Cricket field stand

[ClaretsPadiham]

What exactly is the ‘work’ thats being done ?

Iv heard rumours that they are swapping the home and away fans round and moving the tunnel to the Bob Lord/CFS corner.

[Poulton-le-Claret]

They were supposed to be extending the number of safe standing seats in the home end. Not sure if there is anything else happening.

[martin_p]

What exactly is the ‘work’ thats being done ?

Iv heard rumours that they are swapping the home and away fans round and moving the tunnel to the Bob Lord/CFS corner.

What would the point of that be? In fact it’d be a nightmare getting away fans into the bit the home fans currently occupy, they’d all have to walk down that alleyway next to the cricket club with the home fans.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Don't believe for 1 minute away fans will be coming out the entrance nearest the Longside

[Chester Perry]

They were supposed to be extending the number of safe standing seats in the home end. Not sure if there is anything else happening.

I believe safe standing will come all the way down to the Exit areas right across the stand

Underneath they are having to increase the size of the away dressing rooms to meet new Premier League requirements - all those extra subs, analysts and support staff will no doubt be the reason

there are quite a few upgrades going on to meet the new Premier League requirements - seems to fall in with the TV rights cycles and with the overseas rights up by 27% next season there is more to do for them

[Quickenthetempo]

What exactly is the ‘work’ thats being done ?

Iv heard rumours that they are swapping the home and away fans round and moving the tunnel to the Bob Lord/CFS corner.

No you haven't.

You're just bored.

[Oldparkwood]

Don't believe for 1 minute away fans will be coming out the entrance nearest the Longside

Well I think you better start believing

[Quickenthetempo]

Just for fun I will play along.

Benefits

It might improve the atmosphere as the longside could give a bit more stick to the away fans, making it from both side.
Shorter walk from the cricket club for away fans.

Negatives

Only one exit for away fans.
You would have to close the lane for Burnley fans putting more pressure on the bottlenecks behind the beehole.
No space for the away fan zone.
You would have to move the community groups out of NL1 as v flickers move in to be near the away fans.
No home fans have been made aware of this so it would be a lot of work transferring seats in a short time.
The players wouldn’t be happy with objects being thrown into areas their families are in the box. Bad language/behaviour etc..

[ClaretTony]

What exactly is the ‘work’ thats being done ?

Iv heard rumours that they are swapping the home and away fans round and moving the tunnel to the Bob Lord/CFS corner.

Increasing the rail seating

[TsarBomba]

I believe safe standing will come all the way down to the Exit areas right across the stand

Underneath they are having to increase the size of the away dressing rooms to meet new Premier League requirements - all those extra subs, analysts and support staff will no doubt be the reason

there are quite a few upgrades going on to meet the new Premier League requirements - seems to fall in with the TV rights cycles and with the overseas rights up by 27% next season there is more to do for them

I appreciate these upgrades are needed, but we’ve spent 15 years and tens of millions titivating the CFS. At what point are we actually going to have a long term plan in place.

[ClaretTony]

I appreciate these upgrades are needed, but we’ve spent 15 years and tens of millions titivating the CFS. At what point are we actually going to have a long term plan in place.

A bloody good question with no obvious answer

[Goobs]

There are only 2 viable options IMO. Make BCCan offer they can't refuse for the cricket club or move to a new ground.

[Wokingclaret]

I appreciate these upgrades are needed, but we’ve spent 15 years and tens of millions titivating the CFS. At what point are we actually going to have a long term plan in place.

To be fair the new roof covering in around 2012 probably save it

[Goliath]

Surely we could just do a relatively basic one tier stand with steep seating and then a wrap around hospitality tier on top combining with the Bob Lord which would bring in some revenue to help justify the cost and also help to give the ground a bit more of a conjoined look

[NewClaret]

There are only 2 viable options IMO. Make BCCan offer they can't refuse for the cricket club or move to a new ground.

It would only need the area of the current nets.

The CFS is nearly as deep as the Longside given the pitch of the upper tier.

There’s also loads of room to move the pitch closer to the Longside and Jimmy Mc to create extra room for the CFS and Bob Lord.

I’d make it part of a deal whereby we paid for a relocation/new, bigger pavilion to take the bit of land we need. Win:win.

[Dressinggown]

Just knock the rotting thing down and build something new.

It's not that hard.

[JR1882]

It would only need the area of the current nets.

The CFS is nearly as deep as the Longside given the pitch of the upper tier.

There’s also loads of room to move the pitch closer to the Longside and Jimmy Mc to create extra room for the CFS and Bob Lord.

I’d make it part of a deal whereby we paid for a relocation/new, bigger pavilion to take the bit of land we need. Win:win.

I agree if crowds continue to enter from both sides rather than the back then it’s absolutely do able, it doesn’t need to be larger in capacity than what we have now really, just needs bringing upto date.

