North Stand Expansion

[Keeper!]

Call me a cynic. Call me what you want.

I did notice this.

The new commercial offering of the expanded North stand.

‘Fans will have the opportunity to extend their match-day by joining us at the new covered fan-zone, visiting the museum, or staying at the hotel’.

No mention of a proper home end for City fans that will generate a better atmosphere.

Not sure what your issue is with corporate.

The club are building this to make sure we have income 365 days a year.

6000 extra seats, what more do you want?

 

[Coatigan]

It’s not just about the commercial offering highlighted in the article. First and foremost from the feedback from various fan consultations, the fans wanted a proper and vocal home end. We’re still waiting to hear something about that from the club. That wasn’t mentioned in the video or in the article. However, I’m sure some of our fans who haven’t followed the North stand redevelopment and subsequent discussions about it are happy to read about the fanzone, the museum and, especially the hotel, which most of us already know about. Maybe the next article will focus on the North stand itself and what the plans are for that now the commercial elements of the North stand redevelopment have been highlighted in this article?

That Danny boy missed a PR open goal there, not throwing in a line about it being a 'proper home end' or 'fan focused'. Or other such buzzwords that could excite people.

But maybe if he had people would still have been sceptical and argued it was hollow because 8% of the stand will have padded seats, or ticket prices are not known etc.

Maybe he thought including Kevin Parker in the video was enough of a token gesture to show fans and fan groups were 'at the heart' of this.

All that said, it is just a media release this. It is words for articles, and interested parties to see in the press and on the club website. Nothing he could have said or not said particularly changes what is proposed or being built.

And I think that itself, from what you and others have shared here and discussed mostly has real intent. And has been largely focused around atmosphere, acoustics, displays, gathering space, etc. (With additional commercial offerings too with the hotel, museum, offices VIP etc.)

For example. We have just had pages of discussion on the sructural acrobatics of removing the existing stays and roof transfer reconfigureing. The main purpose of that, isn't to incur cost or make it complicated to build.

It is to change it from a 3 tier stand to a 2 tier stand, the only part of the whole stadium where this happens and previously claimed almost impossible. And to push the line of the stadium back (which the backstays are in the way of) for a deeper stand with a higher roof angle at the back, that would amplifynthe noise.

Which is all to improve the atmosphere, visual impact of the crowd and the noise. That to me says more than anything Danny Wilson or even Kaldoon himself can say in words.

There is imo no way the club, the design team and the contractors would be going to THAT much effort, fundamentally altering the structure of the stand rather than simply replicating the south stand arrangement, if they were not trying to make this a vastly improved home end. Plus all the other additional bits, for hanging displays, focusing noise down, in-built option to convert to safe standing etc.

And while the hotel and office block are great commercial additions to the club, let's be honest, there is plenty of ground where they could have been built nore efficiently and simpler without attaching to the stand. But then they wouldn't form two sides of a covered enclosed large gathering fan space / city square right outside the stand. And so on.

Secondary to all that of course, there are details on allocation, relocation, ticket prices and other logistics you rightly raise, that will be needed to make it work the best it can. And those will come out at some point closer to the time. I doubt that with so much work and finance committed to it as above, the club then let the bed be shat with basic logistics of operating it. But who knows, time will tell.

 

[Coatigan]

Not sure what your issue is with corporate.

The club are building this to make sure we have income 365 days a year.

6000 extra seats, what more do you want?

Closer to 8000. Additional seats.

 

[Keeper!]

Closer to 8000. Additional seats.

8000 reasons to stop moaning

 

[Betterdeedthan red]

@Betterdeedthan red & @jrb any chance you two can take the negativity elsewhere, there's certainly enough threads for you to "enjoy".

Fuck me have you ever read the haaland thread he's crap

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

My thoughts on the expanded NS are that it is not going to be offering thousands of cheap SCs like SS3. I've been in SS3 since it opened and I love it but it was and still is the cheap option. The concourse and facilities are as basic as they come but pricing is excellent.

The expanded NS is an entirely different kettle of fish. It is level 2 for starters (albeit a very big one) and it will be constructed to a far higher standard than SS3 with facilities to match. It will tie in with the new bars, food outlets, covered City Square etc and it will be nothing like SS3. On that basis I can't see it being safe standing or offering £425 SCs at the back but instead it will be an upper mid range option.

