.....and now for a post WE ALL can agree with..... ......so maybe my Lingerie Football thread turned out to be a bit too much for the mods, but whoever put up that video clip with the wardrobe malfunctions in it spoiled it for all the rest of us, although the LFL UK one below it was perfectly more like what I WAS thinking about when I was envisioning it rather than that other one, so, we move on from there to a more appropriate thread that Gooners worldwide will be debating about for decades to come: Could Highbury have been modernized and upgraded like Anfield in Liverpool has been consistantly since Highbury was eventually torn down and turned into lofts??? I say, YES! It would've been a great idea, and, much cheaper than building The Emirates, in which would've allowed The Gunners to remain Invincible and maybe even keep up their once-incredible EPL-record 49 League match unbeaten streak back then, to do the upgrades to this particular and magnificent cathedral of The Beautiful Game. Highbury would've been just like Wrigley Field in Chicago or Fenway Park in Boston, two baseball stadiums that will NEVER see the wrecking ball or ever have to be imploded, too packed with rich history and tradition as Anfield is still to this very day Highbury, much like Anfield and the two baseball stadiums I mentioned, could've used LED ribbon signages on the facings of each deck, as well as (eventually) HD video monitors that would alternate from the current score during play to video replays of goals after they've been scored, located in the corners to the right of each goal (or to the left as we look) on either touchline, it could've also used LED ad signage alongside the far touchline opposite of the TV cameras for television purposes, as well as added seating capacity, including some (but not many, admitted) luxury suites, and maybe the Clock End could've been a double-decker stand to match the North Bank end, but that's just me and not with the knowledge that some of YOU (especially YOU @NorthBank as you were there back then), how many of you think that Highbury COULD'VE been 21st Century ready like Wrigley, Fenway and Anfield currently are???
Yes here is the once history-rich, tradition-filled and magnificent cathedral of The Beautiful Game herself, the grand ol' lady Highbury RIP 1913-2006 Highbury.
OK, I'll bite. I really like your basic premise man, but sadly I don't think it would've ever had much of a chance, in the age of modern purpose-built stadia. BUT if it were to have been, here's how it might've happened... East Stand stays basically as is, and at its current height, which is a salient factor. It's also the tightest stand to the adjacent street (Avenell Rd) so the only way to expand it substantially would be to eliminate that street and the row houses on it. More importantly it was already a listed building so it couldn't really be razed/replaced like Anfield did, which is why it's the only part of Highbury still standing... sort of. So that leaves the other 3 sides, which had more potential in varying degrees... West Stand had a little more wiggle room on the backside I recall (Highbury Hill) but not a ton. But that stand was also a fairly characteristic/important part of Highbury's architecture, so I'm not sure a lot would've been done to it, at least in terms of capacity. The North Bank was already two-tier, as you mentioned, but it did have a little wiggle room on the back so maybe could've been expanded. But it was also the newest stand IIRC (renovated early 90's?) so it's a little hard to imagine them wanting to raze it for the 2nd time in 20 yrs. But maybe add corp boxes somehow? Which leaves the Clock End, which as you imply, really had BY FAR the best opportunity for expansion & modernization. And over the years I often wondered why they stuck with its size and limitations. There was A LOT of wiggle room on the back of it, maybe just having to demo a few ugly 60's buildings which I think they ended up doing anyway for the current incarnation. So it could've been MUCH deeper and/or higher than the other stands. Like the Kop or the Yellow Wall. Which would've been cool. (I personally prefer watching footy from behind the goal) The main downsides I imagine are that: (A) a new monster Clock End would dwarf the other 3 stands, and that might look a bit odd or imbalanced architecturally, and (B) it would likely want to become the main supporters stand like at Dortmund, whic might subjugate the North Bank to second-class citizen. BUT I would've taken that compromise in a heartbeat! I miss our old place. Early on this board someone called the Grove our new soulless bowl, and that's how I've thought of it ever since. p.s. Too bad the true local old-timers like @Lanesra (RIP), @TheGrimster, @deaner1971 aren't still around to opine on this. But I think I know what they woulda said.