Ooh look!!!! Next stage of AG redevelopment now announced

[Lrrr]

4 minutes ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Thing is, we would realistically only rebuild that end in the Prem?

Already proven matchday income is NOT needed anymore, so if it is only going to increase the away end, why bother?

We already have a bigger ground than some Prem sides

2 tier Atyeo stand? Like Lansdown stand only open the top tier when demand requires. If we build it asap it would mean we'd have it if we get to the prem rather than get there and hope we stay there in time for it to be built.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Genuine question, do you honestly think he is doing all this for the love of it, or is he an astute businessman who is making a nice return ?

I would say a bit of both. The Basketball person has already said "sustainable" in the article, so the point of the whole lot of the sports is to be sustainable without throwing millions in every single year throwing money away. I think SL is now seeing some benefits of the academy with Reid, Bryan, Kelly and other promising youngsters coming through. Along with buy cheaper young hungry players and develop them for very good worthwhile returns - they won't all work out but it seems to be the only way to go unless you are making 10s of millions per year through revenue - like a lot of the Prem. We may never get there, but if we don't we at least have a sound business model to work with rather than being like a Villa type club.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Up The City! said:

Both. I think they both go hand in hand. He loves Bristol and the sports teams and he loves to make money. I'm not sure of the financial details but sounds like the money generated goes into our pockets rather than into Lansdowns? I'm sure there will be some clever accounting going on however it is set up.

He could be spunking his money on super yachts etc but seems to live quite a private modest life.

 

 

Tend to agree, that it's likely a bit of both.

The only guaranteed profit IMO is through one of 2 ways. Either if we establish ourselves in the PL, he takes x Million in TV money from a self-financing club until such a time as he has broken even on his investment- then he takes a dividend each year from said self-financing club. Profit! 

Or, he sells up to any old bugger, the motives of which we or he would have little idea about- when I say sells up I mean sells ground, training ground, Basketball arena, hotel- the whole shebang to an investor or consortium, he leaves with a profit quite likely and we...we have no idea what comes next.

[Lrrr]

2 minutes ago, Tomarse said:

Got a feeling we own a few but much like it being fairly quiet that SL owned all of the land to build this you’ll only ever know for sure when it’s annouced

So buy and rent it out as a different company? Hard for news not to catch on for the others still there otherwise

[redapple]

3 hours ago, Busterrimes said:

To be honest you could double this arena as an Ice centre (talking a Bristol Ice Hockey team here). A lot of arenas in US and Canada double up Basketball and Ice Hockey. Would love the Bristol Ice Hockey team to return to Bristol

I’m sure it will. They’ll have to maximise use of the arena throughout the year. 

[redapple]

46 minutes ago, STeveOELlis said:

None of that is false at all, in fact it’s all very true. Bristol City FC has lost its identity. Nonetheless, exciting times

I dont feel Bristol City has lost its identity at all. It’s moved along nicely into the modern era using a model unique to Bristol. 

[Up The City!]

8 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Tend to agree, that it's likely a bit of both.

The only guaranteed profit IMO is through one of 2 ways. Either if we establish ourselves in the PL, he takes x Million in TV money from a self-financing club until such a time as he has broken even on his investment- then he takes a dividend each year from said self-financing club. Profit! 

Or, he sells up to any old bugger, the motives of which we or he would have little idea about- when I say sells up I mean sells ground, training ground, Basketball arena, hotel- the whole shebang to an investor or consortium, he leaves with a profit quite likely and we...we have no idea what comes next.

I just can't see Lansdown taking money from us. I think he would just be happy to not put money in and for us to be self financing. Whilst that could change if we got to the Prem with the increased wages and transfer fees that we would face im not sure we would turn much of a profit. I think having two premiership clubs at Ashton Gate is his dream.

With what SL has invested and continues to invest it would require quite a substantial sum of money from before he would consider selling. 

