I've always said it is never going to happen because they can't afford it, but the more I think about it, the more I think that Kingsford is a big mistake. The biggest problem obviously is transport, who wants to wait ages for a shuttle bus to get out there and back again. I would only go if I could park my car near the stadium.
However we do need a new stadium, but where is the big question. It looks like they will have to build the stadium and training ground seperately which would open up more possible sites for the stadium.
Plenty of shuttle buses. The public bus from Guild St takes 40 minutes. The club estimate a shuttle bus would take 30-40 minutes on a match day, however they were told direct buses (shuttles) are not good enough and they must make it convenient and attractive with pick ups like a public bus.
They've had multiple opportunities to get basic stuff right and amateurishly in the latest transport assessment asked people how they get to Pittodrie instead of how they would get to Kingsford. They planned for every single bus to be 100% full including standing, which is obviously fvcking ludicrous. How anyone can think 'aye the club'll sort it oot they need people to turn up' with a military grade transport plan, is beyond me. They are clueless.
The public bus to Westhill costs ~ £5.30 for a single or £6.10 for a day ticket and is normally full by the top of Union Street, with no football crowds. The transport assessment says there would only be space for 280 fans on current public buses. Stagecoach have said they can put another 10 buses an hour on this 40 minute route.
Therefore you can see there is basically one quite costly transport option from town which is why they need to rent every spare bus in Aberdeen for the rest of time to serve everywhere else. But the shuttle plan they submitted isn't good enough as it only adds around 7 places to get a bus for the whole of Aberdeen/shire, compared to Pittodrie which is served by wherever you want to get on. People would need to get a bus to a bus. The planners think this is all wholly insufficient and unattractive and everyone will drive, there aren't enough parking spaces for that, the traffic assessment would go to pot and people would be parking in driveways, then the CPZ AFC will supposedly pay for for the whole of Westhill comes into play.
As for away fans, I haven't read any away fans looking forward to it. They say they like going to Aberdeen, the city, the pubs and the location of Pittodrie.
If they're going straight to the ground via some dead non fitba pub it would be like us going to Hamilton instead of Glasgow, with the extra travel if going by train. Who wants that?
Worst change was Falkirk.
Drookit Duck / Brockville was great.
Their absolutely naff new stadium in Grangemouth surrounded by bugger all is s'hite
The Drookit Duck was the second pub I ever got served in, after McSorleys in Glasgow. Midweek game, pretty sure I spewed. Need to check the AFC heritage site for more details...
What is forgotten was that it was refused on business grounds, as it was obvious that the private sector land-grab would have bankrupted Aberdeen. The fact that the local business community refused to pony up the projected contributions from that sector to add to Wood's paltry bribe speaks volumes.
Those ****ing nationalist shysters knew it too, as by their own evaluation criteria for TIFs, it was a disaster waiting to happen, although successive FOIs meant that the ****ers fought all the way not to release the information.
"Grease my erse and do it to me hard, Sir Ian" (Kevin Stewart, barely-literate, party hack ****wit, not even in possession of the brains he was born with).
Here, have this for free. Lying *******s.
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0040/00404480.doc