Good point about The Nest. If they move it would be an absolute minimum of 7 or 8 years I would have thought. It will have a big impact on Notts though and the wider area - Nest, MLSB, Navi, Embankment, Hooters, Brewhouse. Binks’ Yard.
What is best for Notts? Probably that they buy their freehold for a paltry £10m and go ahead with their existing plans for the Peter Taylor stand. I know it will leave us in their shadow to some degree but there are still big financial risks for them and may cause Marinakis to lose some of his ambition and patience. Maybe even walk away.
Better this than the risk of us being left in a bit of a wilderness.
And if we are honest it would probably be best for Florist as well.
If Toton happened, then over time we probably gain support on the east side of the city and have our own "territory" for the first time since the old Meadows were demolished. That would more than offset the lost income from hosting away fans for their games.
For what it's worth, I'll believe this actually going to happen when I see the wrecking balls at the City Ground.
The notion that we need another club slap bang on our doorstep in order to survive is just about the most depressing idea I've ever read on here. It's like some weaselly little simp worrying that his next door neighbour who's banging his wife is going to move out and she won't get any satisfaction any more and leave him.
Biggest gates at Meadow Lane since we were in the top flight and yet we've now got fans totally fixated on this fan space for PL fans as our only means of survival. Are we really being that badly run? We used to laugh at Fword fans during admin times for claiming to have saved Notts by once chucking 20p into a bucket. Now we're begging them to come and hang out in a barn once a fortnight just so we can keep our heads above water in tier 4???
Christ almighty god.
I have the unfortunate issue of knowing a few redbacks and more and more are saying they are being alienated from their club and more and more are asking about Notts. If we can keep an attractive playing style at a reasonable price, it won't matter where forest are, we'll grow our fan base. From what I've seen, a move to Toton will actually help Notts
As I understand it we will be offering The Nest to opposition fans when Forest are at home, so Forest fans won’t be allowed in.
I like the idea of using it for any Notts away games that can be shown. Should be a tempting option for those who can’t get tickets or are unable to travel away.
A couple of my youngest son's friends have been coming to Notts games with him since the start of last season. They were Forest fans but only ever a few games a season so their parents have been frozen out of getting tickets since they were promoted. The kids now have Notts shirts and want season tickets. Chances are we've picked them up as supporters permanently and I suspect they're far from the only ones where this happened. The issues with availability and affordability at Forest is already working to our benefit and if they moved to Toton then "which team is actually easier to get to?" becomes a factor too.
Especially if car ownership goes into decline.
Supporting your local team is the essence of this game, and although it won't happen overnight, it will become more of a psychological challenge for many younger football fans to justify supporting Fword if they're miles further away from home than Notts.
I do sympathise with Notts supporters who live in places like Stapleford, Long Eaton and Beeston. If I was living in that neck of the woods I definitely would not want to see Fword moving to Toton, but I'm personally clinging to this bit of hope for a significant change after becoming thoroughly depressed over the weekend with them staying 3 levels above Notts and us sticking with with Maynard.
I doubt that the decision was made on the basis of Forest attendances. Its rationale seems much wider than that though obviously losing a revenue stream will be disappointing.
We haven't installed undersoil heating, we've just put pipes in so that it can all be connected to a heating system if and when called upon rather than have to do extensive and expensive excavations again. They've obviously decided that the cost/risk of it not being needed is less than the cost/risk of it possibly being needed. A bit like an insurance policy really where you pay for it hoping you won't need to use it but grateful for it if you do. From my understanding the heating system itself (boiler etc) is the really expensive component on top of the excavation works (which we were doing anyway).I really struggle to see a reason for us to install undersoil heating, we had one game cancelled was it last season so makes no sense. Aren't winters suppose to be getting milder due to "climate change" so we'll never need it. Maybe that and the Premiership style pitch is as mentioned to allow Forest to use Meadow Lane in the future.