Vale Park stadium improvements

[Port Vale Paul]

On 31/07/2022 at 11:14, NellyTheValiant said:

If improvements are being looked at they need to increase the capacity of the Railway Paddock kiosks, have some organisation and queuing system put in place and leave a walkway down to the toilets.

It was great to have such a large attendance yesterday but both before the game and particularly at half time it was mayhem with the stewards just standing and watching.

The club could possibly look at using the pop up bottle bar used during kit launches or even allow access to the fan zone at HT.

I felt that it was dangerous yesterday particularly for kids trying to get to the toilets.

I sit in the paddock closer to the old family stand so use the toilets down that end of the paddock, and they have also done some work down by the toilet block there as well, retaining wall and put a concrete base in. Was informed that in prep for additional kiosks at that end of the paddock as well. How true it is spose we will have to wait n see.

[Fosse69]

What is the point of 4,000 seats if they can never all be filled up. May as well rip them out.

We don't know what the future holds, rules can change. Temp netting serves the segregation purpose. Prem teams use it and lose capacity, but cup and league rules for away capacity differ so require flexibility.

Sent from my SM-A715F using onevalefan mobile app

[jjvale_03]

I got my Bolton ticket (for the Railway) yesterday because I suspect that the only stand available come mid next week will be the Bycars. It could well be the case that we completely 'sell out', with a crowd of about 12k given the restrictions in place.

The sooner i) the club open up the other half of the LS Stand (another 1500 'high quality' seats) and ii) move home fans into the Hamil (probably about 1000 more seats versus Bycars and far better facilities), the better.

I appreciate efforts are being made on both of these fronts so lets hope they come to fruition.

[robf]

33 minutes ago, jjvale_03 said:

The sooner i) the club open up the other half of the LS Stand (another 1500 'high quality' seats) and ii) move home fans into the Hamil (probably about 1000 more seats versus Bycars and far better facilities), the better.

As I've posted before, I'd completely agree with that. I think the lack of urgency on the LS may be due to work needing to be complete on the new training complex so the gym equipment (currently taking up the concourse) can be moved (though that's my guess not fact). However, I would 100% agree that those two things would do far more to address capacity issues than things like looking into the old family stand re-opening. 

[robf]

On 02/08/2022 at 20:25, chickensteve said:

On 02/08/2022 at 19:14, Old fort said:

I remember standing in the Bycars as a lad, toying to imagine what it would look like full, as it swept round from the Railway to the Bycars. Unfortunately, never really saw it happen, though I sketchely recall a bit of mither in there, when we played Burnley in the cup in 1977 in front of over 18k. Good afternoon,  Colin Tartt   Just a thought, I wonder what he'd have made of Mr. McKirdy?  Probably sausage meat. 

I used to stand in the railway and then the bycars as a lad. I used to look and wonder why the roof of the bycars only covered the back half of the stand. We used to be able to stand near the front but if it rained everyone could normally move back and get under the cover. The corner stand roof is the last remaining remnants of that strange affair. Even my 1988 road atlas of Stoke has the plan view of vale park drawn with half a roof for the corner and bycars. I think it was condemned when we beat Bristol rovers in the play offs and the non maintenance of the ground bit the club on the arse. The roofed area was boarded off with hoardings whilst it was demolished and yellow seats put in on the terrace in the open to comply with seating rules. All home games at that time were made all ticket until it was sorted which stopped me attending as I couldn't get tickets due to work and my dad stopped going because he couldn't sit in the seats.

The Bycars stand: a pictorial history... - onevalefan.co.uk

WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK

 

[Santa]

3 hours ago, dishydave said:

I don't understand why we need to be concerned about increasing the capacity of the stadium. We couldn't even sell out for the Swindon play off semi final the biggest home game for a generation.

I think the answer you’re looking for is “Championship Ready”.

For me the key is: how we can continue to grow, how we can attract families by providing safe and comfortable facilities,  and how we can maximise revenue from big away followings.

There was a crowd of 11,600 for the Swindon game. The actual capacity of the stadium appears to be a closely guarded secret but given the reduced capacity of several stands that night I wouldn’t say there was much more than a few hundred seats in home areas that were unsold. 

[robf]

11 minutes ago, Santa said:

For me the key is: how we can continue to grow, how we can attract families by providing safe and comfortable facilities,  and how we can maximise revenue from big away followings.

I think the impression was that Vale was an ageing fanbase in recent decades and an ageing audience will naturally decline as people can no longer get to games and sadly pass away.

In recent years, there have been efforts to attract youngsters and that has to be the focus to continue to grow the fanbase. 

A section of the Bycars which looks like an afterthought (and probably was by the previous regime) or an ancient corner stand with a poor view of the pitch are not going to help.

When the home end changes, it's worth noting that both those areas will be miles away from the huge new fanzone which will be created by the Hamil Road. 

What will help is a brand-new section of the LS with dedicated family-friendly facilities and a brief walk to the new fanzone. It's not the only factor (success on the pitch is clearly another) but it would help to attract the young supporters we need if the fanbase is to grow. 

[toyahw]

5 hours ago, ollyandpatch said:

"Same old same old"

Really? 🤔🤔

To be honest it is a very long time since I was in the paddock so I have no idea how bad it had become.  

[Warren]

I found Wembley a relatively unpleasant experience from the spectating perspective. That is because our seating area with mainly people in late middle age / elderly was contaminated by a family of younger supporters determined to jump around and block view pretty much every minute. They thought seats were for standing on. My main focus was on not losing it with one of this tribe and remaining polite in requests that they sit down. One even apologised and said that he could not stop what he was doing but was sorry. 

In a half full stadium like Vale Park it is possible to relocate to find a group of like minded supporters. As the stadium becomes fuller this will be harder. In moving home support from Bycars to Hamill Road and in other ways, disastrous mistakes can be made in grouping supporters by way of merging the quiet crowd with the noisy crowd (keeping it simple). When people reach my age there are no second chances for the club. Annoy more elderly supporters by putting them in unpleasant locations and they will stop coming forever. 

[hillmanhunter]

6 minutes ago, Warren said:

I found Wembley a relatively unpleasant experience from the spectating perspective. That is because our seating area with mainly people in late middle age / elderly was contaminated by a family of younger supporters determined to jump around and block view pretty much every minute. They thought seats were for standing on. My main focus was on not losing it with one of this tribe and remaining polite in requests that they sit down. One even apologised and said that he could not stop what he was doing but was sorry. 

In a half full stadium like Vale Park it is possible to relocate to find a group of like minded supporters. As the stadium becomes fuller this will be harder. In moving home support from Bycars to Hamill Road and in other ways, disastrous mistakes can be made in grouping supporters by way of merging the quiet crowd with the noisy crowd (keeping it simple). When people reach my age there are no second chances for the club. Annoy more elderly supporters by putting them in unpleasant locations and they will stop coming forever. 

Hmm, think I might have been next to you. Block 125?

[chickensteve]

My father returned to VP with my young nephew in tow on Saturday. His first time since rudge, his first ever season ticket following on from my returning at Christmas. Years ago when I asked him why he stopped going he said "I can't sit in those seats". Now no such complaints and both said how much they enjoyed it. However an issue is that I renewed my seat in Lorne street but no other seats were showing as available in my row or even nearby. He ended up buying in the end block by the disabled stand because he needed 2 seats together. On Saturday there must of been 6 seats all in a continuous row in my row not sold and with no season ticket sticker on. Why? Until the club can answer this we will continue to look tinpot with a shrinking stadium saying we are "sold to allowed capacity" with rows of empty seats. You wouldn't see this in a cinema, theatre or concert venue.

[Fosse69]

13 minutes ago, chickensteve said:

My father returned to VP with my young nephew in tow on Saturday. His first time since rudge, his first ever season ticket following on from my returning at Christmas. Years ago when I asked him why he stopped going he said "I can't sit in those seats". Now no such complaints and both said how much they enjoyed it. However an issue is that I renewed my seat in Lorne street but no other seats were showing as available in my row or even nearby. He ended up buying in the end block by the disabled stand because he needed 2 seats together. On Saturday there must of been 6 seats all in a continuous row in my row not sold and with no season ticket sticker on. Why? Until the club can answer this we will continue to look tinpot with a shrinking stadium saying we are "sold to allowed capacity" with rows of empty seats. You wouldn't see this in a cinema, theatre or concert venue.

We used to look tinpot when only half of Lorne St had seats, as for the row of 6 will they be in use for the Bolton visit?

[Jacko51]

A fair number of season tickets have been sold to folk who have registered their grandchildren for the Junior Valiant scheme even though they are too young to go. My mate in Oz has a ST and has them for his three grandchildren who are all back in Oz. These seats will be empty on match days but there is nowt the club can do about that. 

[Fosse69]

6 minutes ago, Jacko51 said:

A fair number of season tickets have been sold to folk who have registered their grandchildren for the Junior Valiant scheme even though they are too young to go. My mate in Oz has a ST and has them for his three grandchildren who are all back in Oz. These seats will be empty on match days but there is nowt the club can do about that. 

I assume they would be available for cup games?

[darren1810]

13 minutes ago, Jacko51 said:

A fair number of season tickets have been sold to folk who have registered their grandchildren for the Junior Valiant scheme even though they are too young to go. My mate in Oz has a ST and has them for his three grandchildren who are all back in Oz. These seats will be empty on match days but there is nowt the club can do about that. 

I don't get that ?

Fair play he's putting money into the club for his ticket which is excellent.  But aren't the kids tickets free if his grandkids are under 12 . So don't understand the logic there as they'll never attend ?