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Cortese meet Executive club


spyinthesky

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The club is looking to work with City Council to develop area around St Marys (River Itchen frontage/Gasometers etc), otherwise a relocation is on the cards.

 

It all sounds good. So long as if we do relocate there's some pubs.

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OK the information is only second hand and the meet was set up to improve relations with those in the expensive seats but, apparently, Cortese won over the Exec Club members at a recent meet

 

No suprise that a face to face with Cortese would end in his favour, afterall it was he that got our Markus to part with his money to make the purchase so clearly adept under such circumstances, knowing he has the backing of the family it would have been relatively easy to draft a speach, the difficult part will be living up to the expectation but with the resources at his disposal can see it being achieved.

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You have put a lot of words into his mouth there that he didn't say.

 

Ummmmm... no I havn't. He did state that he wanted an area around our stadium that we could be proud of but in the same sentence I recall him saying "although relocation isn't out of the equation. There was a mention of "Surrounding Facilities" (hence why I mentioned Chelsea Village as this being the only existing set up I could think to compare what i imagine he is thinking).

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This sounds like good business sense to me and I've always had the impression that there was more to the buying of our club than just the football. SCC's finances are allegedly not in a good way and that's before the upcoming CSR and large areas of the heart of City need a major overhaul and regeneration. So if NC and the family have plans, I would imagine SCC would be well advised to do everything they can to support and facilitate. Of course, the plans must be in the city's best interests but jobs and regeneration are usually good for an area's wellbeing and economy!

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Why not ???

 

The Council is very good at refurbishing pavements, only for the Gas or Electric Company's to come along and dig it up again to instal new Pipework/Cables

 

You're havin' a giraffe!!!! The pavements in this town are worse than the roads!!!! I'd love it if the utilities ripped up our pavements; loose earth and mud would be marginally flatter than the pavements!!!

 

Anyway, back on topic....

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I am a little confused about this talk about the stadium. Basically, why move?

 

OK - I can see for increased capacity that a new stadium would be needed. I can't see any point increasing SMS to 40k odd as the cost to do this wouldn't be worth doing. (What actually is the max that SMS can be expanded to?) So if you were going for a 50-60k stadium then it would be worth doing. But being realistic, do we need a stadium that big? Would we regularly fill it? When we were in the PL, we did confound those who said we would have a half empty stadium, but this is asking a lot to get up to 50-60k. Maybe if the plans to be in the Champions League (a little risible I think) then we would have some top players and the JCLs will turn up.

 

Why does the council have to tart up the area around SMS? What does NC want? What are the plans? etc etc

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I am a little confused about this talk about the stadium. Basically, why move?

 

Cortese is negotiating with Southampton Corporation to be beneficially involved with their plans to develop part of the riverfront.

 

"Agree with my intentions or I relocate SMS outside Southampton"

 

Negotiating tactics. (Just an uninformed guess)

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Cortese is negotiating with Southampton Corporation to be beneficially involved with their plans to develop part of the riverfront.

 

"Agree with my intentions or I relocate SMS outside Southampton"

 

Negotiating tactics. (Just an uninformed guess)

 

Any organisation with a presence in the area would want to be involved and consulted about council plans for redevelopment. Applies to the aggregates and concrete producers as much as Saints. I very much doubt the club would relocate outside the area - you dont bang on about history, introduce a 125th anniversary shirt and then unnecessarily spunk £100m on having to build a new stadium in a souless out of town location.

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Any organisation with a presence in the area would want to be involved and consulted about council plans for redevelopment. Applies to the aggregates and concrete producers as much as Saints. I very much doubt the club would relocate outside the area - you dont bang on about history, introduce a 125th anniversary shirt and then unnecessarily spunk £100m on having to build a new stadium in a souless out of town location.

 

Think your right, cant see an expensive move to a **** Madjeski like site. Would like to see the area around SMS done and then we can create the possibility of moving the away fans to a different part of the ground in the future, if the old bill have issues with them being moved in the current set up.

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The last thing i want is to see us move to an out of town souless stadium, keep Saints in Southampton! The best thing about SMS was that it was still in the heart of the city and not stoneham. Would've hated to have had to go a couple of miles out of town to see us.

 

If we do redevelop though i'd love to see proper "ends" instead of these bloody bowls that spring up everywhere. Steep stands, close the pitch and a roof to keep the noise in. Then if you have to fill the corners do it with boxes instead of seats. Oh and i'd love to see two tiers too, so that we have roofs to capture the noise below.

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Some time last week I read that somebody wanted to make the area along the river next to the ground like a beach front, is their any truth in this or was it pie in the sky again.

 

Can't believe the river is clean enough around there to have a beach - water side cafes/bars/eateries perhaps. Trouble with this idea is the road infrastructure - anything more than 30k on a match day would be a complete nightmare to get away from the stadium - particularly going east towards Bitterne etc. They would need to get rid of all the traffic lights from SMS all the way through to the M27 and put in a dual carraigeway - that's not going to happen.