I think given the state of the pavilion & facilities, BCC should absolutely be looking to maximise any opportunity rather than opposing. Might involve a years relocation for which they would be adequately compensated but I think a permanent relocation would be out of the question as you’d imagine football matchday revenue far exceeds cricket matchday revenue.

It would need creativity and willing on both sides but there will absolutely be a way that the club can have a new stand and the cricket club could have a new pavilion as part of the build, either elsewhere on the site or even built into the stand structure in some way.

[JR1882]

And when I say temporarily relocate I mean Nelson or somewhere, they ain’t coming down this side of town hahah

[NewClaret]

I agree if crowds continue to enter from both sides rather than the back then it’s absolutely do able, it doesn’t need to be larger in capacity than what we have now really, just needs bringing upto date.

I think given the state of the pavilion & facilities, BCC should absolutely be looking to maximise any opportunity rather than opposing. Might involve a years relocation for which they would be adequately compensated but I think a permanent relocation would be out of the question as you’d imagine football matchday revenue far exceeds cricket matchday revenue.

It would need creativity and willing on both sides but there will absolutely be a way that the club can have a new stand and the cricket club could have a new pavilion as part of the build, either elsewhere on the site or even built into the stand structure in some way.

There’s loads thing is, if the CC were difficult over this there’s a chance at some point that the club are forced to consider a move. It would be very short sighted of them in the longer term to block development. Biting the hand that feeds you.

A solution whereby some land is exchanged for redevelopment of the pavilion/club house to bring it up to standards and provide a better facility for hosting events all year around, maybe with outdoor bar areas/BBQ/food hatches, etc for increasing match day revenues would seem a win:win to me.

A two tier structure would increase capacity by up to 2,000 and I think that could allow us to accommodate some more away fans which would in turn boost takings on our match days.

[NewClaret]

And when I say temporarily relocate I mean Nelson or somewhere, they ain’t coming down this side of town hahah

I actually doubt it would be needed if they did works over football season (City have extended their stand behind the goal and built a hotel while still using it), but if they wanted to find a way of best securing their future and local dominance, doing a deal with BFC would be the best way. House fans should be careful what they wish for

[Dressinggown]

Just cantilever an upper tier over the cricket ground.

A whole new structure seating about 7,000 would come in around £20m.

Peanuts, in today's football finance.

Are we not trying to become a modern day, top level club ?

[Walton]

The problem with the Cricket Field is that so much of the available space underneath the stand is taken up by badly placed kiosks.

Bearing in mind these are essentially just breeze block structures, they could do with being taken out completely and put in another area. The booze kiosk could easily be off the left of the stairs down by the shutters and then fans coming down the stairs could easily turn right.

The rest of the stand is absolutely fine and should be maintained for as long as possible.

[dougcollins]

The problem with the Cricket Field is that so much of the available space underneath the stand is taken up by badly placed kiosks.

Bearing in mind these are essentially just breeze block structures, they could do with being taken out completely and put in another area. The booze kiosk could easily be off the left of the stairs down by the shutters and then fans coming down the stairs could easily turn right.

The rest of the stand is absolutely fine and should be maintained for as long as possible.

Polishing a turd imo.

Knock it down.

[ChrisG]

Just cantilever an upper tier over the cricket ground.

A whole new structure seating about 7,000 would come in around £20m.

Peanuts, in today's football finance.

Are we not trying to become a modern day, top level club ?

Where on earth have you got £20m from? You can easily double if not treble it.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Ultimately the football club is needed (in the town) for the town’s survival in many senses. The cricket club is not. We are very rare, not unique but very rare, in being such a big successful club in such a small deprived town.

So I hold the view that the cricket club have to move. Or be “strongly encouraged” to move, if necessary by the council. I really do view it as existential, the status quo cannot last much longer and we will only build nowadays at these manufacturing prices while at the top table with risk takers like ALK at the helm. Neither will last forever.

(the pessimism I have is that I doubt that will happen, and I sense due to atmosphere and crap facilities many of us will start drifting away, including me after 40 years)

[Dressinggown]

Where on earth have you got £20m from? You can easily double if not treble it.

Ok, double it. Still not an expensive job. We don't need anything fancy or full of corporate facilities.

[Quicknick]

Bring back the old Cricket Field End.

[NewClaret]

Where on earth have you got £20m from? You can easily double if not treble it.

Not sure about that, Wrexham’s new 5,500 seater Kop is costing £14m.

[ChrisG]

Not sure about that, Wrexham’s new 5,500 seater Kop is costing £14m.

We need to demolish the existing stand for starters, it'll be riddled with asbestos and other contaminated material. Could be 2/3m in that.

