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Ground Development - Decision Expected in May

Discussion in 'Fulham' started by Cottager58, Apr 24, 2012.

  1. Captain Morgan

    Captain Morgan Well-Known Member

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    It's a lovely plan, Cookie, but we can't assume that a season in the Championship is going to be one long victory parade. The club could end up paying millions for a new stadium that doesn't start paying itself off for years. With us in the Premier League and regularly selling out, there's a strong business case for expanding, if we go down there will be a likely drop-off in demand for tickets and less need for more seats. We're going down in a good financial state; it would be madness to hamstring our ability to invest in the team by taking on a big building project until we know we're going to have Premier League football to sustain it. Sadly, I suspect the new stand will be on hold for the immediate future.
     
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  2. Cookie-6262

    Cookie-6262 Well-Known Member

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    Captain I am aware of how difficult the championship will be I don't mean to make it sound otherwise, I fully expect the new stand not to go ahead if we do go down. Although I would like to stay up I am quite looking forward to being in a league we have at least half a chance of winning
     
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  3. Cottager58

    Cottager58 Well-Known Member

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    If we go down and need fewer seats wouldn't that be an excellent opportunity to close the Riverside and bash ahead with the new development?

    The Club did say in that statement (and the point was made very specifically in Sunday's programme) that they are now finalising a timetable. The fact that planning permission will soon lapse, as you said in your earlier post Captain, could be a driving factor.
     
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  4. Fred's Cultured Left Foot

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    A pertinent point is that planning permisssion is only for so long - usually 3-5 years - and you have to start within that time span. In light of the battle to get the permission - and the cost - I wouldn't be surprised if they did stick to their desired timetable. Cottager's point about smaller crowds is a good one as well - makes sense to press ahead once all is in place. A bigger ground for when we return to the Premiership would mean boosted income. The wage bill will be smaller next year with a lot of the oldies going at the end of the season as well.

    The Fulhamish optimism in my hasn't conceded yet, but I am not so worried as I was about the prospect of relegation - it could be part of a revitalisation of the club - excellent manager, young squad and a bigger ground.
     
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  5. Fred's Cultured Left Foot

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    I spend 5 minutes typing my comment and Cottager comes in with the exact same point! - typical!!
     
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  6. Fulhaman

    Fulhaman Well-Known Member

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    I, too, think the club will do this. If they didn't intend to they would have dropped the license application or even if they didn't do that then they would have kept quiet about it being granted.

    There is also no reason why a team in a lower division cannot build new facilities. Look at Huddersfield. They did it. So did Cardiff, I think, and Swansea. Did Sunderland and Middlesbrough as well or were they both premiership when they moved grounds? Brighton did too. And we are only putting up a new stand, not a whole new ground.

    Also our chairman is a billionaire. The cost to him even if he paid for it personally is somewhere between one and a half and two Mitro's and not going to dent his fortune too much.
     
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  7. Cottager58

    Cottager58 Well-Known Member

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    This is not new news but I'm posting it because I think it's a positive sign that it has now appeared in the 'Trade Press':


    "Fulham Football Club has been granted a river works licence to enable it to progress on development of its Riverside Stand.

    Fulham received planning consent for the development in July 2013, subject to the licence being obtained. The club is now in a position to commence with a projected timetable for the development.

    One of the key considerations of the Port of London Authority in granting the licence is the club’s commitment to the opening up of the river walkway to enable it to be enjoyed by the local community and the general public for the first time in recent history. The new walkway will include a number of facilities such as a café, public toilets and a restaurant which will be open to the public every day.

    The expansion will see stadium capacity expanded to 30,000 seats from 25,000 with the new stand designed to mirror the bend in the river. The new stand will also provide facilities for community and other uses on non-match days.

    Architects KSS Group has been chosen for the redevelopment, with the rebuild cost being kept confidential."


    Source: http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=309108


    There is a caveat to the post however. As I understand it Buckingham Construction have been awarded the main build contract. At the weekend Sarah Brookes said on Cottage Corner radio that because of the lead time in aquiring/delivering the necessary steel Buckingham would not be able to start construction this summer. She did not make mention of starting re-inforcing the wall on the river side which I had thought was the first stage of the process (and the one that specifically required Port Authority approval). Nor whether that was impacted on by the delay in getting the steel on site.

    Apparently though, a revised timetable is being worked up.
     
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  8. Cottager58

    Cottager58 Well-Known Member

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    In Sunday's match day programme Shad Khan said, "the Riverside Stand project is developing nicely behind the scenes and we hope to have something to discuss in the near future."

    And today another article appeared in a 'Trade' magazine - nothing new, it's basically confirmation of the Port Authority approval. However it was clearly placed in the journal by the lead architect on the project, KSS, so I think should be viewed as a positive sign.

    Here is a link to the article: http://www.psam.uk.com/?p=5643&utm_...il&utm_term=0_e517a7e459-52f23d23fa-303764761
     
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