The Aberdeen Mega-Hyper New Stadium Thread

[Aberdeen Cowden]

6 minutes ago, COYR said:

He's an idiot who wants the stadium close to his house. There's nothing more to it.

His house is four miles west of Kingsford though. O/F fans won’t be anywhere neat it.

[sjc]

5 minutes ago, Aberdeen Cowden said:

His house is four miles west of Kingsford though. O/F fans won’t be anywhere neat it.

That's a pity.

[flyingscot]

When we (St Mirren) moved, I wasn't opposed to it. Sure I would prefer walking into Love Street, but I accepted the financial arguments that we had to move and also that Love Street was outdated, particularly main stand, with new facilities massively helping the club. 

That said, we got a pretty good location (and yes, a brilliant deal from Tesco). The 2021 is 800m from Love Street. The town centre is walkable in 15 mins and so is main railway station, football pubs like the Bull Inn are maybe 5 minutes further than Love Street. We also have a train station with 30 minute service to Glasgow opposite. Overall it has not too changed people's routines too much which is maybe where the success in maintain numbers comes from. I wouldn't have been too chuffed had we moved to say Linwood but been nearer a major road. 

People complain the stadium is soleless, but I think largely that was due to product on pitch, and it's been excellent at important games and since the active guys started in W7 area. It's not perfect (views low down aren't great and stands aren't steep) but we couldn't afford to dictate much else.    

3 hours ago, lubo_blaha said:

I take it you’ve not read the transport plan then?

For a run of the mill league game (14k) 5800 fans are predicted to use shuttle buses. This rises to over 8000 for euro games.

This is all on the council website if you want to see it yourself. The DST have an interview with one of the directors which confirms this too.

I have only skim read the Transport Assessment, but a couple of things stand out. Potential conflict of interest is that I work in transport planning and have done new stadiums in the past. 

The report seems to indicate there will be a level of traffic congestion, including on the AWPR. Doesn't  priority measures on the A944  seem to be promoted which is strange given the importance of shuttle buses and congestion levels. If you allow buses a free pass to the congestion you need less buses and make them more attractive. The footways also seems a bit standard width which is probably a bit narrow for a 20k stadia. 

I also think the idea that less people will come to Kingsford by car than Pittodrie seems fanciful. I wonder if 'bus' counts drive to the P&R (increasing traffic elsewhere) before taking a bus for the last leg.

1 hour ago, fatshaft said:

Nope, I'm saying the stupid planning limits made by ACC are not in the real world. Aberdeen does not do buses, we have the lowest bus use and dropping in the country, but AFC have been forced to provide a transport plan in line with regs. 

What that will do is force exactly what the W.A.N.K.S. don;t want, and that's cars parking round Westhill. Instead of unrealistic parking limits, ACC should have allowed a car park the size of expected needs to be built. 

That's not Aberdeen's limit either. It's Scottish Government National planning policy. It is basically because we don't want to become America where they have acres of parking around the stadium and we want to encourage public transport and sustainable travel. More car parking means more people drive, means traffic is worse with negative impacts to locals, traffic and the environment. It's also designed to ensure that developers locate developments in areas where people can travel by means outwith car. 

[HibsFan]

2 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

Admittedly, it seems the transport links aren't great yet, but the club should work with fans and local transport to improve this. You can bet that if 20000 are going to Kingsford every 2nd week, First Bus (or whoever runs the buses in Aberdeen) will be adapting timetables to suit, and large numbers travelling would support a concerted bid to improve the infrastructure in general. The fact that AFC are already looking to lay on shuttle buses shows that they are trying to make this work - this is a method used by Saracens, the current European rugby Champions, who lay on shuttle buses to Barnet, which interestingly enough is 7.6 miles from their traditional home. Saracens are sold out every home game.

The Saracens comparison is weak because they have moved at least a dozen times in their history, with the move to Barnet from Watford's ground a few years ago being the most recent. You also bring up the fact that they are the current (back-to-back) European rugby champions, which you then seem to brush past when you declare that "Saracens are sold out every home game." If Aberdeen were enjoying such success (let's be realistic and scale it down to back-to-back champions of Scotland), they would be selling out every week at Kingsford too. However, such success is extremely unlikely in the current climate of Scottish football.

