The Hamil End

[Trumpingtonvale]

Irrespective of what it might do to the atmosphere in games, this is a great move by the club if only to offer better facilities to home fans who have had to endure the lack there of in other parts of the ground.  Also having the Hamil-hub brings more/better opportunities to improve the match day experience (fan zone etc) for new supporters, encouraging them to return, but also offers potential for future development too.

The move however, will now make me have to re-think what will happen to me when my duty to football is done - unless the excavation of some kind of crypt under the Bycars is planned too. 🤫😀

[Rampant Zebra]

Are we going to move the scoreboard or add additional ones?

[Hoppers]

29 minutes ago, Matlock Vale said:

1 hour ago, Guitar Ray said:

It’d have to be The Bill Bell Sealand Road Stand.

Or The <ovf censored>.

The B*LL END - NICE 😍😍😍😍😍

[Valiant in Brum]

Are we going to move the scoreboard or add additional ones?

Ours is probably outdated and I am sure I read that its on the ro do list to be replaced. Could maybe pop one in the disused family stand corner.

[Guitar Ray]

1 hour ago, Fosse69 said:

Rudgie earned the funds for it.

Bello covered some of that by selling the seats👍🏻

[robf]

20 minutes ago, Valiant in Brum said:

42 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Are we going to move the scoreboard or add additional ones?

Ours is probably outdated and I am sure I read that its on the ro do list to be replaced. Could maybe pop one in the disused family stand corner.

A lot of clubs have the square screens in the corners. I would imagine it's a relatively low priority (unless there's increased revenue from advertising on it) but personally I think there should be two. One screen in the old family stand and also another in the Lorne/Hamil corner. Having two would enable pretty much  everyone to see a screen no matter where they are sat. If it's just in the old family stand, most of the Railway won't be able to see it. 

Having them there also does a good job of putting two unused areas of the ground to use with no disruption to fans/seats etc.

[robf]

1 hour ago, Guitar Ray said:

I’d also add that you get a lot of people, families with kids mainly, visiting on a one off basis who are housed in the Bycars.  The facilities in there aren’t exactly going to help attract them to return more frequently.

That's one of the reasons I keep banging on about completing the Lorne St concourse and opening up the other half of the LS as a dedicated family area. It's odd that there's not more events to raise fundraising. I would imagine even something as basic as a "bucket appeal" at a couple of games would kick-start the fundraiser again.

Having a block of the Bycars as a "family" zone is terrible. I've been there with my lot and it just smacks of the "oh well, we have to put the kids somewhere" approach of previous regimes. Giving the families a brand new area with a bespoke concourse is 100% the way forward. Boomer can be mingling there, the club can maybe even bring down some squad players at H-T for autographs etc, the foundation can run some competitions, the refreshment bar can cater for families and so on...

I wonder if the delay to giving the LS work any priority is the work on the dressing rooms for the training pitches? I guess if that new building can house the players gym (currently the main obstacle for the concourse work) then it may make it much easier to finish off the concourse there. 

[Boslem's Brazil]

7 minutes ago, robf said:

That's one of the reasons I keep banging on about completing the Lorne St concourse and opening up the other half of the LS as a dedicated family area. It's odd that there's not more events to raise fundraising. I would imagine even something as basic as a "bucket appeal" at a couple of games would kick-start the fundraiser again.

Having a block of the Bycars as a "family" zone is terrible. I've been there with my lot and it just smacks of the "oh well, we have to put the kids somewhere" approach of previous regimes. Giving the families a brand new area with a bespoke concourse is 100% the way forward. Boomer can be mingling there, the club can maybe even bring down some squad players at H-T for autographs etc, the foundation can run some competitions, the refreshment bar can cater for families and so on...

I wonder if the delay to giving the LS work any priority is the work on the dressing rooms for the training pitches? I guess if that new building can house the players gym (currently the main obstacle for the concourse work) then it may make it much easier to finish off the concourse there. 

It would be good to get an update on the specifics of the planned new training facilities. DF mentioned about creating a new gym, analysis room and changing rooms. He said it would be at the far corner of the Lorne Street, but I can’t visualise where we would have the space to do that. Anyway, wherever it is, I imagine once that is done, and the gym is moved, we can proceed with the work required for the concourse. 
 

It would be fantastic if by start of next season we have a new family stand in the Lorne Street and the Hamil End as a home end. Will certainly make it more attractive to families and new fans. 

[Guitar Ray]

3 hours ago, robf said:

That's one of the reasons I keep banging on about completing the Lorne St concourse and opening up the other half of the LS as a dedicated family area. It's odd that there's not more events to raise fundraising. I would imagine even something as basic as a "bucket appeal" at a couple of games would kick-start the fundraiser again.

Having a block of the Bycars as a "family" zone is terrible. I've been there with my lot and it just smacks of the "oh well, we have to put the kids somewhere" approach of previous regimes. Giving the families a brand new area with a bespoke concourse is 100% the way forward. Boomer can be mingling there, the club can maybe even bring down some squad players at H-T for autographs etc, the foundation can run some competitions, the refreshment bar can cater for families and so on...

I wonder if the delay to giving the LS work any priority is the work on the dressing rooms for the training pitches? I guess if that new building can house the players gym (currently the main obstacle for the concourse work) then it may make it much easier to finish off the concourse there. 

Couldn’t agree more. My own feelings are that it’s been essentially used due to space and numbers in there.

For me anywhere you want to call a home end won’t really be the best place for families, so the clamour for the atmospheric Hamil has to tie in with a separate place for lots of young kids.  This may not be very PC, just my (very) old school view.

I’d also add that the club have over time allowed the Bycars to decline.  I’d say there’s been many missed opportunity to boost attendances by lack of incentives focused on the one stand.  Ok, I’m biased as a ST holder but when fans talk about atmosphere ideally we need a balance across the various stands, which brings us back to those empty seats in Lorne St.

[Packmoor_vale]

Another great move by the new port vale 

[GEOFF B]

It’d have to be The Bill Bell Sealand Road Stand.

Would that be the <ovf censored>

[Guitar Ray]

13 minutes ago, GEOFF B said:

6 hours ago, Guitar Ray said:

It’d have to be The Bill Bell Sealand Road Stand.

Would that be the <ovf censored>

Correct. It would be censored Geoff.

[Waynel]

22 hours ago, philpvfc said:

It is a better stand but more importantly it is in a better location whereby you haven’t got both fans coming out together on Hamil road after the game, Tommy Cheadles can be opened up easier plus it is larger which should generate a better atmosphere when full. I can’t see why you’d be disappointed if you had to move, I can’t think of any benefits with the Bycars.

The only benefit I can think of in the bycars for me is I can see my kids when they go get crisps from the kiosk 

[Doha]

10 hours ago, Valiant in Brum said:

11 hours ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Are we going to move the scoreboard or add additional ones?

Ours is probably outdated and I am sure I read that its on the ro do list to be replaced. Could maybe pop one in the disused family stand corner.

I'm pretty certain I read somewhere that the manufacturer has actually ceased trading.

Colchester have one inbetween two stands that I'm sure shows a video feed of the game and instant replays.

"Your advert here" / put it in the family stand in full unhindered view of the ifollow camera gantry and match press photographers = annual income £££

[Santa]

I don’t know what sort of hardware the  scoreboard is run off but the CPU must be struggling the way it chugs along trying to run a clock at the same time as displaying the score.

When it packed in during the second half of the Brentford cup tie they turned it off and back on again and it tripped all the lights in the away end.