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The Kennington Oval 50 million re-development

Seems like its going ahead, raising the capacity to 40k by time of Ashes in 2023 to make it the biggest ground in England.

Surrey raising the financial stakes year upon year with many sold-out games and many business units to be utilised in the ground.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cricket/surrey-reveal-50m-redevelopment-of-the-kia-oval-a3824016.html

Comments

  • Seems like its going ahead, raising the capacity to 40k by time of Ashes in 2023 to make it the biggest ground in England.

    Surrey raising the financial stakes year upon year with many sold-out games and many business units to be utilised in the ground.

    https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cricket/surrey-reveal-50m-redevelopment-of-the-kia-oval-a3824016.html

    Best place to watch cricket in this country in my opinion. I say that as a Kent man living in Yorkshire.
  • They always run out of lager at the oval though.
  • Seems like its going ahead, raising the capacity to 40k by time of Ashes in 2023 to make it the biggest ground in England.

    Surrey raising the financial stakes year upon year with many sold-out games and many business units to be utilised in the ground.

    https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cricket/surrey-reveal-50m-redevelopment-of-the-kia-oval-a3824016.html

    Won't the capacity be 28000 after the first stage? 40000 is a long way off (and personally I don't think the site can cope with that many people, it's crowded enough on match days!)

    It seems work will start after the summer of 2019
  • Should cover the costs with what they make on beer and food
  • The Oval is at the moment the best viewing ground of all our Test grounds. Unlike the old ground design in the old days you never seem that far from the action. I don't see how this can be mainted with such an increase in capacity. However the thought of a packed 40k Test arena is very exciting, even if it is only full every 4 years.
  • edited May 2018
    The part of the ground to be redeveloped, could certainly do with it.
    However, I don't think much of the new design (considering what it maybe could be).
    I'm not liking the no roof in particular. Perhaps it wouldn't be approved, due to height restrictions ?
  • One of the few things I miss about working in London.
    I was the cricket organiser. Every year I'd take a group of hairy arsed coppers (& that was just us women) to a Pro40 & T20 game.
    I'd usually try & make sure the T20 was v Kent for obvious reasons.
    Brilliant venue & never ran out of bitter.
    Happy days :smiley:
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  • Riviera said:

    The Oval is at the moment the best viewing ground of all our Test grounds. Unlike the old ground design in the old days you never seem that far from the action. I don't see how this can be mainted with such an increase in capacity. However the thought of a packed 40k Test arena is very exciting, even if it is only full every 4 years.

    Disagree with you on a couple of points ...
    The Oval, as you know, is one of the biggest playing areas in the country,with one of the biggest squares in the country too, and i've always had problems with viewing when seated low down, especially if the strip is towards the other end of the square. Its never, imo, been the best of views, seems lke a long way away -but, being that the new stands are higher, then the viewing should be better.
    Also, i would expect, in the Test arena, that when India come touring,despite their apparent recent decline in Test atendances at home, that they will fill the venue too, maybe not every day, but maybe sat and sun - so, every 2 years at least, but i fully expect some of the 20/20's (Kent,Essex,Middlesex) and especially the '100' games to be full or near full for every season- there is a huge demand from the City for post work sporting events.
  • Riviera said:

    The Oval is at the moment the best viewing ground of all our Test grounds. Unlike the old ground design in the old days you never seem that far from the action. I don't see how this can be mainted with such an increase in capacity. However the thought of a packed 40k Test arena is very exciting, even if it is only full every 4 years.

    Disagree with you on a couple of points ...
    The Oval, as you know, is one of the biggest playing areas in the country,with one of the biggest squares in the country too, and i've always had problems with viewing when seated low down, especially if the strip is towards the other end of the square. Its never, imo, been the best of views, seems lke a long way away -but, being that the new stands are higher, then the viewing should be better.
    Also, i would expect, in the Test arena, that when India come touring,despite their apparent recent decline in Test atendances at home, that they will fill the venue too, maybe not every day, but maybe sat and sun - so, every 2 years at least, but i fully expect some of the 20/20's (Kent,Essex,Middlesex) and especially the '100' games to be full or near full for every season- there is a huge demand from the City for post work sporting events where you can go and get smashed on 3 per cent lager whilst not watching or understanding anything about the game in motion.
    Fixed
  • Riviera said:

    The Oval is at the moment the best viewing ground of all our Test grounds. Unlike the old ground design in the old days you never seem that far from the action. I don't see how this can be mainted with such an increase in capacity. However the thought of a packed 40k Test arena is very exciting, even if it is only full every 4 years.

    Disagree with you on a couple of points ...
    The Oval, as you know, is one of the biggest playing areas in the country,with one of the biggest squares in the country too, and i've always had problems with viewing when seated low down, especially if the strip is towards the other end of the square. Its never, imo, been the best of views, seems lke a long way away -but, being that the new stands are higher, then the viewing should be better.
    Also, i would expect, in the Test arena, that when India come touring,despite their apparent recent decline in Test atendances at home, that they will fill the venue too, maybe not every day, but maybe sat and sun - so, every 2 years at least, but i fully expect some of the 20/20's (Kent,Essex,Middlesex) and especially the '100' games to be full or near full for every season- there is a huge demand from the City for post work sporting events.
    Yes, The Oval is perfect for the Friday evening after work crowd. Somehow Lord's seems a bit too "genteel" for the T20 audience!

    If they ever find a way of using the Olympic Stadium for T20 cricket, that could be an interesting alternative too. Apart from Essex fans, it's easy to get to for Kent fans too.
  • Riviera said:

    The Oval is at the moment the best viewing ground of all our Test grounds. Unlike the old ground design in the old days you never seem that far from the action. I don't see how this can be mainted with such an increase in capacity. However the thought of a packed 40k Test arena is very exciting, even if it is only full every 4 years.

