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IronMike

First XI
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
608
Location
Ilford exile, only minutes from Roots Hall' those
I popped down to the ground earlier today to buy my first ticket for Saturday's match.

My little reconnaissance consisted of a planned timed walk, door to door, to the West stand entrance in Shakespeare Drive (approx 8 and a half minutes) where I'll be in block U and also to look at the pubs etc...
Of course I then had to go back round to where I knew the ticket office was and noticed behind the away end on Fairfax Drive was quite a bit of space.

That got me thinking straight away - if only the club got someone in with the funds to buy out the van rental business behind the North stand and relocate them and the other firms there, they'd have some serious space to redevelop.... Then I came across the large car park by the East!!! Sure RH is prime 'estate' and highly attractive to property developers but as a football fan, I'd be frothing at the mouth at the potential of just how my ground could be redeveloped.

Some clubs would kill for that space which is already actually theirs.

The boy in the ticket office was a good lad with plenty of banter - he guessed I was West Ham and said with a smile, "I don't think you'll fill Stratford". :smile: - I agreed of course then started asking about redeveloping RH, what with the space just behind. I suppose redeveloping would be more costly, moving the pitch around maybe, or at least further away, plus all the day to day upheaval and effect on the team that comes with that.

I can't help but be traditional and a bit of a romantic with things like this - maybe it's because I know we're sadly leaving The Boleyn.. but surely given the choice, when push comes to shove, wouldn't you rather stay at Roots Hall, your home, your history? Majority of posts I've read on here shows an almost 100% sway to Fossetts.
I often feel though that when people talk of the club on it's knees and barely surviving, that saying leaving is the only option, is the typical scaremongering a chairman wants to portray to the masses, much how like a politician does, to suit their own agendas.

It's how Brady, Sullivan and Gold have sold the idea to West Ham fans, when in truth, all they have successfully done is hoodwink us, to meet their own ends, so come the time to sell, it'll be to a stinking rich oil billionaire who just wants a toy.

A good time for my 100th post :winking:... what are your views please. Apologies in advance if this is yet another regurgitation of 'the move', but sometimes it's good to get an outsider with a new / different perspective.

Clever of Sothend though (if they meant it) to site the ticket office within the club shop, at the back - so mugs like me can then have a browse and then buy something. I got both a raincoat and a pair of yellow shorts for a fiver in the sale. Bloke in there told me they were last season's GK shorts, which they've kept on display as they match the new away shirt. Why not eh? ....when there's a professional football club within 8 minutes walk away.
Looking forward to Saturday. :thumbsup:
 
From memory, it's been talked about before. Rotating the ground 90 degrees and using the car park behind the East stand. Not sure if it was just talk or if serious plans were looked at
 
Beginning to wonder if fossetts will happen especially after Sainsburys annoucement yesterday, seems to be a big move away from big superstores.All seems quiet again, no sign of any building work at fossetts.
 
If you rotated the ground (which is the only way to really make the most of the available space) then you're basically building a new stadium, and you might as well sell the more valuable plot and build on a cheaper plot if you're doing this - which results in the FF plan.

Redevelopment might add a few extra seats and boxes, but what we'd really need is significant commercial facilities like conferencing facilities, a bigger shop and ticket office, community changing rooms, better bars etc. All of which require quite a lot of space, parking etc.

Also I'm not sure that the slope of the RH site is particularly helpful.
 
I posted on here some time ago we will share with Dagenham,RH will become a housing estate and the club will be facing oblivion.
 
Most supporters that I know would rather Roots Hall had been developed in the past than all this claptrap about a new ground over the years , Roots Hall was our home before being sold off , now I will get people telling me that we should have a new ground , we would not have needed one had previous chairmen and boards concentrated on looking after the ground that we had .
 
I posted on here some time ago we will share with Dagenham,RH will become a housing estate and the club will be facing oblivion.

Whats gives you the right to an opinion? You are not a football chairman or site developer. You shouldn't knock others for trying you know.
 
The cost will always prevent it from happening....but I would only redevelop the north and east stands....no nedd for pitch rotation etc etc....new bigger north bank....then new bigger east stand....done.
 
Demolish the East and replace with cantilever stand thus giving not only an uninterrupted view but also better facilities ,Remove seats from South lower thus giving a better view whilst actually increasing capacity.

Would also be tempted to remove seats from the entire North bank again allowing for a better view and increased capacity.
 
Whats gives you the right to an opinion? You are not a football chairman or site developer. You shouldn't knock others for trying you know.

