Ground Development ideas ?

[JHRover]

I suspect Waggott is just coming out with the stand redevelopment talk as it is an easy and popular subject to get people on side but one which is likely to take sufficient time and sufficient variables that he will never be under any pressure to deliver it. Building a new stand takes years at the least to plan, fund, design and construct so the chances of it ever happening at Ewood under this regime are non-existent. But in the meantime Waggott can impress a couple of hundred fans in Fans Forums with the talk.

I hear what people are saying about Covid 19 and closed grounds at present. The flip side is that the last 12 months have provided an ideal opportunity to crack on with significant works whilst there aren't thousands of people turning up every fortnight.

I bring up Accy Stanley again who are now cracking on with renovation works to their main stand including building new changing rooms and bar/hospitality areas. They could just have moaned about Covid and done nothing but Holt has more of a plan and idea and is cracking on knowing there are benefits to doing it now. Infact when that's done they'll have refurbed 3/4 of the Crown Ground in the last few years with new seating, new stand, new shop and car parks and new bars/hospitality.

If they can do it and afford it why can't we clean Ewood?

[simongarnerisgod]

wait for the "safe standing" to be sanctioned,rip out the riverside seats and have a massive terrace,be epic!!!

i fully expect the greedy premiership to throw their excess weight at the standing issue in the next few seasons,to them it would mean more capacity hence more money

[Gone to seed]

10 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

wait for the "safe standing" to be sanctioned,rip out the riverside seats and have a massive terrace,be epic!!!

i fully expect the greedy premiership to throw their excess weight at the standing issue in the next few seasons,to them it would mean more capacity hence more money

With the way things are going with this pandemic, mutating strains of Covid etc, it may be a very long tim (if at all ever) before we can see a return of (safe) standing on football terraces.. a loooonnnnng time indeed. 

[TheRovers1994]

On 02/02/2021 at 18:42, Beafo said:

I'd like to replace the Riverside in a way that reduces the current capacity. The ground is too big as it is. I seem to recall Preston's new stand is around 3.5k.

I'd like to see it right up against the pitch.

Also I would like to see the corners filled in, in some way (not by seats) as the gaps have a big negative effect in atmosphere.

I know that the open corners is supposed to help with the health of the pitch (!!!!), but  I'm sure in this day and age there are ways of somehow opening and closing any barrier that fills the corners in.

Given that we would only average 25k in the Prem or 15k in Champ, out of a 30k stadium, we need to do all we can to help the atmosphere and the feeling of a fuller ground.

Corners can be filled in like one of them ar derby cooperate boxes and studios etc a club museum between blackburn end and Riverside with a balcony to look out into the stadium would be great and I agree maybe downsize to 3 5k maybe slightly more bring it level with the other stands like at pne and also match 

[Mattyblue]

Like I said on the Riverside Renovation thread, a version of West Brom’s West Stand would be ideal...

 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, TheRovers1994 said:

Corners can be filled in like one of them ar derby cooperate boxes and studios etc a club museum between blackburn end and Riverside with a balcony to look out into the stadium would be great and I agree maybe downsize to 3 5k maybe slightly more bring it level with the other stands like at pne and also match 

They'll not fill the corners in for the same reason they didn't in the first place when the stadium was rebuilt.

The PNE or WBA stand is the way forwards though, get it a bit smaller capacity wise but closer to the pitch and with other facilities incorporated. 

[TheRovers1994]

18 minutes ago, tomphil said:

They'll not fill the corners in for the same reason they didn't in the first place when the stadium was rebuilt.

The PNE or WBA stand is the way forwards though, get it a bit smaller capacity wise but closer to the pitch and with other facilities incorporated. 

Totally agree hopefully steeper even though the wba one seems pointless its got like 10 rows, I really wanna see a club museum though, I would even even develop the shop too make it 2 floored with a cafe upstairs and make blues bar drinks only 

[Beafo]

15 hours ago, tomphil said:

They'll not fill the corners in for the same reason they didn't in the first place when the stadium was rebuilt.

The PNE or WBA stand is the way forwards though, get it a bit smaller capacity wise but closer to the pitch and with other facilities incorporated. 

Yeah I'm sure you're right pal. I'm no engineer but couldn't any barrier that is built have an 'open' function when games arent on. The atmosphere is so important to me and I think it would help.

[Angry_Pirate]

I've heard literally a dozen rumours/ideas for Ewood - all sound amazing and will all probably never happen. Might as well list the ones I've heard 2nd hand.

1) The WBA stand is definitly "The Plan" for the Riverside. Hotel included.

