Re: Stadium news Whoopee do - I presume it is the nibbler as I just checked the webcam again (it updates every five minutes) and it keeps moving around all the piles. So at a guess it is capping them off! (I am guessing though!)
Re: Stadium news And even more work today - the puddle has finally been filled in, some of the topsoil has been removed to expose more of the piling and the taller piles over toward the east side have been cut down. Such excitement.... Hopefully, soon I will be able to stop talking about piles and instead drone on about steel work going up!
Re: Stadium news Lots of work going on now! Some concrete seems to have arrived and work going on! According to someone "in the know" who has seen the webcam images today, the caps for the piles have arrived which means things will soon start to take shape.
Re: Stadium news From a post on the BBC 606 Message board - "Most of the negotiations have now been completed and work will start increasing on the site over the next week or so, hence the large amount of sand dumped there at the end of last week." Work has certainly resumed, and there were even workers on site yesterday, (plenty of overtime!)
Re: Stadium news For some reason it isn't working all the time. No idea why, just sometimes when trying to load, it comes up as the URL being unavailable! And just as it seems work on the site is progressing.
Re: Stadium news It is back working again now! http://www.blackpoolfcimages.co.uk/ More concrete has arrived. There is apparently plenty of work going on, unfortortunately though for viewing on the webcam, it is to the right of the cam, out of view in what will become the South West corner, linking the West and South stands!
Re: Stadium news On the official site, there are new pictures of the site, with concrete footing now in place. See the link. http://www.blackpoolfc.co,uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1630536,00.html A stand might be rising soon!
Re: Stadium news Rumor has it that the Houston palm trees have been planted. True? Pics would be lovely!
Re: Stadium news Well - there are some palm trees now down the side of the West Stand, where Blackpool Council are finishing off the work on the car park by the stand (it is one small part of what is apparently the largest outdoor car park in Europe). They have moved Seasiders Way slightly west, further away from the stand, so that there will be pedestrian access and a much larger pavement. However, we don't get down that side of the ground at matches. I will make sure I find out and get some pictures!!
Re: Stadium news Work continues on the South Stand and there are some pictures on the Blackpool Gazette website. Also, it looks like the pitch is being relaid and about time too.
Re: Stadium news This afternoon the club confirmed that work has begun on relaying the pitch. Over the weekend 25mm was taken off the surface of the playing area and a Verti-Drain will be operated on the pitch over the next few days. At the end of the week an expert from the Sports Turf Industry, who has advised many other clubs, will arrive to provide specialist guidance. The pitch will then be reseeded at the weekend with R14 grass seed which shold germinate within seven days. The aim is then for the pitch to be playable by early July.
Re: Stadium news A thumbnail of the latest webcam image showing the pitch completely dug up and lots of activity on the stand.
Re: Stadium news Karl Oyston has said that the South will "be there for all to see, before pre-season, as a structure" with it still on course to open in October. Full story with short video interview at http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Oyston39s-October-South-Stand-pledge.5315030.jp
Re: Stadium news Drove down Seasiders Way today with the new look road by the West Stand, which with the large "piazza" style area does look much better. Just hope the club get their act together now and sort out the two signs which are due to be erected and for which the Christmas Raffle last year was raising funds for! Also went down Bloomfield Road and lots of work ongoing on the South Stand, and the "To Let" sign which has been advertising office space, bar/restaurant and small hotel in the new stand has "Sold" across it. So maybe there will be a hotel in the stand "with balconies overtlooking the pitch"!!
Re: Stadium news A big blue crane has appeared today! And the grass on the pitch seems to be growing well!
Re: Stadium news One guess has been that the crane is "for adding fixings to the existing South West end of the West stand so that the new build can affix to it." The two men on the crane are certainly doing something at the top of the West stand. Work was also done on site over the weekend. So it seems that they are pushing on, mayb, just maybe, the steel will finally arrive soon!
Re: Stadium news A very strong rumour emerged yesterday that the steel will start arriving on Monday and that the steelwork surrounding the new structures (the South Stand and South West Corner) will take about eight weeks to complete once work starts on Tuesday - so long as there are no further delays. Cladding on the SW side West stand has already been ripped off in order for the SW corner to be attached. The steel will be delivered in small chunks at a regular basis, rather than all at once, ready for steady production. And that would mean that the steel part of construction would be completed about 23rd August. Then after that of course the stand will need fitting out. But next week might be a good time to watch the webcam!
Re: Stadium news The steelwork has started arriving! Blackpool FC today confirmed that Solway Steel delivered their first 20 tonne load of steel columns and roof purlins, with deliveries expected to continue over the next few days. And on Wednesday morning the first delivery of the pre-cast terracing is expected to arrive. Project Manager Brendan Flanagan said, There is also another big crane on site. Looks to me like the club are maybe hoping that they can get the seating in the stand ASAP - maybe in time for the visit of Newcastle...
Re: Stadium news More steelwork arrived today, and part of the South West Corner steel structure is already up, only 24 hours after it was delivered! At this rate the whole of the steelwork will be up some time next week. The above picture is looking at the place from the corner of Bloomfield Road and Seasiders Way - so it is the one area that isn't seen on the webcam! The latest rumour is that the aim is to have 1,000 seats online in time for the Newcastle game, so a capacity at that time of about 10,650.
Re: Stadium news I forgot to say that the webcam is showing a real hive of activity with a total of seven cranes and diggers (or whatever they are to my untrained eye). But two big cranes can be seen working toward the roof in the South West Corner plus of course there is all the work going on which can't be sen by the webcam. Sad I know, but Blackpool fans have been waiting for 8 years for this to happen and for much of that time, many fans have tended to think that the club were never going to build the damn thing. So it is great to see it finally rising up!
Re: Stadium news The club have also now got some pictures on the official site including these - More pictures at http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1699000,00.html
Re: Stadium news Will the Newcastle game be on television? If it is, it would be great if the new stand was ready (even partially) for that game! When do you think it will all be completed? Any word on the hotel??
Re: Stadium news There has been no news yet about the televised games. Hopefully we will get more this season!! The club still aim for the whole stand to be open by late October/early November. Still no news about the hotel, bar/Restaurant etc though! Another picture of the SW corner - http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1702094,00.html And finally the webcam can see part of the development as the concrete stepping in the picture above can now be seen on the cam, with more stepping having been added since the picture was taken.