[STeveOELlis]

22 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said:

The east end that was actually on the south end of the ground with pillars all over the place, why not go the whole hog and wade ankle deep in piss in the toilets again in the hunt for nostalgia?

Sounds like an ideal Saturday for me. It’s what football is all about

[Mr Popodopolous]

7 minutes ago, Up The City! said:

I just can't see Lansdown taking money from us. I think he would just be happy to not put money in and for us to be self financing. Whilst that could change if we got to the Prem with the increased wages and transfer fees that we would face im not sure we would turn much of a profit. I think having two premiership clubs at Ashton Gate is his dream.

With what SL has invested and continues to invest it would require quite a substantial sum of money from before he would consider selling. 

I agree with this- definitely trust his motives well and truly.

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, finbarr_in_z said:

Potential wind tunnel. Best get the architects / civil engineers to have a look at that.

Already is!

[East End Old Boy]

46 minutes ago, STeveOELlis said:

Yes, the development is exciting for ‘sports fans’ but as a fan of Bristol City FC and not Bristol Sport it’s hard to swallow as we’re not what we once was 

It’s at times like this that I remember what John F Kennedy said:-

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

Yes, the East End was brilliant, especially when only terracing, as it wasn’t built for seating and at sometime it had to go.

[REDOXO]

4 hours ago, Andrews1522 said:

Now all we need is an ice rink

The United Center in Chicago houses the Chicago Bulls and The Blackhawks Ice Hockey. 

Not public skating if that’s what you are thinking. 

[ashton_fan]

35 minutes ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Genuine question, do you honestly think he is doing all this for the love of it, or is he an astute businessman who is making a nice return ?

Why does he need to make more money at his age, he's trying to spend the money he's already got on something worthwhile for Bristol

[Guest]

2 hours ago, finbarr_in_z said:

Potential wind tunnel. Best get the architects / civil engineers to have a look at that.

Get some turbines on the go and tap a bit of green energy- notice there’s a fair amount of solar on the illustrations already. 

[JoeAman08]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Effin’ love it. Take Joe and my daughter. We all have season cards. 

It certainly is. 

Absolutely. 3pm footie, bite to eat, 730pm tip-off, all without leaving AG!!!

Fridays and Saturday tipoffs are usually 730pm. Rarely play Sunday’s but those are typically 4pm. 

Get one now!!!

Got to get Wickes off first!

It’s end to end, but like City 5 Hull 5 

Too far for me to get to atm. Plus always felt I could play for them so harder to watch 

[HoldenBall]

18 minutes ago, STeveOELlis said:

Sounds like an ideal Saturday for me. It’s what football is all about

Then i strongly suggest You go watch the other team in Bristol then. While your at it you could also see the hooliganism you cravely miss.

[East End Old Boy]

33 minutes ago, Up The City! said:

There has been rumours about him buying the land in secret for the arena for many years and that's proven to be true

Not that secret then! 

[Born and Red in 82]

1 hour ago, STeveOELlis said:

None of that is false at all, in fact it’s all very true. Bristol City FC has lost its identity. Nonetheless, exciting times

For me I don't believe the club has lost its identity.

 You could argue that football has lost its identity because of how corporate it has become.... and we have just had to adapt to that as fans.

Definately enjoyed many days at the (old) Ashton Gate aswell as other old grounds around the country.

For what it's worth...I sit in B block dolman (e33) and I dont think the east end was any louder than section 82 is now.

Up the Franchise 

[Bristol_South_End]

19 minutes ago, STeveOELlis said:

Sounds like an ideal Saturday for me. It’s what football is all about

I find it hard to take an opinion on what football is all about seriously from someone who has Neil Kilkenny as their profile pic....

[Southstandoriginal]

1 hour ago, Up The City! said:

100% what needs to be incorporated into this is an extended fans village, toilets for those that use the fan village and a larger club shop. I'd be very disappointed if those 3 things are not included.

