Expansion/Academy Rumours.

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

14 million sounds a bit rich to put in 8000 seats IMHO, unless that figure includes the club paying to extend the train station?

The total cost would probably be about £50m if it included extending the Station!

 

[severnside gull]

The seating cost seems high but may be down to the addition of corporate hospitality infrastructure in the corners so not necessarily unreasonable.

The academy cost may well include the accomodation for youngsters/triallists/new signings (we currently rent) plus additional housing etc in line with TB's day time job? Again not unreasonable.

3 players for a promotion push? Well we already know that we need at least three new faces just to tread water let alone go up from here. We need two full backs as Calde lacks positional discipline and Painter lacks essential pace. We also need a midfield general to sit alongside Bridcutt and cover the gaps and also to put the ball forward acurately and quickly. I think Navs is a good but limited stop gap and Vincelot lacks the pace and vision needed. Jara Reyes maybe but Gus clearly doesn't see him slotting in there.

That's three and it assumes that Vicente/Harley are going to be good enough/fit enough to fill the creative midfield role; that Ankergren responds to the shock of Harper coming to take his place and ups his game consistently; that we hang on to Dunk (even with Calde andVincelot and elAbd might we want a direct replacement if he goes?) .....................


Oh yes, we also need a striker (please God let it not be Billy Paynter!) so that is four at least. Personally if he is fit (and stays fit) I would like to see Buckley pushed up alongside CMS. I really think that given a run of games it could have worked with Hoskins and CMS in combo but he is sadly not going to be fit for (at least) 6 more weeks. Sure it means playing a different way - keeping the ball wide where we have pace or lifting it over/slotting it through into channels (as we did at Cardiff). Surely this is exactly the way Gus envisaged us playing and although a big lump is handy to have coming off the bench (Harewood or Fuller have experience, pace, and can jump for the ball) lets go back to the way we wanted to play.

 

[ees complicated no?]

Maybe they are putting air con in all concourses....!

this is a joke right ?

 

[The Large One]

The seating cost seems high but may be down to the addition of corporate hospitality infrastructure in the corners so not necessarily unreasonable.

I must admit, I'd forgotten about the extra hospitality side of things, and TB did say that they intend to extend that into the south-west corner.

It might also be the cost of paying for additional transport issues.

Whatever, £14m for 8,000 seats only does sound excessive.

 

[ees complicated no?]

maybe where all the gaps showing the steel work in the south stand is where the hospitality bits are going ? hence why they didnt cover them as they knew it would be a waste of money

 

[The Grockle]

I don't know how the seats wuld cost an extra 14 million!? That's the East Stand Upper concourse and fitting that out and maybe some more corporate areas but £14 m?

Unless that includes the cost of a new car park!?

The aim is for both applications to be submitted on the 16 though, know that much.

So you have heard the 16th of December rumour too then? Like I said i'd heard it from a number of sources, one claiming to have come from someone close to the top so to speak.

Interested to see what happens in the coming weeks.

 

[Springal]

I've had it from the 'horses mouth' so to speak that last month they were in the final stages of preparing these applications, so looks like it is true. They are 'optimistic' of it going through successfully

 

[Albion Dan]

I would have thought 14 million sounded about right, With the East Stand upper it’s not just concrete terracing and seats, there would be the concourse area to do including toilets and kiosks. There was also talk on here a while ago of the clubs intention to add further hospitality suites in the South West corner, perhaps this plan is part of the 14 million?

The kiosks, Toilets etc are already there in the East Upper. It just needs the seats putting in and the concourse to have a finish applied. That is how it has always been communicated. The only justifcation I can see is taht there is now a big plan to add in more corporate and 1901 allocation and service areas.

 

[Bozza]

So you have heard the 16th of December rumour too then? Like I said i'd heard it from a number of sources, one claiming to have come from someone close to the top so to speak.

Interested to see what happens in the coming weeks.

The 16th has been quoted on this fine website on at least one occasion in the past week or two.

I've had it from the 'horses mouth' so to speak that last month they were in the final stages of preparing these applications, so looks like it is true. They are 'optimistic' of it going through successfully

Lord Bassam has been in a bit of a battle with the Greens on Twitter of late about the expansion of the Amex. He believes they are against it, and even said they have a 'secret plan' (or very similar words) to oppose it.

 

[shaolinpunk]

I find this incredibly exciting, the fact that we are set to carry on growing the infrastructure at the club. The training facility is more gonna to be a huge long term boost - better facilities, better coaches, better players attracted to the club and better youngsters coming through.


EEEP.

 

[The Grockle]

The 16th has been quoted on this fine website on at least one occasion in the past week or two.



Lord Bassam has been in a bit of a battle with the Greens on Twitter of late about the expansion of the Amex. He believes they are against it, and even said they have a 'secret plan' (or very similar words) to oppose it.

I must have missed the quotes on here, although I vaguely remember someone suggesting the 19th?

