The Falmer Pilgrimage thread

[Simster]

Here are my ramblings. Anyone else who has visited the site, feel free to post on here.

I took the kids to have a proper look at the site on Boxing Day. I've got to say, it looks absolutely awesome and it's fantastic to think we'll be there in a handful of month's time. It actually looks better from the roadside but you don't really get a feeling of how much work has been done until you visit the site yourself.

There's what looks like a brand new road that runs down to the university and the site is all sealed off, but with plenty of viewing holes. Sure enough, we weren't the only Albion fans taking a look at the time.

If you haven't had a chance to do so, I recommend getting down there to take a look as it goes up. Personally I feel much more connected with the place having seen the new stadium going up. Oh, and the small, already-built stand just dwarfs the existing Withdean South stand. It truly feels like we're going to be supporting a proper club again very soon.

 

[1234andcounting]

I have decided that I am not going to visit the site until the first match is played there. No 'hard hat' visits, no 'choose your seat' visits. That doesn't mean that I won't follow its development through vids, JS's wonderful posts etc. I just want the thrill of walking towards a new stadium that will be home for the rest of my Brighton supporting life for the first time when we are actually playing....

Weird, I know. But that is what following the Albion does to you over time.

 

[bristolseagull]

yeah, agree with that. I've been up a few times recently, its unbelievable to think we are going to playing home games there soon!

Can't wait....

 

[JJ McClure]

We drove past it yesterday whilst taking the nephew (6 years old) to the cinema. I told him that it was where we would be taking him to watch football in a couple of years and his first comment was "Will I be able to watch Liverpool play there". Bloody kids.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

We drove past it yesterday whilst taking the nephew (6 years old) to the cinema. I told him that it was where we would be taking him to watch football in a couple of years and his first comment was "Will I be able to watch Liverpool play there". Bloody kids.

The great thing is, he'll probably be able to in a few years time.

 

[lighthouse]

The great thing is, he'll probably be able to in a few years time.

Feel the warmth of the optimism - well said, and keep it up!!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I drive along the Falmer Road a couple of times a week. It is a truly amazing sight. JS's fantastic photos are fantastic - however you really do need to see it. We will soon be a proper club again. Thank-you Mr Bloom.

 

[Notters]

I drive along the Falmer Road a couple of times a week. It is a truly amazing sight. JS's fantastic photos are fantastic - however you really do need to see it. We will soon be a proper club again. Thank-you Mr Bloom.

Indeed, but let's not forget Mr Knight.

 

[Simster]

Indeed, but let's not forget Mr Knight.

This is a thread about Falmer and it is Bloom's money that is bankrolling it. To be fair, Knight has been thanked on a million other threads.

 

[Ding Dong !]

Infact the day after tomorrow we can say...... 'we'll be playing there next year ' !!!

 

[Bwian]

Infact the day after tomorrow we can say...... 'we'll be playing there next year ' !!!

When that phrase starts being used regularly it has to have some influence on players considering a move here. OK, it's still 18 months away but as you say-it's Next Year

If we've had a really crap game at Withdean, I drive home via Falmer to cheer myself up and to remind myself that things will be different soon. I've been up there a lot this season!

 

[porkypie]

When that phrase starts being used regularly it has to have some influence on players considering a move here. OK, it's still 18 months away but as you say-it's Next Year

If we've had a really crap game at Withdean, I drive home via Falmer to cheer myself up and to remind myself that things will be different soon. I've been up there a lot this season!

You've been doing that a lot this seson then, i aint been down there since xmas eve last yr, going to pop down the new yrs day!

 

[whitelion]

Awesome.....

I had been out of the area for the year prior to early November. The only way to follow the construction progress was through the Argus Falmer Watch in the Monday edition.

