Ten Best and Ten Worst Stadium Moves of the New-Build Era

[cantagalo]

The scanners at our entrance to Brentford's new place on Saturday were hit and miss for phones and print offs. The problem seemed to be with the exposed, outward facing ones on the standard gates. The wider access gate to one side had a downward facing version that you had to place the phone/ticket underneath and that was reliably letting people through who hadn't had any joy with their first try.

A few teething issues aside, the Brentford Community Stadium/Lionel Road definitely looks like an entry for the Ten Best list on early acquaintance. The only substantial question mark for me is that the approaches and clearance between the building and the perimeter of the site are noticeably narrow in places, which will increase the importance of good crowd management. The nearest tube, Gunnersbury, will be closed for an hour after games for safety reasons. That is inconvenient but necessary. The station is an accident waiting to happen even in a normal rush hour and it would be unfair to single Brentford out among all the other nearby developments that haven't been required to contribute towards infrastructure improvements.

I'm really pleased with the new stadium.

It'll be interesting to see how it copes with getting people in and out with a capacity crowd on Friday. I would think that overcrowding at Kew Bridge station might also be an issue.

My main concern is that my season ticket, along with those of many others, has not arrived yet. That could cause problems at the ticket office on the night. Our entire ticketing system is more Vanarama than Premier League.

[Jobi1]

I'm now feeling incredibly conflicted about Saturday. A few friends are going in for the full-on posh seats and 3-course dinner hospitality experience and had a spare space in their box, which they offered to me and I've accepted. I'm well aware this is incredibly hypocritcal given I've not been shy in voicing my negative feelings about the stadium move, and having slagged the club off for ripping fans off this week with this fiasco of making more hospitality places than normal tickets available for the match. But having wrestled with it, I decided that after 18 long months of not seeing my team, I just want to watch a bloody game in person with my friends, almost all of whom I've not seen in that time either. I'd really rather not ever throw any more money into McGill's bottomless pit of ludicrousness, but the box is already paid for so I suppose you can say the money is there whether it's coming from me or not.

I suppose, sad as it is, it is something of a special occasion, so in some respects worth marking in some way (I've never done hospitality before, and I can't imagine it's overly likely I'll do it again). And if nothing else, it'll get the ground tick in early so at least that's not hanging over me!

[Favourite Worst Nightmare]

Jobi1 Why not treat yourself to a bit of luxury. Hope you have a thoroughly enjoyable day.

[Ray de Galles]

Yeah, fuck it, see your team whatever the circumstances. You owe yourself that after the last 18 months, we all do.

[Favourite Worst Nightmare]

I am beside myself with excitement at the prospect of the Plough Lane return on Saturday.

I have my choice of garment washed and ready to go. It’s the “Back To Plough Lane” shirt, produced by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and worn at the last ever Wimbledon F.C. match against Barnsley at Selhurst Park.

[Ray de Galles]

I'm seriously thinking about buying the new red Wales tribute third shirt and I haven't bought a replica shirt in over a decade - and pretty much never worn a non retro cotton one.

[Favourite Worst Nightmare]

Well I can only say that if you were to break a ten year replica shirt embargo, that would be an excellent choice.

I think the vast majority on Saturday will be in blue and yellow though.

[ursus arctos]

Not to be crass, but it isn't a Wales tribute kit anymore than Messi's is a Steph Curry tribute, is it?

[Ray de Galles]

Oh, the club don't mean it as a Wales tribute kit at all but that's not going to stop me from viewing it as such - in honour of mine and my boy's tenth campaign as season ticket holders too.

[ursus arctos]

So, you are Steph Curry.

Or maybe you are Del, who had 30 first.

[Patrick Thistle]

Jobi1 I agree with the others. Enjoy the game!

[DCI Harry Batt]

I am beside myself with excitement at the prospect of the Plough Lane return on Saturday.

I have my choice of garment washed and ready to go. It’s the “Back To Plough Lane” shirt, produced by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association and worn at the last ever Wimbledon F.C. match against Barnsley at Selhurst Park.

Not that they'd fit me now, but I've not a clue where my one of these, nor my "Koppel - wanted for murder" one went.

I have loads of issues with how we came to be where we are with the new stadium, and I know I've been at a game there already, but I don't think that's going to make a difference to how Saturday is going to feel.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Teething problems are to be expecting, but this appears to be a whole higher level of nonsense. Have any of the other similar sized new builds experienced such issues?

