Spiderpig Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I know that Saturdays events had nothing to do with Fir Park or Motherwell Fc but it has opened up the debate on the general condition and facilities on offer at the Ark. Has the time come for the club to move to a new stadium or is it worth spending money on making the ground fit for purpose ? I am a season ticket holder in the POD and i have to say that it is showing its age big time, £380 a year for a seat that has not been cleaned in years (unless i do it myself), the seats are held together by random bits of wood, the bucket seats are a joke, the roof leaks and the PA system is shocking. Add to that inadequate provison of catering and toilet facilities, particularly when there is a big crowd and it becomes clear that the stadium has had its day. So is it time for the club to start looking for a new home, a purpose built stadium approx 10,000 seats would be big enough for us and give us a stadium fit for the 21st century. Given the current ecconomic climate i know that this is not a very likely scenario but the land that Fir park occupies must have a significant value, so should the club take the gamble and seek some additional investment. Thoughts and comments please ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I remember we had pages of rebuilding Fir Park even pictures of various stadiums and the moaners saying naw stay where are etc but I couldn't find it...found this though http://www.steelmeno...opic=11219&st=0 I dont want us to have flat pack stadium like St Mirren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burn_Broomfield Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I'd say within the next decade, we won't have the choice anymore and as I said previously, I don't foresee the East and POD stands staying open beyond the next 5 years. Airdrie, Hamilton or Livi beckons if we don't do something quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Is it just money though? I heard that the NLC and the M&WTC were never friends of MFC when it came for planning permission to rebuild or relocate surely the Ravenscraig site would have been ideal to build there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weesacs Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 i think its time to go..............i love my seat in the east, but it really is a shithole even leaving the ground after every match takes an eternity i also think, where possible, the club should try to involve the fans when building a new stadium - or certainly be careful if they decide to go into a joint venture with the council where there will be other inputs......as Cloudy mentioned, we don't want to go down the same road as Airdire or Hamilton we have a small(ish) hard core support, which IMO is slowly dwindling, i dont think it would take much to push more away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I can't really see past a shitty flat pack stadium if we did move tbh. Also, surely moving stadium would cost a lot more than to get a new roof on the east etc. And things like the seat not being cleaned doesn't really point towards a move for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory Bellows Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Agree with most of the points above I've been going since mid-70's, and it's time to move I went to the POD stand for the Levante game, and was quite shocked at how bad it is - very old, very limited legroom etc etc. Went for the stadium tour yesterday, and my view is that the place is nowhere near up to 2012 standards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Pangloss Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I can't really see past a shitty flat pack stadium if we did move tbh. Also, surely moving stadium would cost a lot more than to get a new roof on the east etc. And things like the seat not being cleaned doesn't really point towards a move for me. The main stand must seriously struggle to pass safety tests. The gaps between the rows is frightful when you think of any panic evacuation situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burn_Broomfield Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I can't really see past a shitty flat pack stadium if we did move tbh. Also, surely moving stadium would cost a lot more than to get a new roof on the east etc. And things like the seat not being cleaned doesn't really point towards a move for me. If it was as simple as that then we would not be having such a discussion. The problems that will concern Motherwell FC are much more serious than a few cosmetic issues like shite tin roofing and dirty seats. The cost to repair these two stands alone would run into Millions of £'s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 . Airdrie, Hamilton or Livi beckons if we don't do something quick. , we don't want to go down the same road as Airdire or Hamilton In all honesty, comparing anything to Hamilton is a laugh, Makes Airdrie look like the Maracana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderpig Posted October 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I can't really see past a shitty flat pack stadium if we did move tbh. Also, surely moving stadium would cost a lot more than to get a new roof on the east etc. And things like the seat not being cleaned doesn't really point towards a move for me. The seat cleaning may be a minor issue but it is an indication of how much the POD is past its best, this is the stand that the club charge the most for to get facilities way below the standard that fans in the Cooper or South stands enjoy . General clenliness apart though the main concern is Saftey, just standing up to let somebody past you is a performance in the POD never mind trying to evacuate in an emergency. I think that it is time for a move, a site at the Craig would have been a good move but not sure if that would still be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1991 Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Really not sure about this, I have so many memories of going to FP with my Dad who passed away a couple of years ago and my mate now has his seat next to me and not to mention memorable games and being on the park after 1991 cup final BUT the state of the east stand is dreadful and maybe even unsafe at times, another heavy winter might just prove too much for the stands. I will always have the good memories and think it might be time to move which will benefit us all. Any chance of a poll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burn_Broomfield Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 In all honesty, comparing anything to Hamilton is a laugh, Makes Airdrie look like the Maracana Not comparing at all mate, I'm suggesting that one of these venues is where we will be playing in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaag Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 It's been time to move for the last 10-15yrs. But we can't afford it and it'd cripple us financially. If it wouldn't, we'd have done it already. If we are forced into moving we'll end up ground sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Be under no illusion, if we do move it'll be to a stadium similar to the ones that other Scottish clubs our size have. If given the choice I'd rather we patched up the current stadium. It holds a lot of history, having housed the club for almost 120 years. Leaving all that behind for some half-arsed flatpack stadium that'll likely be named after a fucking supermarket or something is not a decision to be taken lightly. If we have to spend money on either a move or a renovation job on two of our stands I know what I'd prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weesacs Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 what is the official capacity of the south stand? and how many games so far this season and last season could the whole support have fitted into that one stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 what is the official capacity of the south stand? 