FA cup fourth round - Page 4

Greeny · 08-01-2017, 17:21

meanwhile I pray for a draw , then I can go to the rematch

AccyMad · 08-01-2017, 17:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisr

The price alone is not the issue, the away end facilities are awful. We should have a sound base of 2000+ for the length of time we have been in the league. I am delighted we have got through to the next round and hopefully, our league form will pick up. Last season we did not fill the stadium at any point despite the club saying it was sold out at certain games. There were plenty of gaps to be seen. However, we can't keep going over the same old ground. The only language the club understands is low crowds and then it is why is this happening. The idea of handing out questionnaires is that you will reach people who may not make the effort other times. Failing that try using the power of social media. We all know our club could not have survived without Andy Holt stepping in. The club started to progress last season and we all know what has happened this season. I used to follow Stanley home and away but not now. if the facilities are as bad as we have then I would not go. If a club want's my money then they have to make it good value in return. Stanley at this point are doing some things like the fanzone quite well but an ariel view of the ground shows where we are lacking. A good cup run would do a great deal to put this club on the right path to division one. If we can't achieve division one status by the end of next season then we will always be also rans. We have to progress on all fronts and there is little or no reason why we can't.

While we all know our facilities for away fans aren't great but I've been to worse grounds & I definitely wouldn't not go to an away game because I might be a bit uncomfortable for 90 minutes - I go to support my team, end of! If I wanted comfort I'd stay in or go to the pub.

Lord Stiffupperlip · 08-01-2017, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by AccyMad

While we all know our facilities for away fans aren't great but I've been to worse grounds & I definitely wouldn't not go to an away game because I might be a bit uncomfortable for 90 minutes - I go to support my team, end of! If I wanted comfort I'd stay in or go to the pub.

We're a football league team. I'd like to know which ground in the football league, including the Vanarama National League, is worse than ours for away fans?
Also, we are talking mainly above southern softies who have to make long journeys to support their team at the Wham.
If we were playing Bury or Rochdale, nobody would give a damn.
If we can't afford a roof, perhaps we should 'hire' umbrella's.

Chewbacca · 08-01-2017, 17:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by AccyMad

While we all know our facilities for away fans aren't great but I've been to worse grounds & I definitely wouldn't not go to an away game because I might be a bit uncomfortable for 90 minutes - I go to support my team, end of! If I wanted comfort I'd stay in or go to the pub.

Fans look at the Gene Kelly and the forecast and the away turn-out suffers like yesterday compared to the previous August game.

I have not been to any worse than Stanley that are in league 2 now, pound for pound Pompey is a shocker but it still has a roof. As Stanley are more reliant than any other league club on away fans there should at least be a roof they can all fit under.

cashman · 08-01-2017, 18:06

I certainly aint been to any ground worse than ours in league2. so would love to know were they are? have been to worse pre-season, but they sure aint league grounds.

AccyMad · 08-01-2017, 18:15

Ok, for one I know York are now in the conference but were up until last season in League 2 & their away terrace is open to the elements & don't even get me started on their toilet facilities! Stockport were in the league with us not that long ago, they also have no cover over the away end

P.s. - forgot Exeter, open terrace

Lemur · 08-01-2017, 18:24

barrow, is very dire for away fans

Chrisr · 08-01-2017, 18:40

The simple point is this. If I knew a ground was open to the elements then I would look at the forecast and make a decision. It is a choice. But we need to entice customers to the wham and then convert them to fans. I believe that Wycombe actually charge away fans extra to go undercover in bad weather, I would simply not go to Wycombe. The question still remains as to what more can we do at Stanley to build up our support base.

Lord Stiffupperlip · 08-01-2017, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by AccyMad

Ok, for one I know York are now in the conference but were up until last season in League 2 & their away terrace is open to the elements & don't even get me started on their toilet facilities! Stockport were in the league with us not that long ago, they also have no cover over the away end

P.s. - forgot Exeter, open terrace

I know we now have excellent toilet facilities behind the Clayton end, but aren't the away fans still having to use Portaloos at the Coppice end?

AccyMad · 08-01-2017, 19:50

No idea but even Portaloos would be a big step up from the facilities at York, believe me - makes me shudder to think of them, never stopped me going to KitKat Crescent though (they just stopped me going AT KitKat Crescent) sorry, too much information

maccawozzagod · 08-01-2017, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisr

People look at us as a second rate fourth tier club. We need an image makeover. I have said this for quite some time. Where are the brains that be who could develop the image. Oh maybe trying to make the scanners work, They didn't have much luck with the tannoy speakers in the main stand. but small details.

there are half a dozen different tangents being gone off onto within this thread but this post needs picking up on Chris. For one thing we absolutely are a 2nd rate 4th tier club and we thank our lucky stars for it. That's not being defeatist but its celebrating the fact that a few generous people have ploughed their small fortunes into keeping our club going. Even if we doubled our home crowds we would still be the poorest club in the division. Practically every club in the division has double our crowd and practically every club has a stadium that earns income from avenues other than the gate money and FL money

1 Portsmouth 16,682
2 Plymouth Argyle 8,988
3 Luton Town 8,047
4 Doncaster Rovers 5,412
5 Grimsby Town 5,320
6 Carlisle United 5,178
7 Notts County 4,663
8 Cambridge United 4,621
9 Leyton Orient 4,506
10 Crewe Alexandra 3,905
11 Exeter City 3,886
12 Yeovil Town 3,667
13 Colchester United 3,662
14 Hartlepool United 3,535
15 Blackpool 3,513
16 Wycombe Wanderers 3,420
17 Mansfield Town 3,369
18 Cheltenham Town 3,196
19 Stevenage 2,719
20 Newport County 2,596
21 Crawley Town 2,243
22 Barnet 1,982
23 Morecambe 1,833
24 Accrington Stanley 1,721

~You wrote in your post "where are the brains that be that can develop the image" and it was written in a sarcastic manner. I find that highly insulting to the present Chairman who is trying his damndest to make the club self sufficient. I know you took umbrage at his right hand man over the disable concessions, and that's another discussion entirely. The fact remains that we have a skeleton staff doing their utmost to develop the stadium into something remotely resembling a FL stadium.

