ClaretTony wrote:Can I point out that the chairman of Burnley Disabled Supporters Group has described the disabled facilities as the best he's witnessed. It would be virtually an impossible task for the club to start providing the necessary disabled toilets in all parts of the ground.

Quickenthetempo wrote:Garlick is a Business man, not a football one.

I don't know if there's a lot more you can do the CF concourse though with the changing rooms etc being underneath.
BULLDOZE IT!!!
Maybe bring the turnstyle wall further out, inline with the longside stand. Put some more kiosks and toilets there.

You would lose a bit of car parking and the spot where the away coach parks but I'm fine with that. Get the players back down the players entrance on Harry Potts way.

CoolClaret wrote:I just hope that they don't ever do away with the wooden seats in the Bob Lord - they are leaps and bounds better than that cheap plastic shite

Pickles wrote:Turf Moor is like stepping into a live interactive museum tour of 1985. It's a total time capsule. I'm sure we all like the heritage of the ground but there's a balance and currently, in fact for a while, it's swung the complete wrong way. It's only one example but I recently went to FC St. Pauli in the second tier of German football, a popular club but one with nothing like the revenue of Burnley and every aspect of their Millerntor Stadium was better than Turf Moor, especially the concourses in terms of kiosks, toilets and general presentation. It's got to the point where I'd be ecstatic if the panels on either sides of the Jimmy Mac and the Longside were given a wash and a paint, that's how low my expectations are.

Claretforever wrote:You’re right, and I can’t argue with the fact they are of a higher quality than the cheap plastic seats BUT, there are better quality plastic seats, such as those at Arsenal and Brighton wimhich kot only offer comfort but a large place to site like you have now.

It must be cheaper buying those that replacing any broken wooden ones nowadays.

At some stage we have to move into this century. Let’s donit with quality though, not those cheap nasty things.

TsarBomba wrote:Absolutely. If you go on with your mates, and all you need/want is a quick slash at 1455, and a warm beer at 1545, then the Turf is fine.

I’ve got two young boys, and I HAVE to take into account the facilities, the food, the seating options, the toilets, the concourses etc. And frankly, as it stands, they won’t be coming to the Turf anytime soon.

We REALLY do need to consider the next generation of fan, and how we’re getting them. It’s not the 70’s/80’s/90’s now, attitudes have changed whether we like it or not.

I know the new Spurs ground is an exception, but that is what prospective fans, families, expect now. It’s not just about the football, it’s everything else that goes with it.
Bars, food, live music.

There’s a helluva lot of fans going down town and spending good money in bars and pubs before and after the game. Why aren’t the club tapping into this?

Claretforever wrote:We don’t feel like we’re a Premier League club, and don’t seem to have plans to become one either. Everything is piecemeal with no grand plan. So amateur.

Spijed wrote:Preston have a better ground than ours yet I'm willing to bet every single one of their supporters would swap grounds to be in our position.

Don't kid yourself, we are every bit a Premier league club and are the envy of football supporters everywhere.

As for the CFS, away fans will tell you it has far better atmosphere than the Emirates or the Etihad, for example.

bfcwest wrote:The ground would be a joke even if we were in league 1. We are making millions and should be improving the ground whilst we can, both for existing fans AND in order to attract new fans whilst the sun shines in the Prem. What has Preston being below us got to do with that? Spijed, you really will defend any old ******** if it justifies avoiding any change. Change is scary to some people.... (cue you now coming back asking for examples....yawn....)

Spijed wrote:Attract new fans?

We only fill the ground when we play the big clubs, same for most teams in the Prem. There is no chance people will come in extra numbers to see us play teams like Watford, Bournemouth or Southampton for example.

Spijed wrote:Attract new fans?

We only fill the ground when we play the big clubs, same for most teams in the Prem. There is no chance people will come in extra numbers to see us play teams like Watford, Bournemouth or Southampton for example.

Claretforever wrote:Our fans fall for the Chairman’s rhetoric when all he does, as the clever businessman he is, is turn a desire for improved stadia and facilities into a discussion around capacity. In other words he dodges the talks for a year or two. Easy.

We ask for imorovements, he ignores that bit and says in an interview that we’ll increase capacity when we regularly fill it (ignoring again some of the other bits covered lower down). So he’s turned the thing on it’s head and our fans then repeat those lines over and over on the internet like sheep.

Taking the capacity argument, which is different than the facilities and improvements one if you weren’t aware, the reality is that we sell out around 95% of available home seats on average, which is high.