Having looked at the shuttle buses that they run, these take approximately 6/7 minutes from three relatively nearby train stations. Two of these stations are a half hour's walk from the stadium if you so wished to do so. It is essentially the equivalent of a hypothetical train station at Westhill that ran trains from Aberdeen as frequently as the London Underground does, followed by a 5 minute shuttle bus to Kingsford itself.

 

So to compare the situation with Kingsford, Saracens' ground has:

- About 5 or 6 nearby stations, on different lines and branches of the tube (one of the most frequent underground rail systems in the world)

- Shuttle buses that take 6-7 minutes from 3 of these stations

- 2 train stations within 30 minutes walking distance of the stadium

- Hosting a team who are champions of Europe
 

Kingsford will have:

- No nearby train stations, meaning that the only feasible transport options will be bus or car

- Shuttle buses that carry approximately 5000 fans on a (without taking traffic into account) 20 minute journey from the city centre to the ground

- The two nearest train stations (Dyce and Aberdeen) being a 2 hour and 10 minute walk to the ground

- Hosting a team who seem destined to be perennial runners up in Scotland at best

Edited January 24, 2018 by HibsFan

[fatshaft]

31 minutes ago, Aberdeen Cowden said:

And the speed limit was reduced a few months ago  to 40mph for safety reasons!! the whole length of the road from Westhill to Aberdeen. Should be fun.

TY Steve Delaney, councillor for Sheddocksley, the lycra clad nutter, who drove through this measure single handed, as he did the 50 reduction before it, so that he can ride his bike on the road rather than on the cycle path paid for the entire length of this section. Eff all to do with safety. 

 

Moot point anyway, the W.A.N.K.S. told us it'll be gridlock. 

[fatshaft]

8 minutes ago, flyingscot said:

It's also designed to ensure that developers locate developments in areas where people can travel by means outwith car. 

And if you live in the country where there are no buses, you should just stop going then?

[fatshaft]

[flyingscot]

1 minute ago, HibsFan said:

The Saracens comparison is weak

I'd agree with that. London rugby clubs are nomadic in nature- see Wasps who are now Coventry based. 

I went there for the Glasgow game last year. It wasn't great to get to in London terms but still easy.  The bus stop was 10 mins away and the 113 bus was 24 hours and  every 8 minutes. Took 30 mins to Baker Street and cost £1.50. 

That said, London is vastly different in nature to Aberdeen with housing costs influencing where people live. Many folk in London are car free due to vast public transport network which Aberdeen doesn't have. 

8 minutes ago, fatshaft said:

And if you live in the country where there are no buses, you should just stop going then?

Get on a bike then.  

Seriously, that is why there is some parking provided. It's to dissuade those who could take a bus but would just jump in the car cause there is tons of parking.  

[sjc]

Since we don't want to encourage people taking the car to games and therefore utilise public transport. Scotland should play their home games at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Good park and ride facilities with direct transport links from Aberdeen, Inverness,Edinburgh & Glasgow airports and just a short (far less than Aberdeen to Kingsford) shuttle bus ride from Dublin airport......

Hampden issue resolved.

[Illgresi]

1 hour ago, sjc said:

Since we don't want to encourage people taking the car to games and therefore utilise public transport. Scotland should play their home games at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Good park and ride facilities with direct transport links from Aberdeen, Inverness,Edinburgh & Glasgow airports and just a short (far less than Aberdeen to Kingsford) shuttle bus ride from Dublin airport......

Hampden issue resolved.

I'm not so sure about the Scotland national team, but perhaps we can persuade Celtic to do that? I think it would also be well worth the considerable cost to lift Ibrox brick by brick and place it in Belfast. I'd quite happily contribute £20 towards it.

