Question What would you want from the new stadium?

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

OK I know it's in my mind the stadium is at least 3 years away if all goes well but what do you want in it.
My "match day experience" is and has been for over 60 years, get in the ground as near to kick off as you can, watch the game, have a moan or hopefully the opposite and get out of the ground asap and home. I do not spend a penny in the ground as I'm averse to rubbish coffee, disgusting burgers etc
For example taking one of the entrances at FF, the West entrance. You go in and there is a big space, toilets etc and 3 concessions. What would you want. I would quite like a decent cup of coffee, the best in the town should be the target and a decent danish or pain au raisin. There are loads of other concessions in the concourses. What would you want the restaurants and bars to serve.

 

[brigg blue]

I'd like the stadium to have concessions available 7 days a week to some level, it's surrounded by housing and will have flexible workspaces available so there is potentially money to be made everyday.

As for the matchday experience itself, clean well maintained toilets, a separate concession section that doesn't serve alcohol so that the half time queues don't get snagged up by people necking 5 pints in 15 minutes.

Top quality food with healthy options available.

Oh and for a midweek game I'd like to be able to hire a flexible work area up until half an hour or so before kickoff complete with a parking space but that's just being mega picky

 

[Holy Joe]

To get my wife and daughter more interested maybe a 'food hall' kinda place, where you're able to sit at a table and eat, maybe pizza, burgers, a chippy, pies etc. And a decent bar with local ales.

 

[Holy Joe]

Perhaps the club shop could have an Aldi middle aisle kinda of thing - with a different SUFC branded item each home game - although maybe you don't want a thousand fans wondering around the stadium with a SUFC branded hammer drill

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I’d like a bar serving local independent ales. Please no Heineken or John Smiths Smooth as the only options. Some beers from Leigh brewery would be great.

I’d also like a Rossi’s.

Could even have a cockle shed to serve some local seafood and give it a local flavour.

 

[CRATE]

If done correctly, the stadium can offer a truly 7 day a week money making ploy for the club. On top of the space we already know about, like hospitality, corporate function space etc.

They could have a space with food concessions (major brand franchises) run as 7 day a week operation and takeaway / delivery into the local housing, I believe the only thing that one is McDonalds?

With the lack of pubs, I can imagine a major franchise also opening there, a westherspoons franchise or similar would not be surprising to attach itself to the retail park.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

To get my wife and daughter more interested maybe a 'food hall' kinda place, where you're able to sit at a table and eat, maybe pizza, burgers, a chippy, pies etc. And a decent bar with local ales.

Absolutely Matt. My wife has little interest in football but did see Liverpool in the snow and the last playoff final. She is vegetarian. I might be able to entice her after all these years if there was a decent vegetarian outlet. I could tempt the grandchildren with a decent pizza. They all seem to like the waggamama experience so possibly something along those lines.

 

[Holy Joe]

Absolutely Matt. My wife has little interest in football but did see Liverpool in the snow and the last playoff final. She is vegetarian. I might be able to entice her after all these years if there was a decent vegetarian outlet. I could tempt the grandchildren with a decent pizza. They all seem to like the waggamama experience so possibly something along those lines.

It's abit sad, but football almost needs to be co-incidental

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I think it will be a contactless stadium which I would welcome.

 

[Supershrimper]

I’d like a bar serving local independent ales. Please no Heineken or John Smiths Smooth as the only options. Some beers from Leigh brewery would be great.

I’d also like a Rossi’s.

Could even have a cockle shed to serve some local seafood and give it a local flavour.

Absolutely this

If the club has the spare space within the stadium perhaps set up a micro brewery with large equipment that the local independent brewers could come in to use on a rotational basis alowing the local independents to have access to larger tanks in which to brew.

Bit like Spurs have with Beavertown

 

[HUMBLEPIE]

Hopefully a match day concession for the Fish House I can’t imagine not walking in without my sausage in batter and chips which I have been doing over 30 years to often lately it’s been the only highlight of the day.

 

[thenobster]

I'd like a football team.

I'd like a ladies football team on equal standing

I'd like a club run by professional passionate people that dont only think of £'s but incorporate the community as well as away supporters

I'd like a lady with 3 boobs

I'd like a unicorn

 

[BALDY]

I would like to visit a nice clean modern high tech stadium and chat with some of your supporters about how their lives have improved.

 

[Blues Brother]

To be owned by Southend United Football club and not having to pay rent. Therefore no risk of being kicked out like Coventry City

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I'd like a club run by professional passionate people that dont only think of £'s but incorporate the community as well as away supporters

Why I'm quite positive that at least we will get the off the field experience right is we seem to have a young, motivated and imaginative commercial team. Away supporters have their own concession areas (3 or 4 I think but I haven't got the plans in front of me) and we should be offering them a quality experience so they don't go and spend their money in the Saxon King. They should go home saying oh well we lost again but wow what a stadium and experience. We're coming back.

 

[MisterStubbs]

I hope that some of the elements that make Roots Hall such a great place to watch football is kept and some aspects not quite so much. So for example, in most parts of the Hall, you are so close to the action and I love that.. you'd like to think, unlike Roots Hall that you'll have no restricted views anywhere you sit. It goes without saying that facilities such as bars, food stands etc will be much better within the new stadium but I hope around the ground there'll be places to eat and drink 7 days a week. I wonder if there'd be enough interest in stadium tours? especially within the first couple of years of being open.. again just another little way for the club to make money.

 

[hlane17]

I’d like a bar serving local independent ales. Please no Heineken or John Smiths Smooth as the only options. Some beers from Leigh brewery would be great.

I’d also like a Rossi’s.

Could even have a cockle shed to serve some local seafood and give it a local flavour.

I'll go one further and say that all the food kiosks could be leased by various small local eateries, obviously including seafood if there is demand for it.

Going to the PDC World Championship this year they had a great range of different food on offer from small businesses. If we could have something similar around the ground that would be great.

We could even have one run by the Fish House? I can dream...

 

[Napster]

To be owned by Southend United Football club and not having to pay rent. Therefore no risk of being kicked out like Coventry City

This is the only answer

 

[Shrimper]

Hopefully a match day concession for the Fish House I can’t imagine not walking in without my sausage in batter and chips which I have been doing over 30 years to often lately it’s been the only highlight of the day.

Should offer them a spot for match day to keep their business

 

[rigsby]

I'd like a football team.

I'd like a ladies football team on equal standing

I'd like a club run by professional passionate people that dont only think of £'s but incorporate the community as well as away supporters

I'd like a lady with 3 boobs

I'd like a unicorn

You want our first team to play Div 6 Borough Comp?