Another post mentions the away end and the appalling facilities. Quite correct to mention it, but until we have hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend then it just sits on the list of things to do.

Andy Holt stated that the first lot of ground work HAD to go on the Clayton End and upgrading the facilities for those that may come back. TICK

He has stated that the next lot of ground work will be done this summer on redeveloping the main stand concourse. Quite what this entails is anybodies guess but I would imagine something very similar to the Clayton End. Remedial work has been done in clearing the car park and additional land to make space, and also in securing the alternative shop and office facilities to the rear of the clayton end car park. So half a TICK

It is also blatantly obvious that work has been ongoing in tidying up the Accy Endm, maybe in readiness for some work?

We have also got the Whinney Hill side ready for work to begin. Groundwork is done, plans drawn up and permissions granted. This work WOULD HAVE been done had we got promotion last season, but in not doing there was little point.

A lot of the little quibbles we have here and there are just that, little quibbles. Hopefully it means that any problems are ironed out in readiness for some sort of bigger push off the field.

The Clayton End development means that particular stand is now earning money for the first time ever. They would love the other stands to join in but we/they have to walk before they can run.

Had one of our long standing fans come in with a Euromillions jackpot behind them I'm quite sure we'd have footed the bill all in one fell swoop and the ground would be running tickety boo by now. But that didnt happen and AH has come in with finite funds that he is trying to stretch as far as possible.

It was little over 12 months ago that he took over and we have moved on immeasurably since then, but when he first sat in the Big Chair he had a 3rd tie against Man Utd to look forward to and 2 big assets in Josh and Crooksy. The money earned from those three things was earmarked to do the things that we all want doing - but never came.

I love a moan when things are hitting the fan, but for now let's just trust the big mans plan and let it pan out. My biggest criticism so far would be the failure to announce what the plan is. Firstly it helps to build hype and secure the fans belief that all is good, but secondly it helps to head off unnecessary criticism as we can see that we are heading towards the things we are complaining about.

We all know that kids are the future, and so does Andy. IF we knew that a family stand was being built on the Whinney Hill side then we'd knock off the comments as we would know it was all in hand

mab · 08-01-2017, 21:00

Man Utd away will do on a sunday afternoon in front of the tv camaras

Chewbacca · 08-01-2017, 21:08

Comparing us to York and Stockport is valid - look where they are now.

The fact Stanley are not looking for other income streams and have the lowest crowds after 11 years in the league isn't an excuse, it is a manifestation of missed opportunities and amateur running of the club.

Agreed that it is a vicious circle, clubs with less fans find it harder to make the improvements to attract more fans, but it seems this is slowly happening now and the future could be brighter if we stay up.

The win over Luton provides a big chance to turn the season around with more money for a few decent loan players. I hope it is a fork in the road in the history of the club.

mab · 08-01-2017, 21:28

I very much doubt that any money made on fa cup at the mo will go on loan players .Mr Holt stated before that any money made would be put in to ground improvements. I thought this thread was about the 4th rd any way !!

choirboy · 08-01-2017, 21:43

I think that there are a few quite harsh comments on here about our 'developing ground'.
It's not that many years ago in 'Non League' that the Clayton End was just a flat patch of cinders with a wonky sectional concrete wall behind it! The atmosphere was sometimes still brilliant then.......Just look at the pictures when Paul Beck scored his hat-trick against Gateshead in one of our earlier cup runs! I can also recall playing Morecambe on one Boxing Day and the gate was around the 1,500 mark!.....also a great atmosphere.
Another Boxing Day I remember was against Fleetwood and like on Saturday it was very very foggy, (after some frost!) I was amazed when Fleetwood came out in a grubby old all grey strip! The match would have been abandoned at half time but they changed into Stanley's 'Away Strip' for the second half!
I thought that the foggy conditions just added to the........er... 'Atmosphere' on Saturday.......tsk..tsk!
Under our new management we are going in the right direction and with a limited budget we can only do the jobs one at once and when 'planning permission' has been granted. I do hope that in a couple of seasons the rest of the ground can be up to the standard of the Clayton End which is wonderful now and a credit to the club, and to Andy Holt and the AOSSC for helping to fund the improvements.
My view is that a roof and better facilities for the 'Away' Coppice End should be done first. Then the Whinney Hill Stand second and refurbishing the 'Main Stand thirdly. While all of these are going on the move to a Modern Office and shop in the 'Old Garage' and the perimeter infrastructure could take effect too. Then we might think about a fancy big screen somewhere in the corner!

ON STANLEY ON
'UNITED' WE STAND
................
and if we get the 'Dream Draw' on Monday night......

'ON UNITED WE STAND'

KEEP THE FAITH