Jacksons Farm

[JustMike]

Good location? Have you seen the traffic chaos that results from something as pathetic as 20:20 cricket at the rose Bowl?

 

T20 is not pathetic

 

 

HTH

[benjii]

If Cortese seriously thinks this project (ie the Saints project) will end up in us being a a top 6 Prem side regularly then building a big new stadium is not a bad plan. If we are only going to aim to be a mid-table Prem team then SMS is fine (extended or otherwise).

 

So, if we do start developing a new stadium then happy times IMO. We wouldn't do it unless we were confident of having a team worthy of it.

[sandwichsaint]

One step at a time eh boys? Some people's 'next level' seems to have become rather inflated lately!

 

For those that are thinking 'Champions League' aren't you getting a tinsey little bit ahead of yourselves? It's almost as though promotion from this league (auto or play-offs) is already assured (I'm as confident as the next person but 'nothing' is assured), then on into the CCC (that shouldn't detain us for more than two years at most. How many teams have gone from lge 3 to lge 1 in fewer than three seasons? In the history of the game?). For us though, it's all a walk in the park; first year in the Prem finish around 11th, then maybe 8th, then up to the top 6, easy as, what could be more straightforward?

 

If all that comes to pass then what says we can't do any of that while staying at, a possibly enlarged, SMS? We have tons of spare capacity and the owners will certainly not be shy about pricing it to the max; would they rather have regular gates of 30k with 22k ST's at 500 pound a pop and match day prices of 38-45 quid; or would they rather be chasing to try to fill a stadium of 50k on a wet Tuesday with 30k ST holders at 400 a piece and match day pricing of 30-35 quid a go?

 

Unless we can re-invent the financial rules of football there is no way we can combine 'self sufficiency' with sufficient funds to buy into what by that time will be a 'european super-league' (effectively it already is now). Saints current model is very attractive; buy the best players we can afford, invest in first class facilities off the pitch, aggressively rebuild our academy, trade on our large and loyal support by pushing prces to the max - this model will succeeed at Div 3 level. With a bit of luck and continued astute management it could take us all the way back to another 27(?)years unbroken in the top flight.

 

Do we then want to arrive back in the top flight burdened by £1 000 000s of pounds worth of debt? And reliant on high prices / high crowds to take us further? Is there really, no REALLY, a pent up demand from 30k people to pay 500-600 for STs to watch in all likelihood mid-table Prem lge football?

 

I would much rather they priced STs and match day admission to get crowds of 30k at SMS inwhatever league we are in and continue 'the Saints family' into another generation. I count myself incredibly lucky to have been born as a fourth generation Saints fan (that makes my boys both 5th generation) and for me the club surviving and thriving and being accessible to as many people, both local and exiled, as often as possible is every bit as attractive as winning the Champions Lge. Maybe it's just an age thing (I'm mid-40s) but I do PMSL at comments above that SMS 'is ten years old' and 'showing it's age'; I guess when I started watching football pretty much all grounds were between 50 and 75 years old, and grounds of 10 years old were alomost non-existent.

 

Saints to stay at SMS for the next 50 years, 40 of those in the top flight, 10 seasons of European football, and to win the League Cup twice and the FA Cup once - that's an agenda that I could support but a money-chase into a souless out-of-town greenfield site? Souless? It will have it's own Franky and Benny's, and a cinema,and a bowling alley, and at least three theme pubs.

 

Grumpy old man alert but I'm just not buying it!

[La BoIS Saint]

One step at a time eh boys? Some people's 'next level' seems to have become rather inflated lately!

 

For those that are thinking 'Champions League' aren't you getting a tinsey little bit ahead of yourselves? It's almost as though promotion from this league (auto or play-offs) is already assured (I'm as confident as the next person but 'nothing' is assured), then on into the CCC (that shouldn't detain us for more than two years at most. How many teams have gone from lge 3 to lge 1 in fewer than three seasons? In the history of the game?). For us though, it's all a walk in the park; first year in the Prem finish around 11th, then maybe 8th, then up to the top 6, easy as, what could be more straightforward?

 

If all that comes to pass then what says we can't do any of that while staying at, a possibly enlarged, SMS? We have tons of spare capacity and the owners will certainly not be shy about pricing it to the max; would they rather have regular gates of 30k with 22k ST's at 500 pound a pop and match day prices of 38-45 quid; or would they rather be chasing to try to fill a stadium of 50k on a wet Tuesday with 30k ST holders at 400 a piece and match day pricing of 30-35 quid a go?

 

Unless we can re-invent the financial rules of football there is no way we can combine 'self sufficiency' with sufficient funds to buy into what by that time will be a 'european super-league' (effectively it already is now). Saints current model is very attractive; buy the best players we can afford, invest in first class facilities off the pitch, aggressively rebuild our academy, trade on our large and loyal support by pushing prces to the max - this model will succeeed at Div 3 level. With a bit of luck and continued astute management it could take us all the way back to another 27(?)years unbroken in the top flight.

 

Do we then want to arrive back in the top flight burdened by £1 000 000s of pounds worth of debt? And reliant on high prices / high crowds to take us further? Is there really, no REALLY, a pent up demand from 30k people to pay 500-600 for STs to watch in all likelihood mid-table Prem lge football?

 

I would much rather they priced STs and match day admission to get crowds of 30k at SMS inwhatever league we are in and continue 'the Saints family' into another generation. I count myself incredibly lucky to have been born as a fourth generation Saints fan (that makes my boys both 5th generation) and for me the club surviving and thriving and being accessible to as many people, both local and exiled, as often as possible is every bit as attractive as winning the Champions Lge. Maybe it's just an age thing (I'm mid-40s) but I do PMSL at comments above that SMS 'is ten years old' and 'showing it's age'; I guess when I started watching football pretty much all grounds were between 50 and 75 years old, and grounds of 10 years old were alomost non-existent.

 

Saints to stay at SMS for the next 50 years, 40 of those in the top flight, 10 seasons of European football, and to win the League Cup twice and the FA Cup once - that's an agenda that I could support but a money-chase into a souless out-of-town greenfield site? Souless? It will have it's own Franky and Benny's, and a cinema,and a bowling alley, and at least three theme pubs.

 

Grumpy old man alert but I'm just not buying it!

 

Pretty much sums up my feelings

[Cowesboy]

Story going round the office today that Nicola Cortese wants to build a 55,000 seater stadium at Jacksons Farm as part of the 5 year plan, the word is that he thinks SMS is not up to standard for a Prem Club.

Seeing as we are a third division club what is he worrying about.

[SaintRichmond]

If Cortese seriously thinks this project (ie the Saints project) will end up in us being a a top 6 Prem side regularly then building a big new stadium is not a bad plan. If we are only going to aim to be a mid-table Prem team then SMS is fine (extended or otherwise).

 

So, if we do start developing a new stadium then happy times IMO. We wouldn't do it unless we were confident of having a team worthy of it.

 

The problem is, IMHO, SMS is a good Stadium, but with very poor ACCESS compared to other Stadia

Kingsland side is bordered by a defunct Railway line, and the only way out on foot from Northam

to the City centre is over a restrictive bridge

From Chapel, lies a winding road system until you reach humanity again

You don't buy a house with only one access door do you ?? No, you normally have front side and a back door

If Cortese could get better Access to and Exits from those points, then yes, he could "extend" SMS

But I don't think he can, so he's looking at plans to re-site a Stadium