Ok then , New Ground time

Quoted from DaleH

As I said in my post, it's not going to happen, there will not be a new ground. There is so much that can be done to improve BP and that is where the emphasis will be.

Personally I am glad about that. So many happy memories at BP

I respectfully think you’re wrong.

JS & AP have been open. They have said it’s off the table for now and would be revisited when we’re filling BP regularly. It is quite possibly that the 3 traditional home stands at BP will be sold out for every single league game next season.

And JS & AP have said how they hope to get their investment back- by Increasing the value of their shares. Footballing position is only worth so much. Infrastructure like a training ground and a modern, fit for purpose stadium will be the main driving force behind 1878 making their money back when they hand over the baton.

Will they want to plan for a new stadium with just the 2 of them? Maybe not. But they’ve said they are open to others coming on board.

Quoted from DaleH

Personally I am glad about that. So many happy memories at BP

Yes, but the Main Stand and Osmond would need knocking down and rebuilding if we wanted to stay at BP in the long term.

And the upper Findus isn’t really fit for purpose anymore is it? You’d never get planning permission for that stand now.

And the Pontoon is the mid 90s stand and not the one fans of a certain age get sentimental about.

If we stay at BP it will end up nothing like the one we have happy memories about. It will be up being a plot of land that an old fashioned ground used to be on before a more modern one was built.

Quoted from grimps

All my neighbours have managed to get permission for Dormer extensions over looking my garden so I’m sure they’d easy be able to get permission for a stand that over looks nothing and if built right wouldn’t affect their sun light.

We seemed to be dead set on moving grounds for 25 years , I doubt if a study has ever even been done to improve Blundell park and increase the capacity

If the dormer is no higher than the existing roof line then that isn't a problem regardless of whether it looks over your property or not. The only problem would be the closeness in proximity of the dormer and the gardens it overlooks . As regards BP , the Main stand could be replaced but objections could be raised if a new stand roof line  was higher than the existing one.

Quoted from DaleH

As I said in my post, it's not going to happen, there will not be a new ground. There is so much that can be done to improve BP and that is where the emphasis will be.

Personally I am glad about that. So many happy memories at BP

you have been very adamant about this, which suggests a certain amount of knowledge. Perhaps you could tell us some of the ideas to improve BP?

I'm not a planner, council official or builder but I don't understand the "overlooking" aspect of building extensions etc. I work closely with the services and I've been to one central London barracks that had a craphole loads of flats built ridiculously close to their establishment. There's some really sensitive stuff that goes on there so I have no one how the block of flats got built. People could sit on their respective balconies and are 20metres max from inside the barracks, seeing everybody and everything that goes on! Madness.

While we're all talking about a new ground or developing BP we have forgotten that the major project for JS & AP is the New Training Ground. We are 1 year down the road and no announcement, although the unconfirmed rumours it's to be at Barretts Rec.

Plans, planning permission and finance have to be in place. I have no idea how long all this will take before it comes to fruition but we are probably looking at 12 months at least. The reality of this puts any plans for major ground improvement on the back burner for many years, as suggested by an interview with JS a few weeks ago.

We are left with what we have, with a few tweaks here and there, unless the main stand catches fire.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Yes, but the Main Stand and Osmond would need knocking down and rebuilding if we wanted to stay at BP in the long term.

And the upper Findus isn’t really fit for purpose anymore is it? You’d never get planning permission for that stand now.

And the Pontoon is the mid 90s stand and not the one fans of a certain age get sentimental about.

If we stay at BP it will end up nothing like the one we have happy memories about. It will be up being a plot of land that an old fashioned ground used to be on before a more modern one was built.

Agree with all that, but new stands can go up in a few months now - Leicester Tigers built a 10k all seater in not much more than the close season (not our current close season mind). BP needs a complete redevelopment but it could be done in stages to get to a circa 14k capacity. Not my preference (which is a Freemo location) but it is an option.

Notts County just about rebuilt theirs in close season if memory serves me right.

Quoted from GYinScuntland

Notts County just about rebuilt theirs in close season if memory serves me right.

Yeah I remember it only cost them 4 million and nearly all of that was grants.

We’ve messed around for 25 years awaiting a new ground and we’re still no nearer getting one .
I think we all agree long term one is still needed but until we can find a way of financing it we’re stuck at Blundell park .

We cannot now continue with an 8000 capacity ground when we found have 5-6000 season ticket holders and the other 2000 is for visiting fans .

At the very least short term the corners need to have seats added and the club staff will have to work their cars elsewhere like the rest of us.

As for the police box if it actually has any use these days then I’m sure a directors box could give the same view , if not tell the coppers to get their coats on and stick them up in the camera gantry

Earlier in the thread one or two posters mentioned that the current ground puts some people off going, only to be shot down by one or two others.

It absolutely does put some people off going. Usually the first stands to sell out at the Lower Findus, then the pontoon and upper. Its always the Main Stand where there are tickets left available in the days before a game where a big crowd is expected. And I know there are a good few people who wouldn't go purely because it'd mean sitting in the main stand, paying £20 odd to have an absolutely horrendous view, with a post almost guaranteed to be partially blocking your view of one of the goals, the roof coming down meaning if you're in the top section you can't see the ball when it's in the air, and a tiny bar.

There must be a very limited number of seats that are half decent in the main stand.

Would love to see it rebuilt if that can be done. We'd be able to go back a bit with it and have a concourse like walkway under the stand rather than behind it like it is now. That'd surely allow it to go a bit higher (more seats) too.