The brochure that can be downloaded from the Flyers site states that: "the coffee shop and club store have been a success and need to be expanded".  So hopefully these things will happen.

[Bazooka Joe]

2 minutes ago, Born and Red in 82 said:

For me I don't believe the club has lost its identity.

 You could argue that football has lost its identity because of how corporate it has become.... and we have just had to adapt to that as fans.

Definately enjoyed many days at the (old) Ashton Gate aswell as other old grounds around the country.

For what it's worth...I sit in B block dolman (e33) and I dont think the east end was any louder than section 82 is now.

Up the Franchise 

Really!!???  

I guess it depends what period you're comparing it to.

But certainly far from true if you're comparing it to the 70's era.

[STeveOELlis]

7 minutes ago, Bristol_South_End said:

I find it hard to take an opinion on what football is all about seriously from someone who has Neil Kilkenny as their profile pic....

It’s ironic

 

11 minutes ago, Sergio Georgini said:

Then i strongly suggest You go watch the other team in Bristol then. While your at it you could also see the hooliganism you cravely miss.

Hooliganism at the Mem?

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Too far for me to get to atm. Plus always felt I could play for them so harder to watch 

They’ve already got their maximum of 3 US Imports, plus another with a Uk passport!!

You got a passport loophole????? 

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, STeveOELlis said:

It’s ironic

 

Hooliganism Fans at the Mem? 

.

[STeveOELlis]

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

.

They’ve got the biggest fanbase outside the prem. Didn’t you see them at Chelsea away?!

[JasonM88]

20 minutes ago, Tomarse said:

Get some turbines on the go and tap a bit of green energy- notice there’s a fair amount of solar on the illustrations already. 

Also quite a danger, if it do turn to be a wind tunnel, which I’m sure has already been thought about and safeguards against. 

Recently in London there was a new skyscraper built causing a very strong wind tunnel to form. A small gust of wind caused high speeds in the wind tunnel. I’m sure I remember legal action being taken. 

[downendcity]

54 minutes ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Genuine question, do you honestly think he is doing all this for the love of it, or is he an astute businessman who is making a nice return ?

At the time SL became owner I don't think anyone did so to make money. In the meantime the only realistic way of making money from a football club is by reaching the premier league, which has become increasingly more difficult during the intervening 10-15 years.

SL is an astute businessman, but I don't think his astuteness is primarily geared towards his personal gain from BCFC, but more towards limiting his personal "losses", as far as BCFC is concerned. That's not to say he is loath to put his own money into the club ( stadium, academy,  covering losses etc prove otherwise), but the sustainability plan will reduce the drain on his personal resources.

Having reached the level of personal wealthy he know has, I also think that SL is much more concerned about leaving a legacy when he eventually decides to take a back seat, and when he will probably hand over the reins  to JL. He is an achiever, as proved by building Hargreaves Lansdown with his partner, and perhaps he sees City as being his other major "business" success, but one he achieved on his own and with the Bristol Sport umbrella ever growing I wonder whether he will also want to point to his success being achieved his way?.

 

 

[Born and Red in 82]

14 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

Really!!???  

I guess it depends what period you're comparing it to.

But certainly far from true if you're comparing it to the 70's era.

I totally take that on board 

And i didn't start going until the 90's so can't comment further back than that and appreciate that things were a lot different then. I just don't don't understand the whole 'losing our identity' thing as we are still 'Bristol City' still play at Ashton Gate and still not in the Prem.... 

[Red-Robbo]

4 hours ago, Dollymarie said:

It’s a self storage facility. Looked nearly finished the last time I went past. 

Jens Hegeler and Bailey Wright are stashed there in case we need them at some stage in the future....

[WessexPest]

Great stuff. Have become a student of the game since I moved to stateside - albeit a very bad student. My March madness college basketball bracket at work always sees me finish about 200th out of about 201 competitors or zummat.