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Latics look forward
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 11 February 2010
These are the first pictures of Oldham Athletic’s proposed new £20million ground at Broadway in Failsworth.
The controversial scheme will initially see the building of a 12,000 capacity stadium for the League One strugglers — complete with leisure and commercial facilities to benefit the whole community.
All four stands would be stand-alone structures. However, the club’s owners would eventually like to extend the stadium by filling in the corners in a bid to accommodate 16,000 fans — though this would probably hinge on Latics gaining promotion to the Championship — the Football League’s second tier.
Chief executive Alan Hardy said it was the long-term objective to have all four of the corners filled in.
He said: “It would be nice to get to the stage when we can fill the ground to its 12,000 capacity.
“If that happens, that would enable the corners to be filled in sooner rather than later.”
Latics are currently involved in a real fight to avoid relegation to League Two — English football’s fourth tier. They lie 20th in League One at their delapidated Boundary Park home which regularly fails to attract more than 3,500 home fans.
As part of the proposals, each of the four stands will have a concourse under the seating with two bars as well as hot food provision.
The club was also keen to include features of Oldham’s mill-town heritage in the stadium’s design, with plans for the main-stand facia to be red brick with windows replicating those of the mills. The images were revealed at the second fans’ stadium consultation last Thursday at Boundary Park.
Some 200 fans discussed the plans with club officials and representatives.
Anyone who was unable to attend the consultation can send their views via e-mail to enquiries@oldhamathletic.co.uk
They will be taken into consideration before the final round of consultations take place at the Lancaster Club in Failsworth on February 25 where a proposed masterplan for the whole site will be displayed between 3 and 9pm.
Residents near to the proposed site will soon be receiving leaflets inviting them to the meeting.
Club officials will again value public feedback at this stage before final plans are submitted to Oldham Council for approval.
Comments
I see they are moaning again about the dilapidated ground and the crowds of less than 3500, it's there own fault Boundary Park only has 3 stands and refusing to sack Penney will not bring fans back so they have only themselves to blame.
This is a stupid idea. There is not the demand for such an investment. Who will end up paying for it? The Oldham tax payer! Who will benefit? The owners of the club who only took over control as they wanted to develop the 10 acre site at Boundary Park. We can not allow such a waste!
Looks similar to Oldham Rugby's ground at Westwood. A pipe dream that will be granted planning permission and will suddenly change into a Diy Warehouse. Good luck Latics fans.
very impressed with the look of the new ground - however i was impressed with the drawings of the revamped boundary park a few years back and look what happened there. I wont hold my breath and only get optimistic when the first brick has been layed. I cant say enough how badly this club and town needs something to look forward to though, BP is an absolute embarassment.
Very accurate pictures....no fans at Manchester Athletic!
looks fantastic, though im sorry but i feel this project will never get off the ground.
too many obstacles by residents, non backing of half the supporters due to its posistion in manchester and lack of funds from the owners.
the best we could hope for is a new 4th stand at boundary park though i cant see where the funds would come from apart
the sale of richards from city and maybe new investment and sponsorship
Well it’s certainly progress having an architects drawing of the proposed stadium. It looks pretty good as well. Pity about the corners but entirely justified at the moment. They won’t look nearly as bad with a 10 to12ft perimeter wall around them. Having now seen it, we may well forget where it is when we are all inside. Having an unobstructed view and modern facilities wherever you are sat does seem like bliss. A decent team would be essential though for its success!
it looks tiny! this isnt a stadium for a club with future prospects!
i should know i've worked on two premiership and one division 1 stadiums/stands!
This article mirrors the one on the Latics website, with one big difference. The Chron fail to report that the whole scheme is dependent upon Latics getting the War Memorial Ground.
Great,all we need now is a team
Having lived through the false dawns of Sports Park 2000, and other projects, I didn’t expect to be impressed with the latest plans. However, what a fantastic vision of Latics' future in Failsworth. The plans are well designed and compact, which should silence a few critics. The ball, if you pardon the expression, is now firmly at the feet of Oldham Council, who need to pass the imminent planning application and finally end Latics' 15 year quest for a new home. Forward to Failsworth.
A case of putting the cart before the horse? Might look good but the 'open sides' do look strange. Still, it might give fans a chance to climb out if the games get boring.
If the plans ever comes to fruition the club will have to spend and get a decent side to even attract anywhere near 12,000 fans. Many,I fear,do not see it materialising any time soon, if at all.
Thinking back... I recall the ground at 'Sheddings in a dilapidated state and the 'powers that be' just let it rot. I hope that something happens at Latics before the (some would say) inevitable happnes.
Wrong location! Traffic on Broadway and Oldham Road will be Mayhem on Matchdays. It should be in the Stakehill area, off the 627M. Easier access to M62 and M60.
The way latics are playing why not do away with all the stands and have two bus shelters,one at each end,that should be ample room for the fans,who wants to watch losers week in and week out.
Obviously moejoe is an armchair red
For those of you who are geographically challenged, Failsworth is not in Manchester, and has never been a part of Manchester!
Please check your facts before trying to be clever.
Thank you, that is all.
What a bunch of miserable, moaning nimbys! Why don't you all club together and buy the owners out, then you can turn the fortunes around with your far-sighted vision of a revamped BP filled to capacity watching a team challenging for a spot in the Champion's League. I, for one, welcome the new (if not perfect) stadium in it's new (if not perfect) location. And if I'm really lucky, find a spot where I won't have to listen a bunch of curmudgeons, but then again you might boycott Latics.
Some ofthe comments on here amaze me - Chaddeyender is the class leader!
1) Build a stand with corners - obviously a cost implcation with adding corners, which Latics will not fill!
2) Refusing to sack Penney - football is a business nowadays, and because the fans are not coming in, neither is the revenue, which is probably why the club canno sack the gaffer as this would cost money.
MarkH - many people from Failsworth regard themselves as Mancunians. Mike Atherton has NEVER said he's from Oldham. Many people there support United. It is also only two miles from Eastlands and the richest club in the world. Failsworth will fail, mainly because the people behind the scheme (Alan Hardy? Oldham Council?) have nothing but failure behind them.
mikejh45 - I bet you were one of those waving the flags when Chris Moore took over the club, weren't you? Whatever the club/owners promise, you believe it. Try and look at the evidence for their 'success'.
Ammypammy, please!!! I fly the flag for no-one but if I think the scheme is an improvement then I will say so. As for Chris Moore, I will ask you one question - did you get the feelgood factor when we were flying high that one season or where you grumbling along? As I said, if Ammypammy becomes Chairman/Chairwoman/Chair/Footstool/Milking Stool and comes up with a solution that I think benefits the club I support then I will say so. But the floor is open to you to give us your credible answers!!!
Have Your Say
If your going to build it Latics, build it right, build it with the corners, otherwise it looks an absolute disgrace.
By chaddyender @ 11/02/2010 15:20:39