Roots Hall

[Tommy2holes]

I was looking around the Hall on Saturday and it's not in good shape a all. A thought crossed my mind that regardless of the new stadium the old girl probably is coming to the end of her life.

Realistically how long before its an unmanageable situation?

It's quite literally crumbling. I'd say maybe another few seasons tops before we may have serious issues with it.

If the new stadium does not materialise then what?

 

[Sherif H]

Ordinarily, you'd classify a building at being at the end of it's usable life if the cost of maintenance exceeds reasonable levels, and constructing a new facility would be cheaper in the longer term than continuing unabated with these maintenance works.

Generally, when making this kind of assessment, you'd look at both the high-ticket items like Mechanical & Electrical plant (do floodlights need to be replaced; are the storage tanks/boilers/pipework serviceable; is the comms infrastructure too dated?), and perhaps the more critical safety-based aspects like the configuration of the ground for access/egress, structural condition, and asbestos integrity etc.
The latter combine to have an impact on the ability to obtain a safety certificate each season, and any major deterioration/issues identified could start to see a capacity reduction enforced.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Ordinarily, you'd classify a building at being at the end of it's usable life if the cost of maintenance exceeds reasonable levels, and constructing a new facility would be cheaper in the longer term than continuing unabated with these maintenance works.

Generally, when making this kind of assessment, you'd look at both the high-ticket items like Mechanical & Electrical plant (do floodlights need to be replaced; are the storage tanks/boilers/pipework serviceable; is the comms infrastructure too dated?), and perhaps the more critical safety-based aspects like the configuration of the ground for access/egress, structural condition, and asbestos integrity etc.
The latter combine to have an impact on the ability to obtain a safety certificate each season, and any major deterioration/issues identified could start to see a capacity reduction enforced.

I do not understand a word of that.
Bottom line is that we have a 61 year old stadium that is quite literally falling to bits. This thread is hugely important as it must be obvious to everybody that our special "Roots Hall" is a victim of complete neglect in favour of a new stadium dream.
The problem being that the new stadium is still a dream and our current home is becoming increasingly tatty and may soon fall into disrepair.
As a club I feel we are on the up - though the most obvious part of the entire set-up is being left to rot. Bizarre really.

 

[Tommy2holes]

I do not understand a word of that.
Bottom line is that we have a 61 year old stadium that is quite literally falling to bits. This thread is hugely important as it must be obvious to everybody that our special "Roots Hall" is a victim of complete neglect in favour of a new stadium dream.
The problem being that the new stadium is still a dream and our current home is becoming increasingly tatty and may soon fall into disrepair.
As a club I feel we are on the up - though the most obvious part of the entire set-up is being left to rot. Bizarre really.

That's how I see it. Not a penny has been spent on roots hall in years. It looks tatty and is no longer fit for purpose. As much as I'd love us to completely renovate roots hall it's not going to happen.

Ron needs to start the new stadium soon as to leave it any longer would risk roots hall becoming unusable.

In its current state it's a struggle to grow as a club.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Tommy, I totally agree. Roots Hall was once a fine stadium, especially for a lower league club. Today? It is a monument to neglect and an unfulfilled new stadium dream.
How long until decent footballers have a look around and think "naaah, not the club for me. Tatty and run-down"??

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Remember going to the Boothferry Park at Hull and 2 sides of the ground were closed off due to them being dangerous. With Ron at the helm thats the way we are heading. How that football club has changed since.

 

[Barling Magna]

Yes, I remember going to Boothferry Park too. The terraces on which we were standing were crumbling and cracked, let alone the two sides that were closed. I remember the Hull City fans saying "we'll never be able to amount to much, this is a rugby league city." How wrong they were!

 

[Napster]

I remember the Hull City fans saying "we'll never be able to amount to much, this is a rugby league city." How wrong they were!

Yeah, who was that manager who took them to heights never been reached before or since?

 

[Tommy2holes]

Remember going to the Boothferry Park at Hull and 2 sides of the ground were closed off due to them being dangerous. With Ron at the helm thats the way we are heading. How that football club has changed since.

Yeah booth ferry park was very run down. Thankfully they share with a rugby club and had a forward thinking council. We have a chairman with big ideas and shallow pockets. We also have a council that don't give two ***** about the club.

 

[Sherif H]

I do not understand a word of that.
Bottom line is that we have a 61 year old stadium that is quite literally falling to bits. This thread is hugely important as it must be obvious to everybody that our special "Roots Hall" is a victim of complete neglect in favour of a new stadium dream.
The problem being that the new stadium is still a dream and our current home is becoming increasingly tatty and may soon fall into disrepair.
As a club I feel we are on the up - though the most obvious part of the entire set-up is being left to rot. Bizarre really.

Not sure why it appears so complicated...

