Condition of the stadium

[CamSaint]

Aside from any safety issues, which obviously would need to be dealt with, would the club have to divert money from player investment in order to fund infrastructure improvements? If so, would people be happy with that or prepared to put up with a green roof for another couple of seasons?

[alehouseboys]

  On 11/06/2021 at 08:28, Charlie Wayman said:

Excuse me, the Dell record was over 31,000 - odd. I was one of them v Man U back in the sixties

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  On 11/06/2021 at 08:42, Sunglasses Ron said:

Yes it was, but I was talking about things from my perspective as my first game was in 1993 when capacity was about 17,500.

If we're being pedantic, then the attendance of the game you went to was 31,044, whereas the first league game at St. Mary's was 31,107! 😎

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It was but the attendance exceeded that on many occasions when you consider the 'Dockers Gate' and all the kids lifted over the turnstiles back in the terrace days.

There was also Mick Channon's Testimonial in '76 when, by the end of the game, there must have been nearer 40,000 squeezed in the place (and around the pitch) when the thousands locked out started to find a way in. There were also numerous games back in 50s, 60s and 70s when thousands were locked out once the gates were closed. Alas, the Dell record stands at just 31,044.

[Sunglasses Ron]

  On 11/06/2021 at 09:16, alehouseboys said:

 

It was but the attendance exceeded that on many occasions when you consider the 'Dockers Gate' and all the kids lifted over the turnstiles back in the terrace days.

There was also Mick Channon's Testimonial in '76 when, by the end of the game, there must have been nearer 40,000 squeezed in the place (and around the pitch) when the thousands locked out started to find a way in. There were also numerous games back in 50s, 60s and 70s when thousands were locked out once the gates were closed. Alas, the Dell record stands at just 31,044.

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Great post, thanks!

As someone who squeezed in with just 15,000 others in its final days, it seems difficult to conceive how 40,000 could have been in the same space.  Amazing!

[once_bitterne]

  On 11/06/2021 at 09:01, CamSaint said:

Aside from any safety issues, which obviously would need to be dealt with, would the club have to divert money from player investment in order to fund infrastructure improvements? If so, would people be happy with that or prepared to put up with a green roof for another couple of seasons?

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Replacing old plastic, cleaning the roof and generally cleaning things up would prob cost less than £100k. A 2nd choice LB would prob cost around £8m + £50k per week wages so don't think cleaning the stadium up will impact transfers too much.

[Chocolate Box]

Never mind cleaning the roof, it leaks like sieve in the Chapel and probably elsewhere. (Before anyone else says it, us old gits need protecting from the elements).

[Charlie Wayman]

  On 11/06/2021 at 09:16, alehouseboys said:

 

It was but the attendance exceeded that on many occasions when you consider the 'Dockers Gate' and all the kids lifted over the turnstiles back in the terrace days.

There was also Mick Channon's Testimonial in '76 when, by the end of the game, there must have been nearer 40,000 squeezed in the place (and around the pitch) when the thousands locked out started to find a way in. There were also numerous games back in 50s, 60s and 70s when thousands were locked out once the gates were closed. Alas, the Dell record stands at just 31,044.

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Yes indeed, the sliding doors at the Archers Road end were often forced open by crowds "waiting patiently" outside and invariably a couple of hundred or more would charge in before the stewards could force them closed again. As a kid I managed to sneak through there once for a Spurs Cup Tie only to be collared and chucked out again.

[VectisSaint]

  On 10/06/2021 at 17:25, Dark Munster said:

Look on the bright side, it could be a lot worse.

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See Boris is back from Cornwall then. 

[rooney]

  On 09/06/2021 at 18:54, Charlie Wayman said:

Maintenance at SMS has alway been poor. For years the top of the folding players tunnel was dirty with dust and algae yet nothing was ever done about cleaning it even though the directors and visiting VIPs sat right behind the tunnel and couldn't miss the state it was in. Rank poor management.

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You could see it all over the ground. Surely one of the minions could have got a step ladder, bucket of water and a brush and sorted this quite easily. You just wold not believe it.

[alehouseboys]

Liverpool to install nearly 8,000 rail-seats, apparently one of 5 PL clubs trialling next season (only aware of Wolves and Spurs elsewhere), some at the back of the Kop but most at the lower Anfield Road end (includes away section). That'll be interesting as it's restricted viewing at the back due to the overhang when seated, if they're going to tolerate some safe standing (little point in installing rail-seats if not) it will be considerably worse.

