Mansfield Towns new training and conference centre

Talking about our training facilities on another thread reminded me that Mansfield have got a new training centre away from Field Mill or whatever it is called these days.

Based on the assumption we are never going to get a new ground, or if we ever did it would be a bog standard off the peg job as alluded to by the chairman at the last forum, would it be better to go down that route for the Mariners?

Apparently it cost a more modest 2.5 million pounds, some of which was grant funded.

Players spend their working week at the training centre, so would be a good benefit to sell to new recruits.

The Mansfield facility is community based, has conference facilities and will be used 7 days a week by the people of Mansfield.

If we did a similar thing, and improved BP over time with the aid of grants and some new investment, would it be a solution? We are unlikely to ever raise 25/30 million for a new stadium of any note, so a new state of the art training centre to bring money in 7 days a week seems a decent idea, especially if it is predicated on BP being gradually rebuilt over a 25 year period.

Many grounds are situated in residential areas so we would have to have clever solutions to the parking problems but it seems pointless chasing a dream that will never materialise in the shape of a new community stadium.  

Plenty of businesses less than a mile away that could open their car parks every other Saturday. Redeveloping BP seems to get shot down but I don't know why it can't be considered?

Extend the Findus to span the full length of the pitch and that will give us additional capacity whilst rebuilding the Main and Osmond stands.

Must admit I'm sick of hearing about the new stadium that is never going to happen, we will never find the money needed unfortunately.

As has been pointed out you can generate your income streams away from Blundell Park.

I'm now all for redeveloping BP with grants in stages when the money is available.

At least I'll still be able to watch the ships in the estuary if the game is crap.

They say we need a 7 day income coming in so how about this.

Build a modern training centre with gym and medical room I have no idea if this can be done at cheapside  or we will have to find another site. Included in this building will be conference rooms with bar facilities that can be hired 7 days a week.

Regarding Blundell Park extend the Findus  to each corner extend the pontoon and rebuild the main stand with modern changing rooms.

The Osmond is good enough for the away and so just a coat of paint will do.

Add this all up and should come to less than a new stadium.

Regarding parking surely we could find a park and ride somewhere in the town.

Just a thought.

We got a new portacabin and it even has a window, what more do you want? I mean investing in resources for your most valuable asset is a waste...bloody same without those pesky fitness coaches...

There’s zero chance of BP ever being redeveloped or having money spent on it, I know, you know it and most of all, the club have pretty much said as much.

Quoted from grimsby pete

They say we need a 7 day income coming in so how about this.

Build a modern training centre with gym and medical room I have no idea if this can be done at cheapside  or we will have to find another site. Included in this building will be conference rooms with bar facilities that can be hired 7 days a week.

Regarding Blundell Park extend the Findus  to each corner extend the pontoon and rebuild the main stand with modern changing rooms.

The Osmond is good enough for the away and so just a coat of paint will do.

Add this all up and should come to less than a new stadium.

Regarding parking surely we could find a park and ride somewhere in the town.

Just a thought.

Don't think we need a park and ride to be honest Pete. You've got a reasonable car park where Ramsdens Toy Store used to be and then a few of the businesses around Orwell Street with enough spaces to make it worthwhile. I'm sure you can walk over the bridge on Humber Street and that leads to Young's which again, is more space. All within a 15 minute walk of BP.

If all of that is utilised, you still have the local streets to park in too.

No chance we’d get planning permission to upgrade BP regardless

Redeveloping is dearer than new build, includes some form of demolition, working in restricted areas surrounding by private dwellings gives access headaches/working hours restrictions, problems with piling so close to private dwellings, space limitations and whatever you are redeveloping would be effected so maybe lose income whilst you develop a stand at a time and all that just equals a costlier rate of construction over and above a wide open clean slate.

Quoted from moosey_club

Redeveloping is dearer than new build, includes some form of demolition, working in restricted areas surrounding by private dwellings gives access headaches/working hours restrictions, problems with piling so close to private dwellings, space limitations and whatever you are redeveloping would be effected so maybe lose income whilst you develop a stand at a time and all that just equals a costlier rate of construction over and above a wide open clean slate.

I think most of us appreciate that but we are talking about possible alternatives to a new "clean slate" stadium costing many more millions than we could ever afford.

We would all like an all singing all dancing brand new stylised stadium with training complex and conference facilities but it is just a dream.

Redeveloping stadia is done all the time so it cant be that difficult.  I dont remember too many difficulties when we replaced the Barrett stand.

Redevelopment, regeneration. It's all the same.