4,856. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 1349682842[/url]' post='363835']Is it just money though? I heard that the NLC and the M&WTC were never friends of MFC when it came for planning permission to rebuild or relocate surely the Ravenscraig site would have been ideal to build there. Well, depends on where you heard it from... Certain factions at NLC were falling over themselves to assist any move from Fir Park, similarly certain factions within the various development agencies would have had us at Ravenscraig as a focal point for the proposed development in a heartbeat. The M&WTC position is of red herring proportion - given their lack of investment amongst a long list of falldowns, I'd find their input to be trivial at best and of Iittle consequence. Unfortunately, the world fell on times of austerity. Save for that, we'd have relocated by now and embracing the change of the current landscape. That and M&WTC's would be a distant memory. Whilst not presently viable for us, I believe in time it'll be the only course of action available and as the club will require to evolve, maybe so to will the support... Before we have the sycophantic notion of some - Ravenscraig is part of the fabric of our town Motherwell. It's not a new town, it's a development of our town where the name 'Ravenscraig' has and will be used to attract funding for development and regeneration. All this against the backdrop of how our pitch is now performing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Skipper Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Surely safety comes first against any criteria and decision making. If the stadium is as bad as is suggested it should be an economical decision based on repair against new. This has to be addressed regardless of how much it costs as safety is paramount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santheman Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think we're in a catch 22 situation where we would need to borrow considerable sums of money to renovate Fir Park which we can't afford or hope that a developer would pay us enough for the ground to allow us to build a new stadium at Ravenscraig. Depends what value Fir Park has to a property company but I suspect not enough to fund a new stadium without help from 3rd/4th/5th parties which in the current economic climate would be a difficult task. Either way it will cost money which we don't have so the annual spruce up and fire fighting (literally) to maintain the fabric way well continue for years yet unless the economy takes a turn for the better or we get an unexpected offer we can't refuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Well, depends on where you heard it from... Certain factions at NLC were falling over themselves to assist any move from Fir Park, similarly certain factions within the various development agencies would have had us at Ravenscraig as a focal point for the proposed development in a heartbeat. The M&WTC position is of red herring proportion - given their lack of investment amongst a long list of falldowns, I'd find their input to be trivial at best and of Iittle consequence. Unfortunately, the world fell on times of austerity. Save for that, we'd have relocated by now and embracing the change of the current landscape. That and M&WTC's would be a distant memory. Whilst not presently viable for us, I believe in time it'll be the only course of action available and as the club will require to evolve, maybe so to will the support... Before we have the sycophantic notion of some - Ravenscraig is part of the fabric of our town Motherwell. It's not a new town, it's a development of our town where the name 'Ravenscraig' has and will be used to attract funding for development and regeneration. All this against the backdrop of how our pitch is now performing! Thanks for that..I have been out here too long to really know wtf is happening at a grassroots level. But yeah I see two options: 1. Knock down and rebuild the East / redevelop/upgrade the PoD bearing in mind it will never be the full length of the pitch. 2. Build a brand new stadium at Ravenscraig The Stadium to be called Ravenscraig with the four stands named COOPER, PoD, FIR PARK & LEGENDS Well aware of the cost factors re 1&2 but no matter what we do it will cost, and even though I don't go to games, I cannot see my self going to New Douglas Park or where ever to cheer on my team Motherwell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think we all appreciate that Fir Park, well 2 sides of it anyway, is dated and costing the Club a fortune in annual maintenance. While we all love the old Shed, it is simply no longer fit for purpose. The roof and its supports are decaying, access/exits are far from ideal while toilet and kiosk facilities are a nightmare. In addition, I have heard that the POD is less than a decade away from being condemned. I hope we all appreciate that we cannot afford to do much about this situation....................... the Club simply does not have the funds to redevelop or relocate. Any works beit at Fir Park, or elsewhere, would require substantial financial input from a partner or partner agencies. Are there any out there ? In this economic climate I'm not sure that they are. If I had a spare £5M, and some influence with the Council Planners & Education authority I would .................... 1. Remove the roof and pillars from the East Stand, and install seats where each pillar was. 2. Extend the rear concourse back about 10 metres into Knowetop Primary playground. This area to contain toilet/kiosk/bar/cafe/ facilities. Stairs to a level below to new turnstyle & exit gates. 3. Build a 2nd tier to accommodate 500/600 seats, with corporate hospitality/restaurant/meeting room facilities at rear and put a new roof over the structure. 4. Shut the POD to all but the Directors' Box and Players' facilities, with ST holders being relocated to the new 2nd tier of the East Stand. Simples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weesacs Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 1. Knock down and rebuild the East / redevelop/upgrade the PoD bearing in mind it will never be the full length of the pitch. i dont actually think this is possible - someone in the building industry or with more savvy than me may be able to provide more light, but with the school directly behind the East Stand - i just dont think it would be possible. I cannot see my self going to New Douglas Park or where ever to cheer on my team Motherwell. as much i wouldnt be happy with that either - if that was the only way to see my team, its what i'd need to do So the South Stand hold 4856, so all Motherwell fans could easily fit into the South Stand and offer the Cooper to away fans???? (i'm presuming this would not be a popular choice???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnstone Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 That day we sat in the east stand with rivers of pish flowing past my feet. That was the day I felt a move would be the right thing to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Redevelopment isn't really an option, is it? Unless someone ends up paying £4-5,000,000 cash for one of our players, we simply will never have the money to do it. For me, it'd be the best option. Demolishing the East and the PoD one at a time and rebuilding would give us a tidy wee ground, really. Something similar to Accies at where the PoD is, with office space built in to rent and gain cash from would be ideal, with boxes at the back of the stand. Realistically, selling up Fir Park and hoping for a council or government partnership/redevelopment area/supermarket buy out is the only real option though, I would've thought. Given that St. Mirren's new stadium, which is unfortunately, the sort of thing we'd be aiming for, was budgetted at around £8,000,000, we would not be able to do it alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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