I'm with Len. It made " business sense" to move in '85 apparently. And it was only " one bus ride away". All that hard work and the emotional rollercoaster of a journey getting back to The Valley, and we're back on the subject of leaving again.
I said I wouldn't go to Selhurst.........
I did not go to Selhurst and the day we returned to the Valley was a milestone in my life.
Why would I want to support a bunch of shysters who only want to move the club for their own financial benefit ?
I'm with Len. It made " business sense" to move in '85 apparently. And it was only " one bus ride away". All that hard work and the emotional rollercoaster of a journey getting back to The Valley, and we're back on the subject of leaving again.
I said I wouldn't go to Selhurst.........
And I did not...... at times I regretted it, but that is the thing with principles they come at a cost. And I aint coming, now, tommorow, or next decade......if we move from the Valley
Maybe a move would accompany an aggressive attempt to get east and south Kent fans. High speed to Stratford then tube to north Greenwich. Such a scheme maybe felt necessary to combat west ham doing the same.
I use HS1 regularly and it's not cheap, even with a railcard. A return trip to the O2 from Ramsgate would be about £40 or £26 with a network card. The Thanet population is the poorest in Kent (although there are very affluent pockets) and wouldn't generally be in a position to spend £75-£100 on a trip to see Charlton. It's also 70 minutes (at present) from Ramsgate just to Stratford. We have served this market with Valley Express.
Well over half our support is in four SE London boroughs. Another chunk is in NW Kent (proper) and may find Ebbsfleet International convenient, but they'd find it just as easy to get to Arsenal if they can get in.
North Greenwich is about two miles walk from Charlton station. What it does have is a good bus service, but so does The Valley. How willing people are to queue and travel on buses if given no choice I don't know.
I think that any potential move close to the O2 would have attendances hit by it not being the Valley but more importantly, where are the parking places? Greenwich Council seem to hate car drivers, this combined with the poor public transport available to our core support would make this a non-starter. The only venue that would make any sense would be the MAKRO site as a location.
I am opposed to a move in principle but would be open to looking at the facts. It wouldn't be the same as the Sellout fiasco.
No. I'm not going to be rational or even come up with much of an argument. I'm a psentimental fool and when it comes to the Valley I will always oppose moving away from there.
Oh and p.s - the Amex has crap atmosphere.
Any football club owner ( or politician ) who fails to learn from history is a 100% pratt. We have left the valley twice in the last 100years only an idiot would try a third time.
In no way am I saying that a move from the Valley is right in any shape or form, I was criticising myself for going to SE25 after swearing blind I wouldn't. If we moved again then it would definitely be "The End" as far I'm concerned.
I'm with Len. It made " business sense" to move in '85 apparently. And it was only " one bus ride away". All that hard work and the emotional rollercoaster of a journey getting back to The Valley, and we're back on the subject of leaving again.
I said I wouldn't go to Selhurst.........
I did not go to Selhurst and the day we returned to the Valley was a milestone in my life.
Why would I want to support a bunch of shysters who only want to move the club for their own financial benefit ?
I don't support the owners. I support the football club and all that means to me. Supporters, players, managers, The Valley.
I said I wouldn't go to Shithurst but I did and then on to Upton Park and do you know what I'm glad I did. Would I go to to a new stadium to support my team. I have to say reluctantly yes.
In no way am I saying that a move from the Valley is right in any shape or form, I was criticising myself for going to SE25 after swearing blind I wouldn't. If we moved again then it would definitely be "The End" as far I'm concerned.
In no way am I saying that a move from the Valley is right in any shape or form, I was criticising myself for going to SE25 after swearing blind I wouldn't. If we moved again then it would definitely be "The End" as far I'm concerned.
My view as well MOG- I only went to selhurst not to disapoint my kids , oh how I realy admire anybody whose priciples would not allow them to go
I'm with Len. It made " business sense" to move in '85 apparently. And it was only " one bus ride away". All that hard work and the emotional rollercoaster of a journey getting back to The Valley, and we're back on the subject of leaving again.
I said I wouldn't go to Selhurst.........
I did not go to Selhurst and the day we returned to the Valley was a milestone in my life.
Why would I want to support a bunch of shysters who only want to move the club for their own financial benefit ?
I don't support the owners. I support the football club and all that means to me. Supporters, players, managers, The Valley.
I said I wouldn't go to Shithurst but I did and then on to Upton Park and do you know what I'm glad I did. Would I go to to a new stadium to support my team. I have to say reluctantly yes.
The facts show that a huge number of our core support didn't go to Sellout though and this alone made the move a nonsense of the move in a business sense. If any move is to be viable, the core support has to be retained or a guarantee of a large new pool of support.
For some, it could be argued that in a way it would be worse than the Selhurst years, given that there was always a hope of returning to The Valley. Upping sticks to SE10 or wherever would be permanent.
I tell you here that this is one "core fan" who won't come if we leave The Valley.
I am something of an anachronism on here I know so my view can be easily dismissed but I think there are plenty amongst the wider support who think like me.
Len, please stop playing the victim for once and actually READ what other people have said.
I have read what people have said thank you hence my use of the phrase "core fan" which is not part of my normal vocabulary!
There seems to be quite a few who would be happy to move within the London Borough of Greenwich.
I would not and have said so if that is all the same to you.
I am pleased you seem to have stopped saying Airman has made this all up because he is bitter at being sacked and also to sell more copies of the Voice.
For some, it could be argued that in a way it would be worse than the Selhurst years, given that there was always a hope of returning to The Valley. Upping sticks to SE10 or wherever would be permanent.
We would struggle to sell 35k seats so the atmosphere argument don't stack up a half empty stadium has no atmosphere
I await the usual comments about removing emotion from our thoughts and comments
Our club is a small to medium sized london club a max home support of 25<30 k if we regularly got into europe and cup semi\finals
The above will never ever happen ever so anyone who thinks different look at the current london clubs we won't ever match westham for home support let alone spurs or arsenal
GH hit the nail on the head history is ours not these plums or any other idiot that wants to deny it or forget it and if it ever came through from paper to actual I would be all for full on angry and confrontational style objection
As far as putting houses/flats on the Valley, although the site on the east side might look impractical once cleared the footprint of the Valley would provide plenty of room to cram in as many hutches as possible. I mean have you seen where they put these estates nowadays? quarries, old cement works and rail yards. 5 minutes from a BR Mainline station and by the time the economy swings into action, not too much longer by a lot of experts reckoning, it could prove very tempting to developers/the Council. If they are already in cahoots as Rikileaked then I fear for our Valley. Never trusted this lot and despite getting us out of the 3rd Division.
I have no objection moving to the Peninsula if it's in the club's interests - depends on the deal. I'd prefer to stay at the Valley but accept we might not be there for ever.
So many clubs have moved in recent years and I bet that their attendance increased afterwards. Our club would lose a few old stalwarts, but would gain more young upwardly mobile fans, assuming our owners can make their "product" attractive enough.
So many clubs have moved in recent years and I bet that their attendance increased afterwards. Our club would lose a few old stalwarts, but would gain more young upwardly mobile fans, assuming our owners can make their "product" attractive enough.
not in London they dont , Westham have the olympic stadium and spurs are building a bigger ground who are the more young upwardly mobile going to support its bollx all of it too many with deluded visions the club would be dead in my eyes i wouldnt set foot in it ever
So many clubs have moved in recent years and I bet that their attendance increased afterwards. Our club would lose a few old stalwarts, but would gain more young upwardly mobile fans, assuming our owners can make their "product" attractive enough.
Just what makes you so sure of this SL?
I'm playing "devil's advocate" a bit here, but Arsenal's capacity at Highbury was 38,419 and their average attendance in their first season at the Emirates was 59,837.
The big question mark here is whether it is possible to make the "product" attractive enough to entice more people to attend. I'd say only Premiership football could do that...
not in London they dont , Westham have the olympic stadium and spurs are building a bigger ground who are the more young upwardly mobile going to support its bollx all of it too many with deluded visions the club would be dead in my eyes i wouldnt set foot in it ever
And there lies the problem. Imo we need to compete with these clubs in order to survive.
So many clubs have moved in recent years and I bet that their attendance increased afterwards. Our club would lose a few old stalwarts, but would gain more young upwardly mobile fans, assuming our owners can make their "product" attractive enough.
Just what makes you so sure of this SL?
The big question mark here is whether it is possible to make the "product" attractive enough to entice more people to attend. I'd say only Premiership football could do that...
The capacity of Highbury was 38,419 (post Taylor report) - there was strong demand for seat space which drove the decision to move to the Emirates as Highbury couldn't be enlarged on its current footprint - at least not to the extent that they could add another 20k seats.
Purely in terms of business case I think a new stadium would mean more new supporters deciding to attend games than current supporters deciding to call it a day.
Arsenal had a huge demand that Highbury couldn't fulfil and fully developed hence the new ground was a no brainer. The Valley is far from having a stretched capacity and is far from being fully developed, if this is now possible.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the parking by the O2 is non-existent, it is clear that Greenwich Council would love us to move there and force us all to take public transport. This would undoubtedly have an adverse effect on attendances.
Comments
Why would I want to support a bunch of shysters who only want to move the club for their own financial benefit ?
And I aint coming, now, tommorow, or next decade......if we move from the Valley
I am opposed to a move in principle but would be open to looking at the facts. It wouldn't be the same as the Sellout fiasco.
Any football club owner ( or politician ) who fails to learn from history is a 100% pratt. We have left the valley twice in the last 100years only an idiot would try a third time.
I said I wouldn't go to Shithurst but I did and then on to Upton Park and do you know what I'm glad I did. Would I go to to a new stadium to support my team. I have to say reluctantly yes.
Upping sticks to SE10 or wherever would be permanent.
There seems to be quite a few who would be happy to move within the London Borough of Greenwich.
I would not and have said so if that is all the same to you.
I am pleased you seem to have stopped saying Airman has made this all up because he is bitter at being sacked and also to sell more copies of the Voice.
1) It's our hated rivals ground
2) its a shithole and impossible to get to.
Would the same thoughts apply to a state of the art stadium that's ours and ours only. Probably not.
I await the usual comments about removing emotion from our thoughts and comments
Our club is a small to medium sized london club a max home support of 25<30 k if we regularly got into europe and cup semi\finals
The above will never ever happen ever so anyone who thinks different look at the current london clubs we won't ever match westham for home support let alone spurs or arsenal
GH hit the nail on the head history is ours not these plums or any other idiot that wants to deny it or forget it and if it ever came through from paper to actual I would be all for full on angry and confrontational style objection
The big question mark here is whether it is possible to make the "product" attractive enough to entice more people to attend. I'd say only Premiership football could do that...
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the parking by the O2 is non-existent, it is clear that Greenwich Council would love us to move there and force us all to take public transport. This would undoubtedly have an adverse effect on attendances.