Fan's View FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.28: PRESTON AWAY

I really do enjoy watching Greg Leigh & Kioso but not sure they are a Rowett type of full back. Always one too many positional or plain simple defensive errors from them both of them in most games.
However we are not alone, the window cleaner at work today, a Liverpool supporter was moaning about Trent Alexander Arnold saying he is not a proper full back, so the big clubs have the same problem!
 
A great read, as always, Paul. I send a copy to various friends around the US who've become firm fans of the Yellows, in part thanks to you.
 

As I said on the match day thread, I guess Preston fans aren't that excited by yet another season of mid-table mediocrity and we aren't the greatest draw when there are local derbies. So I can see why they gave us potentially the whole of that stand and there were plenty of empty seats. I'm still not convinced we would have sold all of the extra Leeds allocation looking at the Millwall / Preston away crowds. Maybe Leeds is a bit more of a fun city than Preston.

Nonetheless Preston has several recommended places for ales and craft beers. Went to a few including the Black Horse. The Orchard in the market hall allowed you to buy food and snacks from the other concessions, and the barman even told us which beers he said not to bother with. The Guild Ale house conveniently had a taxi rank outside, and after the game the Old Vic was only minutes from the station.

I thought the statue was well worked with the water fountains recreating the splash / spray from the photo.
Also it looked like it was a focal point for fans to leave flowers to remember loved ones.

The floodlights! Traditional lights on each corner on huge ****-off towers and girders connecting to the stands. None of these modern "along the gable of the roof" LED light-show nonsense.

As for the game, that cock-up for our goal is amazing. Ten points from twelve has given us hope for the season when we could easily have been rock-bottom. Also none of the "how **** must you be we're winning away" chants this week. Perhaps the message has got through.
 
As I said on the match day thread, I guess Preston fans aren't that excited by yet another season of mid-table mediocrity and we aren't the greatest draw when there are local derbies. So I can see why they gave us potentially the whole of that stand and there were plenty of empty seats. I'm still not convinced we would have sold all of the extra Leeds allocation looking at the Millwall / Preston away crowds. Maybe Leeds is a bit more of a fun city than Preston.

Nonetheless Preston has several recommended places for ales and craft beers. Went to a few including the Black Horse. The Orchard in the market hall allowed you to buy food and snacks from the other concessions, and the barman even told us which beers he said not to bother with. The Guild Ale house conveniently had a taxi rank outside, and after the game the Old Vic was only minutes from the station.

I thought the statue was well worked with the water fountains recreating the splash / spray from the photo.
Also it looked like it was a focal point for fans to leave flowers to remember loved ones.

The floodlights! Traditional lights on each corner on huge ****-off towers and girders connecting to the stands. None of these modern "along the gable of the roof" LED light-show nonsense.

As for the game, that cock-up for our goal is amazing. Ten points from twelve has given us hope for the season when we could easily have been rock-bottom. Also none of the "how **** must you be we're winning away" chants this week. Perhaps the message has got through.

No comparison between Leeds and Millwall/Preston, Leeds are a genuinely big if perennial underachieving club in a vibrant big city, while Preston are a historic club but haven’t done anything for donkey years in a small Lancashire town, Millwall are one of the smaller clubs in the capital where the lure of a London away day was ruined by it being on New Year’s Day.

You can’t take anything from the latter two crowds, Leeds like Bristol City earlier in the season was an event away game, the other two were just normal run of the mill ones.
 
It's interesting that you mention the stadium, Paul, as one of the Preston Directors is the principal at FWP Architects, who have done a number of stadia and arenas. We spoke to them extensively in the early days of our stadium project and NMcW and myself visited them at Deepdale for a guided tour.

They did most of the renovations over 20 years ago now, but it's an interesting concept, what they've done. For instance under the stand that was to our left is a health centre which brings in well over £1m per annum in rent (something we were looking at, but with education, in the plans they drew up for us). Also in that stand is a large "expansion area" above and behind the existing seating. It's a huge space that is currently mostly empty, but could accommodate large conferences or corporate events, as well as another couple of thousand seats if they ever needed them. Another interesting thing is that the players come out from the corner of the pitch. This isn't an oversight, but has been designed this way. The actual changing rooms are tucked away at the corner of the stand behind the goal. We were told the reason is that half way line space is premium, but players can get changed anywhere, so why waste prime space.