    Disagree with you on a couple of points ...
    The Oval, as you know, is one of the biggest playing areas in the country,with one of the biggest squares in the country too, and i've always had problems with viewing when seated low down, especially if the strip is towards the other end of the square. Its never, imo, been the best of views, seems lke a long way away -but, being that the new stands are higher, then the viewing should be better.
    Also, i would expect, in the Test arena, that when India come touring,despite their apparent recent decline in Test atendances at home, that they will fill the venue too, maybe not every day, but maybe sat and sun - so, every 2 years at least, but i fully expect some of the 20/20's (Kent,Essex,Middlesex) and especially the '100' games to be full or near full for every season- there is a huge demand from the City for post work sporting events.
    Yes, The Oval is perfect for the Friday evening after work crowd. Somehow Lord's seems a bit too "genteel" for the T20 audience!

    If they ever find a way of using the Olympic Stadium for T20 cricket, that could be an interesting alternative too. Apart from Essex fans, it's easy to get to for Kent fans too.
    Olympic stadium would be brilliant, but i read somewhere thats not going to happen now - no doubt West Ham dug their clammy hooves in.
  • I don't like the look of the proposed new phase; it looks too square and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the ground.

    As for the view at The Oval, I was a member for many years and still love the view from the Pavilion Terrace (and the beer is cheaper in the Members' Bar!

    Now I more often sit with the masses but was very impressed with the view from the new Peter May Stand where I sat for the ODI v West Indies last year and I'll be in roughly the same spot for a day of the India Test.

    I can compare it to the Adelaide Oval, a huge 70,000 seater stadium which is very comfortable but many spectators are so far away from the action. Give me Kennington over Adealaide any day!
  • I don't like the look of the proposed new phase; it looks too square and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the ground.

    As for the view at The Oval, I was a member for many years and still love the view from the Pavilion Terrace (and the beer is cheaper in the Members' Bar!

    Now I more often sit with the masses but was very impressed with the view from the new Peter May Stand where I sat for the ODI v West Indies last year and I'll be in roughly the same spot for a day of the India Test.

    I can compare it to the Adelaide Oval, a huge 70,000 seater stadium which is very comfortable but many spectators are so far away from the action. Give me Kennington over Adealaide any day!

    You cant get much further away from action if they playing on the other end of the square to where you are sitting.
  • I don't like the look of the proposed new phase; it looks too square and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the ground.

    As for the view at The Oval, I was a member for many years and still love the view from the Pavilion Terrace (and the beer is cheaper in the Members' Bar!

    Now I more often sit with the masses but was very impressed with the view from the new Peter May Stand where I sat for the ODI v West Indies last year and I'll be in roughly the same spot for a day of the India Test.

    I can compare it to the Adelaide Oval, a huge 70,000 seater stadium which is very comfortable but many spectators are so far away from the action. Give me Kennington over Adealaide any day!

    Not keen on it either, it certainly "maximises the space" though which I guess was a priority, given the cost of the scheme.

    That area is one of the few spaces where spectators have room to move about and access the various food outlets there. Once built over, it's going to be even more cramped there, it's a nightmare now to walk around the Lock/Laker side of the ground, they could do with cordoning off the road to allow circulation outside!
  • On first viewing, it certainly doesnt seem to have the architectural elegance of a Lords or Adelaide, i'll give you that - just seems a hotchpotch of stands.
  • I expect they will mirror the design on the other side of the pavilion,.

    I know its not down to Surrey but I hope something is done at Vauxhall station as it's a nightmare now getting home even when it's 3/4 full, god knows how bad it would be with 40k trying to get a train!
  • Seems like its going ahead, raising the capacity to 40k by time of Ashes in 2023 to make it the biggest ground in England.

    Surrey raising the financial stakes year upon year with many sold-out games and many business units to be utilised in the ground.

    https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cricket/surrey-reveal-50m-redevelopment-of-the-kia-oval-a3824016.html

    Best place to watch cricket in this country in my opinion. I say that as a Kent man living in Yorkshire.
    Do you know Leeds Addick?
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  • On first viewing, it certainly doesnt seem to have the architectural elegance of a Lords or Adelaide, i'll give you that - just seems a hotchpotch of stands.

    Totally this. Looks like a missed opportunity to make the outside look less than shite.
  • edited May 2018

    I don't like the look of the proposed new phase; it looks too square and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the ground.

    As for the view at The Oval, I was a member for many years and still love the view from the Pavilion Terrace (and the beer is cheaper in the Members' Bar!

    Now I more often sit with the masses but was very impressed with the view from the new Peter May Stand where I sat for the ODI v West Indies last year and I'll be in roughly the same spot for a day of the India Test.

    I can compare it to the Adelaide Oval, a huge 70,000 seater stadium which is very comfortable but many spectators are so far away from the action. Give me Kennington over Adealaide any day!

    You cant get much further away from action if they playing on the other end of the square to where you are sitting.
    True but they generally have the bigger games near the middle. For county games other than T20s you can basically sit where you like - a bit like at The Valley under Roland!
  • The part of the ground to be redeveloped, could certainly do with it.
    However, I don't think much of the new design (considering what it maybe could be).
    I'm not liking the no roof in particular. Perhaps it wouldn't be approved, due to height restrictions ?

    Might well be due to planning considerations but lack of roof would also make sure that the groundsman has much more control over his domain.
    Poor airflow and heavy shade can cause a major deterioration in the playing surface.
  • I love the Oval as it is :)
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Roland Out Forever!