tree Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Since clawing our way back from the abyss with sensible governance, the football's been good to watch and we've enjoyed some success. The club now has a trendy new shirt maker, a great programme and Leeann instead of HAL. Why is it then that when I get to the ground and SIT in the STANDS, I get a little down. I got annoyed with my two kids at their school show the other day when they told their classmates, the grounds a dump. The eldest one who is ten then said after a minute or so, `you can't argue with that dad`. I've been fortunate enough through work to have had a look around a few club grounds down South (Stadium MK and the Galpharm Stadium) and there are obvious improvements that could be made. Basically MFC looks like it could do with a transfusion and I was wondering who the money men & women are in Motherwell that could invest in the club. If moving is a distant dream then Boyle needs to find the money to renovate the ground. Has Boyle ever talked with anyone interested in investing in the club? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 There's no doubt Fir Park has suffered from a lack of investment in recent years, and I think most people have accepted it thinking a move to Ravenscraig was imminent. You and I might see the place as having character but we're not exactly looking at it from an unbiased position. From those I've spoken to most non Motherwell fans see the place as nothing short of a dump, and to be fair you can hardly blame them. With money being tight and the pitch needing totally relaid in the off season I wouldnt be excpecting much more than a wee lick of fire retardant paint here and there before the start of next season. What improvements do you think the Club could afford and are realistically likely to make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixie1886 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Thank you, my thoughts too. In this eco Climate clubs cant go overboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 As I see it the new stadium will come be it sooner or later when the financial situation is right. I don't doubt for a second that planning is already afoot however early or late in the planning that might be. In the meantime though we should look harness Fir Park as it stands to our advantage as much as we possibly can. I don't really see what opposition fans have to gripe about too much - a overpriced plastic seat behind the goal is surely the same in a 15 year old stand at Motherwell as it is in a 15 week old stand in Paisley or Kilmarnock or wherever. But if opposition players don't like coming to Motherwell because its a perceived as a hole - then great!! I love the girning the do about our pitch for example - coincidence that since this blew up we've lost only one game at home in about 5 months? If the fact our modest dressing room facilities aren't quite what they are used to in more modern stadia puts them off then good. If monkeys like McGeady, McCarthy and Broadfoot get put off their game because the East Stand is right on top of them and right in their face, then fucking fantastic. Savour the old place while we can and use the current state of Fir Park in as positive a manner as we can for as long as we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Fir Park's appearance is in keeping with the rest of Motherwell, particularly the town centre, ie. stuck in the late 80s/early 90s. However it still has a certain degree of character about it, and when I saw St.Mirren's new ground last week, I couldn't help thinking how I'd hate it for us to have a similar ground like that, as the new St.Mirren Park just looked completely unoriginal and lacked any sort of 'personality'. I know things have got to change and move on etc. and in reality, we probably do need a newer, more modern ground - or at least invest in a half decent pitch protection system - but it just wouldn't feel the same having a stadium like St.Mirren's as our 'home'. No matter what you say about Fir Park - and by God it's a million miles away from being perfect - I would/will miss it if/when we move to a new ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Whilst the ground is far from perfect i would rather stay there than move to a shitey lego stadium like Airdrie/St Mirren infact if we do move to one of the bog standard designs going to the game would lose much of its appeal for me. IMHO the design we should be looking at is Tyncastle on a smaller scale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFCGMFC Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 i would certainly miss it cause i've grew up going to Fir Park on a saturday its one of few really original grounds in the SPL i also thought the same about st midden, don't like their new "stadium" at all 4 stands are practically the exact same, feck that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggischomper Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I actually saw the thread title and thought this was gonna be an Ice Rinke-stylee post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I'd rather stay at Fir Park than have a New Love Street look-a-like .......... however, the annual maintenance bill at FP is an overhead the Club can ill afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLip69 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I don't doubt that one day we will move to a new stadium, and by God will I miss Fir Park. The Taylor report killed stone dead any character a football ground may have had. The only character our ground has now is the ludicrous three quarter length Main stand. In the '70's I used to love getting there early paying in at the Knowetop end and running up the stairs just to stand at the top of the terracing and survey the whole stadium, especially on the first day of the season when the paint was fresh and the grass was green, remember grass?. The covered terracing opposite the main stand, the open terracings at each end of the ground, it was, to me, exactly what a Football ground should look like, and the only other place that gave me that feeling, funnily enough, was Firhill. I look on Fir park as my own, I've laughed and cried there, I've cheered and jeered there, I've sung and danced there, the place is in my soul. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregyScotland Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 id hate to see us playing in a lego stadium, if you think about it, the Cooper and South stands havent got much wrong with them, which leaves the main stand nd the east stand. Maybe two new stands could be built in phases, similar to the davie cooper, I think it would look pretty good if they did that. If they did what accies have done and have space underneath the 2 new stands for renting out, it could be an extra source of income for the club as well. Anyway, i dont think Fir Park is all that bad, look at pittodrie and Tannadice, I wouldnt say they were much better, and I think fir park feels quite enclosed (apart from the big missing section of the main stand) and can have a good atmosphere on a good day. Only think that annoys me is the sloping pitch, hope to god that changes when theyre sorting it this summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Only think that annoys me is the sloping pitch, hope to god that changes when theyre sorting it this summer!This was touched on last season by people 'in the business' as it were, and apparently the amount of soil (and effort) required to make Fir Park level, makes it uneconomical. Personally, I have always liked the slope as just one more thing that gives the ground a wee bit of character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosser1886 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Would like a smart new properly thought out and designed stadium - at some point. Priority has to be getting the pitch fixed (properly) the only thing that Hamilton have that I would like is their pitch, it is in fantastic condition, considering that it is the end of the season it looked amazing and really suited our style of play, nice to see the players second touch not having to be a header or a bounce off of their shins for a change. Popup sprinlers gave Sutton a nice wee wash as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFCGMFC Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 our pitch will be like that next year!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trafficlight Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 From a selfish point of view, I hope to see a match at FP as it stands now. When I see it on tv and the wife tells me where she used to stand as a kid, I find it moving. It's a proper old style stadium which has the character of a father telling son how it was in his youth. I hope that isn't too syrupy, but I like to know that community clubs relate to their core base. FP is a proper fans stadium, holding fans who have been there all their life. No gloryhunters at 'Well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellfan1984 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 If and when we move we HAVE TO take the "Keep Cigarettes Away from the Match" sign we have above the East Stand. It just won't be our stadium without that. It is one of the only things people tell me when I ask them about Fir Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosser1886 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 our pitch will be like that next year!!!! I know its getting replaced and repaired but it would be good to take the opportunity to do it properly. Something of the same quality as Hamilton's would suit me just fine. Do they not have some type of percentage of synthetic grass in with the real stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFCGMFC Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 the way this new pitch has been planned is incredible, the club have put great effort into this Our groundsman cant wait to tear it up and get tore into it!! Neither can i this is when i will learn the most!! the percentages of this cultivar that cultivar etc that is getting used on the pitch and how it will get run in has been planned checked and checked again so the pitch shall be great for the next few seasons my head is spinning when Ian explains it all to me but it will all come together and make sense once i see it happening now how do i drive a dumper.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I don't doubt that one day we will move to a new stadium, and by God will I miss Fir Park. The Taylor report killed stone dead any character a football ground may have had. The only character our ground has now is the ludicrous three quarter length Main stand. In the '70's I used to love getting there early paying in at the Knowetop end and running up the stairs just to stand at the top of the terracing and survey the whole stadium, especially on the first day of the season when the paint was fresh and the grass was green, remember grass?. The covered terracing opposite the main stand, the open terracings at each end of the ground, it was, to me, exactly what a Football ground should look like, and the only other place that gave me that feeling, funnily enough, was Firhill. I look on Fir park as my own, I've laughed and cried there, I've cheered and jeered there, I've sung and danced there, the place is in my soul. I love it. What a lovely post. Just had to say that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregyScotland Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 This was touched on last season by people 'in the business' as it were, and apparently the amount of soil (and effort) required to make Fir Park level, makes it uneconomical. Wouldnt they be able to level it from the main stand across though? They'll be diging away down anyway to fit this new undersoil heating so why not just level it while theyre at it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFCGMFC Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 if we leveled it it would roughly put the pitch halfway up the dugouts leitchy would have go sit on the gaffers shoulders!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 There you go! I couldn't remember the details, but I knew there were people on here that did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well_Jaggy Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 MFCGMFC, it would appear you are part of the grounds staff at fir park. If we were to get into Europe via the fair play, how would that impact on the work being done on the pitch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFCGMFC Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 AFAIK we wont be able to play at Fir Park, it depends on a number of factors though so anythings possible mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLip69 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 What a lovely post. Just had to say that. Thanks, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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