Does anyone know if the away fans are getting moved next season? I know there was talk of it, but no mention of the North Stand when I renewed my pass will that be done when you can move seats? cheers
The movement of the North Stand Away supporters seems to have fallen through for the 2011/12 season. Maybe AP will try again for the 2012/13 one. ..... or wait till stadium expansion/re-location is sorted.
wouldhave thought not if season passes are going ahead. think they would have notified people that they cannot have last seasons seat if that was the case. there you go, a sort of answer.
I think AP's plans have been thwarted by the OB and the Health and Safety mob, we're all hooligans you know.
I don't think you could get a pass for the north stand last season, so if the pay on the day's moved to the north-north east corner and the away fans are to go into the north west corner, would the pass situation make any difference to the plans?
It'll be outside the stadium that's the problem, Think about it. The Eastern half of the north stand is gated off, and from there there is access to the road where the away supporters arrive. If the police are insisting on keeping the away fans behind a segregated section, there is nothing to be done. Obviously they're not going to move them east, because the east stand cannot be partitioned internally, and if the moved them to the western half of the north stand, the away fans would be spilling out onto the main approach road for the home fans from West Park/Walton Street. The way the stadium is designed, I can't see where they could move the away fans to that would satisfy health and safety/the police.
If they keep away fans in the North East corner, I can't see it being a major issue moving the cage wall a bit further round to move the away fans further into the corner. Or maybe the aim is to hold fire and leave the North to be a completely away stand after the proposed ground expansion?
towards the east? They could extend the cage outside by a few feet, but they would need to give entrances 1-5 over to the away fans if they wanted to do any further than that. Those come out right behind e1/e2. There's no way the east stand could be modified to put a barrier in internally.
I wouldn't expect the external fencing to be altered, but I would have thought that the internal walls could be moved, but being a West Stander, I was only guessing, I have no real idea what's practical and what isn't.
As I remember, having been in both stands the ends are quite similar. At the end of each stand is one double staircase that runs parallel to the pitch. these cut in behind the first couple of stands. With there being no ceiling in the East, only the stadium roof, there would be little point in putting up a simple gate, even if they could find one to put in. It seems like the stadium was designed to make the north stand for the away fans. I think this is the problem AP has run into. Either externally or internally - there is a problem with every other location.
The north stand wasn't designed as it is now, the north stand was altered after we moved in to accomodate more home supporters, in pretty much the same way that the east stand could be without too much fuss, but I doubt that's in AP's mind. The fence outside wasn't an original feature and is a symbol of Police incompetence and creates hazards further round the stadium so it could be argued it needs removing on H&S grounds. As it is fans still mix before and after the game as the Police guide them around the fence, highlighting its ridiculous nature. As AP seems to be aiming to have the away fans in what is now the pay on the day section, there seems little connection to pass sales at the moment, with the exception being he's mentioned upper north West as an overspill should the need arise.
Agree if North stand is pay on the day, it'd create a lot of atmospehere, I heard there being moved to upper west too.
