New Stadium Progress

[eddy bee]

playing surface

football clubs who share with rugby clubs

Reading/London Irish
Wycombe/Wasps
Stockport/Sale
Watford/Saracens

to name 4, whose pitches seem to hold up ok to me.

Wycombes pitch is half synthetic and half grass thats what we will need to have rugby

 

[muchtodonow]

Regarding the playing surface for the new stadium, there are obviously people concerned that sharing with another team in particular a rugby club will have a negative effect on the performance of BFC when they play.
I would like to assure the supporters of BFC that it is possible to not only have a problem free playing surface in your new stadium but one of the best playing surfaces in the country.
Just briefly regarding post by eddy bee, the surface at WW is fortunately not half synthetic because if it was the impact would be similar to concrete.
The synthetic woven fibres within the pitch you refer to are normally 200mm in length and injected into the ground by special machine and protrude from ground level approximately 20mm. This constitutes no more than 3% of the total grass area to be classified as synthetic.
The advantages of such fibres are numerous and allows for a sand dominant rootzone area giving excellent drainage and staving off compaction long enough to allow for regular maintenace operations to relieve the compacted surface. Lateral stability and turf shear is increased considerably and the crown of the plant is protected thus helping to sustain live grass coverage longer. etc etc
However this is old technology and BFC can look forward to receiving the very latest in pitch innovation thus propelling it as one of the best as mentioned.

 

[south coast bees]

The women would always be online too.. waiting for a bit of bum to be shown.

Thers a few men on here who would be hoping too.

 

[sleekerslee]

I agree it will be a very sad day , but the ground has never been the same since royal oak was knocked down and terraces on new road were replaced with seats . Use to b envy of a lot of clubs during the 70,s but is a shadow of its self now .

Just what i was going to say. How to ruin a ground, well done Mr Lange. Ever thought of trading your gaff for a studio flat ???

 

[bees52 bomber]

mutchtodonow obviously you have raised a point ref compaction to allay my fears of a poor surface, perhaps you can tell me where i could see a pitch with these fibres woven in locally .Do you actually work for a company that does the installion of pitches or just passing comments on the previous threads .??????

 

[rebus]

Do you actually work for a company that does the installion of pitches or just passing comments on the previous threads .??????

He used to be the BFC groundsman and was in charge of the pitch for this year's Champions League Final. I will add that the pitch under his tenure was the best I've ever seen at GP.

 

[muchtodonow]

Thanks for your kind words it is nice to be appreciated I really enjoyed my time at BFC. Regarding where such pitches can be seen locally you do not have to go far there are several in London area,
Emirates, Spurs, Qpr, Reading, Watford, West ham.
In my opinion the best example of a ground share is at Swansea city where they have done a tremendous job on a limited budget.
There are two schools of thought on which rugby code does most damage, whilst rugby league is even less damaging than football it is played throughout summer which severely restricts the renovation window thus the pitch then suffers in the winter. Union is the most damaging second only to american football but follows roughly the same season as the football so allows a good window of opportunity for renovation which is critical on an annual basis. Still like i said it is possible for BFC to have the first team, a rugby code and keep the chelsea reserves, plus the fa youth team games and have realistically 1 large concert per year and have an excellent surface, plus several community events and most important of all the fans game!
I stress 'possible' but of course the right technology design and construction, maintenance and equipment need to be in place for the end result to be satisfactory. Since the multi use aspect appears to be a strong part of the legacy of your new stadium then the playing surface should be a high priority with the powers that be and the alloted budget for that area should reflect that. A new stadium is the ideal time to put it all in place and its very difficult to correct things later as time frames won't allow it.

 

[SpiderBee]

Thanks for your kind words it is nice to be appreciated I really enjoyed my time at BFC. Regarding where such pitches can be seen locally you do not have to go far there are several in London area,
Emirates, Spurs, Qpr, Reading, Watford, West ham.
In my opinion the best example of a ground share is at Swansea city where they have done a tremendous job on a limited budget.
There are two schools of thought on which rugby code does most damage, whilst rugby league is even less damaging than football it is played throughout summer which severely restricts the renovation window thus the pitch then suffers in the winter. Union is the most damaging second only to american football but follows roughly the same season as the football so allows a good window of opportunity for renovation which is critical on an annual basis. Still like i said it is possible for BFC to have the first team, a rugby code and keep the chelsea reserves, plus the fa youth team games and have realistically 1 large concert per year and have an excellent surface, plus several community events and most important of all the fans game!
I stress 'possible' but of course the right technology design and construction, maintenance and equipment need to be in place for the end result to be satisfactory. Since the multi use aspect appears to be a strong part of the legacy of your new stadium then the playing surface should be a high priority with the powers that be and the alloted budget for that area should reflect that. A new stadium is the ideal time to put it all in place and its very difficult to correct things later as time frames won't allow it.