2) They want to move the club shop to the lower Darwen End - and have that the feature stand as you can see it from the road.

3) New £1.3m Indoor centre with cafe, official membership gym, 4G etc.

4) The Community Trust and Sports College to take over the club shop with offices and classrooms.

5) Build a full size 4G in the back of the Blackburn End car park

6) sell the land of the old school/church car park and install a Costo, Nandos, Petrol Station, Bar etc.

7) Sack Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott if we don't make the playoffs THIS season.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

......All most unlikely to come to fruition!

[MarkBRFC]

On 04/02/2021 at 14:29, Angry_Pirate said:

I've heard literally a dozen rumours/ideas for Ewood - all sound amazing and will all probably never happen. Might as well list the ones I've heard 2nd hand.

1) The WBA stand is definitly "The Plan" for the Riverside. Hotel included.

2) They want to move the club shop to the lower Darwen End - and have that the feature stand as you can see it from the road.

3) New £1.3m Indoor centre with cafe, official membership gym, 4G etc.

4) The Community Trust and Sports College to take over the club shop with offices and classrooms.

5) Build a full size 4G in the back of the Blackburn End car park

6) sell the land of the old school/church car park and install a Costo, Nandos, Petrol Station, Bar etc.

7) Sack Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott if we don't make the playoffs THIS season.

I'm sure they would love to do all of the above (apart from number 7).

I bet we'll still be talking about it in 10 years though.

Edited February 5, 2021 by MarkBRFC

[JHRover]

I think something along the lines of the Deepdale Pavilion stand would be right. It shouldn't be any smaller than the existing Riverside though probably no bigger than 5000-5500 capacity.

The JW stand is 11,000 so building something less than half the capacity of that would still see a very lopsided ground. 

Also I can't recall many, if any, construction jobs in recent times that have reduced overall capacity. More or less the same or slightly bigger with more leg room and space would be right.

It needs to be brought in close to the pitch and made into a steep as possible so to close that side of the ground in, make the atmosphere better. Close in the corners, get rid of the walkway and make it near the pitch. Get rid of the floodlight pylons, big screen and toilets. Incorporate all those into the new structure and fill in the corners like West Brom have.

Get a new modern big screen, or two, as ours is out of date. 

Incorporate modern disabled facilities into the stand ready for the PL as without those we are going to have to do something elsewhere. The existing disabled 'facilities' aren't up to scratch nor are the media facilities so a proactive club would be addressing those at the same time.

So all the usual excuses about not needing the capacity can be overcome because we do need to improve media and disabled facilities if we want to be in the Premier League.

Burnley were forced into throwing up those horrible corner disabled stands which just look as tacky as anything as does their lean-to tunnel. 

A new stand provides an opportunity to get up to scratch in one.

Also once done we should tidy up the area behind the stand. At the moment it is horrible and nobody in their right minds would go round there. Ewood is effectively a 2 sided ground where all home fans gather at the BBE or JW stand. It should be tidied up, opened up and made into an area for fans to go pre and post match. Put bench seating by the River, a fan zone, etc.

 

[Exiled_Rover]

On 01/02/2021 at 23:56, TheRovers1994 said:

As most of us realise ewood needs to be cleaned up and certain developments to be constructed I'm curious to see others thoughts ? 

The Riverside is becoming more and more tired by the year and I've spoken to waggot on a couple of occasions and he's mentioned the will to build a new stand, featuring facility's that can make money even on none matchday, woukd be ideal to build around a 4k seater brought to the pitch with disabled facility's, a club museum and cafe. Last time I looked round tbe back of the stand there was old advertising boards just dumped there which is something I expect to see in non league not at a former Premier league club with what was a state of the art stadium.

I know also there was plans for a new 4g pitch ti be installed on the Darwen end car park next to the indoor centre as part of the new developments that have took place there but it seems them plans have been shelved 

I will like to add also the idea of a mini ground at Brockhall for the academy teams and maybe the ladies, seems to be a modern thing now clubs having smaller grounds for their academy especially, all it takes is a little stand with seats and floodlights ans certain matchday facility's, obviously it couldn't be like what city have done or even Chelsea when they have a FL standard ground for their youth teams and ladies but something like what Fulham and Leicester have would be very ideal to host under 18s and 23s games, only thing is is that Brockhall is a bit awkward to get too at that time of night, no public transport after a certain time but would be a nice idea none the less, saves us paying rent elsewhere. In hindsight rovers could have bought the old great Harewood town ground and brought it to standards and used it for the development team and ladies 

Absolutely no need for a new stand - just repair the current one. Having lived near the Ethihad, which I suspect is your inspiration for the Academy Ground on the same complex, there isn't room for one at Ewood. 

