Looking forward to seeing quality football at Blundell park again. In those rose coloured days of yonder year we may not have won every game but we knew we just might and so did the big clubs. I feel those times are sneaking back and to support such a team is joy. Win or lose.
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