Roger Ritchie Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsU...1886860,00.html What did this say? Allegedly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singe Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Probably Chron's dummy being spat out... Chambers report New stadium is Latics only chance to bring back the good times Reporter: Matthew Chambers Date online: 26/11/2009 PARK LIFE: WHAT was that smell? As the media hacks tunnelled their way through Boundary Park's main stand to the gym area which doubles as a post-match briefing room at the weekend, noses were sent twitching by what seemed to be an application of fresh paint in some unspecified area. Either that or Athletic press officer Roy Butterworth had been buying cheap aftershave from the market again. Top marks to the Athletic staff who battle to try to keep the old place respectable through sweeping, dusting, polishing and painting. Home is home. It doesn't hurt to take some pride in it. At the same time, nobody needs the skills of a forensic detective to work out that Boundary Park is very, very tired indeed these days. It remains rich in memories, but so poor in terms of the basic comforts football folk have come to expect in the modern era. Former Athletic defender Paul Futcher was back and knocking around the press box before the Colchester match. "This place has hardly changed in 30 years," he said, pertinently. Disappointing recent home crowds, including the awful 3,607 figure present last week, indicate that the crumbling state of Boundary Park is a factor in keeping people away. A ground badly lacking in elementary facilities isn't much of a pull and it can't help the team's fortunes, either. Two home wins since February show that Athletic don't prosper at their partly-demolished home, while visitors love the place. As one wag pointed out on the Chronicle Comments section of our website: “No successful fortress in history has had only three sides”. It is abundantly clear that for the club to survive and succeed in the future, Athletic need to cut the current Boundary Park loose as soon as possible . . . which makes it so important that the owners' plans to relocate to Failsworth are backed by the fans. There are plenty of objectors, just as there are plenty of people who thought that John and Edward were a good turn on the X-Factor. Wrong bit of Oldham? That's one you hear a lot, particularly from those who live within walking distance of the current ground. It may be closer to Manchester than Boundary Park, but that should make it easier to attract new fans from different areas of town. Too small? Let's walk before we run, eh? A 12,000 capacity is absolutely fine for a club of Athletic's present size. There is little worth in fans rattling around some gigantic sarcophagus and current crowds aren't anywhere near such a mark. Why not stay and redevelop the current ground? Well, that ship appears to have sailed. The owners have decided that in the current climate the original plans simply aren't viable. Some will wish it were another way, just as I wish I were blessed with Leo Messi's ball skills and Brad Pitt's looks. What about the residents? They are entitled to voice concerns, though in fairness it would probably help the image of FRAG (Failsworth Residents’ Action Group) if they held fire on objections until the plans are revealed, so that they knew exactly what it is they are objecting to. Nothing is set in stone, but it doesn't hurt to look at the glass being half full rather than half empty over the £20million development. Oldhamers often seem conditioned to be negative. Athletic's owners are clearly optimists — otherwise, why invest in a dream by buying a League One club in the first place — and seem to be committed to driving forward a new, exciting stadium project which will hopefully benefit Oldham as a whole. Similar stadium ideas have borne fruit and worked a treat for both club and, in a wider sense, town, in a host of other places around the country. Why not here? Surely it can’t be coincidence . . . NINE professional clubs have moved into new grounds while playing in the Football League this century and all but one — Colchester United — have experienced a consequent immediate rise in attendances. Average attendances, old and new Cardiff City — Ninian Park, 2008-09 (Championship): 18,044; Cardiff City Stadium, 2009-10 so far (Championship): 21,056. Relocation distance: 0.6 miles Increase: 16.7-per-cent Colchester United — Layer Road, 2007-08 (Championship): 5,509; Weston Homes Community Stadium, 2008-09 (League One): 5,084. Relocation distance: 6.7 miles Fall: 7.7-per-cent Coventry City — Highfield Road, 2004-05 (Championship): 16,048; Ricoh Arena, 2005-06 (Championship): 21,302. Relocation distance: 3 miles Increase: 31.1-per-cent Darlington — Feethams, 2002-03 (League Two): 3,312; Darlington Arena, 2003-04 (League Two): 5,023. Relocation distance: 1.1 miles Increase: 51.7-per-cent Doncaster Rovers * — Belle Vue, 2005-06 (League One): 6,139; Keepmoat Stadium, 2006-07 (League One): 7,746. Relocation distance: 2.9 miles Increase: 26.2-per-cent Hull City ** — Boothferry Park, 2002-03 (League Two): 12,843; KC Stadium, 2003-04 (League Two): 16,847. Relocation distance: 2 miles Increase: 31.2-per-cent Leicester City *** — Filbert Street, 2001-02 (Premier League): 19,835; Walkers Stadium, 2002-03 (Championship): 29,219. Relocation distance: 0.1 miles Increase: 47.3-per-cent Shrewsbury Town — Gay Meadow, 2006-07 (League Two): 4,730; Prostar Stadium, 2007-08 (League Two): 5,659. Relocation distance: 1.8 miles Increase: 19.6-per-cent Swansea City — Vetch Field, 2004-05 (League Two): 8,458; Liberty Stadium, 2005-06 (League One): 14,112. Relocation distance: 3.1 miles Increase: 66.8-per-cent * Doncaster moved to the Keepmoat in the latter half of the 2006-07 season. ** Hull City moved to the KC Stadium halfway through the 2002-03 season. *** Leicester