Playing the U23 games in Leyland is fine - we should do more to promote that. It could increase our catchment - we should be marketing ourselves as Lancashire's club. 

[TheRovers1994]

On 02/02/2021 at 21:22, JHRover said:

I suspect Waggott is just coming out with the stand redevelopment talk as it is an easy and popular subject to get people on side but one which is likely to take sufficient time and sufficient variables that he will never be under any pressure to deliver it. Building a new stand takes years at the least to plan, fund, design and construct so the chances of it ever happening at Ewood under this regime are non-existent. But in the meantime Waggott can impress a couple of hundred fans in Fans Forums with the talk.

I hear what people are saying about Covid 19 and closed grounds at present. The flip side is that the last 12 months have provided an ideal opportunity to crack on with significant works whilst there aren't thousands of people turning up every fortnight.

I bring up Accy Stanley again who are now cracking on with renovation works to their main stand including building new changing rooms and bar/hospitality areas. They could just have moaned about Covid and done nothing but Holt has more of a plan and idea and is cracking on knowing there are benefits to doing it now. Infact when that's done they'll have refurbed 3/4 of the Crown Ground in the last few years with new seating, new stand, new shop and car parks and new bars/hospitality.

If they can do it and afford it why can't we clean Ewood?

Suppose they are only catering for 5k tops much smaller ground so much cheaper but yeah the Riverside should have been done years ago its an eyesore needs a new one built brought close to the pitch with facilities that can bring in revenue

[TheRovers1994]

On 04/02/2021 at 14:29, Angry_Pirate said:

I've heard literally a dozen rumours/ideas for Ewood - all sound amazing and will all probably never happen. Might as well list the ones I've heard 2nd hand.

1) The WBA stand is definitly "The Plan" for the Riverside. Hotel included.

2) They want to move the club shop to the lower Darwen End - and have that the feature stand as you can see it from the road.

3) New £1.3m Indoor centre with cafe, official membership gym, 4G etc.

4) The Community Trust and Sports College to take over the club shop with offices and classrooms.

5) Build a full size 4G in the back of the Blackburn End car park

6) sell the land of the old school/church car park and install a Costo, Nandos, Petrol Station, Bar etc.

7) Sack Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott if we don't make the playoffs THIS season.

I heard waggot wants the shop moving to a better location just the shop being at the back of the away fans maybe a bit strange.

 a few years ago the plans where revealed for a new 4G pitch abd facility's and the other day I thought why don't we rebuild the BRIC abd have a gym and swimming pool etc on there giving discount to season ticket holders maybe ? 

The old church car park would be a good place to sell so coffee shops abd greggs etc can be there 

A club museum attached to the new stand would be brilliant with a cafe we have a big history we shoukd celebrate it 

[TheRovers1994]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Absolutely no need for a new stand - just repair the current one. Having lived near the Ethihad, which I suspect is your inspiration for the Academy Ground on the same complex, there isn't room for one at Ewood. 

Playing the U23 games in Leyland is fine - we should do more to promote that. It could increase our catchment - we should be marketing ourselves as Lancashire's club. 

An academy ground at Brockhall like Leicester and Fulham have at theirs its the future now, for too many years we've played too far out of town for Monday nights at 7 Bamber Bridge would be ideal kaylabd isn't easy to get too when you work and kick off is at 7 

[TheRovers1994]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Absolutely no need for a new stand - just repair the current one. Having lived near the Ethihad, which I suspect is your inspiration for the Academy Ground on the same complex, there isn't room for one at Ewood. 

Playing the U23 games in Leyland is fine - we should do more to promote that. It could increase our catchment - we should be marketing ourselves as Lancashire's club. 

There is every need fkr a new stand the Riverside is done, you can't just clear it up the game has koved on we need facilities like mentioned above Burnley have been forced into building some tacky disabled stand, like Waggott said we need facilities that can make cash too, the Riverside is an eyesore its away from the pitch and damages the atmosphere, the walkway makes things worse 

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, TheRovers1994 said:

An academy ground at Brockhall like Leicester and Fulham have at theirs its the future now, for too many years we've played too far out of town for Monday nights at 7 Bamber Bridge would be ideal kaylabd isn't easy to get too when you work and kick off is at 7 

Brockhall is far more difficult to get to than Leyland for the majority.

