[Bispham Seasider]

Following the home match against Stoke City, East Stand ticket sales for next Saturdays home match to Coventry City have been put on hold.

Despite giving an official away following of 1,844 (East Stand capacity is 1,890) it was quite clear to most in the ground that somehow a fair few more Stoke fans had managed to get in the stand. Given that the stand has only ever been a "temporary" stand (though it has been there since 2003 so a pretty permanent temporary stand) it is not suited and never has been really for an English football club. It is more akin to a Golf Stand with no roof. Sections of it were already bending before Saturday, and following the game, there are now Health & Safety concerns and so ticket sales for Coventry fans have been put on hold until it can be sorted.

Different stories are being put forward. Some claim that when Stokes fans were bouncing up and down that part of the floor fell through. Some also claim that a Stoke fans has complained about H&S. Whatever the reasons though, the original planning application was only ever for the stand to be there until September 2008. And unless it can be sorted very quickly then this coming Saturday could well end up being a game with no away fans.

The club did recently state that they were looking into extending the East Stand by another 1,000 with the option for it to be split and accomodate home and away fans if that would be required should the home stands be full and the away team not sell out their full allocation. Given the poor state of the stand as it is now, it would seem that the only way of doing that would be to demolish the current stand and erect another stand presumably with a capacity of about 2,800-3,000.

[Cmack]

Damn. That sucks. Hopefully the front office can figure out a solution.

[Orange1836]

if its any consolation, most of our games (sans dallas) have no away fans...
ok, i'm sure its not.

any injuries?

[Dynamogal]

Oh my, I can just imagine the lawsuits if something like that happened in the US and fans were injured! It's truly ridiculous at this point that the 'pool owners haven't dealt with this problem. Does someone have to get injured or God forbid, killed before something is done?

[Bispham Seasider]

Finally today the club received premission to open the East Stand tomorrow, although with a slightly reduced capacity of 1,563. They have had to completely re-floor the stand, only receiving the materials yesterday and having to do it in 24 hours. The Safety Advisory Group recommended it being done and have now been back to the ground and passed it again. They will then return again on Monday and hopefully pass it to full capacity in readiness for the next Lancashire Derby against Burnley on New Years Day.

[Seaside Mafia]

Originally Posted by Dynamogal

Oh my, I can just imagine the lawsuits if something like that happened in the US and fans were injured! It's truly ridiculous at this point that the 'pool owners haven't dealt with this problem. Does someone have to get injured or God forbid, killed before something is done?

I've come to see The Gene Kelly Stand as a feature these days, given the demise of the old Scratching Shed, where I used to go.

[Dynamogal]

Originally Posted by Seaside Mafia

I've come to see The Gene Kelly Stand as a feature these days, given the demise of the old Scratching Shed, where I used to go.

I'm not familiar with the Scratching Shed...

[Seaside Mafia]

Originally Posted by Dynamogal

I'm not familiar with the Scratching Shed...

Have a read of this then

http://www.blackpool-mad.co.uk/news/...EDX1&id=357494

And some highlights of our trouncing of the Dingles (Burnley) a couple of days ago. You'll note that we've got a ground of two halves - one built, one derelict.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3x6kj_010108_sport

[Bispham Seasider]

The Scratching Shed AKA The East Paddock (though for some time in the 1980s I think it was, they put in some seats) now what a place that was....

I started watching the 'Pool down in the corner near the Spion Kop (before migrating to the Kop itself in the mid 1970s) when I was very young. Chelsea and Arsenal with over 25,000 on whenever it was in the very early 1970s and everyone crammed in, packed tight!

[Seaside Mafia]

Originally Posted by Bispham Seasider

The Scratching Shed AKA The East Paddock (though for some time in the 1980s I think it was, they put in some seats) now what a place that was....

I started watching the 'Pool down in the corner near the Spion Kop (before migrating to the Kop itself in the mid 1970s) when I was very young. Chelsea and Arsenal with over 25,000 on whenever it was in the very early 1970s and everyone crammed in, packed tight!

Bispham. Now that the Rivals site appears to be tanking horribly without any obvious signs of recovery, where have all the righteous avftt forum dwellers gone to discuss all matters tangerine?