Just looked at the pics of the new east stand on the WFC site and it seems to me we only have half a stand! What is going to be either side of it, anyone know? Surely it should extend the whole side of the ground?
I believe the plan is, as the changing rooms are still under the other part, that they build this first section, move th changing rooms under it and then demolish and build the other section. There does however seem to be a gap at the Vicarage Road end, so I hope the extend the roof across to meet the existing roof.
I dont think they will. I think it will be left open. Duxbury said in a FTRE interview that if the east stand was filled and the attendance warranted it, they would look into seating in the corners.
There was an article in the WO which stated that the club is delaying the opening of the East Stand until next season - the reasons being the delays to the building work caused by the bad weather over the winter, and the intention to extend the stand (which was originally going to end in line with the penalty spot) up to the full length of the pitch (for aesthetic reasons!) - giving 800 more seats. So there should be no gap at the Vicarage Road End other than like between the Rous and Vicarage Road Stands. Of course I hope that these corner gaps are eventually filled in as well. Here is the link: http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/11076296.East_Stand_to_be_extended_by_another_800_seats/
I noticed that today the safety netting was being erected so they should be starting to put the roof sheeting on soon. I guess that the end bay at the Vic end has been left since the change of mind about taking it for the full length.
Terrible - to have 4 non-matched all seating stands holding 20,000+ instead of a ground consisting of mostly open terracing with a shallow stand at one end, a chicken hut down one side and two non-matching stands on the other (one of which is a 90-year old fire hazard) with a greyhound flapper track around the pitch enclosed by iron railings..........
It will be AK, but currently the right hand end (rookery end) of the east stand houses the changing rooms and so cannot be removed. So once the first section is complete that will house them and they will demolish the other half and it will run the entire length of the pitch.
New stand to collapse before next season? Has anyone noticed that, on the time-lapse pictures of the new stand going up, that the vertical girder on the extreme right of the new stand (next to the old main stand extension) is bent out of shape? Or at least it looks like it on it on all the pictures. The earlier pictures in March before the seating was put up show all the girders vertical except that one on the end. Use the + symbol at the top LH to zoom in on it: http://iris2.time-lapse-systems.com/watford-football-club-cam
It is very bent! The top half comes out of the roof at a 90° angle, but then about a quarter of the way down it bends in on itself by about 10° before continuing downwards. It doesnt look safe at all.
If it's an optical illusion, why don't the other vertical girders look bent on the earlier (pre-seating) pictures? Surely they should all look bent?
If it is bent it must be intentionally so. No engineer could look at that and say 'that looks fine to me'. So either optical illusion or curved for a reason. I'm more intrigued by the left end, with the last bay left bare. Is this due to decision to extend further in that direction? Was it to be at a later date if needed? It looks very naff, can't believe they'd leave it like that
The club announced that the stand will extend to almost the touchline at the vicarage road end. I guess that they are waiting for the steel and any groundworks to be completed before adding the section left 'blank'. I think it will all look fine and finished by August