I hope those in charge will take note of this vital point!

 

[nick logan]

Perhaps the club should employ this man as a temp consultant as and when we are ready to get the pitch done. ( typing that made go all of a quiver ).

 

[bees52 bomber]

I think you might have missed a couple of interesting points muchtodonow , you forgot to mention that the turf is also grown in a synthetic square mess for want of a desciption,to add strength to the grass , also the lighting to aid regrowth more quickly especially after some heavy fixture pile ups .As we all no grass does not grow on a busy road, Are you still working in horticlture ???? Was your first name wayne by any chance ??markbfc i think he was around when norwood hall did the drainage at GP last time and yes the pitch was a credit

 

[FarnhamBee]

muchtodonow relaid the pitch from scratch before the 06/07 season - certainly knows his stuff

 

[rebus]

Was your first name wayne by any chance ??

He's not Wayne Murphy. He was BFC groundsman from 1988 to 1996.

 

[bees52 bomber]

cheers markbfc

 

[Gazza Bee]

Went to see Slavia Prague vs Viktoria Zizkov last night and was very impressed with their new stadium. Cost around 45 million pounds to build and has a 21,000 capacity, would be extremely happy if Lionel Road was similar and seriously think it should be looked at as a model if/when we gain planning permission.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2616022101_5d45e93f19.jpg?v=0

 

[BuzzBeeSi]

We've already copied the roof design (sloping from one side to the other) and our seats look better.

 

[bees52 bomber]

Gazza what was the accustics like oh and the catering ????

 

[kevalutonbee]

Went to see Slavia Prague vs Viktoria Zizkov last night and was very impressed with their new stadium. Cost around 45 million pounds to build and has a 21,000 capacity, would be extremely happy if Lionel Road was similar and seriously think it should be looked at as a model if/when we gain planning permission.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2616022101_5d45e93f19.jpg?v=0

Not sure what the FA wll make of the curved goal line and what looks like a very large slope in the nearest penalty area

 

[Mr Tree]

yes, Gazza Bee's photography skills appear a little off...

Gazza what was the accustics like oh and the catering ????

i was at the game too - we were sat near the main Slavia fans end and they made a good amount of noise. and there were maybe 400-500 Zizkov fans in the far corner and we heard a little from them. the stadium was half-full, but the atmosphere seemed ok...

more here (post #140): https://griffinpark.org/forums/showthread.php?t=64224&page=5

 

[Mr Tree]

catering was only hot dogs for £1.50, crisps for £1.20 or popcorn for £1. beers for £1.20 quite a few outlets around the stadium....

 

[bees52 bomber]

no onions call the bar stewards

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

is this thing finished yet?? where is it again, the treaty centre or twickenham?

:yes:

 

[bees52 bomber]

opposite Andrian halls and behind jobs dairy Hanworth??

 

[Harry Butler]

Barrett developments in crisis shock!!SHARE PRICES DROP FROM 1266P TO 53P..........END.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

hurry up Susan!

 

[Harry Butler]

Now at 64p

 

[mhead bee]

I can't wait. GP is long past its sell by date.

b***ocks to GP, we have lost in 7 play offs since we have been there, good riddance to the old place.

GP is a competely different place to the one i first started going to and its not all bad as the old GP would be a right sodding state if we had not rebuilt the stands and put brook road up.

Onwards and upwards, we may even consider ourselves equals with reading again one day!

 

[Stanley]

GP is a competely different place to the one i first started going to !

Tis true, for those that can remember it in its prime with three large covered sides ( a rarity pre all seated stadiums) it was a special stadium and the envy of others.

When you went to places like Cold Blow Lane and even Stamford Bridge you realised how lucky we were.

For that reason we need to move on as the currrent GP , however much we love it, is a shadow of its former self and that hurts more than the thought of leaving it.

The pictures of Lionel road look exciting but to me lack imagination/ uniqueness in overall image, sadly I am resigned to having some form of bowl as per every other stadium in the country.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

b***ocks to GP, we have lost in 7 play offs since we have been there, good riddance to the old place.

:bound:
SIX innit? rofl

 

[California Bee]

Anyone who was there years ago when we pulled in 35,000 plus sometimes will remember the fantastic atmosphere at Griffin Park when Wolves, Newcastle (giants of that era) etc came to play.

