Question Fix the North Bank now?

[Blues4LifeDan]

With the impending FA cup tie and the chance to have the away end filled, should COSU do all the they can to fix the North Bank?

It's rumoured to cost 100k. Even if we charged a tenner for a ticket, Charlton would sell 2000. That's 20k made back. We'd then have a North Bank ready for home fans for the rest of the season. All sounds too easy I'm sure.

Money readily available, time constraints and the man power to get it done. They are all reasons why it probably won't get done, time constraints probably the biggest obstacle.

But what do you all think? Yes or no to the North Bank being repaired?

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

With the impending FA cup tie and the chance to have the away end filled, should COSU do all the they can to fix the North Bank?

It's rumoured to cost 100k. Even if we charged a tenner for a ticket, Charlton would sell 2000. That's 200k made back. We'd then have a North Bank ready for home fans for the rest of the season. All sounds too easy I'm sure.

Money readily available, time constraints and the man power to get it done. They are all reasons why it probably won't get done, time constraints probably the biggest obstacle.

But what do you all think? Yes or no to the North Bank being repaired?

2,000 at £10 is only £20,000, so 80k shortfall...

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

2,000 at £10 is only £20,000, so 80k shortfall...

Sorry, was typing on the move

But that's just taking the away fans into account. That's without home ticket sales.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

Say it was fixed and we could get over 8k in there at £15 a ticket, that's £120,000 back. I don't think it's an oversight to target 8k if the North Bank was fixed. They'd fill it and we could easily sell 6k tickets in the home end.

 

[Supershrimper]

I'd say fix it so its fixed to a decent specification. Otherwise we are back to the days of bodge it and hope for the best under Ron. If that means that we miss out on a couple of £ks then so be it. I

think in the long run it would be best. Rather than spending now and then re-spending when the rushed improvements need to be amended to make it more feasible for longer term use.

 

[OldBlueLady]

They're already working on it. This may well ramp the speed of the work up though.

From our September Liaison Meeting Minutes: COSU are working on various areas within the ground that need urgent improvement. Work is underway in the North-West Quadrant (NWQ) to bring it back into use. The toilet block has already been made water-tight.

 

[Firestorm]

2,000 at £10 is only £20,000, so 80k shortfall...

less the VAT makes it 16.7k to the club

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

less the VAT makes it 16.7k to the club

Gate receipts are shared in the FA Cup so 8.35k

 

[Holy Joe]

Gate receipts are shared in the FA Cup so 8.35k

And can deduct other match day expenses as well - revenue is not profit

 

[BoyWonder2]

Gate receipts are shared in the FA Cup so 8.35k

Less than that, both sides share 45% of the gate receipts, with the remaining 10% going to the FA.

Don’t forget to factor in the bigger police presence required, and the additional stewards, other staff for just the North Bank too…

I’m not sure exactly what needs to be done to get it up to scratch, but when I did my Roots Hall Run before the Maidenhead game, I was looking in the North Bank and didn’t realise how much of a **** hole it had become.

 

[Smiffy]

I think unless they get Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team in there today, there is zero chance of getting it up to the required standard (For full occupation) in just 2 weeks.

Hopefully they can get at least some of it up to scratch in time to accomodate 1,000+ Charlton. They'd likely bring 2,000+ if it was available to them.

Perhaps theres more chance of Block X being opened?....That will be a useful addition and allow more home fans in.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

I think unless they get Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team in there today, there is zero chance of getting it up to the required standard (For full occupation) in just 2 weeks.

Hopefully they can get at least some of it up to scratch in time to accomodate 1,000+ Charlton. They'd likely bring 2,000+ if it was available to them.

Perhaps theres more chance of Block X being opened?....That will be a useful addition and allow more home fans in.

Very good point. It may be better for the club to just accept that 800 (is that the current allowed number for away fans?) is enough and try and get a 'full house' on our side, X block included. Then even more importantly, win the tie to get the much needed £45k.

 

[Liam AAS]

They should do it but not because a cup game with a 12 day deadline forces their hand.

Not really worth focussing on it when we're playing the likes of Tamworth, Maidenhead & Fylde.

 

[kentblues]

I am a firm believer in Sods Law. We won’t do it for Charlton which will ensure a victory and a home tie against Birmingham. Then we again won’t have time and that will ensure a home tie verses Millwall. So don’t do it!

Btw can’t see away prices at £10 particularly if we can offer 800 max.

 

[Tommy2holes]

If they can get the away end open, toilet blocks sorted and a mobile beer and burger van to come in for this one it would be good, but if still rather see the away end bulldozed and a safe standing I the mould of daggers or barnets away stands with beers etc underneath.

 

[loz]

With the impending FA cup tie and the chance to have the away end filled, should COSU do all the they can to fix the North Bank?

It's rumoured to cost 100k. Even if we charged a tenner for a ticket, Charlton would sell 2000. That's 20k made back. We'd then have a North Bank ready for home fans for the rest of the season. All sounds too easy I'm sure.

Money readily available, time constraints and the man power to get it done. They are all reasons why it probably won't get done, time constraints probably the biggest obstacle.

But what do you all think? Yes or no to the North Bank being repaired?

It probably costs more than 100k if you need to get it done by November 2...

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Very good point. It may be better for the club to just accept that 800 (is that the current allowed number for away fans?) is enough and try and get a 'full house' on our side, X block included. Then even more importantly, win the tie to get the much needed £45k.

The issue is that they need to offer 15% of tickets to Charlton in a fully segregated area. So unless we gain an exemption we will need to operate a reduced capacity for home fans.

What makes things tricky is it isn’t as simple as saying we’ll get the work done. We need to get the work done and a safety certificate issued - all presumably before we can release tickets for sale.

It might therefore, like opening day of the season, be quite a late announcement on tickets.

 

[Fairport]

I thought that the away club must be allocated a certain percentage of the tickets available. When we were at Chelsea for example we were housed in areas that are normally home fans only. If that rule was put into practice and there are only 800 away spaces available then depending on the percentage we would have to reduce the number of home tickets. This probably won't happen but you can't always trust the FA to be sensible and pragmatic.

 

[rigsby]

Obviously I would prefer the NW corner to be up and running but available to home fans right round to the last couple of blocks when the oppo have less than 100 fans.

Are Charlton really going to bring 2000 for the round 1 of the Cup? Better off having a quality beer and burger tent outside the NE corner. Get Charlton fans spending an extra £20 on refreshments rather than spending £100 grand on few hundred more £10 ticket sales.

That aside surely the obvious answer is the South stand for Charlton. Complies with FA rules. Extra gate money but facilities already in place. No need for police inside the ground at around £400 an hour (minimum of 6 hours charged).......As long as they get their act together in that kiosk it should work.

 

[Smiffy]

Obviously I would prefer the NW corner to be up and running but available to home fans right round to the last couple of blocks when the oppo have less than 100 fans.

Are Charlton really going to bring 2000 for the round 1 of the Cup? Better off having a quality beer and burger tent outside the NE corner. Get Charlton fans spending an extra £20 on refreshments rather than spending £100 grand on few hundred more £10 ticket sales.

That aside surely the obvious answer is the South stand for Charlton. Complies with FA rules. Extra gate money but facilities already in place. No need for police inside the ground at around £400 an hour (minimum of 6 hours charged).......As long as they get their act together in that kiosk it should work.

Problem is you can't separate rival fans entering/exiting the South via the East Car Park, nor Shakespeare Drive. Not without a big police presence. Only the NB can provide the ability of proper segregation before/during/after a game. As such it will always be the preferred area for away fans. At least until major works are carried out.