http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristo...y-campus-bid/story-13778130-detail/story.html According to this article from 2011. Rovers proposed to refresh their agreed planning application for redevelopment of the Mem presumably to keep the application live for a further five years. If this is the case then Plan B is in place,
When Rovers won planning permission for the new stadium did they still keep hold of the redevelopment planning or did they let it drop. I believe there is an open meeting planned maybe somebody can ask about it then
I have heard and read by so many people (non-gasheads) who give their opinion saying 'why dont Rovers do what City are doing and redevelope the Mem?' But they seem to forget or not realise that we dont have a Steve Lansdown who is willing to pump the money into the club and pay for the redevelopment. So who will pay for it? If we didnt get investors in the door while we had a strong selling point like having full planning permission in place for UWE, then I doubt we will get investors in the door now where UWE looks like, if we are honest, dead in the water. Also with UWE we had the option if things on the pitch progress as well as Swansea have done, reaching the prem, we could increase capacity further to cope with the increase of attendances which obviously will happen like it does for all clubs. I cannot see the Mem (if gets developed) capacity be has much as 20k and no way would the locals accept it to increase it further either. In the last plans we had to develope the Mem, the stands were not allowed to be at a certain height due to the locals concerns. That will just impact on how big we can take our stadium. Im sorry but I do agree with Higgs when he says we have to move if we want to improve. But I just dont think appealing is the right step. Will be a waste of money even if we do win the appeal because then Sainsburys will just appeal further and when will it end? How much more money will Higgs throw at this Sainsburys fight. He needs to look at other ways of selling the Mem for the amount he needs for UWE. I cant see anyone willing to match Sainsburys offer. I cant see how the rest of the board will make up the shortfall either. I think we will have to look at another place where to build our new stadium, somewhere like Baldee said that can hold 15k so will be cheaper meaning could really be a possibility for us. And could also have the chance to increase capacity when needed as well. That will be ths best thing now.
Well Plan B is dead in the water I am given to understand. The agreed planning for redevelopment was dropped by the Club.
Forward thinking Board as ever, no contingency !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TBH Nick Higgs is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. True he has brough most of the problems on himself by poor (his) judgement. Will his luck ever change ? Well I bloody well hope so as Rovers future rests with him until a Pirate with a Treasure Chest comes along and relives him of his duties. Nick message from the heart dont appeal the Club cant afford it, whilst they can afford not to appeal and sit tight where we are until we need a stadium that justifys higher level Football. And I mean Championship at least here.
Plan B is to appeal if Plan A goes wrong! You are right though Black Sea Gas that its a waste of money appealing because if we wiun Sainsburys will just appeal that and can we afford to go through that. But he is right that we cant stay at the Mem in the long run because its not fit for purpose and we are losing money. So appealing is a gamble to take to get us out of the Mem and into UWE.
CJS, the Club maybe losing money (as are most Clubs outside the Prem), just becuase we have a swanky new (in our dreams ) Stadium doesnt mean we will make money that we are not currently. If we languish in the old 3rd and 4th Divisons ie todays 1st and 2nd Div the crowds that we will continue to get will not stem the losses. External activities including effective marketing of The Club and its facilities are a must ! In a nutshell for years the Club has been mismanaged from a financial point of view (by the Board) and it makes me wonder how as individuals these Guys succeeded in their respective Business's. The only saving grace is that back in the day a few sensible (then) Board members secured us the Mem. Lets not lose it through lodging stupid appeals that we havent a cat in hells chance of winning ! Now who would my money be on long term to have the financial clout to see this one through, yep The Organge Carrier Bag Gang, I'm afraid. Now in the light of Rovers wanting to borrow some more (albiet not as much as the current lender loaned) Wonga type cash on stupid rates I'd be happier to stump up a few £10s of K with suitable security of course over a 1 year term.
Carry on playing at the memorial stadium and for once try to keep the nucleus of a good team together without always selling your best player{s}. Success on the pitch usually brings success off of it and then just see where that takes us, who knows if we ascend a couple of divisions instead of bumping along in the bottom leagues investors / prospective buyers may just see BRFC as possibly a more attractive aquisite.