 

For the above reason alone, I can honestly see a relocation on the cards - probably out to Stoneham as previously planned - right onto the M27, onto mainline trains and onto flights to wherever. It makes complete sense to locate a new stadium out of the city. M27 J5 would be in need of a major overhaul I would imagine though.

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If we do redevelop though i'd love to see proper "ends" instead of these bloody bowls that spring up everywhere. Steep stands, close the pitch and a roof to keep the noise in. Then if you have to fill the corners do it with boxes instead of seats. Oh and i'd love to see two tiers too, so that we have roofs to capture the noise below.

 

First off I agree, I'm all for staying put IF these decisions are ever needed to be made but...if you really do want to "see proper ends" the last thing you want is "two tiers". Making some of the famous old 'ends' two tiers has destroyed the atmosphere at many grounds, Arsenal's North Bank, Villa's Holt and Man U's Stretford ends to name a few.

 

I really can't see them pulling down SMS just to build an entirely new ground on the same site, you'll just have to live with an adapted bowl design, me thinks. And the only way to get "close® to the pitch" is to excavate down which, being near the river, would prove an expensive waterproofing exercise!

 

smsay.jpg

 

...someone suggested this design for expansion had been looked at previously, maybe the 'ends' could be expanded the same way, give the stadium a nice 'flow'...appropriately a bit like the sea to reflect our maritime history.

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Can't believe the river is clean enough around there to have a beach - water side cafes/bars/eateries perhaps. Trouble with this idea is the road infrastructure - anything more than 30k on a match day would be a complete nightmare to get away from the stadium - particularly going east towards Bitterne etc. They would need to get rid of all the traffic lights from SMS all the way through to the M27 and put in a dual carraigeway - that's not going to happen.

 

For the above reason alone, I can honestly see a relocation on the cards - probably out to Stoneham as previously planned - right onto the M27, onto mainline trains and onto flights to wherever. It makes complete sense to locate a new stadium out of the city. M27 J5 would be in need of a major overhaul I would imagine though.

 

Ikea in Brooklyn came up with a very logical solution to a poor local road infrastructure, by using the water, something that could work extremely well in redeveloping St Mary's. I don't fancy the trip to a location just off the M27, those types of places just seem to be soulless. You only have to look how bad Liverpool docks were and that has been transformed by cafes/bars/eateries/business.

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SMS was built so tht it could be expanded on three sides, the exception being the Itchen stand. IMO 42,000 would be a sensible maximum as it is the minimum for holding world cup matches, although I can't see any point extending at the moment, as even a 10,000 expansion would cost as much as the stadium in the first place. The money could be better spent. My guess is the Cortese has his eye on the gravel extraction site across Britannia road, as I seem to remember that there is talk of it closing. A 'Chelsea village' type development there would make sense.

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SMS was built so tht it could be expanded on three sides, the exception being the Itchen stand. IMO 42,000 would be a sensible maximum as it is the minimum for holding world cup matches, although I can't see any point extending at the moment, as even a 10,000 expansion would cost as much as the stadium in the first place. The money could be better spent. My guess is the Cortese has his eye on the gravel extraction site across Britannia road, as I seem to remember that there is talk of it closing. A 'Chelsea village' type development there would make sense.

 

I don't think it was ever just Cortese that had his eye on the gravel works, it's been talked about ever since we first moved in. As I understand it's always been the intention to develop the riverside all the way from Ocean Village round to the old Meridian studios which will be an ongoing development as leases run out on the wharfs.

 

I guess they envisage some kind of underpass for traffic leaving a pedestrianised area down to the river, it's also already been suggested that water taxis could be used to ferry fans from appropriate areas to help ease road congestion. And I don't think it's a case of the Itchen stand can't be increased, more just that it would be more work/expense so the other 3 stands were the obvious targets for expansion.

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Who the hell is interested in a poxy flat village around SMS ? or indeed expanding the stadium.

 

Lets stick to the remit of moving up two leagues and establishing ourselves in the PL.

 

I also doubt very much knowing the cost of PL tickets by then that SMS would sell out like it use to.

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Stage 1 of the regeneration of the area could be under way soon. Council are going to be vacating the recycling centre down opposite the Chapel pub. Not sure what the plans are now, but they wanted to open a snow dome there. I can see some legs in these plans.

 

A few more incidents like the pompey game and the car showroom will move ;-)

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Stage 1 of the regeneration of the area could be under way soon. Council are going to be vacating the recycling centre down opposite the Chapel pub. Not sure what the plans are now, but they wanted to open a snow dome there. I can see some legs in these plans.

 

A few more incidents like the pompey game and the car showroom will move ;-)

 

Its not just the recycling centre they are leaving, but he whole of the council's Town Depot, which covers a large area, however I don't think this willbe for at least 18 months, as they havn't even strated building the new Depot yet, this will be just off the Millbrook Roundabout

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Almost Stoneham then, which was and still is, the most Logical place to put a Multicomplex Football Stadia

 

Not if your a raging p*** head like me it isn't! City Centre grounds and all the seedyness that comes with it all the way for me. S'pose football's family friendly and all that jazz these days though. Shame.

