brap2 wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 10:48 pm
Have to do it properly.
If it's taken down properly to be a little gem of a stadium with tasteful hints of it's former self - fab.
If it's essentially mothballed and this is an excuse to not touch it for two years, it's bad.
Yea, exactly this.
I think they've bought themselves time here though. No need to redevelop drastically over the next couple of years which allows for exploring into what's needed. Whatever is done, it will need to be future-proofed and does of course need a lot of updating.
I think over the course of the next few years we'll get used to development announcements to the GOL.
Park end is ready to go. They'll probably just open the bottom tier of the main stand and/or the bullens to begin with.
If they stay there (and it's a big if, i am very, very dubious of this entire thing), the bullens would be the cheapest to bring down and replace with something more modern.
Chances are that's the best case scenario to be honest.
superpull wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 9:05 am
Park end is ready to go. They'll probably just open the bottom tier of the main stand and/or the bullens to begin with.
If they stay there (and it's a big if, i am very, very dubious of this entire thing), the bullens would be the cheapest to bring down and replace with something more modern.
Chances are that's the best case scenario to be honest.
Would make sense.
Theoretically it’s possible that they can redevelop 3 stands one at a time over 3 or so years given the low anticipated attendance (for now at least).
Zoolander wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 10:11 am
Would make sense.
Theoretically it’s possible that they can redevelop 3 stands one at a time over 3 or so years given the low anticipated attendance (for now at least).
Very few things would shock me more than to hear these guys are going to spend millions and millions for next to zero return
Still pretty sure the Gwladys, Bullens and Main Stand will go in time, they've just not been very clear about it yet. They're not keeping anold, 40k seater stadium on the off chance that in 10-15 years time we're getting anything like 60-70% occupancy.
superpull wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 10:39 am
Very few things would shock me more than to hear these guys are going to spend millions and millions for next to zero return
If they were in time able to redevelop it into a perfectly serviceable low to mid capacity stadium, aside from the women’s football it would surely be used for other sports and events. Owning two stadiums in the city, one for the blockbuster events (and Everton) and one for all sorts of other events would seem to have quite some profit attached to it.
All assumptions on my part of course - otherwise knock it down and build apartments you’d think
Zoolander wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 11:11 am
If they were in time able to redevelop it into a perfectly serviceable low to mid capacity stadium, aside from the women’s football it would surely be used for other sports and events. Owning two stadiums in the city, one for the blockbuster events (and Everton) and one for all sorts of other events would seem to have quite some profit attached to it.
All assumptions on my part of course - otherwise knock it down and build apartments you’d think
To be honest, the outlay required to knock that down properly and build apartments on it would see very little return - you're not going to be knocking out £500k apartments just off County Road.
Its a financial millstone and this just kicks the can down the road.
Like the stadium, Moshiri green-lit a vanity project that was legitimately good for the club/eitc/community, but would have cost more than it needed to because it was the right thing to do.
Would be amazing if they put down proper foundations to be ahead of the curve on the women's game, genuinely invested in it being a top class small stadium to eventually take 10k or so.
But I have a bad feelings it's going to be scattered fans for two season then a car park.
brap2 wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 2:24 pm
Would be amazing if they put down proper foundations to be ahead of the curve on the women's game, genuinely invested in it being a top class small stadium to eventually take 10k or so.
But I have a bad feelings it's going to be scattered fans for two season then a car park.
I can't tell you how much you have captured my inner fears or how strongly I hope you're wrong.
In a world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream.
It's going to be incumbent on those of us who think it would be lovely if it worked to help it do so.
I obviously can't go every week but I've negotiated with the girls we'll do next year's derby and at least one other (hopefully two if we can tie it in with their birthdays - October and March).
A marked and sustained increase in gates would make it more tricky for them to back out. The amount of promotion it gets as time goes by will probably be a good indication of how deeply the Friedkins are in to the idea.
In a world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream.
I think the first few fixtures will sell well due to all those who couldn’t get to Goodison to say farewell. I’ve never watched women’s football before, but I’ll take my missus as she’s never been to the old Lady. And who knows, out of those who do go for “one last time” might just enjoy it that they go again and again, hopefully it’s priced to entice new fans.