Wouldn't it be political suicide for the Greens to oppose the plans, albion regulars and floating fans must equate to a large chunk of their constituency, or perhaps I’m being a little naïve?

Also I was under the impression that some 70% fans currently travel on 'sustanable transport' more than any other club? The lentil munching greens wouldn't stand a chance of ruining our chances surely?

 

[Ernest]

Hope the Greens don't stick their oar in as they hardly top of the popularity polls as it is

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I must have missed the quotes on here, although I vaguely remember someone suggesting the 19th?

Wouldn't it be political suicide for the Greens to oppose the plans, albion regulars and floating fans must equate to a large chunk of their constituency, or perhaps I’m being a little naïve?

Also I was under the impression that some 70% fans currently travel on 'sustanable transport' more than any other club? The lentil munching greens wouldn't stand a chance of ruining our chances surely?

Something like 70% of fans arrive by some form of public transport inc. P&R + walking/cycling, most other clubs have something like 10-20% of fans arrive in this way.

 

[cdargonne]

this is a joke right ?

yeah

but would be good tho eh!!

its exciting times as a brighton fan! still feels like a dream when we get to the stadium as it is let alone with another 8000 plus the training facility...!!

 

[The Large One]

I must have missed the quotes on here, although I vaguely remember someone suggesting the 19th?

Wouldn't it be political suicide for the Greens to oppose the plans, albion regulars and floating fans must equate to a large chunk of their constituency, or perhaps I’m being a little naïve?

Also I was under the impression that some 70% fans currently travel on 'sustanable transport' more than any other club? The lentil munching greens wouldn't stand a chance of ruining our chances surely?

The Green Party, contrary to shallow gossip, is very much in favour of what the Albion is trying to achieve at the stadium - both on and off the pitch. They know and fully understand what the club and the stadium means to the city.

They just want to make sure that the rest of the city's transport and road system isn't totally bollocksed up by what having a greater capacity would ensue. This is something all of the political parties would want - not just the Greens, and they would be told this by the council officers.

I understand it is not their preferred option to have (too many) additional P&R sites (it encourages car use, they say). However, if a transport study indicated that it would be the best (or least worst) option, they would go with it.

 

[Bozza]

Also I was under the impression that some 70% fans currently travel on 'sustanable transport' more than any other club? The lentil munching greens wouldn't stand a chance of ruining our chances surely?

I don't think the Greens like Park & Ride due to the silent 'Drive' element required.

 

[The Grockle]

Something like 70% of fans arrive by some form of public transport inc. P&R + walking/cycling, most other clubs have something like 10-20% of fans arrive in this way.

Well as long as expansion doesn’t increase traffic around the stadium then why would they oppose it? If I were a Green politician, I’d be very proud that such a large venue is having such a low impact on the environment and local congestion, In fact I’d be shouting it from the rooftops!

Also on a related subject, in a time where large projects are being shelved regularly, surely the local government would be in favour of more money being invested in the local area and also more job opportunities being created, especially for local Sussex teenagers?

 

[The Grockle]

The Green Party, contrary to shallow gossip, is very much in favour of what the Albion is trying to achieve at the stadium - both on and off the pitch. They know and fully understand what the club and the stadium means to the city.

They just want to make sure that the rest of the city's transport and road system isn't totally bollocksed up by what having a greater capacity would ensue. This is something all of the political parties would want - not just the Greens, and they would be told this by the council officers.

It is not their preferred option to have additional P&R sites (it encourages car use, they say). However, if a transport study indicated that it would be the best (or least worst) option, they would go with it.

Seems a sensible approach in a City that already appears to have quite a bit of a congestion problem.

I tend to respect your opinion on such issues, so hopefully the greens aren't quite as opposed to expansion as some have suggested.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Well as long as expansion doesn’t increase traffic around the stadium then why would they oppose it? If I were a Green politician, I’d be very proud that such a large venue is having such a low impact on the environment and local congestion, In fact I’d be shouting it from the rooftops!

Also on a related subject, in a time where large projects are being shelved regularly, surely the local government would be in favour of more money being invested in the local area and also more job opportunities being created, especially for local Sussex teenagers?

Clearly they are all arguments FOR but if we're unable to demonstrate the roads wont be knackered every other Satuday I'm not sure it'll count for much.

 

[The Large One]

Well as long as expansion doesn’t increase traffic around the stadium then why would they oppose it? If I were a Green politician, I’d be very proud that such a large venue is having such a low impact on the environment and local congestion, In fact I’d be shouting it from the rooftops!

It's not only the transport around the stadium they have to consider - it's across the city, and any major transport movement has a knock-on effect somewhere. It's for the club to prove that they can keep it to an acceptable minimum.

Also on a related subject, in a time where large projects are being shelved regularly, surely the local government would be in favour of more money being invested in the local area and also more job opportunities being created, especially for local Sussex teenagers?

Quite, and they are well aware of that. This is one of the reasons why they are so supportive of the club's work.