North stand debate

[mrpotatohead]

I know this is raking up old coals , and we have moved without the North stand going with us, but in my opinion it is the shoddy non league style replacement that houses more than half of our supporters, and the subsequent failure to improve things for the fans behind the goals, that is at the heart of our football clubs problems in keeping existing fans and attracting new ones, survival is paramount in league 2 and sometimes it is necessary to play ugly football, given our limited resources, but in the main, the match day experience for working class fans has been dire and nothing at all has been done for them in 10 years, there is no longer any point in blaming Peter McGuigan for failing to understand the basic human rights of his "customers", and failing in his moral obligation to keep them happy, its now time for the new owners to produce improvements as the honeymoon period is over for them and there has been no action.

[Sakhalin Shrimp]

working class fans

Maybe there could be a supply of flat caps and clogs at the turnstile

[Slanester]

Exeter away.
Redeveloped ground. Increase in ticket prices in all areas. Seating for 1 adult+ 1 u11, £36.
Morecambe 1 adult + 1 u 11, £21. £15 cheaper.
Obviously can’t comment on home stands.
Away fans had to use portoloos. Maybe new toilet blocks to come??
My point is. Would we be happy to pay extra for improvements, because over 4000 Exeter fans were.
Just my opinion.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Instead of wasting quite a chunk of money on a cover behind the Ace Stand , find the plans for the old Christie Park North Stand and replace the present structure and include a proper facility fit for the 21st century.
We may find there are grants available and if it is all seated is that a big deal. How many people sit in seats behind the goals in PL matches !

[Shrimpy]

The issue isn't really with not taking the North Stand itself, it's more that we've moved grounds and been given a home end that is worse than what we had at the old ground.

I'm sure if we'd have built something new that was at least on a par with the North Stand we'd be content enough. However, there's no excuse to move grounds and not improve on facilities for a large chunk of your supporter base.

[Seasider9601]

It was the unbelievable height and vantage point of the North Stand which I loved.

The new home end is nowhere near as elevated and is a very (very) poor comparison.

I remember walking on the new stand for that first match v Coventry in 2010 and thinking how the steps didn't seem as "steep" as the old North Stand, and it really made a difference sadly. And not in a good way.

[mrpotatohead]

The North stand or something better. was the least the fans (working class or whatever) deserved .with facilities fit for purpose... the point being..no one in ten years has done a single thing to turn the sows ear into a silk purse!!!

[P/T Indie]

Exeter away.
Redeveloped ground. Increase in ticket prices in all areas. Seating for 1 adult+ 1 u11, £36.
Morecambe 1 adult + 1 u 11, £21. £15 cheaper.
Obviously can’t comment on home stands.
Away fans had to use portoloos. Maybe new toilet blocks to come??
My point is. Would we be happy to pay extra for improvements, because over 4000 Exeter fans were.
Just my opinion.

League 2 is really overpriced £22 seems the standard for sitting and luckily we have kids go free but when you go away and have to pay for kids on top of the £22 it gets silly.

At PNE it is £24 for an adult £1 for a kid, £3 more than Morecambe and a lot less than most if not all other league 2 clubs.

[mrpotatohead]

That is exactly the sort of response our allegedly social media savvy newish owners need to read Seasider

[Slanester]

Exeter away.
Redeveloped ground. Increase in ticket prices in all areas. Seating for 1 adult+ 1 u11, £36.
Morecambe 1 adult + 1 u 11, £21. £15 cheaper.
Obviously can’t comment on home stands.
Away fans had to use portoloos. Maybe new toilet blocks to come??
My point is. Would we be happy to pay extra for improvements, because over 4000 Exeter fans were.
Just my opinion.

League 2 is really overpriced £22 seems the standard for sitting and luckily we have kids go free but when you go away and have to pay for kids on top of the £22 it gets silly.

At PNE it is £24 for an adult £1 for a kid, £3 more than Morecambe and a lot less than most if not all other league 2 clubs.

Fair play to PNE, sensible pricing policy.
The £36 I refer to, also applies to Exeter home fans.
My point is. As much as I would love to see some serious investment, and improvements with respect to the Globe, it might come at a price, as it has at Exeter. How would that sit with the fans?
Obviously, the ideal scenario would be for the changes to happen, without it being offset by pricing, but nothing for 10 years, so (sadly) can’t see it. ( Only using Exeter as an example, sure it has happened at a number of grounds?)

[marky No.1]

Instead of wasting quite a chunk of money on a cover behind the Ace Stand , find the plans for the old Christie Park North Stand and replace the present structure and include a proper facility fit for the 21st century.

I would suggest that there wouldn't be room for it now? There would certainly be opposition from all our new neighbours no doubt and may well obstruct the CCTV cameras

[mrpotatohead]

Any improvements should be regarded as vital in order to keep existing fans ..before even tackling the mammoth task of attracting new ones.