But the fact that it's the scallies involved it will likely progress to safe standing for all a lot quicker now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57487749

[saint1977]

  On 12/06/2021 at 18:41, rooney said:

You could see it all over the ground. Surely one of the minions could have got a step ladder, bucket of water and a brush and sorted this quite easily. You just wold not believe it.

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Tells you everything you need to know about how the club has been run over the last 4 years. Get the little things wrong or don’t bother with them, the big things won’t have the right level of attention either. SFC has always gotten complacent and parochial after a run of success - after Lawrie mid 80s, post WGS and Cup Final and Europe and after Ronald. You can’t start coasting as a mid size top flight club. 

[Antrimsaint]

  On 10/06/2021 at 17:25, Dark Munster said:

Look on the bright side, it could be a lot worse.

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Do you know what, I might take  that place over St Marys. It has a bit of character and no matter what anyone says they can get a bit of noise out of it

[Antrimsaint]

😂, can I take that thought back? You can only play devils advocate for so long.

[John Boy Saint]

When we got evicted from our block in the Chapel for the expansion of Kiddies corner - we left our mate to decide where we going to sit from then on. A few games in, we had been ribbing our mate for such a crap choice of seats, it was pissing down and had been for hours, then all of our eyes were caught by something? Back to watching the game few minutes later it happened again, then it was half an eye on the game - then splat! Chap 5 rows in front of us was catching a sizeable drip right on his shoulder - and looking annoyed. Bob pipes up “that was the other row I was offered when I booked our 4 seats” you chose well was the unanimous reply……………the drip is still there 8(?) years on.

At the Leeds game sat on the back row - looking at the “ceiling” there were more cobwebs that a haunted house……….but someone had been and given the seats a wipe or hose down, normally first game back you can write your name in the dust.

Edited 22 June, 2021 by John Boy Saint

[Chapel End]

  On 16/06/2021 at 11:01, Antrimsaint said:

Do you know what, I might take  that place over St Marys. It has a bit of character and no matter what anyone says they can get a bit of noise out of it

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Most of it is booing though 

[Antrimsaint]

  On 22/06/2021 at 09:56, Chapel End said:

Most of it is booing though 

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Lol true. 😆👏

[M271]

  On 22/06/2021 at 09:56, Chapel End said:

Most of it is booing though 

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I never understand SUPPORTERS booing their own team and players, I reserve that for the opposition. Seems to have become a habit for some dubious attendees.

[Matthew Le God]

A cheap solution...

 

[Sarisbury Saint]

  On 25/06/2021 at 20:05, Matthew Le God said:

A cheap solution...

 

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Wow, there’s a trick I didn’t know about .

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 25/06/2021 at 20:05, Matthew Le God said:

A cheap solution...

 

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Just don’t sit on them until they’ve dried.

[suewhistle]

Pity they don't take a blowtorch to the Fratton seats and leave it going for a bit longer. A few years ago my women's football team went to watch a women's international against Turkey. The first team keeper sat down on one of the seats and it collapsed underneath her.. I'd already heard about the legendary loos so didn't need to go. Mind you, I suspect they were better than those at The Dell which were appalling if you were a beer drinker.. 

[MarkSFC]

  On 25/06/2021 at 20:05, Matthew Le God said:

A cheap solution...

 

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I'd actually find that really satisfying to do🤣🤣🤣

[skintsaint]

  On 25/06/2021 at 21:23, MarkSFC said:

I'd actually find that really satisfying to do🤣🤣🤣

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can just leave it on a loop as well 😄

[Toussaint]

  On 25/06/2021 at 21:23, MarkSFC said:

I'd actually find that really satisfying to do🤣🤣🤣

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Maybe 1 or 2, but not 33000 of them!

[Saint86]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9833975/Leicester-City-announce-plans-add-8-000-seats-King-Power-Stadium.html

If you want to visualise and experience an expanded St Mary's, soon you'll be able to an King Power to do it. All you'll need is some rose tinted glasses and you'll get an almost perfect look and feel.

Edited 28 July, 2021 by Saint86

[kwsaint]

To be fair, the King Power expansion does look stunning.  Maybe they can return the favour and give us the plans so that we can expand the Kingsland.  If they did that to the Kingsland then the views from the top tier over Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight would be good.

https://www.givemesport.com/1621191-leicester-city-leaked-images-of-clubs-king-power-stadium-expansion-look-stunning

 

 

[JRM]

Fair play to Leicester's owners, amazing investment in infrastructure. 

I remember St Mary's design allowed for Upper tiers to be added but still at some considerable cost, we'll have to make do with  some newly decorated toilets 

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 28/07/2021 at 21:21, JRM said:

Fair play to Leicester's owners, amazing investment in infrastructure. 