Either you make a decision to replace expensive plant (all the stuff you don't see...) to increase the efficiency (and reduce maintenance costs) or you don't.
Either you make a decision to undertake any necessary structural/building fabric improvements or you don't - in which case, you are likely to have restrictions imposed upon you by the Local Authority, or be threatened with a prohibition notice.

Either way, Roots Hall is probably beyond economical serviceability, so the only option is to improve wholesale (new stands) or start over again (new stadium).

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Football goes in cycles. I too went to Boothferry Park, in a crucial "them or us" relegation decider in 1980. The stadium looked terrible and their team was terrible. They only survived that day because our team was even more terrible (Alan Moody apart).
Cycles.

 

[Smiffy]

Let's be honest, it is a complete hole. Yes it is our hole, but sentiment aside if we weren't so loyal to the club none of us would pay £350+ a year to use the god awful "facilities"

Even the basic facilities are a disgrace (toilets/running water/food etc) they wouldn't look out of place in the grottiest northern boozer you could find.

Didn't part of the East blacks/greens floor collapse earlier this season?....worrying considering that is probably one of the more recent upgrades the place has had. That's not even touching on the state of the pot holed car park, seating, crumbling walls, roofing or the bird **** infested South Upper tea bar that was closed years ago etc.

I am surprised that more parts of the stadium have not been condemned yet. I think it is only a matter of time, so Ron better get his skates on as I can see the old place having a reduced usage in the coming seasons if H&S get involved.

 

[Rob1920]

I'm glad this is getting a thread of its own as I've been saying all this on other threads for ages. It can't be left much longer because health & safety rules will shut RH down soon. With still no definite news on FF, if all else fails we'll have no choice but to ground-share. This is obviously now becoming a major concern for fans and we deserve at very least an honest update on both FF and whatever plan B is if FF isn't happening any time soon :'(

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Let's be honest, it is a complete hole. Yes it is our hole, but sentiment aside if we weren't so loyal to the club none of us would pay £350+ a year to use the god awful "facilities"

Even the basic facilities are a disgrace (toilets/running water/food etc) they wouldn't look out of place in the grottiest northern boozer you could find.

Didn't part of the East blacks floor collapse earlier this season?....worrying. That's not even touching on the state of the pot holed car park, seating, crumbling walls, roofing etc.

I am surprised that more parts of the stadium have not been condemned yet. I think it is only a matter of time, so Ron better get his skates on as I can see the old place having a reduced usage in the coming seasons.

A sad but accurate summary of our home today.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

The powers that be must understand that supporters pay good money. The facilities are abysmal.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Let's be honest, it is a complete hole. Yes it is our hole, but sentiment aside if we weren't so loyal to the club none of us would pay £350+ a year to use the god awful "facilities"

Even the basic facilities are a disgrace (toilets/running water/food etc) they wouldn't look out of place in the grottiest northern boozer you could find.

Didn't part of the East blacks floor collapse earlier this season?....worrying. That's not even touching on the state of the pot holed car park, seating, crumbling walls, roofing or the bird **** infested South Upper tea bar that was closed years ago etc.

I am surprised that more parts of the stadium have not been condemned yet. I think it is only a matter of time, so Ron better get his skates on as I can see the old place having a reduced usage in the coming seasons.

Spot on and it's that that worries me the most.

How long can the east stand keep taking the weight of people given its already fallen in once. How long before large prieces of the roof become unsafe?

The catering facilities are abysmal and access when we have a big crowd is dangerous.

I love it but even I now realise how much roots hall Is holding us back. If we stay at roots hall our days are numbered and the ground may dictate how many days we have left.

 

[Sherif H]

Spot on and it's that that worries me the most.

How long can the east stand keep taking the weight of people given its already fallen in once. How long before large prieces of the roof become unsafe?

The catering facilities are abysmal and access when we have a big crowd is dangerous.

I love it but even I now realise how much roots hall Is holding us back. If we stay at roots hall our days are numbered and the ground may dictate how many days we have left.

Even more upsetting when you consider Roots Hall could have conceivably been redeveloped quite cost-effectively to provide a more-than-adequate facility.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Even more upsetting when you consider Roots Hall could have conceivably been redeveloped quite cost-effectively to provide a more-than-adequate facility.

Personally if Ronald walked away tomorrow a redevelopment of roots hall would be preferable if possible.

Watching Bristol city on the box they have done a great job there.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Yeah, who was that manager who took them to heights never been reached before or since?

Steve Bruce. Got them to 16th in the top flight and the FA Cup Final.

Am I doing this right?

 

[danburyshrimper]

I love Roots Hall , its like your favourite old jumper that you know maybe doesnt look great but just feels nice when you put it on . The one that when you wear it your missus tells you to take it off coz its got holes in and doesnt hang right, but you wear it anyway.

But i have to admit whenever the ball gets booted onto the corragated roof above me in the west stand , i always fear that one of these days a big chunk of the rusting old roofing will get knocked off and come crashing down on our heads.

Still , my SUFC bobble hat is pretty tough so i feel safe enough :winking: