What if: Re-developed the Manor

D

DreamInYellow

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Joined
6 Jan 2018
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Retrospect is a fine thing, and as a relativley younger supporter I probably don't fully understand the full circumstances of the time. But can I put the following out there:

The Manor was deemed not fit for purpose. With our annual rent of 500k per annum since 2000. If invested at the Manor site, would it be fit for purpose now?

Genuine question, please reply respectfully.

Ps. I know looking backwards isn't helpful. But maybe fully understanding the decisions along the way is beneficial to younger fans.
 
Absolutely impossible. Try visiting the area today. It is totally hemmed in by houses and roads. Plus the hospital owned ground that there is no way they would give up, nor the bowls club on Osler road. Stands were entered by alleyways and small residential streets. Cookoo Lane was a football disaster waiting to happen, ask any away fan.
 
Belgium Yellow said:
Absolutely impossible. Try visiting the area today. It is totally hemmed in by houses and roads. Plus the hospital owned ground that there is no way they would give up, nor the bowls club on Osler road. Stands were entered by alleyways and small residential streets. Cookoo Lane was a football disaster waiting to happen, ask any away fan.
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Appreciate your reply. I went to the Manor as a 9/10 year old boy. I have nothing but magical/naive memories.
 
DreamInYellow said:
Belgium Yellow said:
Absolutely impossible. Try visiting the area today. It is totally hemmed in by houses and roads. Plus the hospital owned ground that there is no way they would give up, nor the bowls club on Osler road. Stands were entered by alleyways and small residential streets. Cookoo Lane was a football disaster waiting to happen, ask any away fan.
Click to expand...


Appreciate your reply. I went to the Manor as a 9/10 year old boy. I have nothing but magical/naive memories.
Click to expand...

It was indeed magical. But it was time to let go, unfortunately.

*Sobs*
 
I loved The Manor, the atmosphere generated there... Wow. Was a sad day when we played the last game there. But to update on that footprint? Just wouldn't have worked unfortunately.
 
When you look at aerial photographs of the Manor you can see just how hemmed in it was. It really would have been very very difficult to make it into a stadium for a progressive club in the 21st century.

Having said that, it was a magical place, and if I could have one thing that money can't buy, it would be a time machine to transport me back there for one more game. I still can't believe I'll never stand on the London Rd terrace again!
 
Yeah my nan and grandad had a house on staunton road and my dad used to drive me and a mate or two up for a cup of tea before heading over to beech road terrace. It was magic. But to see the small narrow lanes leading to the away end, well, I can now see how that wouldn't be possible. However, that was real football for me... walking into the London road with my mates as a teenager was so exciting. But then I knew I'd be seeing joey, Matty Elliot, bobby ford etc. I don't want to be a downer but what we have now is a vast vacuous wasteland of a stadium compared to my days at the manor.
 
I reminisce every day [emoji22] Other half works there and boy at nursery just off cuckoo lane. Sad that the hospital doesn’t highlight its past.
 
Sandhills Yellow said:
I reminisce every day [emoji22] Other half works there and boy at nursery just off cuckoo lane. Sad that the hospital doesn’t highlight its past.
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Football pitch in the middle of a ward is probably going to be a nightmare for infections.
 
MJB said:
Sandhills Yellow said:
I reminisce every day [emoji22] Other half works there and boy at nursery just off cuckoo lane. Sad that the hospital doesn’t highlight its past.
Click to expand...

Football pitch in the middle of a ward is probably going to be a nightmare for infections.
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True! There’s no recognition of the history tho. Something for another thread maybe.

Whilst I remember, anyone know what happened to someone’s plan for a plaque at The Brit?
 
Great thread, shame it couldn’t happen after all the magical times I had there, but impossible. Someone did ask this at the town hall meeting all those years ago when Kassams name first cropped up, bet they wish they put more consideration in to it now, even though it wouldn’t have worked.
 
I`m just so grateful to have experienced it at such a magical time for my club. Born in Old Headington (just past the Bell, another memory trashed) and lived for many years on Grays Road The Manor was part of my growing up. From walking past on the way to school to riding past on the way to work and then graduating to a "spot" on the Left Side LRT. I was also fortunate enough to see a game from every stand & terrace at The Manor. I could probably write a book on the memories.... from being pictured in the OM watching over the fence from a mates back garden in Osler road to getting there late for a midweek and watching from the Cuckoo lane (think it was Bolton) the view of the LRT from the other end was dark & menacing and noisy. It could never have been redeveloped in its old footprint for the reasons noted above, the Bowls Club are ridiculously wealthy and can`t be "bought", the price of purchasing housing etc the hospital grounds etc as well as the rights of public access along Cuckoo Lane/Devils Alley.
However nobody can take those memories and its just that that makes many of us "old farts" the heart beat of the club.

I`m off to mither in the shed with my pipe......
 
It was a very unique football ground with a lot of idiosyncratic characteristics.
It is amazing when you talk to football supporters of other teams, who are in their 50's 60's they remember and tell their story of their trip to "The Manor" as an away supporter.
The car park - the modern fan would struggle here! I think there were a few car park spaces round the back of Beech Road/London Road corner, probably 10 at most. Everyone had to park in a side street and walk, this included the players!
 
Yes, the Manor Ground had huge "investment potential" not as redevelopment as a football ground but as residential land. Unfortunately Mr K saw this and bought the ground himself and with a bit of planning permission sold it at huge profit to enable him to complete the build of the new stadium (sorry, partly complete). So we are only paying £500k rent a year to Mr K for a building that he financed out of the Manor Ground.
 
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