Thanks Dan - informative as always.
The Jersey registrations are interesting.
The planning application going in will make it very interesting and given Tom's ambitious 2029 date i can't see the application being too far away.
Excellent piece as always, Dan. This quote in particular resonated with me: "I agree with Garry Cook and Tom Wagner that it’s not the time to listen to those people, or even engage with them."
A piece of advice we should take into the 'real' world too. There's enough hot air circulating the globe as it is without giving empty vessels the audience their noisy clankings crave.
Runaway TrainThe planning application going in will make it very interesting and given Tom's ambitious 2029 date i can't see the application being too far away.
That's a good point, I'd imagine these guys will have plans already to submit too if they want to achieve a 2029 date.
Royale Blue FEAit wouldn't even cross my mind to pump so many millions in to St Andrew's before knocking it down in a few years.
It gives them five or six years to attract and expand corporate and hospitality clients and also to entice regular fans to upgrade their matchday experience and part with more coin.
They didn't really have a choice in this matter, they had to do it, it's not like they could leave St. Andrews as it is for five years and then suddenly start from scratch at the new stadium. This way they hit the ground running at the new place and rake in a good few million £ in the meantime at St. Andrews.
Yes, and they also need to build the fanbase before they move to the new stadium. Which I think people overlook.
Going from 17000 people turning up - watching the game and then going home, to a new stadium is a huge leap.
Having 26-27000 people, many of them turning up early to have food, drink and entertainment - and then probably hang about a bit after the game and spend a bit more time and money, is far more in keeping with what they see the new "quarter " being about.
As Mayor suggests in his article they will be trying to establish a culture of not just spending ninety minutes at the ground and working out the best way to get people to buy in to that so that they can build on it when there is shitloads more space and many more entertainment options over the road.
Wagner was suggesting he wants to start right away, which we'd need to for a 2029 opening, I'm expecting some kind of further detail/designs being released this summer, we'll see
Le ModWagner was suggesting he wants to start right away, which we'd need to for a 2029 opening, I'm expecting some kind of further detail/designs being released this summer, we'll see
Given the ambition, I'm expecting the same - this has been in the works since before they bought the club, so while it would have carried some risk (if the Wheels purchase fell through) I wouldn't be surprised if designs aren't already very advanced and planning permission ready to go in.
I certainly imagine Wagner's view is that we should have everything lined up already, not completing one stage before starting on the next.
They hadn’t signed up the architect but it sounded close, the guy who did Wembley.
Yeah, Populous I assume, they have done some seriously impressive stadiums, training centres, indoor arenas etc, their website really does get the juices flowing
[populous.com]
Yeah they’re doing co-op live at the Etihad. All joins up.
Nikola Zigic- FEAThey hadn’t signed up the architect but it sounded close, the guy who did Wembley.
Norman Foster and 'Populous' [populous.com] were the architects of Wembley.
Le ModAny thoughts about going down the retractable pitch route? Could certainly drive some additional revenue..Yeah, Populous I assume, they have done some seriously impressive stadiums, training centres, indoor arenas etc, their website really does get the juices flowing
[populous.com]
I would think it's probably gonna be a necessity for what we want to achieve as a 365 day venue