[Football] Football grounds and sustainability

[Sussex Nomad]

Watching the Everton v Spurs game and hearing that Everton hope to move within 4 years, sad but understandable.

12 clubs still play on the same piece of ground they always owned. I'm a bit a a footy ground anorak, here is my take, views on what others think will fill me with interest.

Liverpool (same ground) - Keep building on it but still very prehistoric, especially for away fans.
Man City (new ground) - sustainable
Tottenham (same ground) - when they move in, sustainable
Chelsea (same ground) - need a new stadium, whether at Fulham Road or elsewhere
Arsenal (new ground) - sustainable
Man Utd (same ground) - old stadium, packed as tight as a sardine in a tin can, need a re-think
Watford (same ground) - for the size of the club, sustainable
Bournemouth (same ground) - looking at new venues, currently unsustainable, especially if they lose Howe to Man U or Spurs
Leicester (new ground) - new bowl, sustainable
Wolves (same ground) - had grandiose plans a few years back, did one stand and stopped, sustainable but finish the plan.
Everton (same ground) - moving within 4 years, unsustainable
West Ham (new ground) - fleecing the tax payer, sustainable
Brighton (new ground) - sustainable
Crystal Palace (same ground) - worst ground in the Prem, really need to look at their infrastructure
Newcastle (same ground) - sustainable
Southampton (new ground) - new bowl, sustainable
Cardiff (new ground) - new bowl, sustainable
Burnley (same ground) - for the size of the town, more than sustainable
Huddersfield (new ground) - sustainable
Fulham (same ground) - the only original ground in the Prem I like, and sustainable in London with their fanbase

 

[timbha]

What Would you say about Leeds, Villa, Norwich, West Brom and Sheffield Utd if they went up this season?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

What Would you say about Leeds, Villa, Norwich, West Brom and Sheffield Utd if they went up this season?

Worry about that next season.

 

[RM-Taylor]

How can you class Tottenham’s new stadium as their original? It’s a completely different build. The old centre-spot is in the south stand concourse.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

How can you class Tottenham’s new stadium as their original? It’s a completely different build. The old centre-spot is in the south stand concourse.

Where is it located?

 

[wolfie]

When you describe these new stadia as sustainable, I'm assuming you mean economically (for the club). They can hardly be described as environmentally sustainable when you consider many of their locations - out of town, near major roads, with massive car parking spaces. We have a pretty good sustainable transport plan, with train, park and ride and cycling all incorporated - but even that leads to major traffic generation every game as well as all the parking problems. Grounds like Goodison and SJP are probably very sustainable for their respective cities as many people walk to get there as there isn't such good road access or parking available.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

When you describe these new stadia as sustainable, I'm assuming you mean economically (for the club). They can hardly be described as environmentally sustainable when you consider many of their locations - out of town, near major roads, with massive car parking spaces. We have a pretty good sustainable transport plan, with train, park and ride and cycling all incorporated - but even that leads to major traffic generation every game as well as all the parking problems. Grounds like Goodison and SJP are probably very sustainable for their respective cities as many people walk to get there as there isn't such good road access or parking available.

Fair question, I was pretty ambiguous. I mean for the club itself and whether it feels it has the right model for its future. Most old stadia now are no longer viable. For whatever reason, can't expand, poor facilities, etc. So, when I say sustainable, I mean from the point of view of modern football.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Where is it located?

Its halfway in its old location and in a different orientation to the old ground, its a different ground not the same one.

 

[Nottseagull]

How can you class Tottenham’s new stadium as their original? It’s a completely different build. The old centre-spot is in the south stand concourse.

Its halfway in its old location and in a different orientation to the old ground, its a different ground not the same one.

If the old and new pitches overlap then I would say that is the same ground. It's fundamentally no different to a Molineux with four new stands and the pitch moved a bit.

 

[grubbyhands]

What Would you say about Leeds, Villa, Norwich, West Brom and Sheffield Utd if they went up this season?

Bloody Hell, are 5 going up this time? That makes our final position more crucial.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Its halfway in its old location and in a different orientation to the old ground, its a different ground not the same one.

It is White Hart Lane, it is on the same plot of land. It is the same venue.

 

[bhafcjack]

Love Goodison Park, Craven Cottage and Anfiled, shame that all these traditional grounds are going quickly but understandable for clubs to move forward, on and off the pitch.

 

[Driver8]

Love Goodison Park, Craven Cottage and Anfiled, shame that all these traditional grounds are going quickly but understandable for clubs to move forward, on and off the pitch.

Have you had the pleasure of the away concourse at Anfield or the view from the back of the away section at Goodison?

Both horrible grounds.

 

[bhafcjack]

Have you had the pleasure of the away concourse at Anfield or the view from the back of the away section at Goodison?

Both horrible grounds.

Better than all the soulless bowls.

 

[studio150]

Cant see how the Amex is sustainable given that every year either at the fans forum or on NSC a few will be asking about increasing the capacity

 

[clapham_gull]

Better than all the soulless bowls.

But the things the other poster is referring to are relatively new additions to the stadia.

Once the seats were rammed into the old terraces those grounds became horrible places to watch football, particularly as an away supporter.

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[clapham_gull]

It is White Hart Lane, it is on the same plot of land. It is the same venue.

Can't agree, they've rotated it and moved it to one side. It isn't the venue in the same way the new Wembley isn't.

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[BN9 BHA]

It is White Hart Lane, it is on the same plot of land. It is the same venue.

It's not the exact plot of land and none of the old WHL stadium is left.
Only part of the old plot has been used for the new stadium.
Hope this helps.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

But the things the other poster is referring to are relatively new additions to the stadia.

Once the seats were rammed into the old terraces those grounds became horrible places to watch football, particularly as an away supporter.

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

I remember going down to Shitehole Park to watch Leeds (yes, I know, Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Charlton, Madeley, Giles, Bremner, Gray, Clarke, Jones, Lorrimer, and Bates on the bench, from memory, not that I was at all bothered at the time) in 1976/7 with some lads from uni. Four pints at lunchtime (including the driver), lots of shouting, can't remember the rest. Great days? Not now I'm 60. I want a comfy seat and I don't want a driving ban. I don't want to be wedged up against some stinky lout, smoking, and weeing into my coat pocket. These days I shower every day and don't consider myself part of the underclass.

Yes, yes, I know, #clueless

I await a mocking reply, which I won't read, from someone on my banned list.



The Amex is wonderful. The Emirates is good but the legroom is not as good as ours. Anfield is a cramped citadel (I was in hospitality last season) and needs to be replaced (too small for the Champions of Europe). Any club in the PL is 'sustainable' if the owners play their cards right. Two clubs, Huddersfield and Palace got into the PL against all expectations, and have survived so far for different reasons. If Huddersfield go down they will have gained from all the PL income and will reconfigure accordingly, as did Burnley. Palace, however, can't afford to be relegated.

That said, clubs have always gone bust, and it doesn't happen that often. Accrington, Aldershot, Newport, Hereford, Maidstone, Scarborough, all suffered as a result. Luton and Newport have bounced back. Notts County twice. CPFC have it coming to them. I feel a bit for their decent fans, but overall, it would be better for everyone if they spent some time in the wilderness, with their 4,000 loyal fans, reflecting over their previous dodgy owners and financial chicanary. Yes, after a glass of wine I'm beginning to hate the scum again.

 

[Garage_Doors]

It is White Hart Lane, it is on the same plot of land. It is the same venue.

That is plain silly the old ground bears absolutely no resemblance to the old one, the only part of the old stadium is the crushed concrete under the resin floor on the concourse.
It is not the same venue.