I remember St Mary's design allowed for Upper tiers to be added but still at some considerable cost, we'll have to make do with  some newly decorated toilets 

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And padded seats. Don’t forget the padded seats.

[Wurzel]

  On 28/07/2021 at 23:06, Whitey Grandad said:

And padded seats. Don’t forget the padded seats.

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Don't knock the padded seats. I sat in one for the first time at the recent Queen concert at SMS.  Soooo much more comfortable. First time I've left the ground not feeling like I'd developed hemerrhoids in the previous 90 minutes.

[JRM]

  On 28/07/2021 at 23:06, Whitey Grandad said:

And padded seats. Don’t forget the padded seats.

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I've not. In fact I've purchased one for the pre season friendly for the bargain price of £10 to be the first to sit in one, hopefully I won't spill any of my balti pie on the pristine new padding 

 

Actually just noticed they've already been used at a Queen gig so not such a special occasion 

Edited 29 July, 2021 by JRM

[Dimond Geezer]

  On 29/07/2021 at 16:09, JRM said:

I've not. In fact I've purchased one for the pre season friendly for the bargain price of £10 to be the first to sit in one, hopefully I won't spill any of my balti pie on the pristine new padding 

 

Actually just noticed they've already been used at a Queen gig so not such a special occasion 

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If you're talking about the new £1000 seats in the Kingsland, you'll be the first to sully them, the Queen gig was the Itchen stand only.

[JRM]

  On 29/07/2021 at 16:21, Dimond Geezer said:

If you're talking about the new £1000 seats in the Kingsland, you'll be the first to sully them, the Queen gig was the Itchen stand only.

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Get in there 💪

Bet the people paying £80 or whatever it is going to be for the Man Utd game will be horrified to find out the club allowed the great unwashed the privilege to to sit in there first £10 adult £5 kids 

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 29/07/2021 at 08:39, Wurzel said:

Don't knock the padded seats. I sat in one for the first time at the recent Queen concert at SMS.  Soooo much more comfortable. First time I've left the ground not feeling like I'd developed hemerrhoids in the previous 90 minutes.

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I’ve never found the plastic seats to be uncomfortable but I do have a plentifully padded posterior.

[Saint86]

  On 29/07/2021 at 16:54, JRM said:

Get in there 💪

Bet the people paying £80 or whatever it is going to be for the Man Utd game will be horrified to find out the club allowed the great unwashed the privilege to to sit in there first £10 adult £5 kids 

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Probably one of your last visits to St Mary's so enjoy it. Maybe leave a little "an unvaccinated was 'ere" sticker on the seat / row 🤭

[tunit]

Just announced the improvement plans over the next few months. At least they are investing in the stadium and responding to feedback, including locally sourced food and drink

 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-07-30/southampton-fc-announces-st-marys-improvements

[Saint_Jonny]

  On 30/07/2021 at 13:06, tunit said:

Just announced the improvement plans over the next few months. At least they are investing in the stadium and responding to feedback, including locally sourced food and drink

 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-07-30/southampton-fc-announces-st-marys-improvements

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All sounds really good to be fair. Concourse needed some attention to make it less like a concrete shell and somewhere you might actually want to have a drink and watch the earlier game. 

[Monk]

Fair play, shame it's not all in time for the season kicking off but plenty of factors to delay that. 

Looking forward to seeing the changes. 

[Colinjb]

  On 30/07/2021 at 13:34, Saint_Jonny said:

Concourse needed some attention to make it less like a concrete shell and somewhere you might actually want to have a drink and watch the earlier game. 

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Always felt they were going for the Mugatu inspired 'dérélicte' look.

Edited 30 July, 2021 by Colinjb

[bubblyone]

  On 09/06/2021 at 21:35, JustinSFC said:

It's only a "flat pack" stadium isn't it.

Same as Leicester's.

Built by the same firm wasn't it?

Can't remember the name of it, there's a name for the type of stadium we've got. Can't remember.

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Think it was Barr who built it

[Charlie Wayman]

  On 30/07/2021 at 13:06, tunit said:

Just announced the improvement plans over the next few months. At least they are investing in the stadium and responding to feedback, including locally sourced food and drink

 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-07-30/southampton-fc-announces-st-marys-improvements

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Not quite the £100m investment many might have hoped for and new screens and pictures of our Golden Poster Boy seem odd priorities.

Some decent new loos and an end to smelly rot-your-socks urinals would have been a better place to spend £2.5m especially now that dodgy local craft beers will be on offer. I mean who in 2021 has a urinal in their house? 

