The Riverside Stand Renovation Thread

[tomphil]

I wouldn't be renovating it i'm not sure what they could do with it differently as it is so it's wasted money. A new stand similar to that they have at Weepdale with some decent facilities and capacity down to about 3.5k and a bit closer to the pitch it would improve atmosphere no end.

If PNE could find the money to do i'm sure we could although never at the expense of the team.  It would need outside investment i'm sure Vs have plenty of access to that sort of thing.  Mind you the 12 million spent might as well have gone into the stand......

[Mattyblue]

Doesn’t impact FFP as it’s infrastructure, and as they never refuse a cheque, I’d expect spades in the ground anytime now... 

[tomphil]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Doesn’t impact FFP as it’s infrastructure, and as they never refuse a cheque, I’d expect spades in the ground anytime now... 

Would have been a good time to do it not like it's going to be needed this year.  Create a few jobs as well.

[AllRoverAsia]

Mowbray and Waggott don't care.

Even they will retire someday and it will not be to the Town and going to Ewood to watch Rovers.

Meanwhile, it will be left to decay.

Edited July 10, 2020 by AllRoverAsia

[TheRovers1994]

47 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Good thread on this already.

Like I said on it, a replica of West Brom’s West Stand would be ideal...

 

Good idea, the stand needs to be closer to the pitch with it also matching the other three, put a club museum in too 

[TheRovers1994]

One thing I forgot to mention is putting in a club museum,we have a lot of history so celebrate it and show it off, stick the trophy room in there too so everybody can see it anytime rather than when they go to functions, tours and events 

[K-Hod]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Good thread on this already.

Like I said on it, a replica of West Brom’s West Stand would be ideal...

 

Cheers for the heads up! Merged the two threads.

[superniko]

It’s something I’d love to see, but just cannot imagine Venkys being bothered about or even aware of (despite what Waggott says). 
 

Modernise with facilities within the stand rather than to the sides, local breweries and caterers, move the club shop inside and use the current space for better outside facilities. Perhaps a museum with old memorabilia. 
All things that get supporters to the stadium earlier and maybe get an extra £5 out of everyone each week on a drink or food as they’re arriving at 13:30 rather than 14:30.

If they were really serious, I’d look at other stands too, much smaller job but space the rows out to increase leg room and comfort, easy way to reduce capacity slightly (maybe losing 3 or 4 rows per stand), but it wouldn’t affect our attendances at any stage  

[JHRover]

2 hours ago, TheRovers1994 said:

 

Jack walkers ambition for the stadium  meant we a small north west town club was never gonna fill our stadium, even 31k has always been too big for us, a capacity of 25k like the dw would have been about right so thank god his plan to make the place 40k didnt happen.

Hmmmm.

Are you saying Blackburn is a small North West town or that Blackburn Rovers is a small North West town club?

Either way, I'm not sure either is accurate. I certainly wouldn't describe Rovers as a small club and whilst we are constrained by heavy competition and a relatively small catchment area I'm not sure I'd agree even that Blackburn is a small town. The conurbation has around 150,000 people plus many more just outside it so we are not an Accrington or Morecambe here.

The reason we have a 31,000 capacity and not 20-25,000 like our neighbours is because our ground was built for us to be the best in the country, and not for us to be mediocre like Preston, Wigan and Burnley have been. At the time it was built i think 30,000 was a sensible capacity for where we were. If JW had built it to 25,000 he may have been locking people out. Its too big now for where we are. The way to overcome that issue is to get promoted and grow the fan base. Sadly that sounds like.too much hard work for the Waggots of the world.

I agree the Riverside needs work doing to it soon. It looks a mess, the facilities are letting the club and stadium down. To not even have every seat under cover and have no concourse is really poor. It doesn't help that when it was done in the 80s it was on the cheap and wasn't a complete newbuild.

I wouldn't waste my time with a 'refurb'. I don't think it could be done to a good enough standard to make it worthwhile and with this setup would probably end up worse than it is now. With this lot we'd probably throw up a prefab thing like they have at Accrington. The last thing we need is it doing on the cheap as a patch up job. It needs completely rebuilding in line with modern specs to include internal space, concourses, disabled access, floodlights, the works. 

Might not be cheap but there are ways to get it done. Preston managed it with their pavilion not long ago.

[Mattyblue]

Yes the 31,000 (with potential for more) seems a complete white elephant now, but it was built on the proviso that we would spend the 90s growing and remember Blackburn itself was demographically different with a massive support within the town boundaries that doesn’t really exist now in large parts of it.
 

By 1996 time you could see it bearing fruit with coaches coming from all over and clubs like Burnley/Bolton/Preston/Blackpool floundering in L1/L2, Accy in the Northern Premier. Even clubs like Man City were weak. Which would have meant even with the town itself changing, we would be covered long term by a branch network all over the north west.