 

[Gray]

Jesus, how many advertisments does M.E.N need?
Makes it hard to read - you end up pressing on one of the many many adverts and diverting off the page.
Thanks for your post though - very interesting

The MuEN web site is utter shite, does anybody actually use it regularly. Blue Moon is the go-to site for all things City.

Rick deserves enormous credit for how well it operates.

 

[Gray]

My thoughts on the expanded NS are that it is not going to be offering thousands of cheap SCs like SS3. I've been in SS3 since it opened and I love it but it was and still is the cheap option. The concourse and facilities are as basic as they come but pricing is excellent.

The expanded NS is an entirely different kettle of fish. It is level 2 for starters (albeit a very big one) and it will be constructed to a far higher standard than SS3 with facilities to match. It will tie in with the new bars, food outlets, covered City Square etc and it will be nothing like SS3. On that basis I can't see it being safe standing or offering £425 SCs at the back but instead it will be an upper mid range option.

I will certainly consider moving there if given the option, much closer to the Metrolink from where I am now in block 211.

 

[Rammy Blue]

That Danny boy missed a PR open goal there, not throwing in a line about it being a 'proper home end' or 'fan focused'. Or other such buzzwords that could excite people.

But maybe if he had people would still have been sceptical and argued it was hollow because 8% of the stand will have padded seats, or ticket prices are not known etc.

Maybe he thought including Kevin Parker in the video was enough of a token gesture to show fans and fan groups were 'at the heart' of this.

All that said, it is just a media release this. It is words for articles, and interested parties to see in the press and on the club website. Nothing he could have said or not said particularly changes what is proposed or being built.

And I think that itself, from what you and others have shared here and discussed mostly has real intent. And has been largely focused around atmosphere, acoustics, displays, gathering space, etc. (With additional commercial offerings too with the hotel, museum, offices VIP etc.)

For example. We have just had pages of discussion on the sructural acrobatics of removing the existing stays and roof transfer reconfigureing. The main purpose of that, isn't to incur cost or make it complicated to build.

It is to change it from a 3 tier stand to a 2 tier stand, the only part of the whole stadium where this happens and previously claimed almost impossible. And to push the line of the stadium back (which the backstays are in the way of) for a deeper stand with a higher roof angle at the back, that would amplifynthe noise.

Which is all to improve the atmosphere, visual impact of the crowd and the noise. That to me says more than anything Danny Wilson or even Kaldoon himself can say in words.

There is imo no way the club, the design team and the contractors would be going to THAT much effort, fundamentally altering the structure of the stand rather than simply replicating the south stand arrangement, if they were not trying to make this a vastly improved home end. Plus all the other additional bits, for hanging displays, focusing noise down, in-built option to convert to safe standing etc.

And while the hotel and office block are great commercial additions to the club, let's be honest, there is plenty of ground where they could have been built nore efficiently and simpler without attaching to the stand. But then they wouldn't form two sides of a covered enclosed large gathering fan space / city square right outside the stand. And so on.

Secondary to all that of course, there are details on allocation, relocation, ticket prices and other logistics you rightly raise, that will be needed to make it work the best it can. And those will come out at some point closer to the time. I doubt that with so much work and finance committed to it as above, the club then let the bed be shat with basic logistics of operating it. But who knows, time will tell.

Excellent post.

 

[Rammy Blue]

My thoughts on the expanded NS are that it is not going to be offering thousands of cheap SCs like SS3. I've been in SS3 since it opened and I love it but it was and still is the cheap option. The concourse and facilities are as basic as they come but pricing is excellent.

The expanded NS is an entirely different kettle of fish. It is level 2 for starters (albeit a very big one) and it will be constructed to a far higher standard than SS3 with facilities to match. It will tie in with the new bars, food outlets, covered City Square etc and it will be nothing like SS3. On that basis I can't see it being safe standing or offering £425 SCs at the back but instead it will be an upper mid range option.

The cheap seats will be expanded in SSL3, I agree that North Stand won’t be cheap as it’ll be the place to be.