FWP did a great design for us, at another site we were looking at close to Parkway, complete with fly through video (which I've still got) and were shortlisted for the Triangle, but unfortunately didn't win it. Shame, as I'd have liked them to have got it.

Last interesting fact is that the principal architect has got number plate PNE 1 on his Range Rover!
 
[QUOTE="holdsteady, post: 953913, member:
You can’t take anything from the latter two crowds, Leeds like Bristol City earlier in the season was an event away game, the other two were just normal run of the mill ones.
[/QUOTE]
I thought that the Preston game was far more attractive.
We haven't played them for 25 years ( many supporters will never have been to Deepdale), and from a football perspective it was far more likely to be an important game.
So it proved I guess?

Preston was a good place to visit. Good pubs within walking distance to the stadium and a pretty decent stadium.
 
It's interesting that you mention the stadium, Paul, as one of the Preston Directors is the principal at FWP Architects, who have done a number of stadia and arenas. We spoke to them extensively in the early days of our stadium project and NMcW and myself visited them at Deepdale for a guided tour.

They did most of the renovations over 20 years ago now, but it's an interesting concept, what they've done. For instance under the stand that was to our left is a health centre which brings in well over £1m per annum in rent (something we were looking at, but with education, in the plans they drew up for us). Also in that stand is a large "expansion area" above and behind the existing seating. It's a huge space that is currently mostly empty, but could accommodate large conferences or corporate events, as well as another couple of thousand seats if they ever needed them. Another interesting thing is that the players come out from the corner of the pitch. This isn't an oversight, but has been designed this way. The actual changing rooms are tucked away at the corner of the stand behind the goal. We were told the reason is that half way line space is premium, but players can get changed anywhere, so why waste prime space.

FWP did a great design for us, at another site we were looking at close to Parkway, complete with fly through video (which I've still got) and were shortlisted for the Triangle, but unfortunately didn't win it. Shame, as I'd have liked them to have got it.

Last interesting fact is that the principal architect has got number plate PNE 1 on his Range Rover!
That's really interesting, thanks Colin.

I have to say I was as impressed with Deepdale as I thought I'd be. It's a really nice stadium; money spent wisely in the right areas, still feels modern without losing the facets of what makes a ground feel 'traditional', if that makes sense.

Shout to the locals as well. They were extremely friendly and generous with their time. As my son and I approached the ground, and older chap made a point of coming out of the foyer to discuss our tie-in with BAXI. He had assumed they'd moved their manufacturing down south.
He also told me BAXI funded the renovations to Deepdale when they had a majority share in the club, which I had no idea about.
 
It's interesting that you mention the stadium, Paul, as one of the Preston Directors is the principal at FWP Architects, who have done a number of stadia and arenas. We spoke to them extensively in the early days of our stadium project and NMcW and myself visited them at Deepdale for a guided tour.

They did most of the renovations over 20 years ago now, but it's an interesting concept, what they've done. For instance under the stand that was to our left is a health centre which brings in well over £1m per annum in rent (something we were looking at, but with education, in the plans they drew up for us). Also in that stand is a large "expansion area" above and behind the existing seating. It's a huge space that is currently mostly empty, but could accommodate large conferences or corporate events, as well as another couple of thousand seats if they ever needed them. Another interesting thing is that the players come out from the corner of the pitch. This isn't an oversight, but has been designed this way. The actual changing rooms are tucked away at the corner of the stand behind the goal. We were told the reason is that half way line space is premium, but players can get changed anywhere, so why waste prime space.

FWP did a great design for us, at another site we were looking at close to Parkway, complete with fly through video (which I've still got) and were shortlisted for the Triangle, but unfortunately didn't win it. Shame, as I'd have liked them to have got it.

Last interesting fact is that the principal architect has got number plate PNE 1 on his Range Rover!
I was trying to work out if the exec boxes to the left with pulled down screens were unused, or for the match day "no alcohol in view of the pitch" rule. The ground didn't seem to me to have many exec boxes other than that left side, or corporate or was I missing something? Is it mostly in the RHS stand under the stand hospitality and then "normal" seats?
 
That's really interesting, thanks Colin.

I have to say I was as impressed with Deepdale as I thought I'd be. It's a really nice stadium; money spent wisely in the right areas, still feels modern without losing the facets of what makes a ground feel 'traditional', if that makes sense.

