Temporary stand

brassmonkey

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14 Dec 2017
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The club should check out the viability of a temporary safe standing stand at the fence end. With some big matches coming up and the possibility of championship football next year it could be a savvy investment.
 
The club should check out the viability of a temporary safe standing stand at the fence end. With some big matches coming up and the possibility of championship football next year it could be a savvy investment.

It would be nice, but I feel we've been through this already, and can't help thinking "what's the point in even trying?". Kassam will play silly buggers as always and it'll just be a distraction from a long term solution to the stadium issue.
 
We have tried this multiple times over the last decade. Logistics aside, Kassam simply won’t allow it.
 
Precisely. Didn’t he say that he thought he should take a big cut of the money from the ticket sales for any such stand last time it was brought up? I am 99.9% sure that he essentially went, “If I allow it, I should get the money?”

But the club pays for the cost of construction I bet?
 
We have tried this multiple times over the last decade. Logistics aside, Kassam simply won’t allow it.
I may be remembering this incorrectly but I believe he gave permission the last time it was seriously proposed, and we were looking to get it up in time for the Swindon game (three years ago?). I don't know the commercial ins and outs, but I'm guessing it wasn't worthwhile for Eales to follow through on it.

On a separate point I doubt if it's commercially viable at the moment. We'd have to be looking at nearly-selling out far more often than once or twice a season. When we're promoted, I understand we have to pay that blood-sucking slum landlord even more for the ground alone (?), so that again changes the financial viability.
 
Precisely. Didn’t he say that he thought he should take a big cut of the money from the ticket sales for any such stand last time it was brought up? I am 99.9% sure that he essentially went, “If I allow it, I should get the money?”
Yup. Money grabbing old git wanted his pound of flesh. Coupled with the cost of staff, stewards and police (TVP wanted a cut as well!) the whole shebang became a non-starter. Probably make more from selling the fence as advertising space.
 
But the club pays for the cost of construction I bet?
Yup.
I may be remembering this incorrectly but I believe he gave permission the last time it was seriously proposed, and we were looking to get it up in time for the Swindon game (three years ago?). I don't know the commercial ins and outs, but I'm guessing it wasn't worthwhile for Eales to follow through on it.
Kassam wanted us to pay for it all and then take most of the money for himself. Logistically it's actually quite straight forward, but he killed it with his demands as he always does.
 
If it was feasible financially, ie Kassam didn’t want to rinse the club dry then I should imagine we would of just put a temp stand up years ago on a long term lease, can’t be that much to hire one like that as most rental companies love that sort of deal, guaranteed cash and very little work.

We are basically hiring 3 stands, a pitch and get use of some offices and car park for varying amounts of time for £500 k a year, deal never looks any better.
 
I thought the official line with the time Kassam "agreed" on putting up a fourth stand was that he agreed in principle but it wasn't feasible in the timescale given.

Which is a nice way of saying that negotiations (almost exclusively to the benefit of our hallowed custodian) dragged on so long it was no longer doable, THEN he says he agreed to it.

Clever guy (other adjectives available on request...)
 
Unfortunately though it isn't that simple. You have to remove the fence and its supports (temporarily), add in segregation from the pitch, provide toilets, segregate from the car park, add in turnstiles of some sort, provide lighting, a PA (safety requirement) etc.

Not insurmountable of course - but not as simple as just having the units turn up and set up. And then Uncle K - having charged you to do it - wants to take the profits. Not difficult to see why its never been done.
 
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