 

[bees52 bomber]

Surely the atmosphere must be in the top three of priorities ,unlike the emirates which imo wasnt considered to be important enough????One thing the old GP had plenty of .

 

[Ambrose_1889]

What stage of proceedings are we at then?

Also, re: the naming of the new ground. If we have to call it "The Coca-Cola Stadium", please can we ensure that Lionel Road is included in the name somewhere ie "The Coca-Cola Lionel Road Stadium" or similar. I just want to ensure that we don't start saying "Oh, i'm just off to the coca-cola" rather than "lionel road". We have to keep some identity. Personally, I am against naming stadiums because of corporate deals but I accept this will happen at our new ground.

 

[GABS]

sadly I am resigned to having some form of bowl as per every other stadium in the country.

Resigned are you? Feck me I'd just be happy to get the new ground confirmed and built. The way it looks is the lowest priority I would have thought. The capacity and extra money making facilities non-matchday come above that in my books

 

[Banana]

Resigned are you? Feck me I'd just be happy to get the new ground confirmed and built. The way it looks is the lowest priority I would have thought. The capacity and extra money making facilities non-matchday come above that in my books

You just want that do you?

I;d just be happy to secure the long term future of the club so that no one can come along and rack up debt against the club or sell the club to someone who can/does.

I am ****ed it we have to go through another era of Noades again. Now we have the club in supporters' hands we need to ensure that the long-term future of the club is always secure.....new stadium or not.

 

[Stanley]

Resigned are you? Feck me I'd just be happy to get the new ground confirmed and built. The way it looks is the lowest priority I would have thought. The capacity and extra money making facilities non-matchday come above that in my books

As I recall just about the most raised issue in the consultation process with supporters was a new stadium with some character so I don't think it is the lowest priority.. although it could be that supporters views are the lowest priority I guess.

It need not necessarily cost, just needs imagination.

If what it looks like is the lowest priority than just build another Sixfields stadium, I'm sure Noades had the plans for one somewhere.

 

[john-castle]

What about TRAWLERS FISH AND CHIP stadium????? Or Ali,s Kebabs stadium?????

 

[GABS]

You just want that do you?

No

 

[GABS]

If what it looks like is the lowest priority than just build another Sixfields stadium,

You said "some form of bowl". Last time I looked Sixfields was far from a bowl. A bowl would suggest a Leicester/Southampton/Reading type effort and any of those, bland as they may be, would suit me fine if the alternative was no new stadium at all and bye-bye additional income streams

 

[Stanley]

You said "some form of bowl". Last time I looked Sixfields was far from a bowl. A bowl would suggest a Leicester/Southampton/Reading type effort and any of those, bland as they may be, would suit me fine if the alternative was no new stadium at all and bye-bye additional income streams

That's because I put a Sixfields stadium below even a "bowl"...

 

[TW3Bee]

That's because I put a Sixfields stadium below even a "bowl"...

Where would you rate something like Chesters then?

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

what does everyone think of the design of swansea's stadium

 

[kevalutonbee]

what does everyone think of the design of swansea's stadium

Apart from the obvious disadvantage of being in Wales it isn't too bad

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

lol yeah there is that down point but apart from that i thought it was quite good

 

[BuzzBeeSi]

What's wrong with the current LR design? It's a bowl, but with a twist. At least it has a twist.

 

[ninebelowzero]

why did we turn down london wasps to ground share

 

[Luke Kirton]

why did we turn down london wasps to ground share

Did we? Where does it say that?

I know they have recently been taken over by the managing director of Wycombe who said this in the press release:

Addressing the issues that have surrounded plans for a new stadium he said; “Having forged an excellent partnership with Wycombe District Council, who have demonstrated excellent forward thinking, we continue to make positive steps towards our goal of developing a new and improved stadium facility. For now, and the foreseeable future, we are committed to our current home but positive steps have been made to make our plans of development a realisation.”

Nothing about Brentfordfc turning them down

 

[ninebelowzero]

on radio london last week they said talks had broken down with steve hayes who was a brentford fan years ago .

 

[Banana]

on radio london last week they said talks had broken down with steve hayes who was a brentford fan years ago .

Never heard of him and AFAIK there is no Steve Hayes involved in the Lionel Road Project.

 

[ninebelowzero]

he is the owner of london wasps now .many years ago he wanted to buy brentford he is best mates with terry evans

 

[Gazza Bee]

Never heard of him and AFAIK there is no Steve Hayes involved in the Lionel Road Project.

He is MD at Wycombe and now Wasp's owner but why he would want to be involved in Lionel Road I can't really fathom

 

[ninebelowzero]

they want to ground share that was what radio london said on the day he was shown as wasps new ownner