Isn't our majority shareholder also involved in regeneration as a councillor?

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I think most of us appreciate that but we are talking about possible alternatives to a new "clean slate" stadium costing many more millions than we could ever afford.

We would all like an all singing all dancing brand new stylised stadium with training complex and conference facilities but it is just a dream.

Redeveloping stadia is done all the time so it cant be that difficult.  I dont remember too many difficulties when we replaced the Barrett stand.

Will cost several million just to "redevelop" a stand for construction alone, never mind lost income while its closed, long and painful planning processes which you probably wont even get permission for and money for that would struggle to come from grants as you are not regenerating anything other than a football stand.
We were broke before Covid, that has only set us back further, we are stuck with what we have got for now, years of mismanagement at the top table, aided by NIMBY's and a short sighted council has cost us any realistic chance of a new stadium.




and.....we still dont have a pot to p1ss in anyway so who is even going to fund a scaled down redevelopment.

Of course Shutes could always surprise us and deliver the new stadium  

Quoted from promotion plaice

Of course Shutes could always surprise us and deliver the new stadium  

Yes, of course, silly me.

Quoted from moosey_club

Will cost several million just to "redevelop" a stand for construction alone, never mind lost income while its closed, long and painful planning processes which you probably wont even get permission for and money for that would struggle to come from grants as you are not regenerating anything other than a football stand.
We were broke before Covid, that has only set us back further, we are stuck with what we have got for now, years of mismanagement at the top table, aided by NIMBY's and a short sighted council has cost us any realistic chance of a new stadium.




and.....we still dont have a pot to p1ss in anyway so who is even going to fund a scaled down redevelopment.

Well we have to have to have a glimmer of optimism or we will fall further and further behind.

We have to leave something for the next generation of fans.

Blundell park cannot be left to decline if it is clear we will never have the money for a new stadium worth building so what are the options?

The board are adamant they need income 7 days a week, so we cannot wait an unspecified number of years in the hope that something turns up. A much cheaper grant funded 7 day a week training and conference centre must surely be an option?

BP could be at least tidied up and the ageing Main stand replaced before it is condemned?

Things might be much brighter in a year or two, especially if we can get some success on the field.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Well we have to have to have a glimmer of optimism or we will fall further and further behind.

We have to leave something for the next generation of fans.

Blundell park cannot be left to decline if it is clear we will never have the money for a new stadium worth building so what are the options?

The board are adamant they need income 7 days a week, so we cannot wait an unspecified number of years in the hope that something turns up. A much cheaper grant funded 7 day a week training and conference centre must surely be an option?

BP could be at least tidied up and the ageing Main stand replaced before it is condemned?

Things might be much brighter in a year or two, especially if we can get some success on the field.

We would all like a bit of optimism regards the new ground but 20 plus years of non delivery has really set the tone.

After the vote for salary caps in League One and League Two can anyone tell me what would be the commercial reason to build a new stadium? And what would be the footballing incentive for anyone to take over our football club?

When football gets back to normal, we already pretty much generate enough income to cover a League One budget let alone a League Two budget, so why the need for additional seven days a week income? We won't be able to spend it on improving the product on the pitch so what's the point? A rich benefactor or new consortium could build a new stadium but where would be the fun in that if hands were tied not being able to boost the playing budget by bigger crowds or additional budget investment to fulfil dreams and get the club up the leagues. Just level playing field year after year, although our geographical location disadvantage would be amplified if we couldn't offer counteracting beneficial terms compared to clubs with lower incomes in better areas.

The salary cap has far reaching consequences for the future of our club and everyone discusses new stadiums or redevelopments as if it affects nothing at all. That vote has changed everything.

Even if the club got its act together and moved a new stadium up from "the bottom of our list of priorities", and residue income is put toward funding for a new stadium, I still see the demand for a homogenized EFL League One and Two dropping off from a fan involvement point of view over the next few years after the initial boost of having live football back from the Covid hiatus wanes.

The salary cap vote has given our club and board nothing other than a competitive onfield advantage by holding others back, and has tied our club's hands forever when it comes to new stadiums or commercial improvement as it has taken away the need for any club to improve on that front in order to enhance competitiveness on the pitch..

Imagine having 50 mill spare in your hands to spend on GTFC. You build a new stadium and training complex, crowds double, 7 day a week income dramatically increases yet you cannot spend a single penny of it on player wages. Not a penny more than newly promoted Harrogate on less than 2k gates. What would be the point of all of that investment and effort if that playing budget could be paid for by current income from the EFL and a decrepit BP as we have now?