[black morse]

Exeter away.
Redeveloped ground. Increase in ticket prices in all areas. Seating for 1 adult+ 1 u11, £36.
Morecambe 1 adult + 1 u 11, £21. £15 cheaper.
Obviously can’t comment on home stands.
Away fans had to use portoloos. Maybe new toilet blocks to come??
My point is. Would we be happy to pay extra for improvements, because over 4000 Exeter fans were.
Just my opinion.

New away end loos are built behind the away end terrace but as we weren't allowed in the away terrace we couldn't use the new loos either.

[Westgate Wanderer]

How long was the North stand there for? How many years was the previous low roof over the terrace behind the goals at Christie? How many times did we actually fill it?

[Posh]

I think we filled the North Stand a few times or close to. Ipswich was the best atmosphere I’ve ever had at a game; Crewe 4-3 the most jubilant; and Bradford 2-1 the most atmospheric (bar the fog at the last match).

The money spent on now empty executive boxes (over £1 million?), should have been spent on decent home and away ends (and the change spent on a Berlin Wall roof).

There is nothing we can do though, as Marky 1 has intimated. Simple improvements could be made - there may be room for additional steps at the back; lower pricing; sorting out catering; improvements to exits (possible access to the Local Choice Suite) etc.

The sad reality is that 10 years has seen three improvements - the painting of the metalwork; the Legend’s Wall; and the smoking area - all delivered by fans.

[mrpotatohead]

Good effort by the fans ,but pathetic from the club.

[Seasider9601]

How long was the North stand there for? How many years was the previous low roof over the terrace behind the goals at Christie? How many times did we actually fill it?

North Stand opened in the 1997/98 season for the first time (March I think. First game was definitely v Cheltenham)

Previous low roof there from the early/mid 1950's up to Christmas 1986. First match without it there was v Mossley on Boxing Day 1986.

[halfwayprawn]

Instead of wasting quite a chunk of money on a cover behind the Ace Stand , find the plans for the old Christie Park North Stand and replace the present structure and include a proper facility fit for the 21st century.
We may find there are grants available and if it is all seated is that a big deal. How many people sit in seats behind the goals in PL matches !

Totally agree with G/S,if we are going to get fans back to the globe then we HAVE to invest in a stand which has view and the stature of what the North Stand had with proper amenities.

[redrobo]

Instead of wasting quite a chunk of money on a cover behind the Ace Stand , find the plans for the old Christie Park North Stand and replace the present structure and include a proper facility fit for the 21st century.
We may find there are grants available and if it is all seated is that a big deal. How many people sit in seats behind the goals in PL matches !

Totally agree with G/S,if we are going to get fans back to the globe then we HAVE to invest in a stand which has view and the stature of what the North Stand had with proper amenities.

The cost of replacing the existing stand and all it's faults is surely beyond the finances of the club at the moment. As much as i agree in principal to the idea I wonder how many stay away fans it would attract to return when we continue to under perform on the field. My priority is to ensure that on on field performances encourage the extra few hundred than to spend money that we don't have on a new stand that may be filled on the very odd occasion. Money should be spent on the existing stand to provide the facilities that those who frequent it have been demanding for season after season. Put right what is possible both on and off the field before spending millions on a new stand and putting our club into further debt.

[KenH]

I agree, whatever money we have available needs to be spent on players to improve league performances and also enable decent cup runs. If the performances are better on the pitch, it will improve attendances. Not sure you're going to attract many more to come to a better home stand, if the performances aren't better. Obviously, a better stand AND better performances would be ideal, but we have to be realistic.

[mrpotatohead]

I never advocated knocking the stand down ...just improving the facilities ...

[HALMA 1983]

I agree, whatever money we have available needs to be spent on players to improve league performances and also enable decent cup runs. If the performances are better on the pitch, it will improve attendances. Not sure you're going to attract many more to come to a better home stand, if the performances aren't better. Obviously, a better stand AND better performances would be ideal, but we have to be realistic.

It's very 'chicken and egg'
Had MFC stayed at Christie park you'd most probably of retained the same hardcore day in day out fans, taking that North stand to the globe or building one like it when the plans had been agreed would have seen most of the same hardcore still standing on it with more money coming in and more encouragement from the said fans to improve player confidence and most of all performance.
They made a grave error alienating the folk who would still be there rain or shine but never in that horrible excuse of a home end.

[marky No.1]

Great opportunity next season to have a 'centenary stand' sonsored by .... ........ ........

[al1]

Vanarama, probably,the way we are going!

[black morse]

Great opportunity next season to have a 'centenary stand' sonsored by .... ........ ........

Callender Caravans?