Fir Park : Is It Time To Move

[ONeils40yarder]

While I can understand that the stadium has seen better days, I dread the day we leave Fir Park for a Barr effort on the outskirts of the town.

[Rickoza]

Redevelopment isn't really an option, is it? Unless someone ends up paying £4-5,000,000 cash for one of our players, we simply will never have the money to do it. For me, it'd be the best option. Demolishing the East and the PoD one at a time and rebuilding would give us a tidy wee ground, really. Something similar to Accies at where the PoD is, with office space built in to rent and gain cash from would be ideal, with boxes at the back of the stand.

 

Realistically, selling up Fir Park and hoping for a council or government partnership/redevelopment area/supermarket buy out is the only real option though, I would've thought. Given that St. Mirren's new stadium, which is unfortunately, the sort of thing we'd be aiming for, was budgetted at around £8,000,000, we would not be able to do it alone.

 

Would hate to leave Fir Park. I do know Sainsbury's are apprently looking at alternative sites though.

[fatcalf]

While I can understand that the stadium has seen better days, I dread the day we leave Fir Park for a Barr effort on the outskirts of the town.

 

 

Me too, if there's a way to stay it should be No.1 option, pie in the sky new stadium plans can Fatcalf

[Rickoza]

i dont actually think this is possible - someone in the building industry or with more savvy than me may be able to provide more light, but with the school directly behind the East Stand - i just dont think it would be possible.

 

 

 

 

as much i wouldnt be happy with that either - if that was the only way to see my team, its what i'd need to do

 

So the South Stand hold 4856, so all Motherwell fans could easily fit into the South Stand and offer the Cooper to away fans???? (i'm presuming this would not be a popular choice???)

 

 

We were able to build the South Stand despite Firtrees Nursery and the school being directly behind it so I'd think it'd be possible. Just ruddy expensive.

[johnstone]

I can't really see how stands could be redeveloped in the stadium while we still use it as a ground. A logistical safety nightmare.

 

Best option would be a ground share for a season.

 

Fix the East and POD

 

Move back in.

 

 

If the rumours are true that these stands are close to closing anyway then we better get it sorted soon.

[weeyin]

If I was living back home, moving to a lego stadium would run me very close to attending less matches. Unless there was terracing involved - then I could be persuaded.

[DEWELL]

It's the 21st century folks. Loads of teams have moved to new stadiums. I cant believe that people on here would be against a 10000 seater stadium at Ravenscraig. Fir Park's had it's day. The Ravenscraig stadium would be a fitting name for it too and stands kept as the POD and the Cooper.

[mfc]

id take a run down fir park anyday than some flat pack lego effort id hate us to end up with a st mirren type stadium where the only difference is the colour of the seats

[NottsMFC]

Think it has been time to move for some time now, although if/when it happens it will be a very sad day for me, & I'm sure many others.In reality though, I don't see any prospect of it happening any time soon given the finance that would be required.Certainly wouldn't be against a move to Ravenscraig, seems the most logical option, although I would much prefer it to be closer to Motherwell town centre if there was any possibility of that.

[NottsMFC]

id take a run down fir park anyday than some flat pack lego effort id hate us to end up with a st mirren type stadium where the only difference is the colour of the seats

 

Definitely wouldn't want 1 of those efforts either but don't think we'd have much choice if a move was to happen.

 

At a guess I'd think we'd be looking at something like 15m for something a bit more unique.

[ONeils40yarder]

1349707208[/url]' post='363883']

If I was living back home, moving to a lego stadium would run me very close to attending less matches. Unless there was terracing involved - then I could be persuaded.

 

I'm the same.

If we move, be under no illusion, it will be done as cheaply as is physically possible. We'll end up with 8-10k seats similar in style to NSM but with C&A seats. It would be fucking soul destroying turning up to a ground like that every 2nd week.

[Spiderpig]

I'm the same.

If we move, be under no illusion, it will be done as cheaply as is physically possible. We'll end up with 8-10k seats similar in style to NSM but with C&A seats. It would be fucking soul destroying turning up to a ground like that every 2nd week.

 

 

why would it be soul destroying...do Airdrie, st mirren, st johnstone, hamilton, or fans of any other team who have moved to a new stadium have any less affinity or support for the club. yes i think Fir park has a unique atmosphere but i would support the team just as well in a new stadium

[Yoshi-1991]

I would have to agree with the vote on moving. I love oor wee ground but its had its day. The cost of fixing it up would be too great I would think, to the point where building a new stadium becomes the sensible option. On the other hand, if we move to Ravenscraig we really need to balance the good with the bad. We could put in a car park, but traveling by train becomes all but impossible for a lot of people. We could build in shops/ restaurants/ units for business's to rent out.

 

In fact, with building a new stadium comes the chance to improve our finances with things like I mentioned units for business's to rent out. A gym and training facilities, used by the club, and available to the public after hours at prices to rival the other local facilities. It could also be a good marketing tool, for example "collect your vouchers at each of this months home games and get a months membership to the gym/ an hours use of the 7's pitch/ fill in the black for free.

 

Also as an answer to the train problem the club could run £1 shuttle bus's from the town center to the ground right up till kick off.

 

 

[joewarkfanclub]

The only way could get near affording a new stadium is if someone came in to buy the ground Fir Park stands on. Until that happens I cant see us going anywhere.

 

Wouldnt want to move away from Fir Park but if we could make enough money from the sale and move to the 'Craig and build a Scandanavian style stadium then I think I would feel as if we had retained some of our soul.

 

Cant see it happening any time soon though. Most likely limp along using the Cooper and the South.

[Brazilian]

why would it be soul destroying...do Airdrie, st mirren, st johnstone, hamilton, or fans of any other team who have moved to a new stadium have any less affinity or support for the club. yes i think Fir park has a unique atmosphere but i would support the team just as well in a new stadium

note quite what you mean I know, but all of them have actual less support attending,

 

and for 3 out 4 of them all have had periods of relative success after the moves, something we'd certainly struggle to replicate given the hugely successful period we are currently in

 

two fit for purpose stands at Fir Park house all the fans we have on average. both can also bring in much needed additional income, on match days

 

the notion of ground sharing and re-building Fir Park seems more far fetched than a new build as it has even extra costs, with no income

 

I keep hearing the POD has less than ten years left, just not from any source other than rumour, plenty older structures still going strong out there, and its not let us down yet.

 

East will hopefully go back to part standing, and should only cost speculated £200-300k to convert and re-roof

 

a fraction of what we've spent on pitch work a few years back

 

plenty life through scheduled maintenance works left in the old girl yet, maybe not in her full capacity but when did we last use that?

[joewarkfanclub]

note quite what you mean I know, but all of them have actual less support attending,

 

and for 3 out 4 of them all have had periods of relative success after the moves, something we'd certainly struggle to replicate given the hugely successful period we are currently in

 

two fit for purpose stands at Fir Park house all the fans we have on average. both can also bring in much needed additional income, on match days

 

the notion of ground sharing and re-building Fir Park seems more far fetched than a new build as it has even extra costs, with no income

 

I keep hearing the POD has less than ten years left, just not from any source other than rumour, plenty older structures still going strong out there, and its not let us down yet.

 

East will hopefully go back to part standing, and should only cost speculated £200-300k to convert and re=roof

 

a fraction of what we've spent on pitch work a few years back

 

plenty life through scheduled maintenance works left in the old girl yet, maybe not in her full capacity but when did we last use that?

 

A new roof and safe standing for the East would seem a sensible lower cost option.

 

Always thought we could have reintroduced safe standing in the old enclosures in front of the POD, although wouldnt generate the same atmosphere due to height of the roof.

[Steve Diggle]

Did someone not mention in a thread a while back that there were actually underlying fabric or structural issues in 3 stands?

 

There doesn't appear to be any other realistic option to moving and as luck would have it we have to deal with the chocolate fireplace of local authorities.

[East_Stand_Al]

It looks like NLC are determined not to allow Sainsburys the use of the old traction house, could we get a new stadium down there?

[Onthefringes]

1349725037[/url]' post='363905']

note quite what you mean I know, but all of them have actual less support attending,

 

and for 3 out 4 of them all have had periods of relative success after the moves, something we'd certainly struggle to replicate given the hugely successful period we are currently in

 

two fit for purpose stands at Fir Park house all the fans we have on average. both can also bring in much needed additional income, on match days

 

the notion of ground sharing and re-building Fir Park seems more far fetched than a new build as it has even extra costs, with no income

 

I keep hearing the POD has less than ten years left, just not from any source other than rumour, plenty older structures still going strong out there, and its not let us down yet.

 

East will hopefully go back to part standing, and should only cost speculated £200-300k to convert and re-roof

 

a fraction of what we've spent on pitch work a few years back

 

plenty life through scheduled maintenance works left in the old girl yet, maybe not in her full capacity but when did we last use that?

Aye? The cost of the scaffolding alone is way above that unless somebody at the club owns the scaffolding business and offering services free!

 

 

 

[Onthefringes]

1349724330[/url]' post='363903']

I would have to agree with the vote on moving. I love oor wee ground but its had its day. The cost of fixing it up would be too great I would think, to the point where building a new stadium becomes the sensible option. On the other hand, if we move to Ravenscraig we really need to balance the good with the bad. We could put in a car park, but traveling by train becomes all but impossible for a lot of people. We could build in shops/ restaurants/ units for business's to rent out.

