hayseystriker Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 About today was Rochdales ground, it's miles miles better than ours, proper facilities, bar, toilets, 4 stands, their corporate hospitality suites running the width of the stand facing us. They have been in the football wilderness forever, we have been in the top flight and have had a much bigger following as far as I can ever remember, how on earth has it come to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalalajpkalala Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I remember going there once or twice when I was a kid in the early/mid 90s with friends who were Dale fans. About the time Steve Whitehall was in his pomp for them. Used to think how :censored: it was and how lucky I was to support Oldham. Back then they just had the Main Stand and large parts of the rest of the ground were shut due to being unsafe iirc. Mentioned to my mate today how good their ground is now. Took them a long time to get there but I like it. Four stands, all slightly different. Looks fairly full even with a poor crowd (as today's was - surprised how low the official figure is). And not many can make decent noise. Shame on us and our town I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Better facilities my arse. Ok their toilets are cleaner than the chaddy's but one household size door is not enough for both the exit an entrance- for a start it could be classed as a fire hazard. A bar that served one bitter and one lager- as I don't drink either I want more than that. Coke £1.50 for less than you get at Oldham for same price. Ive been in their executive boxes- they are like the ones we had above the old paddock. The decor is about the same and looked faded in the 90s. Ok they can fit more in than our two corner flag suites but that's because people stand in them as there isn't enough room for every person to sit down and still see. The actual number of suites is about the same but because they are all in one place it looks like more. Our executive boxes have better facilities, you would struggle to get a meal in theirs it's not set up for that, theirs have a better position in th ground. They have 4 stands- so what our ground is bigger, the reason they have 4 stands is because they were/are so :censored: they didn't have to go all seater. We could have 4 stands but because we were all seated we can't have a standing terrace like the one to the left. Their ground is a well maintained league 2 one, ours is a badly maintained championship one; ours will make more money in a season and in many ways that is all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayseystriker Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 How you think our ground is anywhere near championship is beyond me, you are seriously deluded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIKI1234 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Better facilities my arse. Ok their toilets are cleaner than the chaddy's but one household size door is not enough for both the exit an entrance- for a start it could be classed as a fire hazard. A bar that served one bitter and one lager- as I don't drink either I want more than that. Coke £1.50 for less than you get at Oldham for same price. Ive been in their executive boxes- they are like the ones we had above the old paddock. The decor is about the same and looked faded in the 90s. Ok they can fit more in than our two corner flag suites but that's because people stand in them as there isn't enough room for every person to sit down and still see. The actual number of suites is about the same but because they are all in one place it looks like more. Our executive boxes have better facilities, you would struggle to get a meal in theirs it's not set up for that, theirs have a better position in th ground. They have 4 stands- so what our ground is bigger, the reason they have 4 stands is because they were/are so :censored: they didn't have to go all seater. We could have 4 stands but because we were all seated we can't have a standing terrace like the one to the left. Their ground is a well maintained league 2 one, ours is a badly maintained championship one; ours will make more money in a season and in many ways that is all that matters. even with a brand new lookers ours would still be the worst ground in the championship bar peterborough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 even with a brand new lookers ours would still be the worst ground in the championship bar peterborough Ok maybe I overestimated it- I think it would be close if not better than blackpool's ground, Bristol city, Peterborough and currently Watford ( though they are currently doing theirs up). Still better than dale though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc21 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Ok maybe I overestimated it- I think it would be close if not better than blackpool's ground, Bristol city, Peterborough and currently Watford ( though they are currently doing theirs up). Still better than dale though. the police at the match was well over the top i thought i was at a a westham v millwall game what a shower ov a wankers the gmp was,as for the game what a shower ov wank,dicko feck off.....................] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joncurtis199 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I'd rather have a well maintained League Two ground over the dump we currently have!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_ragg1984 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Ok maybe I overestimated it- I think it would be close if not better than blackpool's ground, Bristol city, Peterborough and currently Watford ( though they are currently doing theirs up). Still better than dale though. Blackpool have 3 really good stands and one semi-temp stand. Would be miles better than us. Bristol City's ground is miles better than BP. We need more than a new sand to compete with them. Never been to Watford, so can comment. Peterborough ain't exactly terrible. BP is currently an embarrassment. One of, if not the worst ground in this league. If we went down, it would be one of he worst in the league below. Edited March 18, 2012 by dave_ragg1984 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc_lover Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 How you think our ground is anywhere near championship is beyond me, you are seriously deluded! I disagree. Fair enough it's run down but realistically the RRE is pretty damn good. Chaddy End, if a little bigger would be ok and Main Stand being two tiers would be passable if not on it's last legs. A new stand to fill in the whole and we really wouldn't be all THAT far off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukka Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Championship ground? BP? Even with a fourth stand it wouldn't be. The main stand isa shambles. The bogs are a disgrace, the "bar" is a tiny old hole. It's nothing to do with size, the feel of the place is important. Huish Park for example is a perfect example. I think that is a decent little ground, if they put a roof on the stand behind the goal. Its maintained, it's simple and feels like somewhere welcoming. Boundary Park isn't one of those places. As someone said - they'd rather have a decent league 2 ground than the dump we have. So would I. Blackpool dont have a temporary stand anymore - they made it premanent when they got into the premiership. Can't believe someone said with a fourth stand BP would be as good as Bristol City and Watford. Vicarage Road has 3 stands all miles better than anything latics have. Watford is very similar to Barnsley. Could be worse though. darlington have a championship / even premiership ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 My lad was mascot at