Time to think about a new stadium?

[Edge81]

Is it now time for the owners to consider the various benefits of a new stadum? Now the last thing I want is for the Vale to get into serious debt again, but our current home just doesn't generate enough atmosphere unless there's at least 8-9,000 in. Being no more than a quarter full for most matches, this surely can't help the players. The atmosphere today was completely lacking, almost funereal. Is it just coincidence that our home form has been pretty woeful for many years and our current crop generally perform better way from home where the Vale's usual large away following can make themselves heard, especially in the genrally smaller stadia? The design of the ground doesn't help either - the shallow rake of the stands and the fact they are too far from the players isn't conducive to a proper football ground atmosphere.

 

And the Lorne Street stand aside, the current ground's average to poor facilities do nothing to tempt lapsed fans back or new fans in to the ground, leading not just to a loss of atmosphere but revenue too. Today we had just under 6,000 Vale fans in the ground which I think was very disappointing all things considered. I'm convinced that a new stadium, either achieved by redeveloping three sides of Vale Park or selling our home for housing and moving to a brownfield site in the City would generate not just lots more revenue but crucially a proper atmosphere in the stadium. This is something that Vale Park for all its history now sorely lacks.

 

Rotherham's new ground which I visited with the Vale last week (my 92nd and last English league ground) really impressed me. It's capacity is just right for a team of Rotherham's size and the steep rake of its stands really help generate a good atmosphere - certainly from the away end! Its design is really good and the ground isn't too bland like recent disappointing offerings at Colchester, Doncaster, Morecambe, Oxford, Shrewsbury and maybe Chesterfield.

 

Vale could really thrive in a ground similarto Rotherham's. We're probably a slightly bigger club than the Millers so a new stadium with a 12-15,000 capacity would be just right. All other things being equal, I'm convinced our average home gates would immediately increase by 2-3,000, generating maybe £40-50,000 extra revenue per match. Then there's the extra revenue from vastly expanded commercial activities a new stadium would bring. If the match pricing structure was right at a new stadium, not just lapsed fans would come back but new ones, especially families, would come - the kids of which are Vale's future. Our current ground really isn't very appealing and this is probably affecting both our gates and the players' performances at home.

 

So.....isn't it time to think about a new stadium? The financials might just stck up and it would put some much needed atmosphere into our home!

 

No, its stupid on a number of levels!

[sunny boslem]

I think give vale the hamil end will certainly improve the atmosphere then demolish the paddock and rebuild it closer to the pitch and build it in whatever our owners think will increase revenue no need for new ground for me something needs sorting though cause I certainly prefer to travel to watch vale

[cricket]

Think a new stadium is a great idea , cant see it happening unless our new owners win the lottery ! I agree with a lot of the comments about the railway stand / paddock its wants ripping down and replacing . Also rotherams new ground is a cracker best new ground visited along with the reebok .

[60degree_wedge]

I'm struggling to see how we'll ever get bigger crowds such as 6000+/7000 average gates even if we go up. We were top of the league before today, on the back of 2 cracking away wins, on new years day but there wasn't even 6000 home fans there? I thought we could attract big gates when things are good on the pitch, but seems not. Not as big of a club as we think.

 

Good point...i am under no illusion about getting great crowds, people illude to the financial state of area being a an issue and costs of admission being to high and the league we are in being the problem....I may be corrected, but we were only averaging 8 or 9k at our peak. Now i know there will always be a bumper crowd if we get a big team in the cup, but every week?

 

As for VP, it needs updating at the very least, maybe this is why we cant attract crowds even when things are rosey on the pitch.

[DeanPVFC]

Why is it a stupid idea? Lets not forget that Rotherham were in administration not so long ago and now look where they play every week? if morecombe, shrewsbury, chesterfield have all had new stadiums on a similar budget to vales then its not outside the realms of possibility. the majority of land mass vale own would fund the mass majority of the bill as well as a whole estate could be built on there.

[mr2faz]

When 5000 sang if you love the vale stand up it sounded good to me we all need to sing together like the **** do at the brit

[60degree_wedge]

When 5000 sang if you love the vale stand up it sounded good to me we all need to sing together like the **** do at the brit

 

just a shame it took being on the brink of going out of existance to get everyone singing...

 

also, if its atmospere we want, would it not be posible in future seasons to do what we do in the away end, cordon areas off or dare i say it, close the railway stand more oftenso we are all together. I know we have alot of 'this is where i always sit' people but surely if everyone in bycars were packed behind the goal it would surely look and sound better...

[wotsyobeef]

There was plenty at vale park to attract me as a kid in the early 90s.

I sit in the bycars.

Since then I would say the path at the back of the bycars has been improved as it was a dirt track before.

The toilets on the lorne street side of the stand have improved.

In fact facilities wise the only thing that has really got worse is the general maintenance of the stadium, hardly surprising considering we have been in administration twice since then.

Facilities can't be that big an issue because despite having good facilities in the Lorne street stand, I can't think of a time I have seen it full. If the quality off the facilities was a big issue that extra £23 surely wouldn't be too hard to come by.

 

What has changed since then is the football on display, which has begun to start improving for the first time in since we missed out on the playoffs for promotion to the prem. If the crowds start to pick up who knows what could happen.