Ok so no one has 50 mill today and there's no concrete offer to takeover the club today, but if the salary cap remains, we may as well forget any dream of the furtherment of our club because our current board has not only entrenched us in our current lowly position "by doing the best it can avoiding us from being a Bury" but has also tied the hands of any future owners to their own modest capabilities.

New stadium talk, BP improvement talk, more pie in the sky than ever before..

Though the 40+ years I’ve been going to BP have given me some great memories the facilities are poor, really poor.  

As well as quite a few areas with limited visibility using basic facilities like catering and catering is a real challenge at times.

We definitely need a new ground but I can’t see it happening. If there was a way for it to provide 7 day income then great especially if some of that was community based, the more cash a business can accrue the better regardless of what you can and can’t spend it on.

At the moment though we don’t know when we’re going to get 1 day income never mind 7 days.

Like I say we need better but I doubt we’ll ever see it.

Quoted from Bigdog

After the vote for salary caps in League One and League Two can anyone tell me what would be the commercial reason to build a new stadium? And what would be the footballing incentive for anyone to take over our football club?

When football gets back to normal, we already pretty much generate enough income to cover a League One budget let alone a League Two budget, so why the need for additional seven days a week income? We won't be able to spend it on improving the product on the pitch so what's the point? A rich benefactor or new consortium could build a new stadium but where would be the fun in that if hands were tied not being able to boost the playing budget by bigger crowds or additional budget investment to fulfil dreams and get the club up the leagues. Just level playing field year after year, although our geographical location disadvantage would be amplified if we couldn't offer counteracting beneficial terms compared to clubs with lower incomes in better areas.

The salary cap has far reaching consequences for the future of our club and everyone discusses new stadiums or redevelopments as if it affects nothing at all. That vote has changed everything.

Even if the club got its act together and moved a new stadium up from "the bottom of our list of priorities", and residue income is put toward funding for a new stadium, I still see the demand for a homogenized EFL League One and Two dropping off from a fan involvement point of view over the next few years after the initial boost of having live football back from the Covid hiatus wanes.

The salary cap vote has given our club and board nothing other than a competitive onfield advantage by holding others back, and has tied our club's hands forever when it comes to new stadiums or commercial improvement as it has taken away the need for any club to improve on that front in order to enhance competitiveness on the pitch..

Imagine having 50 mill spare in your hands to spend on GTFC. You build a new stadium and training complex, crowds double, 7 day a week income dramatically increases yet you cannot spend a single penny of it on player wages. Not a penny more than newly promoted Harrogate on less than 2k gates. What would be the point of all of that investment and effort if that playing budget could be paid for by current income from the EFL and a decrepit BP as we have now?

Ok so no one has 50 mill today and there's no concrete offer to takeover the club today, but if the salary cap remains, we may as well forget any dream of the furtherment of our club because our current board has not only entrenched us in our current lowly position "by doing the best it can avoiding us from being a Bury" but has also tied the hands of any future owners to their own modest capabilities.

New stadium talk, BP improvement talk, more pie in the sky than ever before..

Whilst I see your point extra income can go on other things. I don't know if the coaching and scouting staff are in the £1.5m or the likes of Neil Woods and his staff?

If not, then extra revenue means you can invest in your facilities to make Grimsby a bit more attractive to players wanting to progress. The salary cap will just mean that transfer fees increase as those with spare income will pay for players. By doing this, clubs aren't competing with a number of others for a players signature.

Quoted from Bigdog

After the vote for salary caps in League One and League Two can anyone tell me what would be the commercial reason to build a new stadium? And what would be the footballing incentive for anyone to take over our football club?

When football gets back to normal, we already pretty much generate enough income to cover a League One budget let alone a League Two budget, so why the need for additional seven days a week income? We won't be able to spend it on improving the product on the pitch so what's the point? A rich benefactor or new consortium could build a new stadium but where would be the fun in that if hands were tied not being able to boost the playing budget by bigger crowds or additional budget investment to fulfil dreams and get the club up the leagues. Just level playing field year after year, although our geographical location disadvantage would be amplified if we couldn't offer counteracting beneficial terms compared to clubs with lower incomes in better areas.

The salary cap has far reaching consequences for the future of our club and everyone discusses new stadiums or redevelopments as if it affects nothing at all. That vote has changed everything.

Even if the club got its act together and moved a new stadium up from "the bottom of our list of priorities", and residue income is put toward funding for a new stadium, I still see the demand for a homogenized EFL League One and Two dropping off from a fan involvement point of view over the next few years after the initial boost of having live football back from the Covid hiatus wanes.