Peterborough last season, so got the guided tour of the whole place. While it may have two terraces (the home terrace being the second biggest left in English football) the facilities in both side stands are a million miles better than anything you see at Boundary Park. Bars, boxes, catering all spot on (I would question the sense in calling one of the bars the "Seaman Bar" but that's another story). The newer stand (opposite the tunnel) has a fantastic murel in the catering area displaying all the shirts that Posh have ever worn, running nearly the full length of the stand. To kid ourselves that our ground is anything like Championship standard is ridiculous. While the RRE is a good stand from a viewing perspective, the basic facilities aren't even under cover. If you didn't know Latics had played at a higher level you'd assume they were a non-league club who'd got promoted a few years ago and spent a bit of the cash on the RRE. Joe Royle's comment about the old place "needing a touch of paint" was, I suspect, somewhat barbed. Rightly so. It's a dump and Spotland is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhamandy1 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I get the Championship ground statment and he did say a poorly mantained one, so kind of includes the toilets and things like that, the stuff that haven't been mantained. Is anyone really saying that with a bit of money spent on it BP couldn't be a Championship ground? I still feel, though, that at the moment Rochdale have a much better stadium. One that suits them, though, they will never need a bigger one and just need to keep it safe and mantained and they will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futchers briefs Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Have i really just read a post defending our ground? Bless such loyalty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I've always liked Spotland and the way they've done it up. If you ever went any time up until the late 90's it was pretty much just what Latics is like now. Three sides decaying and crumbling, uninviting and bleak. Their 'model' is quite spot on, prudently build a side that competes, keep yourself in the black and slowly tart your ground up. Whilst it doesn't have the all-singing, all-dancing glamour facilities which we probably need to sustain Championship level football it's managed to keep them very stable and given them a moment or two of joy over the years, such as the succession of play-off campaigns followed by promotion under Keith Hill. They built their way to that. I love how they have a fully furnished and really nice bar under the seated stand behind the goal. Always packed, with the tills chiming - vital revenue streams going back into the club. It's enclosed, aiding a good atmospehere and almost feels like quite a scaled down version of Loftus Road. It feels like a 'proper' football ground, with character and a tree or two popping out from behind a stand. If we had a ground like spotland I'd be quite happy. God it's depressing to see all this how it is. :censored:ing Rochdale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) God it's depressing to see all this how it is. :censored:ing Rochdale. It's more the resigned acceptance of 'this is how it is' that gets me. We're stuck with it, there appears to be little any of us can do. The knocking down of the Lookers was an absolute disaster. Edited March 18, 2012 by ChrisA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 didnt rochdale fc benefit from the rugby selling there ground to morrisons and moving in to share spotland ? am sure some of this new development at spotland was funded from that and with help from there local councill? now if only we could do something similar ? ah right sheddings £3million battye sportspark 2000 etc if only ?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 God it's depressing to see all this how it is. :censored:ing Rochdale. I remember exiting Springfield Park almost 14 years to the day, being gutted at losing 1-0 to ':censored:ing Wigan Athletic', when you compare how we've fared in the last decade and a half it makes you weep. Some of the people that have run this club should be doing time for :censored:ing incompetence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squeefoldham Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I remember exiting Springfield Park almost 14 years to the day, being gutted at losing 1-0 to ':censored:ing Wigan Athletic', when you compare how we've fared in the last decade and a half it makes you weep. Some of the people that have run this club should be doing time for :censored:ing incompetence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squeefoldham Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I remember exiting Springfield Park almost 14 years to the day, being gutted at losing 1-0 to ':censored:ing Wigan Athletic', when you compare how we've fared in the last decade and a half it makes you weep. Some of the people that have run this club should be doing time for :censored:ing incompetence! True. Alan hardy should ne in prison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobOAFC Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 They don't even have a scoreboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 It's a nice little ground is Spotland. As others have said, it quite obviously puts ours to shame. Now - i've always felt we need to move away from BP if we are to ever realistically stand a chance of a long-term, self supporting existance. None of the stands at BP are now "up to it" and any redevelopment would basically involved levelling all the stands and starting again IMO. Glass half empty moment - its not going to happen is it? BP will continue to crumble until we ground share with a Hyde or the like...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobOAFC Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 It's a nice little ground is Spotland. As others have said, it quite obviously puts ours to shame. Now - i've always felt we need to move away from BP if we are to ever realistically stand a chance of a long-term, self supporting existance. None of the stands at BP are now "up to it" and any redevelopment would basically involved levelling all the stands and starting again IMO. Glass half empty moment - its not going to happen is it? BP will continue to crumble until we ground share with a Hyde or the like...... RRE is 'up to it'. All it needs is the roof being extended at the back, so when you queue up for something to eat your not going to get soaked if it rains and theres a big queue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Re the RRE Rob, I dont think it is. IMO the roof needs redoing, and the facilities just aren't adequate enough for the size of stand. Its needs lots of work before it's "up to it" IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schlieb Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Re the RRE Rob, I dont think it is. IMO the roof needs redoing, and the facilities just aren't adequate enough for the size of stand. Its needs lots of work before it's "up to it" IMO Can't speak for the other stands, but the away stand we were in which looked the newest and best to me was a damn sight worse than the rre! Came out at half time, close to the restart needing a piss. Had to wade my way through queues for food and beer (non of which obstruct you in the rre) only to have to queue to get into a toilet with only one door in and out? After about 5 mins I get in and there's noone actually pissing, the big hold up was people just trying to get out! :censored:e ground IMO. Had the lookers still been up I wouldn't have a problem with BP. I'm also yet to find a part "crumbling" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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