 

[bpsaint]

  On 28/07/2021 at 21:21, JRM said:

Fair play to Leicester's owners, amazing investment in infrastructure. 

I remember St Mary's design allowed for Upper tiers to be added but still at some considerable cost, we'll have to make do with  some newly decorated toilets 

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Ol’ Rupes said that it would cost the same price as the stadium cost to build, £32 mill, to expand the Chapel, Kingsland and Northam to a 48’000 capacity. That was 20 years ago though so who knows what price it would be allowing for inflation. The foundations are in place should we wish to do so. 
 

Shame the new improvements don’t include replacing the tired pink seats - made a huge difference to the Stadium of light since they did theirs.

[rooney]

I wonder if the sound system has been improved around the ground also?

[spyinthesky]

  On 30/07/2021 at 20:43, bpsaint said:

Ol’ Rupes said that it would cost the same price as the stadium cost to build, £32 mill, to expand the Chapel, Kingsland and Northam to a 48’000 capacity. That was 20 years ago though so who knows what price it would be allowing for inflation. The foundations are in place should we wish to do so. 
 

Shame the new improvements don’t include replacing the tired pink seats - made a huge difference to the Stadium of light since they did theirs.

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Perhaps we ought to give Rupes and his mate Andrew credit for getting a decent stadium built for £32m.

Seems that the builder, Barrs of Ayr, never recovered from their involvement in building football stadia.

It would be interesting to find out how much it would cost to build a similar size stadium nowadays particularly with the cost of building materials going through the roof at the moment.

Wonder how much extra Everton will have to pay above their estimates for theri new stadium?

[bpsaint]

  On 30/07/2021 at 13:06, tunit said:

Just announced the improvement plans over the next few months. At least they are investing in the stadium and responding to feedback, including locally sourced food and drink

 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-07-30/southampton-fc-announces-st-marys-improvements

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Wonder what happened to those jumbo screens that were meant to be installed this month 🤔

[The Cat]

  On 25/10/2021 at 20:06, bpsaint said:

Wonder what happened to those jumbo screens that were meant to be installed this month 🤔

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The big boards were delayed for some reason, but we had new LED boards above the tunnel and in the middle of the Itchen which was very exciting for fans of extra advertising.

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 25/10/2021 at 20:06, bpsaint said:

Wonder what happened to those jumbo screens that were meant to be installed this month 🤔

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Like everything coming from China, delayed. November sometime was the last date I heard.

[ant]

What happened to "all new, locally sourced food and drink menu within the concourse, which for the first time will also include craft beers"?

Not noticed either on the boards above the bars. Has looked like same-old, same-old since the season started.

Still, you'd be nuts to drink at the stadium when there's Unity a 10 minute stroll away.

[beatlesaint]

  On 25/10/2021 at 20:06, bpsaint said:

Wonder what happened to those jumbo screens that were meant to be installed this month 🤔

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They were/are supposed to be installed during the next International break but someone who isnt prone to tittle tattle told me on Saturday that the new jumbo screens were too heavy to be supported by the existing brackets etc so who knows ?

[John Boy Saint]

  On 26/10/2021 at 07:48, ant said:

What happened to "all new, locally sourced food and drink menu within the concourse, which for the first time will also include craft beers"?

Not noticed either on the boards above the bars. Has looked like same-old, same-old since the season started.

Still, you'd be nuts to drink at the stadium when there's Unity a 10 minute stroll away.

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Depends on your definition of local - but the Pies and Sausage Rolls are made just along the A27 in Worthing. 45 miles as the Crow flies.

[John Boy Saint]

  On 26/10/2021 at 08:43, beatlesaint said:

They were/are supposed to be installed during the next International break but someone who isnt prone to tittle tattle told me on Saturday that the new jumbo screens were too heavy to be supported by the existing brackets etc so who knows ?

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Hmmmm you would imagine that given the outlay, someone would have done the prep maths............... "B*****ks to paying that" is more likely, when the $19,000 per shipping container cost was presented.

[ant]

  On 26/10/2021 at 08:59, John Boy Saint said:

Depends on your definition of local - but the Pies and Sausage Rolls are made just along the A27 in Worthing. 45 miles as the Crow flies.

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Fair doos. Think I've sampled the sustenance about twice in the past decade, so I'm not surprised that passed me by.

Happy to be proved wrong about the beer, too - but it looked like the same old Kingfisher (et al) bilge.

Mental really, with Unity, Dancing Man, Steam Town and Vibrant Forest in and around the city. Not expecting there to be cask, but most of those listed predominantly sell keg anyway.