Being a member of SZ gives MrsB the right to an opinion. You don't have to agree with it.
 
I am sure with the St. Mary's Court flats, the shops on Victoria avenue, the Prospects site, and maybe even something in Roots Hall Avenue, flattened. A good architect could come up with a plan to have more flats/housing to perimeter Roots Hall with. (maybe even a supermarket in shops on groundlevel).

This would then give R M the funds to develop Roots Hall. Maybe rotate, maybe bigger stands with facilities. Even doing it one stand at a time , as and when needs/financial conditions allow.

Was talking to a Villa fan last week, they have /are improving Villa Park one stand at a time. Most of us do the same with our homes (extensions etc)

I am sure with the aforementioned St. Mary's Court, shops etc demolished, there is enough room for a big development, with income streams from, shops and letting income, to add the other revenue streams, that we need (other than football) from a successful business.
 
Redevelopment of RH has always been possible, and remains so. Arguably, such a proposal would have a better long term effect on the Club, given the prime location on what is, let us not forget, the main gateway into the Town, and just a ten minute walk from the amenities of the High Street et al.


If the Council could guarantee the CPO or negotiate purchase of the flats on Victoria Ave, then you have the ability to, in theory, build a gargantuan main stand on the car park to satisfy each of the Club's non-matchday revenue-generating targets. Personally, I'd combine it with social/key worker housing to sweeten the planning application, and partially fund the redevelopment.

This then indirectly enables the Club to bring the pitch East by a few metres, giving them a future option to improve or re-model the West Stand at a later date.

Additionally, if you then place into the equation, the possibility of removing the businesses from behind the North Stand, then you could wrap the new East Stand round the corner and build a new North Stand of the same/similar profile - you'd probably end up with a capacity not far off of 20,000.

Think of the somewhat unbalanced profile of Bradford's Valley Parade, and you'd have something that looked very similar.
 
If you rotated the ground (which is the only way to really make the most of the available space) then you're basically building a new stadium, and you might as well sell the more valuable plot and build on a cheaper plot if you're doing this - which results in the FF plan.

Redevelopment might add a few extra seats and boxes, but what we'd really need is significant commercial facilities like conferencing facilities, a bigger shop and ticket office, community changing rooms, better bars etc. All of which require quite a lot of space, parking etc.

Also I'm not sure that the slope of the RH site is particularly helpful.
Surely if we could rotate the ground we could tilt the tilt .
 
Furthermore, if you could purchase the circa. 10 houses to the rear of the North Stand, adjacent to Fairfax Drive, then you would be able to open up the frontage of the stadium so that it doesn't have the enclosed feel it currently has - it almost becomes a showcase for the Town's enterprise and industry as you drive down the re-modeled A127....
 
I posted on here some time ago we will share with Dagenham,RH will become a housing estate and the club will be facing oblivion.

You did indeed. And no-one believed you then either.

Please let us know when you expect this to happen because leaving it open means you can never be proved wrong. All you have to do is say it hasn't happened yet. So, please tell us when is this going to happen?
 
You did indeed. And no-one believed you then either.

Please let us know when you expect this to happen because leaving it open means you can never be proved wrong. All you have to do is say it hasn't happened yet. So, please tell us when is this going to happen?


Next season so I have been told.

With Sainsbury looking likely to withdraw and FF a million year's away which leaves the golden goose RH to become housing.

I hope the people are wrong who told me.
 
The big problem with all these ideas is if you dont sell Roots Hall you have no way to finance the new build.

Next season so I have been told.

With Sainsbury looking likely to withdraw and FF a million year's away which leaves the golden goose RH to become housing.

I hope the people are wrong who told me.

Lol, sorry but thats beyond absurd.:hilarious: Did you not laugh in that persons face?

Lets take a look at that scenario.

Sainsbury pull out ?, thats possible.

So what then happens, we instantly knock down Roots Hall and build houses and play at Daggers in 12 months ?

Even if that scenario was remotely possible the planning application would take years, there is no way we would be ground sharing next season.

Seriously, people really need to question this type of garbage when people tell them it.
 
No need for a ground share - value it or not, there still remains a covenant on Roots Hall which prohibits it's redevelopment until such a time as the Club have another home...
 
No need for a ground share - value it or not, there still remains a covenant on Roots Hall which prohibits it's redevelopment until such a time as the Club have another home...


The covenant IMO is worthless and IF any ground share becomes reality then surely the club would have a home?

Just to make sure everyone understands I have been told this so I don't know if true.
 
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