The first opportunity I had to get to the site was 7th November when I took a bus from Brighton town centre to Sussex Uni. Walked up the sliproad to Falmer Road interchange and over A27 and railway line. Got through a gap in the trees and into the field east of the site. The sight that greeted me was stunning. The sheer size of the East stand which is the smaller of the two 'longer' touchline stands. I walked away feeling extremely elated.

Went back up there a month later on 7th December - no co-incidence just on a day when I had a bus pass. It was a wet and dark afternoon and got off the bus at Brighton Uni site at Falmer. Wanted to see the arch prior to being lifted. Didn't see much from this site - through a viewing window in the plywood fencing. Still came away elated though.

Complete contrast to my feelings when walking past the old Goldstone on a daily basis when watching it demolished piece by piece.

Incidentally, I'm still struggling with the notion that Falmer only has a capacity of 22,374 as the current build entails. It just looks so much more.
Does anyone know the potential capacity of the stadium as things stand? I would hazard a guess at 30,000+ but I'm sure this has been discussed before.

 

[Simster]

Incidentally, I'm still struggling with the notion that Falmer only has a capacity of 22,374 as the current build entails. It just looks so much more.
Does anyone know the potential capacity of the stadium as things stand? I would hazard a guess at 30,000+ but I'm sure this has been discussed before.

The two ends are going to be absolutely tiny, so if the ground is ever going to increase in size, surely they'll rebuild either end.

However, the general consensus seems to be to simply get it built, see what demand looks like it will be, and if demand for tickets outstrips supply over and over again, then I guess we can expect an arduous battle with the locals again. In any case, it's the surrounding infrastructure that will limit the ability to expand capacity rather than any will to do so. It's also worth remembering that we haven't even seen a gate of over 20,000 since Arsenal brought 10,000 with them in the FA Cup in 1987.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Only 34 league games left to play at Withdean, ignoring potential playoff games (not a problem this season)! I think it is going to get rather frustrating once the shell is finished and progress is 'slow'.

I am not sure whether I would want to go to any of the ramp up events and simply wait for the grand opening..?

 

[dougdeep]

The two ends are going to be absolutely tiny.

2688 and 2575. Not exactly tiny.

 

[whitelion]

The two ends are going to be absolutely tiny, so if the ground is ever going to increase in size, surely they'll rebuild either end.

However, the general consensus seems to be to simply get it built, see what demand looks like it will be, and if demand for tickets outstrips supply over and over again, then I guess we can expect an arduous battle with the locals again. In any case, it's the surrounding infrastructure that will limit the ability to expand capacity rather than any will to do so. It's also worth remembering that we haven't even seen a gate of over 20,000 since Arsenal brought 10,000 with them in the FA Cup in 1987.

The 'ends' as things stand are approx 2,500 each so I guess you're right that they seem the obvious place to start increasing.

As far as a 20,000+ crowd is concerned the Goldstone capacity was reduced several times in light of the Taylor Report. For instance the last-ever
crowd at the Goldstone in 1997 v Donnie was just under 12k. It could have sold out several times and I was one of many who stood outside that day.

 

[Billy the Fish]

The 'ends' as things stand are approx 2,500 each so I guess you're right that they seem the obvious place to start increasing..

Nay, filling in the corners and a 2nd tier on the east stand will be the first thing.

Although I think it's ridiculous to be talking about it at the moment given our current fan base.

 

[The Grockle]

2688 and 2575. Not exactly tiny.

Yeah i would'nt say they were tiny. They'll both have they same number of rows as the lower East stand (26 rows) but I suppose compared to the 60+ rows in the West stand and it's 12,000 capapcity both ends will be quite modest.

Here's a couple of comparable stands. The MKdons south stand is probably the better example as it's set at a similar rake to the stands at Falmer.

 

[whitelion]

Although I think it's ridiculous to be talking about it at the moment given our current fan base.

In my original post I was genuinely surprised that the capacity was only 22,374 after seeing the stadium at Falmer on a visit. It looks so much bigger therefore I guess it must have been constructed with a view to increasing it in the future.