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Its not just the recycling centre they are leaving, but he whole of the council's Town Depot, which covers a large area, however I don't think this willbe for at least 18 months, as they havn't even strated building the new Depot yet, this will be just off the Millbrook Roundabout

 

Ah yes, couldn't remember what the site was called. As you say it's a very large area. Saw something in the Echo about it all a few days ago, they've built something already, I think it was only the recycling piece though.

 

I know it's all a long way off, but at least the site move is underway, paving the way for the plans and all. 2 - 3 years isn't that long and hopefully the economy will have recovered by then.

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Who the hell is interested in a poxy flat village around SMS ? or indeed expanding the stadium.

 

Lets stick to the remit of moving up two leagues and establishing ourselves in the PL.

 

I also doubt very much knowing the cost of PL tickets by then that SMS would sell out like it use to.

 

Very narrow minded Mears, we need to be self financing.

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We are a football club

 

Tesco used to only sell groceries. Now they sell everything virtually. It's all about entanglement with one company. If Southampton is just a football club do you think they should never hold any gigs, hire out their facilities for conferences and corporate do's either?

 

This type of vision from Cortese will ensure that the club has every possibility to be totally self-sustaining AND compete in the Prem.

 

Without the Leibherrs money and investment over the coming years we will just be a football club who if the Leibherrs money ever disappeared would then become just a run of the mill team possibly yo-yoing.

 

4-5 years of infrastructure development in the ground, the team, the training facilities and a "saints village" type of development coupled with the inevitable "burst bubble" in the Prem and we will be very well placed to be a real competitor.

 

Exciting times, not just for a year or two!!

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Tesco used to only sell groceries. Now they sell everything virtually. It's all about entanglement with one company. If Southampton is just a football club do you think they should never hold any gigs, hire out their facilities for conferences and corporate do's either?

 

This type of vision from Cortese will ensure that the club has every possibility to be totally self-sustaining AND compete in the Prem.

 

Without the Leibherrs money and investment over the coming years we will just be a football club who if the Leibherrs money ever disappeared would then become just a run of the mill team possibly yo-yoing.

 

4-5 years of infrastructure development in the ground, the team, the training facilities and a "saints village" type of development coupled with the inevitable "burst bubble" in the Prem and we will be very well placed to be a real competitor.

 

Exciting times, not just for a year or two!!

 

Good post and highlighted a very important factor. Over the next few years I think we are going to witness a rapid decline of many of our top flight clubs. With our infrastructure and ambition, Cortese's "Vision" is far from unfeasable.

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We are a football club

 

..and therein lies the problem with the average football fan! SM, do you really think we will be self sustaining in 5 years time, even in the PL, even with a full house which I might add, is a rare thing at St Marys. We need other income revenues, Chelsea have a sugar daddy to help them, Manure/Liverpool etc, have huge world wide fan bases, we, my shortsighted friend, need something else, and the re-development of the surrounding areas, could be just what we are in need of.

 

IMO of course

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Almost Stoneham then, which was and still is, the most Logical place to put a Multicomplex Football Stadia

It was all the developments surrounding the stadium that scotched Stonham last time. I doubt the Councils have changed their stances (strategic gap between Southampton/Eastleigh, potential traffic chaos preventing non-football traffic getting on/off the motorway, delay getting to the airport parking if you are flying, effect on getting to/from/parking at Parkway station, yet more out of town shopping, Eastleigh has just opened its own multiplex, bowling, spent loads on the Point, Southampton want to develop the "cultural centre" around Guildhall square so won't want competition to that, etc, etc.). I think Cortese will have his work cut out there.

 

And........would he be averse to joining poopy and saints together and developing near Fareham? Or am I forgetting that he "loves us" too much for that?

Edited by hughieslastminutegoal
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I think we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves. Any development would need to be where the gravel place is and I guess they need to be situated there to receive gravel by boat.

 

The council seem to have their own vision of the riverside from OV through to Northam, the Beach idea for one. With the Woolston redevelopment up and running I suspect the view of the other side of the river as it stands won't make the Woolston venue "prime" real estate but with a redevelopment along the stadium side would make it more desirable.

 

I'm sure the gravel merchants and other businesses could find another venue with the right incentive so the whole riverside could be a very exciting development which Saints could surely be a major part of.

 

The stadium I think should be between 42&48k. Big enough for major competition, and big enough for a spike in attendances. We averaged over 95% capacity in the prem, some of that missing % taken from the neccessary sectionibg off in the Northam. With proper development that could be removed.

 

I honestly think that when we get back to the Prem we will again average 30k plus but with room for 42-48 wr would average over 40. With bigger capacity comes more away fans too so upto to 4800 in league and 7200 in the cup. This means roughly 10-14k more than a capacity game now. We know we have significantly more than 50k who actively watch Saints so I think this is far from unrealistic. And obviously the opposition will be quite good in the main.

 

I also hope the stadium redevelopment increases the hospitality facilities in order to generate more as Arsenal in particular I believe make more from that than the normal crowd. I could be wring but in sure I read that somewhere!!!

 

Anyway, we aren't likely to need a 60k stadia mainly due to the density of the demographic in and around the city but we certainly can sustain 40k crowds in the prem.

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