HibeeJibee Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I sincerely hope EK don't build a 4000 seater ground. At least have some terracing There was a 2-page spread about the new stadium in today's EK v Celtic programme, with a page of text and half-page overhead diagram. It is to hold 4,000 seated and the diagram shows 9 blocks of seats in each side stand (i.e. about 1,200 seats in each) and 6 blocks of seats in each end stand (i.e. about 800 seats in each)... Both the diagram and the concept image show the ground as a bowl with corners filled in but it doesn't say what is in them, tbf. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) And here it is: I love how they're building it down into the ground, bit different and gives you the option of expansion above the surface. Little known fact but my own teams stadium of light is excavated down below ground, so you enter at ground level but are already at the concourse level above half the lower bowl. It means wheelchair users can come in on the same level yet still have an elevated view. Obviously also means the stadium appears much smaller than its 48,000 capacity from outside. It actually makes construction cheaper as well provided the ground conditions are favourable. The SOL is built on the old Wearmouth coalmine so excavation was not an issue although capping some old shafts was. This is unique in England as far as I know and certainly different from all the other new build bowl type stadiums such as Middlesbrough, Derby, Southampton, Hull, Leicester and Stoke which are all fully above ground level. Its an also an excuse to post a favourite photo which shows both Roker Park and the SOL. Sunderland are also one of the very few clubs to build a new Stadium in England nearer to the city centre than the ground it replaced, which makes for easier access on a matchday and better access to the city's pubs etc than was ever the case at Roker Park. You can see here during construction that the steelwork stops at ground level and there is earth banking on the bottom half of the lower tier. This was simply covered with concrete and no steelwork was required. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) Apparently they're planning to do up the Anfield Road end as well, which might fix what is possibly the worst away end view in Britain. And its associated dangerously crowded concourse. Was there for Sunderland's game a few weeks back and saw not one but two separate instances of fathers trying desperately to carry crying terrified kids out while I battled my way to the toilets at half time. The kids were not babies either, probably 9 and 12 respectively I would guess, A throbbing packed concourse can be quite enticing to a fit (and slightly pissed) adult football fan, but its a threatening and dangerous place for a young lad who probably just wants to stick beside his dad and have some refreshments and use the toilets at half time. Liverpool of all clubs should surely be aware of the risk of overcrowding in gangways and concourses, yet they had police and stewards standing on a raised platform viewing the fans below and presumably with their main aim being to identify 'troublemakers' and arrest people. The reality was that the space provided was totally inadequate for the purpose it was intended for (i.e. using the toilets and getting a pie or a drink, and was dangerously overcrowded to the detriment of anyone who was not a pretty fit able bodied male). They charged us £47 for the privileged of using that away end and the back 6 rows do not even have a view of the far goal when fans in front stand up (and we all know all football fans stand up in seated areas when it looks like a goal may be scored). The Liverpool away end is an affront to decent football fans everywhere and I just wish the likes of Alan Green and his 'another great European night at Anfield' was forced to sit there for a game and had £47 removed from his bloated wallet for the privilege. I suspect his gushing tones would be slightly reduced on subsequent visits* *Given that he is also what I would respectfully call 'well fed', I suspect he would have particular issues pushing his massive frame through the throng and may well end up soiling himself before reaching his destination. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) This is a good picture which gives an impression of what the 'facilities' are like at the rear of the Anfield road end at Liverpool as an away fan. This is from a Southampton match. £47 for that anybody? Would you pay it? The reality down here is that about 75% of Premier League clubs sell out all their away tickets for league games and my own club is one of those. You need to have a certain number of 'loyalty points' to even apply for an away ticket and sadly, you also have absolutely no say in where in the away end the ticket you ultimately receive will be. For e.g. I have very good loyalty points but in two consecutive seasons at Stoke have been given the front row (they obviously started selling then from front to back) and the back row (started selling them back to front). To be fair its not a major issue at Stoke as although I would prefer an elevated view all their seats have a clear view of the pitch. You can imagine our trepidation at Liverpool though. I have been on the wrong end of that before and its a complete piss take. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Yes that's the plan. The back 10 rows or so of it are pish but the rest of it is ok. Newcastle up in the gods is pretty awful. To be fair to our near neighbours, at least you have a clear view of the pitch even if you do need an oxygen mask and a telescope. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/exclusive-first-behind-the-scenes-look-fc-9057296 FC United's new 5000 capacity ground taking shape. Opening game v Benfica next month! Surprised it's been allowed though given the behind the goal terracing has deathtrap-standing installed. They are playing down at level 7 of the English System which would put them off the map in the Scottish pyramid as you only have 5 steps as far as I can see. You can have standing terraces at step 3 in England and would get a years grace at step two (the championship) if promoted. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pride_of_the_Clyde Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 How do you find the difference between travelling to away games in England to those in Scotland, RokerRver? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) How do you find the difference between travelling to away games in England to those in Scotland, RokerRver? Football is football at the end of the day and most people I meet on the way are decent and friendly. Obviously when I am following Sunderland like next weekend at Southampton, there is more pressure on the game as its my team and it means a lot to me, but I can still normally switch back to normal a few mins after a bad defeat and enjoy the rest of my day. Last season we lost 8-0 at Southampton but we still enjoyed the day and the night out after the match. I don't follow Sunderland to win things!! At neutral games I just relax and take in the view. Love my trips up to Scotland though and am doing the Lowland league hop again in two weeks. After that I will have 9 grounds left to complete the 4 Scottish divisions plus the lowland league. Not done any Highland league teams and I fear that may have to wait till I retire as its logistically just too difficult from where I am based most of the time. I also plan to complete the 92 in England and ironically a Sunderland relegation (and/or a Gateshead promotion) would hugely boost my chances of doing that. Done both Rochdale and Port Vale as a neutral in recent weeks and also have my eye on a few more over Easter but still only on 63. Done loads more over the years but they keep building new grounds, going bust and getting relegated to the non leagues. It seems like a never ending task. For e.g I have seen Sunderland play Darlington away at three different grounds and they are currently in the process of moving to a 4th yet none of those are currently in the 92. You do three or four a season on top of following Sunderland, Sunderland Stiffs, Sunderland Ladies and Gateshead and then find you are only 1 nearer to the 92 when the next season starts. I honestly think most members of the 92 club are either neutrals or supporters of clubs like Wimbledon or Wigan who have gone up and down the leagues over a relatively short period of time or single. If I waited till Sunderland got an away cup draw at the the League One and League Two sides I still have to visit, I would need to live to 400. Only way is visiting as a neutral and I have only started to do this over the last few seasons due to my circumstances allowing it. My daughters are now both adults and don't require my supervision at weekends or any other time and my wife still works week on week off nights so I am free every other weekend to do what I like. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latino Lover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I used to like roker park despite being a lifelong mag, got given free tickets in the old clock stand as a kid live in Washington, went to school trip of roker in my iconic barcode shirt in about 92, I remember don goodman was doing promotion for signing when we visited. My grandad was from endon and supported sunderland, luckily for me the Luftwaffe flattened his house and he ended up in Gateshead, I'll still not have a bad word said about the nazis. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) I used to like roker park despite being a lifelong mag, got given free tickets in the old clock stand as a kid live in Washington, went to school trip of roker in my iconic barcode shirt in about 92, I remember don goodman was doing promotion for signing when we visited. My grandad was from endon and supported sunderland, luckily for me the Luftwaffe flattened his house and he ended up in Gateshead, I'll still not have a bad word said about the nazis. Good stuff and I see your sense of humour . I also follow the Heed as my second team and still have high hopes for one or even maybe two visits to Wembley in May (the wife wants me to book something as its our 25th anniversary in June) but we have better options for time off in May, I am looking at city breaks that allow me the option of a quick exit back to London on either weekend just in case. Went when we played Cambridge in the play offs a few years back and continued my 100% failure rate watching my teams at Wembley. I was born in Newcastle and have lived in Gateshead all my life, firstly at Leam Lane and then in Ryton as that's where my wife is from. She and her family are all Newcastle fans (great people and I could not have ever wished for better in laws) and I am not one of these supporters who 'hates' the oppo. As I have always said, Newcastle and Sunderland fans are actually very similar in reality. They come from the same area, have the same life experiences and are mostly down to earth decent working class people. The only major difference between us is the colour of one stripe on the clubs shirts. Far too much baggage with this fixture when the fans are basically the same really. We met some Newcastle fans in the pub in Annan before the Stirling Albion game yesterday and they were spot on. They were up to a see a game as Newcastle had a free weekend. Four of us in our Sunderland shirts and we had a bit crack on with them and a bit of banter. All good humored and a good time was had by all. I respect anyone who goes to a game like that as they are clearly proper football fans. Edited February 28, 2016 by Roker Rover 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latino Lover Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Yeah my grandad used to watch both too, I recall once cheering sunderland with him on when they were playing out then Rivals man united. There's quite a few sunderland fans in Gateshead as I once watched a derby at the vic in low fell and was surprised it was mixed. Never watched one in Washington and haven't been to one in a few years now. Agree most are the same several of my best mates are red and white which makes things more interesting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Good stuff and I see your sense of humour . I also follow the Heed as my second team and still have high hopes for one or even maybe two visits to Wembley in May (the wife wants me to book something as its our 25th anniversary in June) but we have better options for time off in May, I am looking at city breaks that allow me the option of a quick exit back to London on either weekend just in case. Went when we played Cambridge in the play offs a few years back and continued my 100% failure rate watching my teams at Wembley. I was born in Newcastle and have lived in Gateshead all my life, firstly at Leam Lane and then in Ryton as that's where my wife is from. She and her family are all Newcastle fans (great people and I could not have ever wished for better in laws) and I am not one of these supporters who 'hates' the oppo. As I have always said, Newcastle and Sunderland fans are actually very similar in reality. They come from the same area, have the same life experiences and are mostly down to earth decent working class people. The only major difference between us is the colour of one stripe on the clubs shirts. Far too much baggage with this fixture when the fans are basically the same really. We met some Newcastle fans in the pub in Annan before the Stirling Albion game yesterday and they were spot on. They were up to a see a game as Newcastle had a free weekend. Four of us in our Sunderland shirts and we had a bit crack on with them and a bit of banter. All good humored and a good time was had by all. I respect anyone who goes to a game like that as they are clearly proper football fans. Great posts Rover - hope our paths will cross one day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwffc Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 To be fair to our near neighbours, at least you have a clear view of the pitch even if you do need an oxygen mask and a telescope. I was in that stand for the New Zealand v Tonga game at the RWC and it was one of the worst climbs to get from the turnstiles to the seats. But it was some view from the seats. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pride_of_the_Clyde Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Do you find it as rewarding as previously, Roker? What with many of the previous generation of English football grounds having been discarded for modern grounds. Granted there will still be some old classics around. Or is it as much about enjoying the travel and seeing different parts of the country? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Cove Ranger's new stadium - 312-seater, 3G pitch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Cove Ranger's new stadium - 312-seater, 3G pitch. I have no idea why, but that picture makes me laugh. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 That's a ground or a park at the most, never a stadium. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1875 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Cove Ranger's new stadium - 312-seater, 3G pitch. Spain Park looks bigger than that 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Cort's Hamstring Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 That's a ground or a park at the most, never a stadium. There definitely needs to be an official minimum standard before something can be called a stadium. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcat1990 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 There definitely needs to be an official minimum standard before something can be called a stadium. Minimum seating or standing? Reckon Coves new place will have similar all in capacity to alot of Junior grounds when factor in standing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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