People don’t want to buy the final few hundred single tickets around the ground than are in corners, behind posts, front seats below pitch level with a roof which doesn’t protect them, or be sat alone instead of with friends and family...

Increase capacity SLIGHTLY, just by a couple of thousand or so, and you will sell more home tickets. Ensure all seats are decent. Also, you then dip into other club’s traditional catchment areas to steal our fans of the future by doing deals, which you struggle to do when selling 95% of available home seats.

Claretforever wrote:Our fans fall for the Chairman’s rhetoric when all he does, as the clever businessman he is, is turn a desire for improved stadia and facilities into a discussion around capacity. In other words he dodges the talks for a year or two. Easy.

We ask for imorovements, he ignores that bit and says in an interview that we’ll increase capacity when we regularly fill it (ignoring again some of the other bits covered lower down). So he’s turned the thing on it’s head and our fans then repeat those lines over and over on the internet like sheep.

Taking the capacity argument, which is different than the facilities and improvements one if you weren’t aware, the reality is that we sell out around 95% of available home seats on average, which is high.

People don’t want to buy the final few hundred single tickets around the ground than are in corners, behind posts, front seats below pitch level with a roof which doesn’t protect them, or be sat alone instead of with friends and family...

Increase capacity SLIGHTLY, just by a couple of thousand or so, and you will sell more home tickets. Ensure all seats are decent. Also, you then dip into other club’s traditional catchment areas to steal our fans of the future by doing deals, which you struggle to do when selling 95% of available home seats.

TsarBomba wrote:Spot on.

This is our golden opportunity to really cement and grow our fanbase for the next 25+ years.

We are the top club in Lancashire, and have been for some time. Bradford are in League 2, and Leeds are perennially stuck in the Championship.

Spijed wrote:Strange how Rovers couldn't build up their fanbase despite winning the PL.

No wonder their supporters think we are deluded with our potential fan base.

And you know what, reading some of the comments on here they are not too far from the truth.

scouseclaret wrote:Bloody hell. Here we are about to go into our 5th season as a top flight football in 6 years, and we have a 3 page thread of people whinging about the state of the ground!

We started to prioritise the ground ahead of the team last time we were at this level for any length of time and it didn’t end well. We could, however, claim to have “the best ground in the 4th Division”.

What would you prefer?

TsarBomba wrote:So because Rovers couldn’t build their fanbase 25 years ago, we shouldn’t bother, or at least try? Weird argument.

Why on earth are you referring to a different club, operating 25 years ago, in completely different circumstances, as an argument why we shouldn’t be looking to seize the opportunity we have now?

Next you’ll be telling me that we should be fortunate to even have a club. Do you have ‘1987’ stamped on your forehead?

I used to sit near a woman who would sneer at walk ons whenever it was a big game, and would take perverse pleasure in being one of the sub 10k on a Tuesday night.

Some Burnley fans are just odd.

TsarBomba wrote: I’ve got two young boys, and I HAVE to take into account the facilities, the food, the seating options, the toilets, the concourses etc. And frankly, as it stands, they won’t be coming to the Turf anytime soon.

Leisure wrote:Whilst there are certainly some valid points here I still feel that it's way off the mark to say that fans are way down on the priorities of Turf Moor . Also, I'm not clear if your criticism is aimed at the Directors or management or both?

But to respond to some of your points -
Disabled facilities - 2 new corner stands provided.
The Ticket Office is being improved.
Toilets - I can only comment on those which I use in the JHU and yes, they are regularly in need of attention. Maybe you've also used them in the other parts of the ground? Which other toilets are an issue?
Stadium open to the elements - Correct. What do you suggest that 'they' should do about this?
Insufficient/ none existing lighting/drainage on making your way to, from, entering and exiting the ground - Certainly an issue existing the CF but not sure about the other areas of the ground. Which other areas are a problem?
The various cost/price increases on a wide range of things. Even costs put on things that didnt have a price at all 3 years ago. - As in all walks of life if items cost the club more to purchase ie food and drinks, then of course the additional cost will be passed onto the customer. What items didn't have a price 3 years ago? When was the last time that season ticket prices were raised?
I genuinely think it's an accident waiting to happen in the CFS regards the concourse. - I don't use the CF so please can you be more specific?
Please feel free to tell me what they provide for you at Turf Moor that makes you feel a valued and welcome customer - Any suggestiuons on what you feel that the club should do that they don't do now?

