Blagdon red

Their finances are indeed in a mess. So much so that they may not be granted a licence for next season for the second division. The German licensing system is very strict on clubs being able to show their ability to fund their operations for the coming season. Hertha could well end in the third tier.

Yep, they were top for a while, indeed. Have heard mixed reviews of Kit's book. Some say it's just a reworking of all the well-known stories you hear alluded to in every UK TV commentary on Union games (the fans who bled for the club, the fans who built their own stadium, etc., etc.). I liked Christoph Biermann's 'access all areas' account of the 2018-19 promotion season ('Wir werden ewig leben'). Unfortunately for most UK footy fans it's available in German only (although I did offer to translate it for him!).

Yep, it's been an exciting season. I hope BVB do it. Bayern constantly winning gets boring. Meanwhile, my German club, Union Berlin, will qualify for the Champions League if they win at home on the final day next weekend (a draw or even a defeat may also do). Quite an achievement given that they were in the third tier when I started following them in 2008 and, being a 100% members' club, have no sugar-daddy benefactor.

Possibly nothing. What I meant is that IF anything is done structurally to accommodate standers in E34, I can't see it happening before next summer. That gives time to plan, consult, relocate, etc. But even if it's agreed that it might be desirable to have standing fans in that block, the restraints posed by the narrowness of the rows and the fact there would be seated fans in the directly adjacent block whose view would be impacted will make finding a suitable solution a big challenge.

Yes. Rails are structures. I also believe that the rows in the Dolman are too narrow to facilitate a replica of the installation on the deeper rows in the S82 corner. The space left between rails and seats on the narrow Dolman Stand rows is highly unlikely to comply with the safety regulations for standing. I can't see anything happening there before summer '24.

My understanding is that no structural changes will be made in E34 this summer.

Here you go. AG fits nicely, with plenty of space for parking (if that's what they wanted to use the space for).

Two. Brisbane Road, including flats, x2 on the fruit market site. Coming up shortly...

For a bit of fun, I just had a look at the site on Google Maps and copied and pasted aerial shots of the Mem (also from Google Maps, same scale) onto it. As you can see, the site is actually quite large (assuming my yellow lines correctly demaracate the boundaries), with space to spare even if you put two Mem stadiums onto it.

Yep, voting closes at midnight on Monday. Nearly 3,500 votes so far, the most for many years. If you've still to cast yours, please do so via the link below.

Please try this link: https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/2oyolrukmz3v Not 100% sure that it will work, so let me know how you get on. Cheers.

2.5k

Just over 3,000 votes now. Deadline extended until 3rd April.

Especially as it is that age group that will have been largely responsible for creating the good home atmosphere that has helped them to gain so many points at home this season. Very short-sighted indeed.

Yes, the HF grew considerably durng PA's time at Palace. Also encouraged not least by Steve Parish, who felt their non-stop vocal support gave Palace at that time a unique home advantage.

That's why the voting system enables you to skip those questions.

Now, over 1,600 votes. Keep them coming! https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/OTIBPOYVOTE

Over 1,250 votes now cast. Thanks if you've cast your vote already. If you haven't done so yet, please do. And please share the link on your social media. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/OTIBPOYVOTE

Over 1,000 votes already on day one of voting. Let's make this a bumper year. If you've not yet voted, please vote now via the link below, and share it with your City mates on social media. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/OTIBPOYVOTE

Glad to see Mr Roberts put in his place. He is very much in a minority of one.

Correct. Ashont Gate has no areas of 'licensed standing'. To get such a licence, a ground has to provide some safe standing for away fans too. The S82 corner is an area where it is recognised that fans will stand persistently in breach of ground regulations, so it has been made safer by the installation of barriers. Despite the steepness of the Dolman Upper, I know of no reason why similar infrastructure could not be installed there as well (rail seats or barriers behind existing seats are now allowed in stands of a gradient of up to 35 degrees, the top limit for standard seating).

Yep, very fair. What I missed, however, was something along the lines of "We appreciate that fans moved to this area to try to improve the atmosphere at Ashton Gate. We share that objective, and intend to meet with fans' representatives shortly to discuss how this can be achieved."

IF one were of the view that the S82 corner is a good place for vocal home support, and one wanted to expand it, the logical place is the full width of the rear of the South Stand, coming down to in line with the Heineken and mirror-image terraces. That way no sightline issues would be created for fans sitting lower down the South Stand or in the South Stand / Lansdown corner. Personally, if I was CEO and had a magic wand, I'd make the entire Atyeo a standing home end and charge my architects with finding a solution for housing away fans. That would not be an easy task, but nothing is impossible.

In simple terms, the club could configure any part of the ground for safe standing. One key criteria, however, will always been maintaining clear sightlines for seated fans in adjacent blocks. That's why a 'cheese wedge' shape in a corner works well, and why individual blocks of a rectangular stand don't.

Due to illness, the fans booked in for our Fans for the Future seats for tomorrow are now unfortunately unable to come to the match. So, 8 free tickets are now available. Details here: https://www.bristolcitysupporters.org/kids-be-our-guests-take-4/