played their first game of the 2002-03 season at Filbert Street. MK DONS are counted as a new club and therefore not included in the comparison. Current League One club Southampton opened their new St Mary's stadium in the Premier League and are also therefore left out, while Burton Albion did so while in the Conference and are also excluded. Have Your Say Post New Comment To post a comment you must first Log in. Don't have an account? Register Now! very well said Matthew, unfortunatly you can't run a business on sentiment, in an ideal world we'd love to stay at Boundary Park and I will miss the place (hopefully) when we move. But I drive past where it's going to be every day and it is a much better location with transport links than BP By Mark Hotte @ 26/11/2009 12:30:14 Report this comment (16529) Excellent article. Very well balanced. I defy anybody for or against to criticise it. By Old_Mancunian @ 26/11/2009 12:57:04 Report this comment (16533) What they have neglected to say is that all clubs featured have had massive investment into the team, all in proportion to their status,and all play attractive football. The investment in the team has been cut every year for the past 5 years. By OLDHAM SCOTLAND @ 26/11/2009 13:07:33 Report this comment (16535) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobOAFC Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsU...1886860,00.html What did this say? Allegedly! At the bottom it had different clubs old stadiums and new stadiums comparing attendances, also had about people shud have a say in it i think etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ritchie Posted November 26, 2009 Author Share Posted November 26, 2009 At the bottom it had different clubs old stadiums and new stadiums comparing attendances, also had about people shud have a say in it i think etc Just looked at it. Most teams with a new ground have gone on to do better. Huddersfield was an awful place for a visiting supporter but now it is one of the better awaydays in the fixture. Why did the Chron ask for it to be removed from the site? Allegedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsPete Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Just looked at it. Most teams with a new ground have gone on to do better. Huddersfield was an awful place for a visiting supporter but now it is one of the better awaydays in the fixture. Why did the Chron ask for it to be removed from the site? Allegedly. Because it wants people to visit its own website probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Because it wants people to visit its own website probably..... ....especially as the MEN is the Club's new media partner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 I have never bought the idea that despite what is going on the field, that provided you ( the fan ) sat in absolute comfort in a state of the art stadium, centrally heated stands, food and drink available throughout the experience that the best hotels in the land could not match,that thousands and thousands, and thousands of you would turn up every week to watch the Latics play in three divisions below what used to be called The Conference. It is absolute round things than dangle between mens legs. I have never, never bought into the idea that the plushest stadium known to man, outweighed what happens on he pitch Your average supporter, together with thousands and thousands of stay away fans would be happy with the worst stadium in the land, provided that the team were performing on the pitch, sticking goal after goal in each Saturday and entertaining the fans to high quality, high octane football, winning games and getting promoted. Now Directors of clubs will disagree and point to the fact that you have to have a modern decent stadium to attract the fans, first and foremost, despite the garbage that the team are producing on the pitch. My question - if that is the case, why do Queen of the South ( if that is the right team ) only attract four or five hundred or so every week to their Home Games at Hamden Park ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorrro Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Queen's Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Queen's Park. Thanks Zorro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 .... provided that the team were performing on the pitch, sticking goal after goal..... and entertaining the fans to high quality, high octane footbal..... Like we had for about half an hour last Saturday. That's what we want and that's what we need to make more people want to come to see it, regardless of where we play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoafc Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Like we had for about half an hour last Saturday. That's what we want and that's what we need to make more people want to come to see it, regardless of where we play. EXACTLY! I want entertaining, i don't want to see the side set out in home games not to get beat. Football should be a pleasure not a chore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Just an additional point to help illustrate the point. Take Man U, Chelsea or Arsenal. Say they had the same capacity stadium that they have now, but it was the quality of BP. Just how much of a decrease in the attendance figures would you see - probably about two or three thousand of the smoked salmon brigade in their Executive Boxes. This Stadium first thing is absolute bollocks, unless you are a Director looking for a return on investment, and then the answer is much, much simply. Give the fans a team to support that deserves supporting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parigby Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 It's the team that's important, not where you bloody sit to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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