 

In fact, with building a new stadium comes the chance to improve our finances with things like I mentioned units for business's to rent out. A gym and training facilities, used by the club, and available to the public after hours at prices to rival the other local facilities. It could also be a good marketing tool, for example "collect your vouchers at each of this months home games and get a months membership to the gym/ an hours use of the 7's pitch/ fill in the black for free.

 

Also as an answer to the train problem the club could run £1 shuttle bus's from the town center to the ground right up till kick off.

 

 

 

How come? The Ravenscraig development is flanked by the West Coast mainline to the west and the Wishaw deviation line which has run passenger services for several years now on it's eastern side. It has always been proposed a new station will be constructed on the latter line and dependant on location of any stadium, likely be well served by existing rail links.

[gav212]

The east stand is vile, needing flattened or refurbished from top to bottom, that said its probably the most viable of the two stands in question due to its simplicity, from what I have heard the main stand is a mish-mash of different structures and wiring/plumbing standards, when its done its done.

[Kmcalpin]

Moving to a new ground is the only long term option. A brownfield site like Ravenscraig would seem to fit the bill and I'm sure the authorities and developers would welcome us there. In time a new station is also proposed for the site. Patching up Fir Park is not an option as we would face significant costs of demolishing and rebuilding the east and POD Stands, without the benefit of income derived from a land sale. Demolishing and rebuilding with 2 stands accommodating say 6,000 fans would set us back in the region of £6-7m. The Fir Park site itself is far from ideal. Fir Park will always be special but we have to be practical.

 

As for Ravenscraig itself - if Motherwell is to survive and grow then it has to expand, change and develop. We can't fossilise it at a point in time. Scotland is riddled with old villages and towns that couldn't adapt or change and they are now derelict, deserted and largely forgotten about. Just think villages like Jerviston and Flemington were once self contained settlements but they grew and amalgamated. In Wishaw areas like Coltness, Gowkthrapple and Pather were all new extensions at one time or other. Ravenscraig will be the same.

 

The club has to move and the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Fir Park is a part of Motherwell FC; Motherwell FC is not part of Fir Park.

[Yoshi-1991]

Moving to a new ground is the only long term option. A brownfield site like Ravenscraig would seem to fit the bill and I'm sure the authorities and developers would welcome us there. In time a new station is also proposed for the site. Patching up Fir Park is not an option as we would face significant costs of demolishing and rebuilding the east and POD Stands, without the benefit of income derived from a land sale. Demolishing and rebuilding with 2 stands accommodating say 6,000 fans would set us back in the region of £6-7m. The Fir Park site itself is far from ideal. Fir Park will always be special but we have to be practical.

 

As for Ravenscraig itself - if Motherwell is to survive and grow then it has to expand, change and develop. We can't fossilise it at a point in time. Scotland is riddled with old villages and towns that couldn't adapt or change and they are now derelict, deserted and largely forgotten about. Just think villages like Jerviston and Flemington were once self contained settlements but they grew and amalgamated. In Wishaw areas like Coltness, Gowkthrapple and Pather were all new extensions at one time or other. Ravenscraig will be the same.

 

The club has to move and the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Fir Park is a part of Motherwell FC; Motherwell FC is not part of Fir Park.

No, just no.

 

 

 

[BigColin08]

I would hate to leave Fir Park

 

Mainly just because of the memories of Me, My Dad and Grandad going every week.

 

But at the end of the day we must move forward.

Firpark will always be part of Motherwell FC and our memories of all the special times there will always be with us.

 

Seeing Van Der Gaags equaliser against Hibs

Ian Ross's Winner against Smeltic

Skippys 2 goals agains Smeltic

The 6-6 game

 

 

My main concern is

 

How do we afford it?

Were already financially struggling

 

Can we afford not to?

If Fir Park is in such a bad state at present can we afford the constant patch ups?

[Yoshi-1991]

My general idea for the lay out of a new stadium would be sill having 4 stands. Increase the capacity of the "east" or what the equivalent will be since its the most popular stand and first to sell out for big games. For the Main stand to actually run the full length of the pitch but perhaps having less rows . The away stand to have just one tier, theres no need for two, and although everyone kicks up about it, when the OF come to town give them two stands.We can't fill them anyway, and if you take the last Celtic game for example, you could have fit the Motherwell fans in the Coop and Pod into one stand anyway. Unless of course we somehow grow our attendance and can sell it out ourselves, then the OF can fuck themselves. If possible I would have the stands along the length of the pitch curved and steeper so view isn't as restricted. And again if financially viable I would have all the stands meet in the corners, 1 to keep out the wind, 2 to help create a better atmosphere and 3 it looks cool as fuck.