Is your team's stadium crumbling?

[Kyle Reese]

1 minute ago, Mr. Alli said:

Ah, you've encountered the 'Perth Pack', too?

[Moorie]

Main stand is dire. Pillars in some areas definitely a issue. Merkland and uncovered Y as much as some love these areas it just looks dated 

[Sugar_Army]

1 minute ago, ArabFC said:

The Shed may be looking very dated, but does anyone really care? Nowhere else I'd rather be in a big game.

Its function is basically as an overflow stand, so keep it as billy basic as possible. Unless the club were willing to invest in making it into a safe standing stand.

What money might eventually be spent on if there was any available is the Jerry Kerr. A stand designed for people rising no more than five foot.

Loved the old Shed in the 80s but hardly ever in it now. Leave it to the young team. You are correct in that as it is an overflow or only used in big games there is no push to develop it.  As forcsafe standing, we can only dream.

It was bouncing for the Alkmaar game, as was the rest of the place, the display team should take a lot of credit for that (and the fact the team played well onviously)

It reminded me of those amazing European nights when wee Jim jousted with giants.

[Kyle Reese]

A lot gets said about our stadium costs over running etc, but I do just put most of that down to bitterness from certain quarters, and for others just a general dislike of HMFC. I absolutely love Tynecastle Park. Now that it is complete, it looks and feels fantastic on match days and nights. Only gripe I have that it needs a right good power wash in some parts; back of the Roseburn is pretty filthy, the paint needs touched up on steps etc. On the park though, I can not imagine there are many stadia that feel the same way. I went out on the pitch a couple of times at my FoH plot ceremony and a stadium tour, and it feels like you are standing in the bottom of a box. Must be something else when it’s packed.

[Molotov]

8 minutes ago, Kyle Reese said:

A lot gets said about our stadium costs over running etc, but I do just put most of that down to bitterness from certain quarters, and for others just a general dislike of HMFC. I absolutely love Tynecastle Park. Now that it is complete, it looks and feels fantastic on match days and nights. Only gripe I have that it needs a right good power wash in some parts; back of the Roseburn is pretty filthy, the paint needs touched up on steps etc. On the park though, I can not imagine there are many stadia that feel the same way. I went out on the pitch a couple of times at my FoH plot ceremony and a stadium tour, and it feels like you are standing in the bottom of a box. Must be something else when it’s packed.

Just about every true fitba fan in Scotland loves the atmosphere at Tynecastle but the ticket prices for away fans is putting fans off. 

It must be an excellent ground to play in as a player.

If only Hampden the biggest toilet in Scottish football could be given a Tynecastle style makeover.

The auld Tynecastle was certainly an intimidating place back in the ‘80s when the players adopted the same approach as many of the hooligans on the terraces.

[Andy groundhopper]

Just love all the old grounds, and as most don't get near capacity, maybe most just need tweaking rather than a nasty modern rebuild. Admittedly an old stand with benches is never gonna work with plastic seats thrown in. Keep the terraces too, rows of empty seats look crap I find most grounds bearable for just 90 minutes, pillars the only annoyance. Favourites of the 42 : Ayr and Arbroath!

[Molotov]

35 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Meadowbank was first all-seater, followed by Kilbowie then Pittodrie.

McDiarmid was first all-seater with individual seats and fully covered.

In early 1990s you also had Ibrox about 4/5 seated and Dens about 3/5 seated... Everywhere else had a majority standing.

Starting with McDiarmid - numerous stadiums were built or rebuilt specifically designed to (just) meet expectation of 10,000 all-seater criteria from late 1980s through 1990s e.g. Excelsior, Almondvale, New Douglas Park, Stark's Park, Broadwood.

Btw - Clydebank declared their capacity as 9,950 to avoid stricter Sports Ground Act requirements which applied to 10k+ capacities.

Clydebank arguably had one of the first “hospitality” venues directly overlooking the pitch. They used to pull the curtains shut just before KO.

[Richey Edwards]

Our stadium is fucking great. 

[Monkey Tennis]

32 minutes ago, Moorie said:

Main stand is dire. Pillars in some areas definitely a issue. Merkland and uncovered Y as much as some love these areas it just looks dated 

The Colosseum looks a bit dated too, as do the pyramids.

Nobody suggests doing away with them.

[The Mantis]

3 hours ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Tannadice seems not too bad apart from the Shed which is looking a bit worse for wear. Not sure if it's practical but would like us to bring back the Belhaven corner walls.

 

3 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

TSB in my day.

I’m sure I can remember Skol being up before that.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, HibeeJibee said:

 

- In 1994 the Scottish football authorities, together with the Government (then the Scottish Office) determined that the stadia of all premier clubs should be all seated and have a minimum capacity of 10,000. This became embodied in the SFL Stadia Handbook.

You live and learn.

I'd honestly thought the 10,000 stipulation was the work of the SPL in 1998.  I'd no idea it predated it.