The salary cap vote has given our club and board nothing other than a competitive onfield advantage by holding others back, and has tied our club's hands forever when it comes to new stadiums or commercial improvement as it has taken away the need for any club to improve on that front in order to enhance competitiveness on the pitch..

Imagine having 50 mill spare in your hands to spend on GTFC. You build a new stadium and training complex, crowds double, 7 day a week income dramatically increases yet you cannot spend a single penny of it on player wages. Not a penny more than newly promoted Harrogate on less than 2k gates. What would be the point of all of that investment and effort if that playing budget could be paid for by current income from the EFL and a decrepit BP as we have now?

Ok so no one has 50 mill today and there's no concrete offer to takeover the club today, but if the salary cap remains, we may as well forget any dream of the furtherment of our club because our current board has not only entrenched us in our current lowly position "by doing the best it can avoiding us from being a Bury" but has also tied the hands of any future owners to their own modest capabilities.

New stadium talk, BP improvement talk, more pie in the sky than ever before..

Surely if you are spending less and being succesful there is more profit in the business for someone to bank ? Seems like an incentive to me.

Quoted from moosey_club

Surely if you are spending less and being succesful there is more profit in the business for someone to bank ? Seems like an incentive to me.

I did say footballing incentive Moosey. Your point though does underline the fact that way down the line, money from the fans' pockets could end up in owners pockets rather than a better product on the pitch..

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Whilst I see your point extra income can go on other things. I don't know if the coaching and scouting staff are in the £1.5m or the likes of Neil Woods and his staff?

If not, then extra revenue means you can invest in your facilities to make Grimsby a bit more attractive to players wanting to progress. The salary cap will just mean that transfer fees increase as those with spare income will pay for players. By doing this, clubs aren't competing with a number of others for a players signature.

What we will see is players looking outside of League One and League Two to maximise their income. It won't matter a jot what training facilities clubs offer or transfer fees if the player wants to earn more money in non-league or abroad. Not this season in their post-Covid panic, but in years to come when things have settled down. The clubs have cut their own throats when they really didn't have to. If they'd have wanted to ensure their existences they should have all got together and insisted that the EFL applied the fairer FFP rules more stringently, with larger punishments for any rule breakers. The salary cap has opened up an unintended hornet's nest in my opinion and it will play out in front of our eyes over the next few seasons, that's if it's even lawful. Watch the top two tiers break away and big lower league clubs like Portsmouth and Sunderland leave with them. Sledgehammer to crack a walnut. It's not going to keep the 92 or 72 together..

Quoted from Bigdog

What we will see is players looking outside of League One and League Two to maximise their income. It won't matter a jot what training facilities clubs offer or transfer fees if the player wants to earn more money in non-league or abroad. Not this season in their post-Covid panic, but in years to come when things have settled down. The clubs have cut their own throats when they really didn't have to. If they'd have wanted to ensure their existences they should have all got together and insisted that the EFL applied the fairer FFP rules more stringently, with larger punishments for any rule breakers. The salary cap has opened up an unintended hornet's nest in my opinion and it will play out in front of our eyes over the next few seasons, that's if it's even lawful. Watch the top two tiers break away and big lower league clubs like Portsmouth and Sunderland leave with them. Sledgehammer to crack a walnut. It's not going to keep the 92 or 72 together..

There hasnt been a "92" for quite some time.

Quoted from moosey_club

There hasnt been a "92" for quite some time.

Under the FA there still is the 92.. ie FA Cup, most importantly promotion and relegation to the Premier League from the EFL, player loans etc . It will change permanently in the near future for sure, due to the crass salary cap decision casting Leagues One and Two further adrift.. The big clubs in League One and League Two and the ones looking fearful at relegation from the Championship will be colluding as we speak.. The Premier League will act soon enough and the EFL will be powerless to do anything about it wishing they'd clamped down harder with FFP sooner and made better checks on football club ownership. Too late to close the stable door now and salary caps could be the final straw for some clubs..Premier Leagues One and Two coming up or with potentially an extremely outside chance of three leagues of 20 or similar..

