New Layout of Cricket Field

[eastcoastclaret]

Has the tunnel now been moved or is it still in the same place?

[Bosscat]

Moved ...j

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[Awayfromburnley]

Moved ...j20250809_142124.jpg

Fair play, they've moved the goals over to help with the view.

[Goody1975]

So as expected, two exits for approx 2,300 fans and one exit for the home fans.

The extra capacity underneath (or second floor concourse) has to be a priority. An additional exit to the side of the stand (in between the safe standing and seats could possibly help relieve crushing.

[BigAlClaret]

For the last decade the home fans have had one exit as opposed to two for the away fans. OK it's slow to get out but not necessarily dangerous.

[Row Z]

Biggest concern for me is that the entire population of the Jimmy Mac and the JH would have to exit Turf Moor between the gates onto Harry Potts Way / Brunshaw Road..

I don’t think this is possible / feasible.

Nothing formal from the club on this is there, so perhaps concern over nothing at this stage.

Would also surely make a lot more sense to hold c2k away fans for 5/10 mins after kick off and then route them to their coaches on Belvedere Road.

[Duffer_]

As a matter of interest .... why are they doing/considering this in the first place?

It's a very good question. The official line is to enhance the matchday atmosphere and fan experience - more details below. The only problem is that nobody seems to understand how it does that.

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[Leisure]

Maybe I'm wrong but from my seat in the JH Upper, it looks as if the home section is now smaller than the away section? Is that correct and, if so, was that the same last season?

[Burnleyareback2]

Maybe I'm wrong but from my seat in the JH Upper, it looks as if the home section is now smaller than the away section? Is that correct and, if so, was that the same last season?

Certainly looked that was from the BL today. Roughly a 1/3 home fans.

Guess most games this season will sellout for away teams so cashing in.

[claretsforever]

Looking at cricket field today look like we got 2 and half block and away have 3 and half block and all away fans will be behind the goal. Am not hundred percent what the layout was last season with being in that stand. Also regarding view i had before I been moved is i was online with touchline now online with edge of bob lord stand and dugouts

[claretdj]

Maybe I'm wrong but from my seat in the JH Upper, it looks as if the home section is now smaller than the away section? Is that correct and, if so, was that the same last season?

Yeah, it looks like the away section is 4 blocks with an extra exit installed too. The home section is now down to 3 blocks.

[claretsforever]

I know home fans always had one exit in the stand and with all change over we still got one exit in stand

[Spijed]

Why is there an additional barrier in between two of the sets of seats in the home section?

[claretdj]

Why is there an additional barrier in between two of the sets of seats in the home section?

Because they gated it like they did on the old side, only season ticket holders allocated seats in there are allowed in these areas.

[Leon_C]

I know home fans always had one exit in the stand and with all change over we still got one exit in stand

Isn't there a side exit, by the Bob Lord Stand? The 'main' exits are B, C, D. So - is A a side exit or was it the exit into the players tunnel which has now seemingly been filled in?

[bobinho]

For the last decade the home fans have had one exit as opposed to two for the away fans. OK it's slow to get out but not necessarily dangerous.

Not until anyone needs to get out fast. Everything is fine, until it isn’t. Not a cat in hells chance that stand gets a safety certificate if it’s built like that today.

[bobinho]

It's a very good question. The official line is to enhance the matchday atmosphere and fan experience - more details below. The only problem is that nobody seems to understand how it does that.



Scan 09 Aug 25 · 08·21·16 17547672765071.jpeg

That’s because it’s ********….

[Spijed]

Not until anyone needs to get out fast. Everything is fine, until it isn’t. Not a cat in hells chance that stand gets a safety certificate if it’s built like that today.

Don't the gates that open onto the pitch eradicate any need for more exits in an emergency?

[Leon_C]

I think the main safety challenges are mitigated by the (easy) on-pitch access. In the event of an incident, the safest route is likely to be straight onto the pitch rather than into an enclosed concourse?

[morninbob]

Not until anyone needs to get out fast. Everything is fine, until it isn’t. Not a cat in hells chance that stand gets a safety certificate if it’s built like that today.

That was true until the gates to the pitch were added in the late 70s early 80s.

[BradTee93]

Maybe I'm wrong but from my seat in the JH Upper, it looks as if the home section is now smaller than the away section? Is that correct and, if so, was that the same last season?

Definitely smaller now. It does seem like they’ve changed the layout of the blocks however, my old seat was one of them in that patch that hadn’t been fitted in the new away section but you could walk directly up the steps to them. It seems now they’ve pushed the block towards the exit on that side rather than having steps in between

[BleedingClaret]

It's a very good question. The official line is to enhance the matchday atmosphere and fan experience - more details below. The only problem is that nobody seems to understand how it does that.