I've already e-mailed the Supporters Liaison Officer at the club asking for your comments to be passed onto the Management Team and will happily pass on any further comments you have, UTC

Spijed wrote:Strange how Rovers couldn't build up their fanbase despite winning the PL.

No wonder their supporters think we are deluded with our potential fan base.

And you know what, reading some of the comments on here they are not too far from the truth.

Quickenthetempo wrote:Are you claiming Rovers didn't build up theit fan base?

They went from 8k average to around 28k average in a few years. With 32k gates for the big teams/games.

Every team loses fans when you go down but Rovers have around 13k on despite spending years out of the top league.
Around 4k more than before they played in the premier league and built their fan base up.

Spijed wrote:No they didn't. They averaged 23/24k for a couple of seasons. There is a good website that shows average attendances for all clubs historically.

Even going back through the years they've always had slightly higher gates than us, so they haven't increased their fan base anymore than you would expect.

And 13k is what you'd expect in the Championship anyway.

Quickenthetempo wrote:So you say they improved their attendances but still deny they built their fanbase?

Strange.

scouseclaret wrote:Bloody hell. Here we are about to go into our 5th season as a top flight football in 6 years, and we have a 3 page thread of people whinging about the state of the ground!

We started to prioritise the ground ahead of the team last time we were at this level for any length of time and it didn’t end well. We could, however, claim to have “the best ground in the 4th Division”.

What would you prefer?

bfcwest wrote:The principal that it can only be one or the other is ridiculous. Every other club is trying to do both because they feel the two go hand in hand. Improved facilities and increased capacity can have a long term relationship with success on the pitch. But the Chairman and some narrow minded Burnley fans think they know better!!

scouseclaret wrote:And our way of doing both is to build slowly, rather than throw tens of millions at it. The long-overdue disabled facilities are part of that. Maybe the club is waiting to see what happens with safe-standing before redeveloping the Cricket Field stand.

As for capacity, 25k is plenty - any bigger and it’ll fell like playing in an empty stadium next time we’re in the Championship.

TsarBomba wrote:Spot on.

This is our golden opportunity to really cement and grow our fanbase for the next 25+ years.

We are the top club in Lancashire, and have been for some time. Bradford are in League 2, and Leeds are perennially stuck in the Championship.

Leisure wrote:Macca - Please can you respond. Cheers.

Blackrod wrote:Without reading the whole thread I presume this means less leg room. There’s v little of it in JH lower. Is there more room in the upper levels of the new stands than the lower because of the pitch if the steps ? I’ve been in the upper levels but not often so can’t renember.

2 Bee Holed wrote:Leisure: I'll answer for you about the CFS Concourse.
I am not sure what has caused this, but I suspect it is since it was split into 1/3 and 2/3rds.
I used to go in there in the old First Division (with similar size crowds) and whilst I was a lot younger the crowding didn't seem
anywhere near as bad as it is now.

By Serious incident I suspect the poster was talking about crushing injuries.
I too worry about this at times.

Possible Cheap Solutions. Cost £75,000. About the cost of 1 crushing injury claim.

1/. Close the bar at the bottom of the staircase. Convert this to toilets. Sometimes it's even hard to get down the stairs.
Currently we have 1-way into the toilets and the same way out for 1,500 people.
2/. Remove the shelving and bins opposite the current bars and toilets this encourages congregating in these areas.
3/. The area to the left of the staircase, (toward the partition in the concourse) needs to be converted into a long thin bar. (non smoking)
Move the TV's into this area, again this causes congregation outside the toilets. The only b***dy TV is over the entrance to the current toilets!
Put plenty of drinks shelving in this area.
4/. The 2 portacabin bars in the open area of the concourse need to be built in a more permanent fashion with a roof over, but still allowing smoking in an open area, PLEASE!
5/. Install a drain at the steel shutter door exit, that allows rain water to flow away. I can no longer perform a 2m long jump at my age.

Spike wrote:why the rush to nasty plastic?

Plastic kills dolphins!

To prove my case when was the last time you saw a dolphin in Burnley?

Leisure wrote:2 Bee Holed/Quickenthetempo - Thanks for your suggestions. I haven't been in the CFS since it was split, so I'm not too conversant with the layout underneath or the afrea immediately you enter through the turnstiles but to create more space do you feel that it would be feasible to move the turnstiles outward so that they are flush with the JH ones? To me that would create a fair bit of extra space but may not help the overcrowding under the stand which you refer to?