Quoted from Bigdog

What we will see is players looking outside of League One and League Two to maximise their income. It won't matter a jot what training facilities clubs offer or transfer fees if the player wants to earn more money in non-league or abroad. Not this season in their post-Covid panic, but in years to come when things have settled down. The clubs have cut their own throats when they really didn't have to. If they'd have wanted to ensure their existences they should have all got together and insisted that the EFL applied the fairer FFP rules more stringently, with larger punishments for any rule breakers. The salary cap has opened up an unintended hornet's nest in my opinion and it will play out in front of our eyes over the next few seasons, that's if it's even lawful. Watch the top two tiers break away and big lower league clubs like Portsmouth and Sunderland leave with them. Sledgehammer to crack a walnut. It's not going to keep the 92 or 72 together..

I’m reality it’s been a 3 tier system for ages ... Prrem, Championship then the rest.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I’m reality it’s been a 3 tier system for ages ... Prrem, Championship then the rest.

See my reply to Moosey re promotion and relegation. It is a three tier system in effect under one umbrella but I've got a nagging feeling that there will be a wholesale change in the near future which will cast bottom feeding clubs (we haven't always been but we are at present and have been for a good while) like us adrift for good.. People are far too complacent in thinking things will always be the same structurally in English football and with the EFL not fit for purpose, a huge shake up is inevitable.. much bigger than in 1992..

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I think most of us appreciate that but we are talking about possible alternatives to a new "clean slate" stadium costing many more millions than we could ever afford.

We would all like an all singing all dancing brand new stylised stadium with training complex and conference facilities but it is just a dream.

Redeveloping stadia is done all the time so it cant be that difficult.  I dont remember too many difficulties when we replaced the Barrett stand.

Speak for yourself. How many of the players live in the Grimsby area anyway? If the majority are commuting from south Yorkshire every day, then it makes sense to train nearer to their home.

Quoted from White_shorts

Speak for yourself. How many of the players live in the Grimsby area anyway? If the majority are commuting from south Yorkshire every day, then it makes sense to train nearer to their home.

Where do you think our training site will be if we leave cheapside.?

We don't have 2 pennies to rub together right now. Forget new stadiums and training complexes - the stadium is further away than ever. Survival should be our focus.

Quoted from grimsby pete

Where do you think our training site will be if we leave cheapside.?

I don't care. Why would we leave Cheapside? Sell the land for housing?

Do we actually own Cheapside?

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Plenty of businesses less than a mile away that could open their car parks every other Saturday. Redeveloping BP seems to get shot down but I don't know why it can't be considered?

Extend the Findus to span the full length of the pitch and that will give us additional capacity whilst rebuilding the Main and Osmond stands.

I assume the upper Findus did not cover the full length of the pitch when built in 1982 due to the close proximity of housing. That situation has not changed.

Extending the lower Findus and Main Stand would increase the capacity of Blundell Park to around 11k. While that is arguably sufficient for League One and Two, the club ought to have ambition to play in the Championship.

It would be absolute madness to build new stands at BP when there is a STADIUM-SIZED PLOT OF LAND AT FREEMAN STREET.

I have looked at Google satellite images, and there appears to be enough space at Freemo for the Pontoon, Main and Osmond Stands to be doubled in size from pitch to street. That should equate to at least 7,000 more seats, as well as providing a footprint for community facilities.

Mr Fenty has said many times that the club needs regular non-matchday income to survive.

Quoted from White_shorts

IThat should equate to at least 7,000 more seats, as well as providing a footprint for community facilities.

Such as?

Quoted from White_shorts

I assume the upper Findus did not cover the full length of the pitch when built in 1982 due to the close proximity of housing. That situation has not changed.

Extending the lower Findus and Main Stand would increase the capacity of Blundell Park to around 11k. While that is arguably sufficient for League One and Two, the club ought to have ambition to play in the Championship.

It would be absolute madness to build new stands at BP when there is a STADIUM-SIZED PLOT OF LAND AT FREEMAN STREET.

I have looked at Google satellite images, and there appears to be enough space at Freemo for the Pontoon, Main and Osmond Stands to be doubled in size from pitch to street. That should equate to at least 7,000 more seats, as well as providing a footprint for community facilities.

Mr Fenty has said many times that the club needs regular non-matchday income to survive.

I have always been told that when the Findus was built, the club were aiming to rotate the pitch 90 degrees by demolishing a number of houses on Harrington Street. I got told that they started buying some of them up but I'm not sure how true all of that is.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

I have always been told that when the Findus was built, the club were aiming to rotate the pitch 90 degrees by demolishing a number of houses on Harrington Street. I got told that they started buying some of them up but I'm not sure how true all of that is.

That was never the case James just a rumour that started years later when people wondered why the stand did not go the full length of the pitch.

The reason was simple. Money !!!   we could not afford a bigger stand.