Alas, that calamitous relegation in 1999 (yes we came back in 2001 but much weaker, as the game was rapidly changing, growth of the southern clubs, Abramovich and so on), Jack’s death and the relative renaissance of other local clubs meant, we threw away a once in a life time chance to be the go to club outside Manchester and Liverpool.

Yet, even up to 2011 we were averaging 25,000 crowds due to switched on executives who did everything they could to protect PL status and understood our demographics and priced games accordingly. Alas, this lost decade, 10,000 fans long out of the habit, a conveyor belt of carpetbagging executives who seemingly know little of how our fanbase is made up, neglectful owners, plus rapid demographic change, notwithstanding the as yet unknown pandemic impact, tells me we never even get back to 2011, never mind those halcyon days of the 90s

 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Sparks Rover]

Let's be the pioneers and get a safe standing singing area with better food facilities....get the blackburn market food stalls into the concourses, street food,  and have a seated section too for the older regular riversiders.  Perhaps stick a venue on the back over looking the pitch for weddings, conferences,  etc.

[Guest]

Agree wholeheartedly with @Mattyblue on the Riverside topic. Something that maintains the smaller capacity we have in that stand (or even reduces it) but improves the facilities, the visuals and creates a "complete" feeling to the stadium as a whole would be perfect.

I disagree still with some posters sentiments on having a club museum, it just not financially viable, wouldn't generate any revenue and would end up being ignored or abandoned very early on. A nice idea but practically there's simply not enough interest there. The ground tours struggle as is and they offer a lot more than a mundane museum can.

[Mattyblue]

30 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Agree wholeheartedly with @Mattyblue 

Makes a change 

[JHRover]

34 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Agree wholeheartedly with @Mattyblue on the Riverside topic. Something that maintains the smaller capacity we have in that stand (or even reduces it) but improves the facilities, the visuals and creates a "complete" feeling to the stadium as a whole would be perfect.

I disagree still with some posters sentiments on having a club museum, it just not financially viable, wouldn't generate any revenue and would end up being ignored or abandoned very early on. A nice idea but practically there's simply not enough interest there. The ground tours struggle as is and they offer a lot more than a mundane museum can.

I agree that a museum from a commercial viewpoint probably wouldn't be viable. But it could be done on non commercial lines. You don't need to open it up 9-5 every day of the week. Just open it on matchdays for a few hours before the game. Free entry to ticket holders, put displays up on our history, memorabilia from days gone by, shirts etc. I'm sure many Rovers fans would be happy to donate their stuff if it was looked after. 

Just move one of the club staff to the door to check tickets and the job is a Good one. 

Just another idea to generate interest, give people a reason to go to the ground, learn about the club, the club could use it to collect and store its history (I get the impression that the club has made no efforts to gather its memorabilia and I suspect Birdy has a bigger collection in his house).

Wolves have managed it. A huge part of their marketing is promoting their 50s glory days and they have a museum and cafe.

There always seems to be a can't do rather than a can do attitude around the club.

Edited July 10, 2020 by JHRover

[Mattyblue]

Ground tours need to make a diversion to Birdy’s house, has to be seen to be believed that place (sure he’d take his cut too ).

Edited July 10, 2020 by Mattyblue

[TheRovers1994]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Hmmmm.

Are you saying Blackburn is a small North West town or that Blackburn Rovers is a small North West town club?

Either way, I'm not sure either is accurate. I certainly wouldn't describe Rovers as a small club and whilst we are constrained by heavy competition and a relatively small catchment area I'm not sure I'd agree even that Blackburn is a small town. The conurbation has around 150,000 people plus many more just outside it so we are not an Accrington or Morecambe here.

The reason we have a 31,000 capacity and not 20-25,000 like our neighbours is because our ground was built for us to be the best in the country, and not for us to be mediocre like Preston, Wigan and Burnley have been. At the time it was built i think 30,000 was a sensible capacity for where we were. If JW had built it to 25,000 he may have been locking people out. Its too big now for where we are. The way to overcome that issue is to get promoted and grow the fan base. Sadly that sounds like.too much hard work for the Waggots of the world.

I agree the Riverside needs work doing to it soon. It looks a mess, the facilities are letting the club and stadium down. To not even have every seat under cover and have no concourse is really poor. It doesn't help that when it was done in the 80s it was on the cheap and wasn't a complete newbuild.

I wouldn't waste my time with a 'refurb'. I don't think it could be done to a good enough standard to make it worthwhile and with this setup would probably end up worse than it is now. With this lot we'd probably throw up a prefab thing like they have at Accrington. The last thing we need is it doing on the cheap as a patch up job. It needs completely rebuilding in line with modern specs to include internal space, concourses, disabled access, floodlights, the works. 

Might not be cheap but there are ways to get it done. Preston managed it with their pavilion not long ago.

