What do you think of this idea from 2004 for the redevelopment of Ashton Gate..? http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~307717,00.html Enlarge the bottom 2 pics for a closer look.
Looks like a no-brainer to me, especially as I understand that SL has bought some of the adjacent business property.
Interesting Wize. Should the new stadium project fail, I think they should redevelop but with a major change to that 2004 plan. Rotate the pitch by 90 degrees so the current Dolman would be behind one goal. This would allow bigger stand alongside pitch to replace Atyeo stand, and as land behind the Williams car park is industrial/retail it may be possible to build a new stand all the way to the boundary wall. Don't forget the recent rumour about SL buying old Braby site and it would never surprise me to hear that SL has several properties on Ashton Road in his portfolio. There has to be a plan B to Ashton Vale and it certainly is not behind the UWE.
Rotating the pitch is fine, but there are some flaws... The Atyeo isn't long enough to be a side stand and nor is the East End, and the latter is shabby and too shallow. The Dolman needs a major facelift anyway, as does the whole stadium cosmetically if it's to be revamped and reused. I'm all in favour of staying where we are after all the fuss, but I'm make it a law that every single ****er who pretends to be a dog walker or who wants a Village Green at Ashton Vale because they are a secret Morris Dancer to spend a minimum of 10 hours a week at the site and tag them and give them Chinese Water Torture if they don't !
I agree with Angelic to rotate the pitch is a major development with the ground being out of action for more than a close season. Either if the hire rite and surrounding land is owned, build a new ground similar to how he millennium stadium was build. Virtually next door then turning the excisting ground into the car park when completed. Or if redevelop the ground, they would have to rehouse away fans into Atyeo whilst constructing the first stand the Wedlocks. Similar to when they built the Atyeo but on a bigger scale moving away fans from the old open end . Once that is done rehouse the Williams into new Wedlocks then rebuild Williams, back with the changing rooms and everything else! If this is how they are going to do it, I'm glad I get a season ticket as we could be looking at lot of sell outs till completed. My suggestion would be go to the council and agree to have the park, build a stadium there and turn AG into a new park, kids away from main roads etc
I would love that, theres a lot of history inside our ground and to just give it a makeover would be brilliant, i like the look it gives on the photos and think the whole ground should look like it, it wont cost 90 million and with what we would of spent can go on the team
I must admit the idea of a gleaming new super stadium does apppeal to me but I was always one of the traditionalists and didn't want to move from the gate,when you have the memories of the old days,the buses,the old cow shed,the *** smoke,the boring old music,Atyeo,the surge,the 2 G-men,Gow and the boys,Dicksie and on and on...Sorry.. please log in to view this image A plan b at the gate would suit me..
My daughter don't want to move from Ashton Gate because she don't think the Wurzles can redo 1 for the Bristol City 2 for the boys in red 3 for the boys down Ashton Gate She says she grew up with that song, she's 12!!
It would be a real shame if we lose out on Ashton Vale. That is what we need - an international quality stadium to go into the future with (hopefully in the Premier League. I was talking to some supporters from up and down the country on my travels last week. Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Leeds fans all agreed that Bristol should have a big team, in keeping with the size and importance of the city. Nice to know people around England have good things to say about us ! Wiz - The pictures you show do not really project that size and quality of stadium, and I feel it would be merely a sidestep
Rotating is do-able. Pull down Williams stand and enlarge the pitch turned 90° Use the remaining three sides while new Williams is built. Then demolish Wedlock and continue on around to corner between Wedlock and Dolman. Still have three sides to use. Then replace Atyeo the whole length of pitch from corner of Dolman to join up with Williams. Bear in mind that by turning the pitch, that creates an extra depth to the stands that replace Wedlockand Atyeo by approx 15 yards to each stand, while still keeping the same actual pitch size as now; 115 x 75 yards. Finally either do some work to the Dolman to instal access / exits half way up the original upper section and build toilets / refreshments within the structure. Or knock it down and build new to match rest of stadium. Cost is probably not too different to Ashton Vale, BUT we don't get the money from selling The Gate. Also it will take much longer to build than a totally new stadium. Probably 3/4 years But if the judgement goes for the dog walkers etc, that's what we may well have to do.
why would we want to rotate the pitch? they could make the ground a 30,000 seater without doing that? Perhaps someone should right in reminding them we have this option
To demolish the Williams stand, and re lay a pitch 90 degrees would not be possible within the timescale during close season Cidered Abroad. To get the ground through H&S regs within that timescale would not be achievable. If AG is to be rebuilt they would have to do the Wedlocks first, reducing capacity to 15-16k, not an issue at the moment. Do the Wedlocks with an overlap 20-30 metres past exciting Williams, so once the Williams is complete the pitch can be moved 20-30 metres towards new Williams stand. Loop new Williams into Atyeo, which should be away end. This will allow the Dolman to be re designed with a two tier system to increase capacity. It's easier designing in my head.
ROD you are correct of course about H & S and timescales for rebuilding Ashton Gate. It's a good lateral idea that the new Williams is 20-30 metres back from it's current position which allows more room for a rebuilt dolman to have two tiers. And of course with only retail / industrial land behind the new Williams, it also would have two tiers. Que sera, sera! In my lifetime perhaps we do get a new stadium that will give City a massive lift in support and mybe just maybe a chance to compete with the big teams who often are from smaller cities and towns than Bristol
Shiny, the Atyeo is a single tier stand because the houses behind the ground objected about light if a double decker was built. The Atyeo in its current form would look silly with 3 other new stands so it needs to come further away from the houses to get the extra tier on to match the rest of the ground hence, rotating the pitch...
Did the architect forget which team he was designing for when he produced those images? It looks mostly blue and white with a few token red bits chucked on it! Should be more like this!
Move all the residents behind the Atyeo Stand out to Ashton Vale and give them a new house and dog so they can go and pee over the lawns of the protesters out there. Works for me!