Shout to the locals as well. They were extremely friendly and generous with their time. As my son and I approached the ground, and older chap made a point of coming out of the foyer to discuss our tie-in with BAXI. He had assumed they'd moved their manufacturing down south.
He also told me BAXI funded the renovations to Deepdale when they had a majority share in the club, which I had no idea about.
That was one of the things I liked about their proposals for us. It was a really nice 18,000 capacity stadium, with a whole Premium tier, some boxes, two hotels, and also lettable space that all generated income for the club. The most striking thing was that the cost for all of that was about a third of what it looks like we'll be paying for the Triangle, due to the clever way they designed it!
 
That was one of the things I liked about their proposals for us. It was a really nice 18,000 capacity stadium, with a whole Premium tier, some boxes, two hotels, and also lettable space that all generated income for the club. The most striking thing was that the cost for all of that was about a third of what it looks like we'll be paying for the Triangle, due to the clever way they designed it!

Wow. I guess that begs the question; on what grounds was the AFL tender selected over FWP's?

Also, while I think of it, what it the expansion potential for the Triangle site/design?
 
I was trying to work out if the exec boxes to the left with pulled down screens were unused, or for the match day "no alcohol in view of the pitch" rule. The ground didn't seem to me to have many exec boxes other than that left side, or corporate or was I missing something? Is it mostly in the RHS stand under the stand hospitality and then "normal" seats?

The executive boxes are all along that stand to our left, and I presume had the screens down due to the no alcohol rule, as I've been in FWP's box and it certainly has glass windows facing the pitch.

Executive boxes are a bit old hat now, and we never intended to have as many as there are at The Kassam for the new stadium. Most people want a more flexible Premium offering now, with a range of dining options, from street food to fine dining, and a padded premium seat, rather than a box behind glass. It generates more of a "club" feel and people have their seat but can vary what they do food wise. That's the kind of set up they have at Deepdale, although it has to be said we were/are aiming for a bigger and better version for OUFC.
 
Wow. I guess that begs the question; on what grounds was the AFL tender selected over FWP's?

Also, while I think of it, what it the expansion potential for the Triangle site/design?
Because I wasn't making the decision!!!

You'd have to ask those that were making it, but I think they wanted someone more "sexy" than FWP.

I think the expansion at the Triangle is about 2,000 but I'm no longer involved, so it may have changed.
 
Because I wasn't making the decision!!!

You'd have to ask those that were making it, but I think they wanted someone more "sexy" than FWP.

I think the expansion at the Triangle is about 2,000 but I'm no longer involved, so it may have changed.

That's interesting, that would have been my assumption, that they wanted some form of statement design, and AFL certainly offers that aspect, regardless of the additional cost.

Cheers Colin, appreciate your insight.
 
The executive boxes are all along that stand to our left, and I presume had the screens down due to the no alcohol rule, as I've been in FWP's box and it certainly has glass windows facing the pitch.

Executive boxes are a bit old hat now, and we never intended to have as many as there are at The Kassam for the new stadium. Most people want a more flexible Premium offering now, with a range of dining options, from street food to fine dining, and a padded premium seat, rather than a box behind glass. It generates more of a "club" feel and people have their seat but can vary what they do food wise. That's the kind of set up they have at Deepdale, although it has to be said we were/are aiming for a bigger and better version for OUFC.
That makes sense. I've been to the Emirates and was exactly as you described. On the corporate level I got a free programme, airplane style stewardesses guiding you to the escalators to that tier, a choice of food in an open concourse for that level, and then off to your padded seat. rather than an exec box like at the Kassam. though i assume there are still even more "premium" options.
 
[QUOTE="holdsteady, post: 953913, member:
You can’t take anything from the latter two crowds, Leeds like Bristol City earlier in the season was an event away game, the other two were just normal run of the mill ones.
I thought that the Preston game was far more attractive.
We haven't played them for 25 years ( many supporters will never have been to Deepdale), and from a football perspective it was far more likely to be an important game.
So it proved I guess?

Preston was a good place to visit. Good pubs within walking distance to the stadium and a pretty decent stadium.
[/QUOTE]

Not a view shared by the majority though?
 
"Meantime with a break of a fortnight until our next league fixture the table looks so much healthier."

Not quite true - Plymouth (a) is midweek, 10 days after the Preston match.
 
"Meantime with a break of a fortnight until our next league fixture the table looks so much healthier."

Not quite true - Plymouth (a) is midweek, 10 days after the Preston match.
Whoops - and my two proof readers missed that too.
 
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