Scan 09 Aug 25 · 08·21·16 17547672765071.jpeg

They’ve improved the match day experience for away fans

[Row x]

Definitely smaller now. It does seem like they’ve changed the layout of the blocks however, my old seat was one of them in that patch that hadn’t been fitted in the new away section but you could walk directly up the steps to them. It seems now they’ve pushed the block towards the exit on that side rather than having steps in between

Surely it has to be at least the size the home section was last season, agree with the move or not, the new home section has to be able to accommodate everyone
There will be extra seats having removed the old directors box
Was the away section larger than the home section in the old set up?

[BradTee93]

Surely it has to be at least the size the home section was last season, agree with the move or not, the new home section has to be able to accommodate everyone
There will be extra seats having removed the old directors box
Was the away section larger than the home section in the old set up?

Yeah the old directors box has gone, there were a couple blokes sat around that area yesterday guessing workers. Probably the similar size but looks smaller now they’ve altered the blocks etc

[claret wizard]

Surely it has to be at least the size the home section was last season, agree with the move or not, the new home section has to be able to accommodate everyone
There will be extra seats having removed the old directors box
Was the away section larger than the home section in the old set up?

It’s hard to say with the changing of seats and varying allocations. But, away tickets have been shown up to 2400 previously, and capacity has been publicised as 4000. I always thought the away allocation was bigger than home allocation. With the removal of the old staff/directors box, removal of wheelchair facilities, removal of old wooden seating and introduction of safe standing, then the home fans physical foot print will now be obviously smaller. That’s shown by the divide being moved (as seen yesterday) to give the central exit staircase to the away fans. How this will manifest itself under the stand we’ll find out in 2 weeks. I (and most posters on here) won’t have been in that away concourse for many years. With the overcrowding that took place in last few years I hope there is more outside areas as it seems there will be less real estate under the stand.same with concessions and access to toilets, the home end was laid out awfully and wasn’t fit for purpose. I’m depressingly thinking it can only be worse in our former away end

[Goody1975]

They’ve improved the match day experience for away fans

The positioning of the away fans will make them more of an influence on the game.

They are now directly behind one goal and the noise they create is more focused on the playing area rather than being tucked away towards the corner.

People can argue the point, but IMO this is only going to benefit the visitors and do less than zero for us.

[BleedingClaret]

If you think in terms of their entry and exit from the ground
Their entry and exit to the terraces and concourse
Their position behind the goal and more central to the pitch
We’re doing our best for them
In respect of our fans until the Fanzone and 2nd internal tier is built, as a match day experience it feels like the opposite has been achieved

[BleedingClaret]

The positioning of the away fans will make them more of an influence on the game.

They are now directly behind one goal and the noise they create is more focused on the playing area rather than being tucked away towards the corner.

People can argue the point, but IMO this is only going to benefit the visitors and do less than zero for us.

Can’t help thinking that they might have a plan to link the new away end to some hospitality in the Longside and allot the seats in the Longside lower to those away fans in hospitality

I think in reality these blocks in the Longside lower next to the away end would become segregation after a few games with incidents

[dougcollins]

They’ve improved the match day experience for away fans

That's exactly how I see it.

[kaptin1]

Seems odd to have the players entering the ground at the North East corner and then have the tunnel in the South West. Are the players going to have to walk across the pitch to the changing rooms after they’ve arrived or have we dug a secret underground passage?

[Row x]

Seems odd to have the players entering the ground at the North East corner and then have the tunnel in the South West. Are the players going to have to walk across the pitch to the changing rooms after they’ve arrived or have we dug a secret underground passage?

There's a path all round the ground they could use

[kaptin1]

There's a path all round the ground they could use

Pampered footballers won’t be happy with that

[Row x]

Pampered footballers won’t be happy with that

Seems to happen at a few clubs nowadays, not sure why, it's not as if there are any fans in the ground at that time

[ClaretTony]

On the subject of how much of the stand the home and away fans have, it doesn’t look much different and I know Sunderland have received an allocation of 2,273 tickets. There will be a few more seats in there now with them completely plastic seats which are smaller than the wooden ones and the old directors box having gone.

For me personally, it could make a big difference getting home after the game. I’ve always from the Longside gone up Ormerod Yard and onto Belvedere Road as my route to get to the bus station. It’s going to take a lot longer having to walk all the way round the ground including the bottleneck at the club shop corner.

[Row x]

On the subject of how much of the stand the home and away fans have, it doesn’t look much different and I know Sunderland have received an allocation of 2,273 tickets. There will be a few more seats in there now with them completely plastic seats which are smaller than the wooden ones and the old directors box having gone.