Agreed! Great post that made a lot of sense, if Preston could afford a new stand then we can 

[TheRovers1994]

8 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I agree that a museum from a commercial viewpoint probably wouldn't be viable. But it could be done on non commercial lines. You don't need to open it up 9-5 every day of the week. Just open it on matchdays for a few hours before the game. Free entry to ticket holders, put displays up on our history, memorabilia from days gone by, shirts etc. I'm sure many Rovers fans would be happy to donate their stuff if it was looked after. 

Just move one of the club staff to the door to check tickets and the job is a Good one. 

Just another idea to generate interest, give people a reason to go to the ground, learn about the club, the club could use it to collect and store its history (I get the impression that the club has made no efforts to gather its memorabilia and I suspect Birdy has a bigger collection in his house).

Wolves have managed it. A huge part of their marketing is promoting their 50s glory days and they have a museum and cafe.

There always seems to be a can't do rather than a can do attitude around the club.

Aye bang on mate! I've been calling for a museum and cafe inside a new stand for a few years just atm the club lacks the big forward thinking needed for it, the museum could be used for ground tours aswell 

[TheRovers1994]

Agreed, tbh to tidy the stadium up a bit the seats should be changed to blue n white so it's an excuse to take the seats out and reduce the rows for more leg room 

[TheRovers1994]

My ideal developments would be 

Riverside: new 3.5k stand brought to the pitch similar to preston and west Brom, disabled facility's and large function facility's that can be turned to hospitality on matchdays, blue and white seats in all 4 stands taking out seats to accommodate more leg room as suggested above 

Museum and cafe: club museum open matchdays 5 hours prior to kick off and for tours showing off our history with trophy room, dosnt all have to be about the first team too, can show our academy history showing an academy hall of fame of the likes of duff, dunn, jones going onto bigger things plus ladies history. The cafe inside the museum serving hot and cold food and drinks ( no alcohol), arcade and play area for kids too to attract families, season ticket holders free otherwise 1 pound entry which goes to running costs, pictures taken with trophies, we get fans from all over the world who come once in a blue moon so how good would it be if they could have their pics taken with the prem and league cup ? And maybe with a bit of luck in the future the fa cup 

Blues bar: being a bar only like any normal pub, free for season ticket holders, the 1 pound entry puts off a lot of folk specially after 1 where you cant get a seat 

Club shop: there is a few options, (1) knock it down and rebuild making it bigger and easier to store all sorts if decent stock that will sell unlike the shite in there now, could even push it back onto the car park making room for other things like the fan zone (2) move it into the stadium, dont know exactly where but putting it in a new stadium will be too far out the way so needs to be kept near the roads (3) build it inbetween the riverside and blackburn end with a window at the back looking into the stadium 

[Ozz]

THINK BIG

[Sparks Rover]

2 hours ago, TheRovers1994 said:

My ideal developments would be 

Riverside: new 3.5k stand brought to the pitch similar to preston and west Brom, disabled facility's and large function facility's that can be turned to hospitality on matchdays, blue and white seats in all 4 stands taking out seats to accommodate more leg room as suggested above 

Museum and cafe: club museum open matchdays 5 hours prior to kick off and for tours showing off our history with trophy room, dosnt all have to be about the first team too, can show our academy history showing an academy hall of fame of the likes of duff, dunn, jones going onto bigger things plus ladies history. The cafe inside the museum serving hot and cold food and drinks ( no alcohol), arcade and play area for kids too to attract families, season ticket holders free otherwise 1 pound entry which goes to running costs, pictures taken with trophies, we get fans from all over the world who come once in a blue moon so how good would it be if they could have their pics taken with the prem and league cup ? And maybe with a bit of luck in the future the fa cup 

Blues bar: being a bar only like any normal pub, free for season ticket holders, the 1 pound entry puts off a lot of folk specially after 1 where you cant get a seat 

Club shop: there is a few options, (1) knock it down and rebuild making it bigger and easier to store all sorts if decent stock that will sell unlike the shite in there now, could even push it back onto the car park making room for other things like the fan zone (2) move it into the stadium, dont know exactly where but putting it in a new stadium will be too far out the way so needs to be kept near the roads (3) build it inbetween the riverside and blackburn end with a window at the back looking into the stadium 

Stick a decent 3g and Facilities....it would pay for itself in rental and community work. 

[TheRovers1994]

22 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Stick a decent 3g and Facilities....it would pay for itself in rental and community work. 

3g ? What outside ? Wasnt we supposed to be sticking a 3g pitch on the Darwen end car park? As part of the indoor centre developments What happened to that ?

[TheRovers1994]

47 minutes ago, Ozz said:

THINK BIG

Does look great though 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Ozz said:

THINK BIG

Think cavernous echo chamber, sadly.

Be like Hillsborough used to be.

[simongarnerisgod]

if the powers that be ever get round to introducing safe standing thats the way forward for the riverside,it would be fantastic and might even get my enthusiasm levels back up,just think,you`de closer to the pitch and could remind gallagher that he`s carthorse when he tries to bumble his way down the wing