I can't believe the Scottish Office would have played much part in that aspect, mind.  Their concern would only involve safety.  I'm guessing we have football's authorities to thank for that particular nonsense.

[Tattie36]

I love our ground (Gayfield Park, Arbroath). I think it’s almost perfect for an old traditional ground, with covered standing on 3 sides and a comfortable, if small, main stand. The recent improvements have really helped too - new turnstyle blocks and entrance, new roofs, refurbished main stand, extra toilets, additional catering, upgraded floodlights, increased hospitality etc.

There are a few, mostly minor, things needing addressed imo - some of the terracing could do with resurfacing; the tannoy system needs upgraded; we need more seats; the ridiculously over engineered camera gantry needs sorted - currently, probably about 1/3rd of the seaside terrace has severely restricted views due to the solid walls and scaffolding. Hang it from the roof or, even better, put it on the roof. I can cope with the roof pillars and floodlights but the gantry completely ruins what is potentially a cracking terrace.

Also, from a personal point of view, and I know this doesn’t bother many of our support, but I hate the way that the club, without fan consultation, moved the home fans away from our traditional home end - the Pleasureland end for those that know the ground. We only just got back to that end a few years ago but now we’ve been put back at the harbour end where the prevailing wind is in our faces and the low winter sun blinds us. No doubt the club will use Police advice etc as a reason but I think that’s just an excuse.

All in all, we’re in a good place (off the field anyway) and I would give Gayfield a solid 8/10.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, HibeeJibee said:

Starting with McDiarmid - numerous stadiums were built or rebuilt specifically designed to (just) meet expectation of 10,000 all-seater criteria from late 1980s through 1990s e.g. Excelsior, Almondvale, New Douglas Park, Stark's Park, Broadwood.
 

Where did that 10,000 seat expectation come from though?

McDiarmid was underway well before Taylor took an interest.

 

In fact, I remember, in a cruel irony, that its construction featured on Saint and Greavsie less than three hours before the Hillsborough disaster changed everything.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

34 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

 

I’m sure I can remember Skol being up before that.

The corner(s) used to advertise OVD rum before that.

[HibeeJibee]

22 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Where did that 10,000 seat expectation come from though?

It had been talked about for years IIRC. Probably since top tier breakaway plans during 1980s?

I suppose it was a way of combining all-seating with the highest level of safety scrutiny under the Sports Grounds Act which applied to stands holding 500+ and stadiums holding 10,000+.

My recollection is that Broadwood was 8,005 or similar (with final 2,000 seat end never built) and Almondvale was 10,009 which really was taking the matter to extremes.

 

31 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

You live and learn.

I'd honestly thought the 10,000 stipulation was the work of the SPL in 1998.  I'd no idea it predated it.

I can't believe the Scottish Office would have played much part in that aspect, mind.  Their concern would only involve safety.  I'm guessing we have football's authorities to thank for that particular nonsense.

England has/had equivalents e.g. minimum capacity for tier 4 of 5,000 and Premiership + Championship must be all-seated.

[Lyle Lanley]

1 hour ago, Kyle Reese said:

A lot gets said about our stadium costs over running etc, but I do just put most of that down to bitterness from certain quarters, and for others just a general dislike of HMFC. I absolutely love Tynecastle Park. Now that it is complete, it looks and feels fantastic on match days and nights. Only gripe I have that it needs a right good power wash in some parts; back of the Roseburn is pretty filthy, the paint needs touched up on steps etc. On the park though, I can not imagine there are many stadia that feel the same way. I went out on the pitch a couple of times at my FoH plot ceremony and a stadium tour, and it feels like you are standing in the bottom of a box. Must be something else when it’s packed.

You can get a good view from the Roseburn stand and throughout the rest of Tynecastle. 

[Monkey Tennis]

On 01/01/2023 at 14:37, HibeeJibee said:

 

England has/had equivalents e.g. minimum capacity for tier 4 of 5,000 and Premiership + Championship must be all-seated.

Yes, but again that will surely be courtesy of football authorities rather than government.  Government would surely have no interest in how 'big' a club needs to be to grace a particular division.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Monkey Tennis

[Jacksgranda]

17 hours ago, jamamafegan said:

McDiarmid Park needs some freshening up. It's tired looking and dull. I'd like to see the grey concrete concourses given a proper lick of paint and the horrendous wee 90s TV's replaced. Biggest thing I've always wanted to see is the red and yellow seats replaced with blue and white ones. Maybe create some new wording across the stands like 'SJFC' or 'PERTH SAINTS.' 

Or "OLD FIRM FANS SIT HERE".

[Monkey Tennis]

39 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

My recollection is that Broadwood was 8,005 or similar (with final 2,000 seat end never built) 

It took quite a while, perhaps even into this century, for it to reach 8,000.  For a long while after opening, it just had two stands.

[Derry Alli]

2 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

The Colosseum looks a bit dated too, as do the pyramids.

Nobody suggests doing away with them.

There's hundreds of posts online saying they should be. None are on a Scottish football forum asking about stadiums (until now) right enough.