For me personally, it could make a big difference getting home after the game. I’ve always from the Longside gone up Ormerod Yard and onto Belvedere Road as my route to get to the bus station. It’s going to take a lot longer having to walk all the way round the ground including the bottleneck at the club shop corner.

I haven't been up the ginnel by the cricket club since the 1970s, but it was always a pain, very slow shuffling along, is it still like that?

[wilks_bfc]

It’s not too bad

It was worse when the inept stewards use to allow cars to move and block the walkways causing a narrow bottleneck but that hasn’t happened for some time now

[ClaretTony]

I haven't been up the ginnel by the cricket club since the 1970s, but it was always a pain, very slow shuffling along, is it still like that?

Unless a car decides to drive up there, which does happen occasionally, it's usually OK once you are in there having walked round the fenced off compound. But a lot of home fans leave that way from the Longside and even the Jimmy Mac so if they are all going to have to go the other way it's going to be a massive change for a lot of people.

[The Quattro]

Isn't there a side exit, by the Bob Lord Stand? The 'main' exits are B, C, D. So - is A a side exit or was it the exit into the players tunnel which has now seemingly been filled in?

‘A’ is the entrance/exit that was previously used for disabled away supporters. It was a door that led to the little area between the CFS and Bob Lord and gave access to the side gate next to the CFS turnstiles. I’m guessing it’s now out of use.

[Row x]

Unless a car decides to drive up there, which does happen occasionally, it's usually OK once you are in there having walked round the fenced off compound. But a lot of home fans leave that way from the Longside and even the Jimmy Mac so if they are all going to have to go the other way it's going to be a massive change for a lot of people.

Don't be coming blocking my route away from the bob lord

[LlandennyClaret]

The positioning of the away fans will make them more of an influence on the game.

They are now directly behind one goal and the noise they create is more focused on the playing area rather than being tucked away towards the corner.

People can argue the point, but IMO this is only going to benefit the visitors and do less than zero for us.

Exactly this. No benefit at all to home supporters or the home team. Have my own feelings on what the motive is but absolutely nothing to do with the benefit of our own fans.
Makes you wonder ….

[claret wizard]

Seems to happen at a few clubs nowadays, not sure why, it's not as if there are any fans in the ground at that time

All about TV optics. The £ Gazillions we get comes with some sacrifices it seems.

[ClaretTony]

Exactly this. No benefit at all to home supporters or the home team. Have my own feelings on what the motive is but absolutely nothing to do with the benefit of our own fans.
Makes you wonder ….

The chairman wanted it - why I don't know, but he did.

[Barlickclaret]

The chairman wanted it - why I don't know, but he did.

I'm not sure the chairman would have made that decision on his own.

[ClaretTony]

I'm not sure the chairman would have made that decision on his own.

I was told from a source I can trust that the chairman wanted it. I assume his senior staff supported him.

[Barlickclaret]

I believe its to do with the changing room upgrade, and also the home dressing room is now nearer the tunnel.

[NewClaret]

The chairman wanted it - why I don't know, but he did.

My first instinct was money. Having a bar area for home fans will presumably lead to more sales on match day.

But when you consider there are more away fans, and they’re probably more likely to get in early and spend money on overpriced pints, it’d probably make more money leaving it to away fans.

So I’m back to being baffled.

[NewClaret]

I believe its to do with the changing room upgrade, and also the home dressing room is now nearer the tunnel.

Does that matter though? I’m really struggling with the whole professional footballers need their dressing room nearer the tunnel thing. It’s now further away for both teams as far as I can remember.

[ClaretTony]

I believe its to do with the changing room upgrade, and also the home dressing room is now nearer the tunnel.

That has happened but that isn't the reason.

[ClaretTony]

My first instinct was money. Having a bar area for home fans will presumably lead to more sales on match day.

But when you consider there are more away fans, and they’re probably more likely to get in early and spend money on overpriced pints, it’d probably make more money leaving it to away fans.

So I’m back to being baffled.

I saw some figures not long ago on the average spend per spectator above the cost of the ticket and it is much higher per away fan than it is per home fan. That's not a surprise given they have, on average, travelled further.

[NewClaret]

The positioning of the away fans will make them more of an influence on the game.

They are now directly behind one goal and the noise they create is more focused on the playing area rather than being tucked away towards the corner.

People can argue the point, but IMO this is only going to benefit the visitors and do less than zero for us.

Completely agree with this.

In my view it’s absolutely senseless to **** off your loudest fans, force a last minute move that you just know will cause loads of confusion/issues, and probably completely screw up the atmosphere by moving them away from the Longside where chants catch on (there’s a small hope hear that they get the Bob Lord going and if they do it might get better), as well as make it a more intimidating end for our keeper.

All for what? So they can access a little bar area that’s possibly not going to be open most of the season?