Fair enough, I wasn't trying to change your opinion, just discussing atmospheres and possible reasons for the move.
Isn't there some reason why the concourse behind the North Stand can't be split up to get them in the NW corner, something to do with ingress/egress limitations within the rules of separation of fans? Basically the ground wasn't designed well enough?
Surely, as there is segregation at the moment, I can't see what difference it makes which set of supporters are in there, and putting away fans in the NW corner would actually remove one area of segregation, as the NE could be the same as the SE. The arguments offered tend to relate to access to the coach park, but that's bollocks anyway, as a decent number come by means other than coach, and mix with supporters anyway.
Just because we want to do things the ground wasn't designed for, doesn't mean mean the ground wasn't designed well
Away fans behind the goal, though typically shoved over towards the NE corner beneath the police box. I’m sure the Swansea night game that got such a big gate in 2003 saw half the North Stand handed to home fans for the first time since the stadium opened. That’s how the North Stand was built, to be divided in two or opened as one. Other configurations are made impossible by the positioning of toilets and concession stands. It’s not just a case of separating out the seats with a line of stewards or a big net or whatever, it’s what facilities you can sub-divide in the concourse that really matters (and the configuration of turnstiles, to a lesser extent).
What ever they do it cannot be any worse than the away end at Watford. I think we should be able to put away supporters anywhere in the ground based on their model.
I thought the Police box was central? But that aside, it's academic what issues may arise if it was changed further, as it is currently segregated, and swapping which fans where in which bit wouldn't affect that. If it's suitable for one set, it's suitable for the other.
For our early big crowds and our first Premier League stint the away fans were in the north stand at the east end. The west end of the north stand had home fans.
The police control room box is in the middle at the back of the North Stand. That game against Swansea had about 100of there fans taking up the whole of the North Stand. The rest of the ground was full , crowd was about 21K and people could not get in as the capacity was reached . I remember AP was not happy that the stadium people had not cut the North in half and given our fans some of that Stand and so getting a higher attendance.
Surely it's not that big a deal to install a concourse gate or 2, move concessions & some toilets and put some external fencing up so that away fans can be located in NW corner?!? That's surely the optimal location for various reasons which a will and a bit of investment would sort once and for all. I feel this latestwell intentioned move is a mistake and a make do.
Unless I've got the wrong end of what people are suggesting, you don't have to move or anything including segregation, as the facilities must already be there and currently used by home fans.
