Breaking News - New Stadium and Training Facilities

[donsdaft]

If the plans say it can’t be done, get different plans.

[Aldo1983]

Is it purely down to costs it can't be done?

[Mason89]

Is it purely down to costs it can't be done?

Nope, it’s just simply because there isn’t the will. We could’ve covered a fair amount of the costs with the money spunked on feasibility studies alone. Speaking of which, the first one done makes some interesting reading. There were only 4 possible sites & Kingsford wasn’t one of them. Also, we can add this porkie onto the ever growing list

The Main stand, Merkland Road stand and South stand are all in very poor condition and will require to be completely redeveloped over the next 3-5 years

That’s from 2008

[Red Zone]

Is it purely down to costs it can't be done?

The short answer is yes.

I had a conversation with Duncan Fraser not that long ago and he was basically saying that redevelopment could be physically carried out (as we all know) but that the economics don't stack up compared with a new stadium. Any redevelopment would result in a reduced capacity by a few thousand (but how often do we have 20,000 at a game nowadays anyway plus we can "save" on any capacity reduction by reducing the away allocation from 2,000 to 500 - so maybe AFC fan capacity reduction of 2-3,000 - is that a big deal?).

The economics he referred to included
1. The cost saving in building new stands at Pittodrie is not as big as you would think compared with a new build - look at what hertz have spent on their new stand, that has zero corporate boxes
2. You miss out on the £15Million or so of income from selling Pittodrie
3. There will be a short term reduction in income from closing stands as redevelopment work goes on
4. There will be longer term reduced income (and so playing budget) from lower capacity at Pittodrie plus don't get the additional income expected from new stadium from corporates etc
5. Would find it incredibly difficult to get funding for redevelopment as people like Cormack have already said they would not be interested (and you all know my views on the disgraceful lack of funding provided by Milne for the training facilities and so zero chance he would fund the redevelopment of Pittodrie). My view is that this is the main reason.

So in summary, absolutely no reason that the stadium could not be redeveloped, albeit to a reduced capacity, but no appetite from Milne and other investors to put their money into it.

[Mason89]

1. There’s corporate boxes in the RDS. Is there too much demand? Are we turning away potential prawn sandwich income every week?
2. That’s outweighed by getting to stay at Pittodrie imo
3. Just about every club in the UK has done this, including ourselves. The fans will accept it.
4. Any shortfall will be made up by DNA
5. It’s a vanity project for these @rseholes. They simply don’t want to do it, rather than they can’t do it. Fair enough but don’t flat out lie about the reasons

[afc1903mad]

1. The cost saving in building new stands at Pittodrie is not as big as you would think compared with a new build - look at what hertz have spent on their new stand, that has zero corporate boxes

I read somewhere that it is approx £20M and still rising.
Think it holds about 7,000

[Red Zone]

1. There’s corporate boxes in the RDS. Is there too much demand? Are we turning away potential prawn sandwich income every week?
2. That’s outweighed by getting to stay at Pittodrie imo
3. Just about every club in the UK has done this, including ourselves. The fans will accept it.
4. Any shortfall will be made up by DNA
5. It’s a vanity project for these @rseholes. They simply don’t want to do it, rather than they can’t do it. Fair enough but don’t flat out lie about the reasons

1. Not sure about the boxes but apparently dining is rammed every home game. Not sure how many extra people we are missing out on.
2. I would prefer to stay at Pittodrie as well but links to point 5, which is where will the money come from the pay for the redevelopment
3. Agreed
4. I wish!!! I would be amazed if we have anywhere close to the 6,500 DNA payments next season after the evnts of the last 12 months, never mind the 8,500, which is the clubs target.
5. Agreed. Milne is happy enough to use everyone else's money, including the fans, as long as the second(?) richest man in Aberdeen doesn't have to use his own precious cash

[Red Zone]

I read somewhere that it is approx £20M and still rising.
Think it holds about 7,000

Yes I wrote that, based on what was said at the recent evening at Pittodrie

[Mason89]

Yes I wrote that, based on what was said at the recent evening at Pittodrie

But we can’t trust anything anyone from Pittodrie says on the subject. A quick google says it’s way over budget but again, that’s offset by them playing out their own ground, in their own area, for generations to come. Hearts planned on moving to a new ground a while back. I bet you every one of their supporters would rather have Tynecastle plus the debt. Doubt many Celtic fans would be happy in Cambuslang either

[redscot]

I read somewhere that it is approx £20M and still rising.
Think it holds about 7,000

Its funny what you choose to believe.