Ours must be a similar size. Ticketing is a shambles, but people will get in on Saturday. The "pub" isn't ready - how the fuck can you not get a bar ready in all this time? Tbh I think we were saved from enormous embarrassment by covid. There are some other things up in the air that really shouldn't be up in the air but let's leave them out for now. This is, after all, our final test event before we get the stadium certificate signed off.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Enjoy the game. Jobi1 . Hospitality wouldn't be my choice either, but it's not the end of the world and being with mates is more important, I reckon.

[Capybara]

Go for it Jobi1 and enjoy it.

[Jobi1]

Thanks all, I'm sure I will enjoy it once I'm there!

DCI Harry Batt, that's interesting to hear about the certificate. Has there been any indication as to why it hasn't been granted yet? This certification is the reason why York's capacity is so low for Saturday. The council say the SMC (basically the football club) haven't done enough to demonstrate that they can host more than the reduced capacity, but won't give any further details of what is missing as they "don't comment on individual licensing applications". Seem to be some suggestions that it's around stewarding and the ticketing system.

Given there have been three football friendlies against bigger teams (Newcastle, Sunderland and Boro) and several Championship rugby matches played since COVID restrictions were lifted, we're all a bit nonplussed as to how these were not able to function as the test events required to gain the certificate for full capacity. We also hired the stadium out to Leeds to play a behind-closed-doors friendly against Valencia last weekend, which again would appear to have been a perfect opportunity for a test event. As it is the league game on Saturday will function as (yet another) test event, which may help towards getting the capacity increased, with the emphasis on the "may".

[Sporting]

We also hired the stadium out to Leeds to play a behind-closed-doors friendly against Valencia last weekend

Or Villareal?

[Jobi1]

Or Villareal?

Yes, that'll be them. I try not to pay too close attention to what Leeds are doing.

[Sporting]

I thought that Leeds were (nearly!) everyone's new fave second team!

[Simon G]

All this talk of season ticket cards and electronic ticketing makes me so jealous.

Last night I went to the ticket office to collect 8 season tickets (mine and others for 7 family members). I now have 184 tickets - a match ticket for each of 23 home games next season!!!

[Sunderporinostesta]

I'm now feeling incredibly conflicted about Saturday. A few friends are going in for the full-on posh seats and 3-course dinner hospitality experience and had a spare space in their box, which they offered to me and I've accepted. I'm well aware this is incredibly hypocritcal given I've not been shy in voicing my negative feelings about the stadium move, and having slagged the club off for ripping fans off this week with this fiasco of making more hospitality places than normal tickets available for the match. But having wrestled with it, I decided that after 18 long months of not seeing my team, I just want to watch a bloody game in person with my friends, almost all of whom I've not seen in that time either. I'd really rather not ever throw any more money into McGill's bottomless pit of ludicrousness, but the box is already paid for so I suppose you can say the money is there whether it's coming from me or not.

I suppose, sad as it is, it is something of a special occasion, so in some respects worth marking in some way (I've never done hospitality before, and I can't imagine it's overly likely I'll do it again). And if nothing else, it'll get the ground tick in early so at least that's not hanging over me!

If the food n drinks already paid for get it down your neck extra quick. The more booze left on the shelves and in the pumps the more profit these bastards make. That’s how I reconcile my decisions to go posh for the day.

[Uncle Ethan]

Why is ticket scanning so hard in the UK? Used for 50,000+ crowds with no problems even here in WA.

[Sporting]

Here too.

[Snake Plissken]

Sounds like it is a new system, which will invariably collapse under the first proper live load because you can’t accurately test these things.

[DCI Harry Batt]

DCI Harry Batt, that's interesting to hear about the certificate. Has there been any indication as to why it hasn't been granted yet?

Only a matter of time / test events for us, following "completion" of the stadium, which was delayed. You need supporters in to test, we had the first test event post-season on 18 May with 2,000 in, but couldn't hold the next (requiring 4,000 in) until restrictions were lifted on 19 July (we had one planned on 17 July, in anticipation of the earlier proposed lifting).

So 31 July v Scunny was our second test event, at which we had to fill the main stand (4,000 people). And Bolton is our third (and hopefully final) test event, as a sell out. All goes well, we then have a full licence certificate thingy.