 

The only thing stadium wise I think is required are a few patch ups to the roof a few more toilets to be improved, and decent catering. All easily achieved if the board have the money they say they have.

 

As long as the team continue to improve the matchday experience can only get better.

 

I'm optimistic

[RAF Vale]

I would stick with Vale Park, yes its need a lot of work doing to it.

 

Not sure where you would put a new lego ground for starters.

Not sure what you would do with an old football ground that is sat on land that no one would want.

 

Both moving and redevelopment would need quite a sum of money and planning.

We need the money for the team and as for planning; you might need a working fax machine for that as well.

[Valiant in Brum]

I have to agree although it wont happen in my life time,its alright for those in the Lorne street somewhere to congregate before the game in comfort,tarmac finish outside the stand,try walking behind the Bycars in the dark come and sample the year 2013 in the Railway,freezing cold queuing up in the rain for a hot drink pushing past folk drink going everywhere, we must miss out on hundreds of pounds of sales its old fashioned out of date and typically Stoke on Trent

 

You say typically stoke on trent but one club in this city moved to a new stadium and have left these things behind. They had a good history and had been at that stadium for much longer than us at vp. But they moved and have not looked back. It seems be a vale fan thing, fear of new and change fear of things that will improve the club and make it more attractive for new supporters. I often go in the paddock and wonder should it be like this in 2012 as it was and now 2013. If you think it wont change in your life time then the club will not attract a new generation of supporters with facilaties like that.

[Valiant in Brum]

It's not a joke at all, it should be a sensible debate with many differing opinions. I like the idea of a new ground, but realisticaly it's not going to happen due to finances. Its been mentioned on here before, but by giving us the hamil end would really help the atmosphere. We could give all of the railway to away fans, then if we do get in the championship we can attract massive away support and increase revenue. Over time that stand needs redeveloping. The bycars facilities also need improving, and then you've got a much better stadium with reduced (but ample) capacity for Vale fans that wont cost tens of millions.

 

But that is the point, it will be more expensive to upgrade the current facilaties as stated elsewhere. A new stadium on brownfield site would be a better option. Why is it only vale fans can say the idea of a new stadium is stupid. There are locations in boslem and even the old doultens factory should be considerd. It would cost a hell of alot more to revamp vale park and bring it into the 21st century than to relocate and have a nice shiny new home that will make the younger generations look and say wow I may go vale.

[marky mark]

The problem is that no one will buy our current ground. If some supermarket or developer was offering silly money for the site and to build a new ground elsewhere then that would be ideal.

 

The current site isn't perfect. But of we want to grow as a club we need the ability to expand, but also realistic on size. 15k is large enough realistically. The other alternative is develop VP - but the money required would probably make that less of an option.

[Valiant in Brum]

A new stadium usually means fresh investment.......Was it a bad decision from Billy Bell to reject that council offer all those years ago and continue with ( still unfinished ) developing Vale park ?

 

Many Vale fans agreed with his decision i seem to recall but i wonder with that new stadium offer and the investment that goes with it where Vale would of been today?

 

A Walsall size stadium would be ideal for Vale with a view to building extra tiers depending on success

 

That is what alot can't get their heads around they think a smaller stadium means you are spelling out small for ever where as like with stoke filling the corner in now, is that you build a new stadium suit your needs of the time and then fill in corners or add tiers depent on success. All you ever get is lego and plastic off vales fans when it comes to new grounds, but I think vale fans built a back bone up when stoke moved some out of jelousy and don't want to go back on their statments. It would spell out ambition if we moved to a new ground nothing small. as I have said 100s of times on here is shrewsburys stadium is built in a way it could be increased to a 40k stadium. A new stadium isnt a bad thing at all. But vale fans seem like be in stands built in the 50s with bits of other stadiums including the rec and chesters old stadium. Freezing cold at half time and getting **** wet through. It may actually cost more too reubuild the railway stands than to build a new stadium as its built in a massive hill and that would have to go.

[Werrington]

That is what alot can't get their heads around they think a smaller stadium means you are spelling out small for ever where as like with stoke filling the corner in now, is that you build a new stadium suit your needs of the time and then fill in corners or add tiers depent on success. All you ever get is lego and plastic off vales fans when it comes to new grounds, but I think vale fans built a back bone up when stoke moved some out of jelousy and don't want to go back on their statments. It would spell out ambition if we moved to a new ground nothing small. as I have said 100s of times on here is shrewsburys stadium is built in a way it could be increased to a 40k stadium. A new stadium isnt a bad thing at all. But vale fans seem like be in stands built in the 50s with bits of other stadiums including the rec and chesters old stadium. Freezing cold at half time and getting **** wet through. It may actually cost more too reubuild the railway stands than to build a new stadium as its built in a massive hill and that would have to go.

 

Some good points there mate

 

5k in a 10k stadium would create a better atmosphere than 5k rattling around a 19k stadium.

 

Billy Bell got visions of grandeur back then an many went along with the ride

[geosname]

Is there a plot big enough to hold a stadium and all the parking and training facilities in one place?

I dont think the doulton factory would hold the ground......