Stadium news

Bispham Seasider · 11 Dec 2007, 06:22 PM

There has been little or no news on the development of Bloomfield Road for some time now. The last building work was the West Stand and the Kop (North Stand) which were built in 2001, together with the "temporary" East Stand (known by Blackpool fans as the Gene Kelly [or GK] Stand becuase it has no roof. No roof in the English winter climate = very wet away fans!)

Last week members of the "Blackpool Vital" fans website met with chairman Karl Oyston.

So the news now about the stadium development seems to stand as this:

The South Stand will only be built as and when there are pre-lets in place for all the office space within the South Stand. As it stands at present there is one pr-let agreement (though no idea how much office space is involved), plus the boarded up area behind the Kop is to be a two floor, Drop-In Centre.

Also this week the club stated that planning permission has gone in to increase capacity in the GK Stand by 1,000. Whilst this would be mainly for away fans they are also apparently trying to include in the application, permission to split the stand should there be any games where extra home capacity is needed.

The club are also looking at adding additional seating in various parts of the West and Kop - about another 100 seats. Coupled with a possible extension to the GK Stand, that would take capacity at Bloomers to about 10,800.

Going back to the South Stand, the club also confirmed that once it is built there will be a two floor hotel inlcuded within the stand (which would be in addition to the huge Travelodge currently being built on BFC Properties land the other side of Bloomfield Road).

Any news, pictures etc of the stadium and any development can be posted in here!

Dynamogal · 11 Dec 2007, 07:13 PM

Is a "Drop-In Centre" a daycare for children?

Sounds like the owners want this property to support itself with the office space for let and the hotel. Is the stadium close enough to the activity near the touristy places for a hotel to do well there or do you think both of those hotels will sit empty?

Dynamo Dave · 12 Dec 2007, 10:48 PM

Any pics of the Palms we sent you yet??

Bispham Seasider · 13 Dec 2007, 03:01 PM

Firstly the Drop In Centre - it is to be run by the "Blackpool Primary Care Trust" as far as I know, which is part of the NHS (National Health Service) in Blackpool. They are based at the stadium and the drop in centre though I'm not totally sure what it will be, but it isn't a day care centre for kids as there is already one (an "Eco Nursery") housed at the back of The Kop. http://www.safehandsnursery.net

The PCT do run Walk-In Centres for local patients out of hours surgery, so maybe it will be one of them. Though this is described as being a "Drop-in" Centre!

Their website: http://www.blackpoolpct.nhs.uk

You did ask!!

The palm trees - I posted some photos on the Hosuton forum a while back. I will though root 'em out and post some more!!

Bispham Seasider · 09 Feb 2008, 11:30 AM

This last week has been an unusual one to say the very least with regard to the stadium.

Firstly on Tuesday evening, club chairman Karl Oyston was a guest together with the chairmen of both Burnley and PKE on BBC Radio Lancashire. And he did himself absolutely no favours with his "performance" and attitude, especially about the stadium.

Yet again he said that there are no plans to start building the South Stand. This despite before the season started he claimed that he would be focussing entirely on getting the SW Corner and the South Stand completed this season. His reasons beggar belief as he claims that there is no need for it to be built as the current stands are not full every game.

Even though 50% of all home games have been sold out for home fans and it is very likley that most of the remaining home games will be virtually sold out. So the fans are doing their bit. The other 50% have been not far from full. Plus even though our average home attendance is third bottom in the Championship, we are TOP in terms of percentage of capacity (89%) so what more can the fans do?

The Blackpool Gazette and the BBC have picked up on the anger from Blackpool fans.

So what happens next? On Thursday it emerges that the club have applied for planning permission to increase the capacity at the ground! Great news? Not at all.

The East Stand (or the GK - Gene Kelly) Stand for away fans, was erected in 2003, and under the agreement when it was built, was that it had to be removed by 1st September 2008. So what have the club done? Applied to add a further six rows to the back of the East Stand, which will add 972 seats and increase capacity in the stand to 2,937. Which then of course means if it receives planning permission that the "temporary" stand can then get another new date for it to be removed. Maybe another 5 years?

What has angered Blackpool fans is a number of things - this wasn't even mentioned on Radio Lancashire. It only came out because a Blackpool fan found it on the Blackpool Council website and posted it on a 'Pool forum and the BBC have now picked it up and posted an article on their sports website, even stating on there that 'Pool fans are unhappy. Also even though it is great that at last we should have a total capacity above 10,000 (capacity would increase to 10,670) it then also means that away fans could have up to 28% of the stadium which is ridiculous. Isn't it supposed to be "Fortress Bloomfield"? Also some fans suspect that one of the main reasons the club are doing this is because the stand would otherwise have to come down in September.

And meanwhile "we have no plans to build the South Stand". So the club are quite happy to increase capacity of the East Stand which for some games this season has been half empty yet will not increase capacity for home fans who have sold out 50% of games and who have been close for thne other 50%. You couldn't make it up.

anderson · 09 Feb 2008, 12:05 PM

That's just a bizarre stadium expansion situation.

But building a hotel with the new stand does sound like it would be a really interesting step - if they ever do it.

Dynamogal · 09 Feb 2008, 12:12 PM

Too strange. Looks like Oyston wants to a) save the cost of tearing down the GK stand while b) increasing the total capacity there at a lower cost than what it would cost to add the south stand for home supporters.

Cheap, cheap, cheap!!

Bispham Seasider · 09 Feb 2008, 12:27 PM

Indeed and what irks is that he is happy to increase by 972 the amount of seats for away fans who have in only a handful of games sold out the GK Stand this season. Yet he point blank refuses to increase the number of seats for home fans citing the fact that 50% of home games have been home sell outs.

So why add extra seating for away fans? Oh yeah I forgot, unless something was done, the GK Stand would have to be taken down on 1st September. Cynicism is wonderful.