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New ground v redevelopment ?


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I know this debate has been done before, but with recent events coming to fruition i would like to see if we can have a reasonable debate on the pros and cons of redevelopment vs the pros and cons of a new ground. I for one would like us to remain at hillsborough but its obvious to all that at the very least the west stand needs to be demolished and totally rebuilt if we are ever able to again use its full capacity again. I will start off with a few and hope that other posters can add to the debate giving valid reasons for their argument, not just saying things like poo location etc etc

Cost of redevelopment v new ground

To redevelop hillsbourough would probably be cheaper than to build a new ground. I would say that we would need to rebuild the west stand and remove the pillars from the kop. I would think that this would be quite a lot cheaper than bulding a whole new stadium, but capacity would probably be reduced by around 10,000. This would probably go on for 3 years whilst this work was being done and would lead to lost revenue, especially if we are plying our trade in the top flight.

Location

Whilst hillsborough isnt the perfect location it is not the worst. I love going for a pint or 2 before and after the match so for me, moving to a remote location on the edge of town would take away some of the match day experience ( look at bolton, rated by many as one of the worst away days) . The best place would probably have been on the site of the old don valley stadium butthat land has been designated for other projects. A new stadium near the old airport would prove easier for away fans and fans that dont live in sheffield to get to , but for a lot of fans who use public transport it would prove to be a nightmare to get to and from.

The current ground

Although there is a stigma attached to the ground and especially with the west stand, hillsborough still ranks highly on the list of grounds that away fans like to go to and believe that many of our fans still consider hillsborough to be our spiritual home

Please feel free to add to the debate

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IMO it wouldn't make sense to move

Redevelop the leppings lane end in a way that can increase the overall capacity of the ground by addressing segregation issues.

Develop the corners of the ground with more seats and we've got a 45/50K stadium

Every part of Hillsborough needs sorting in time like concours layouts, pillars on kop etc

But the leppings lane end has got to be the priority for me.

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Unless Sheffield Council sold Hillsborough Park then theres nowhere for a new ground to go that will have access, facilities (such as local pubs) transport links etc. For me redevelopment is the way forward akin to the World Cup Plans but with some consideration towards segregation of parts of the West Stand when small numbers of away fans attend.

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Any new location we moved to would still have problems with parking unless we built a 5k capacity car park that could only be used on matchdays and would probably cost £10 to park

Car parks next to grounds are great if you want a short walk, but rubbish if you want a quick getaway.

Love Hillsborough to be redeveloped. If DC moves us I understand and accept it will be for sound reasons. But I would really want it to be on our side of Sheffield.

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I believe that through grants from the FA and other scource's that building a new ground would be cheaper in the long run and we could add all the commercial aspects onto the ground, but I did like the plans put forward by the club for the world cup bid.

Is there any spare ground that is practical enough within the boundaries of Sheffield?, I do not know.

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There is no excuse not to redevelop the stadium into a modern, safe and stylish ground.

SAG in my view need to focus on the LL frontage and insist on provision of sufficient and efficiently laid out turnstiles. The number of Turnstiles should be in proportion to the capacity. A major failing of the layout of this ground that most definitely contributed to the disaster IMO.

I can remember as a child many occasions leaving the North stand and being pissed on by Newcastle fans from the back of the upper LL and having to cross the tide of away supporters leaving.

There needs to be management of the approach to the ground at the bridge constriction point. Turnstiles need to be placed directly into the stand, get rid of the walls that were climbed over to open up the whole area and remove cctv blind spots and pinch points.

Apart from the obvious uplift in facilities, the above is paramount to allow us and our visitors to enjoy one of the finest grounds in the country.

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Stand at a time redevelopment over a ten year period for me.   Add boxes all round and split level.   Only sell season tickets below the split and then for games where attendance won't be high the ground doesn't look empty.

 

There is plenty of room to put good facilities in.  Behind the kop is just wasted space for instance.

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No need to leave, Kop remove pillars & improve concourses, North improve concourses, New leppings lane stand.

Parking is a lot better than most grounds if people can be arsed to walk 10minutes.

Hillsborough is our home & an iconic home at that so redeveloped 45k is big enough for us.

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