[PauloPerth]

Just out of interest, has there been details released on the provision for away fans at the new stadium in terms of allocation;  is it whole Stand behind the goal etc? How many tickets? Or are they waiting for planning approval before looking at that kind of thing?

As an away fan, it'll probably be an improvement. We'll drive up, avoid all the Aberdeen city traffic, have a bite to eat in one of the generic eateries in an out of town retail/ leisure park, then head to the ground with far better view and facilities than currently.  

For home fans, I still think it's a terrible idea.

[lubo_blaha]

4 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

Just out of interest, has there been details released on the provision for away fans at the new stadium in terms of allocation;  is it whole Stand behind the goal etc? How many tickets? Or are they waiting for planning approval before looking at that kind of thing?

As an away fan, it'll probably be an improvement. We'll drive up, avoid all the Aberdeen city traffic, have a bite to eat in one of the generic eateries in an out of town retail/ leisure park, then head to the ground with far better view and facilities than currently.  

For home fans, I still think it's a terrible idea.

Away fans will be in the West Stand. I believe I saw that they would sell section by section from the Main Stand side as that's where the away parking is. 

The majority of the internal details haven't been confirmed but you can have as many tickets as you want, the f*cker will never be full!

[Aberdeen Cowden]

18 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

Just out of interest, has there been details released on the provision for away fans at the new stadium in terms of allocation;  is it whole Stand behind the goal etc? How many tickets? Or are they waiting for planning approval before looking at that kind of thing?

As an away fan, it'll probably be an improvement. We'll drive up, avoid all the Aberdeen city traffic, have a bite to eat in one of the generic eateries in an out of town retail/ leisure park, then head to the ground with far better view and facilities than currently.  

For home fans, I still think it's a terrible idea.

You’ll be sitting in a long queue to get off the bypass. Bet no one told you that.

[fatshaft]

14 minutes ago, Aberdeen Cowden said:

You’ll be sitting in a long queue to get off the bypass. Bet no one told you that.

Yup, by which point having breezed along the AWPR you're 500 yards from the Wiggy Dome. 

 

PauloPerth, excuse our locally based friend, he's originally from Cowdenbeath, he doesn't understand how roads work, indeed he wont even walk along them, too scary. 

[fatshaft]

We're all going to Kingsford

We're all going to Kingsford

Nah nah nah nah

[TrebleTwenty]

39 minutes ago, lubo_blaha said:

Away fans will be in the West Stand. I believe I saw that they would sell section by section from the Main Stand side as that's where the away parking is. 

The majority of the internal details haven't been confirmed but you can have as many tickets as you want, the f*cker will never be full!

The official stadium opening game against Real Madrid will be, locals only, so you can  feck off. Nah Nah Nah NAH 

[TrebleTwenty]

Anyway, i'm stuck in traffic on my way to Ibrox, how dare they clog the roads up, how dare they take half hour of my time away, ba&%ards .....

[strichener]

1 minute ago, TrebleTwenty said:

Anyway, i'm stuck in traffic on my way to Ibrox, how dare they clog the roads up, how dare they take half hour of my time away, ba&%ards .....

Busy at Muchalls  is it?  You really should have left earlier.

[Raidernation]

I detest the idea of leaving Pittodrie and have no love for Kingsford. The board fucked it up in the 80s/90s by not working harder at long term plans for Pittodrie. However I’m inclined to believe the people with genuine architectural and build refs experience we’re f**k at rebuilding there.
Should have been some plans to look at ground in the city that could have been bought reasonably in the 90s and the Balgownie fiasco should never have happened

[Aberdeen Cowden]

2 hours ago, fatshaft said:

Yup, by which point having breezed along the AWPR you're 500 yards from the Wiggy Dome. 

 

PauloPerth, excuse our locally based friend, he's originally from Cowdenbeath, he doesn't understand how roads work, indeed he wont even walk along them, too scary. 

On matchdays there will be a queue from Kingsford back to Kingswells .How is anyone going to get off the bypass coming from the south? If there are lights on the roundabout it will be different but they ain't there yet.

Maybe you don't know how roads work.