I assume with a statement like that you live just around the corner? 🤣

As for the comment about Burnley - a) they have PL money (although I hear that the new owner has bought the club in a Glazer-type hedge funded backed deal, so good luck AND they're fucked if they get relegated) and b) we averaged what, 24k when we were a regular UEFA Cup side? Burnley can throw money at stands, but they're not going to attract people to sit in them. 

[TheRovers1994]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Brockhall is far more difficult to get to than Leyland for the majority.

I assume with a statement like that you live just around the corner? 🤣

As for the comment about Burnley - a) they have PL money (although I hear that the new owner has bought the club in a Glazer-type hedge funded backed deal, so good luck AND they're fucked if they get relegated) and b) we averaged what, 24k when we were a regular UEFA Cup side? Burnley can throw money at stands, but they're not going to attract people to sit in them. 

No what I mean is their lack of facility's has forced them to build some shitty disabled stand so we must look to improve our ground abd facilities if we are serious about progressing, we used to be the envy now we envy others people dont realise how important ground development is for our future, we have a lot of space ewood can be fantastic with the right initiatives and vision 

[TheRovers1994]

On 04/02/2021 at 14:29, Angry_Pirate said:

I've heard literally a dozen rumours/ideas for Ewood - all sound amazing and will all probably never happen. Might as well list the ones I've heard 2nd hand.

1) The WBA stand is definitly "The Plan" for the Riverside. Hotel included.

2) They want to move the club shop to the lower Darwen End - and have that the feature stand as you can see it from the road.

3) New £1.3m Indoor centre with cafe, official membership gym, 4G etc.

4) The Community Trust and Sports College to take over the club shop with offices and classrooms.

5) Build a full size 4G in the back of the Blackburn End car park

6) sell the land of the old school/church car park and install a Costo, Nandos, Petrol Station, Bar etc.

7) Sack Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott if we don't make the playoffs THIS season.

An idea would be with a new stand in the corner of the Riverside and blsckburn end implement a museum and a new blues bar move the shop into the current blues bar then the like you said the community trust and supports college can be moved into the old shop with a 4G pitch at the back or move it all onto the car park and make a bigger and better fan zone, it would be great cause everything will be next to each other adding to the atmosphere, club shop must stay in the blackburn end area cause putting it at the back if the Darwen would create all sorts if problems with a rowdy big away following especially and I'm yet to visit a ground where the shop is next to the away end, use the Darwen end car park for a new sports centre and gym 

[Mattyblue]

It feels like we have these conversations every 6 months or so, we all get very excited and outline what we’d like to see, what we should look to implement... then nothing.

Is there any actual concrete project plans in place, or is this all from throw away comments from Waggott and a few years old drawings? 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

3 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Absolutely no need for a new stand - just repair the current one. 

 

Really?...it's an absolute hovel that you would expect to see at a Second Division Ground!.Needs Bulldozing and bringing into 21st Century.

One problem,It needed the fans to complain about the Weeds and state of the general upkeep of Ewood to get something done lately.Dont hold your breath for any new stand,anytime soon.

[Ben Frost]

10 hours ago, TheRovers1994 said:

I heard waggot wants the shop moving to a better location just the shop being at the back of the away fans maybe a bit strange.

 a few years ago the plans where revealed for a new 4G pitch abd facility's and the other day I thought why don't we rebuild the BRIC abd have a gym and swimming pool etc on there giving discount to season ticket holders maybe ? 

The old church car park would be a good place to sell so coffee shops abd greggs etc can be there 

A club museum attached to the new stand would be brilliant with a cafe we have a big history we shoukd celebrate it 

Sorry to be picky, but you want to put a Greggs directly opposite Ewood Sandwich Bar and Leavers Pies. 

Think again.

Edited February 6, 2021 by Ben Frost
.

[Ossydave]

On a similar note, you know you're shite when this is headline news in your local rag, is this to try and make the fans happy after signing absolutely nobody 🤭

 

[darrenrover]

On 04/02/2021 at 14:29, Angry_Pirate said:

I've heard literally a dozen rumours/ideas for Ewood - all sound amazing and will all probably never happen. Might as well list the ones I've heard 2nd hand.

1) The WBA stand is definitly "The Plan" for the Riverside. Hotel included.

2) They want to move the club shop to the lower Darwen End - and have that the feature stand as you can see it from the road.

3) New £1.3m Indoor centre with cafe, official membership gym, 4G etc.

4) The Community Trust and Sports College to take over the club shop with offices and classrooms.

5) Build a full size 4G in the back of the Blackburn End car park

6) sell the land of the old school/church car park and install a Costo, Nandos, Petrol Station, Bar etc.

7) Sack Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott if we don't make the playoffs THIS season.

I'd go for a full house!! 👏