Wrexham have a decent bit of land round that stand which we don't other than the car park. This makes it more expensive logistically.

On top of that we need to allow for a temporary structure to house the changing rooms which are all under the existing stand. That could be a couple of million on it's own to meet PL standards of fit out.

Factor in buying the land from the cricket club, and providing adequate compensation, such a new pavilion for example, and things start to add up.

We also have to factor in the logistics of housing away supporters in another part of the ground, and how the segregation measures are put into place.

As a double whammy, we also lose the capacity of the stand in gate receipts during the construction phase, which I estimate including demolition to be at least 12 months.

It's not just the cost of the stand itself.

The club will also want to include some corporate stuff in there to claw back some of the capital outlay.

[Dressinggown]

Have a look at Osanuna's stadium in Spain.

Smart, but relatively cheap.

[ChrisG]

Have a look at Osanuna's stadium in Spain.

Smart, but relatively cheap.

They had the advantage of Covid and no crowds to do the works, and it was an upgrade of the existing facilities with the look of it.

Construction costs in Spain are also significantly cheaper than the UK.

Agreed it does look smart though!

[jedi_master]

I have said for years it should have been a priority, just like the training ground was. Our time at the top table probably will be fleeting in the grand scheme of the clubs history and we really should have made hey whilst the sun is shining. I like to think there is a plan that is awaiting imminent announcement but there appears little appetite for true redevelopment of Turf Moor, as far as I can see.

[CyrilEbokiPoh]

I imagine the reality is the only financially viable option is to move.

because no sooner we rebuild CFS, we then need to do the Bob Lord. And the new stands are shite too!

That said, rebuilding over the cricket club should be easier than many suggest. The current layout makes it look impossible. But with some creative 'architecture' we can easily do it. Eat into the land that fans walk to and from the stand. Reshape the cricket pitch. Build a stand thats double sided (how big does the cricket stand need to be anyway!?

That said - could it even be redone to such a standard the cricket club could host high profile Lancashire / England games? Corporate benefits et al that come with it!

[bfcmik]

I'm not sure where people get the idea that the Cricket Club 'should' allow BFC to take their ground, they have been playing on that ground for much longer than the Football Club has been in existence. They have already given up about all they can spare and still be able to play cricket. And, do you think that the selling value of the land, if it were made available, wouldn't be greatly inflated by the need to cover the loss of revenue from the football club's 19 or 23 league games plus any home cup matches. That is the revenue that, in almost every other season, allows Burnley CC to be battling it out for league and cup honours.

I also seem to recall that the last time moving the Cricket Club was mooted, Burnley Council turned down any planning consent for them to relocate and for Burnley FC to buy the land. I can't see the Lancashire UA being any more sympathetic, tbh.

As for the internal layout of the CFS, you could not easily move the catering facilities because the infrastructure isn't really suitable. Additionally we don't know what underground problems could be found if we were to demolish and start again. Look at the many issues and delays the small structure for disabled supporters between the Jimmy Mac and Longside suffered.

[TsarBomba]

I imagine the reality is the only financially viable option is to move.

because no sooner we rebuild CFS, we then need to do the Bob Lord. And the new stands are shite too!

You may very well be right, but what irks me is we’ve had how much come through the club in PL money in the past 15 years? A billion? More?

And we haven’t been able to spare £20/30/40M to rebuild the CFS at least? Costs are only ever going up year on year. We’ve probably spent £10M+ in the past 15 years constantly putting in upgrades. It’s a farce, really.

We’re in a sport that throws tens of millions down the drain every year in transfer fees and wages for players that don’t work out. We could’ve part financed a new stand off the back of Mike Tresor alone.

As Jedi says there has to be some legacy to all this. We’ve got the training facilities, but we really must start making some long term decisions about the ground very soon.

[CyrilEbokiPoh]

You may very well be right, but what irks me is we’ve had how much come through the club in PL money in the past 15 years? A billion? More?

And we haven’t been able to spare £20/30/40M to rebuild the CFS at least? Costs are only ever going up year on year. We’ve probably spent £10M+ in the past 15 years constantly putting in upgrades. It’s a farce, really.

We’re in a sport that throws tens of millions down the drain every year in transfer fees and wages for players that don’t work out. We could’ve part financed a new stand off the back of Mike Tresor alone.

As Jedi says there has to be some legacy to all this. We’ve got the training facilities, but we really must start making some long term decisions about the ground very soon.

agree 100%

[CyrilEbokiPoh]

That said unless the owners can see a reasonably quick ROI they will see it as the next owners problem.

[mybloodisclaret]

Osasuna's stadium is a thing of beauty.

[SydneyClaret]

Someone mentioned earlier about incorporating a new cricket club pavilion into the stand. If an agreement could be made this would be by far the best way to go. County class cricket pavilion and 1000 stand, 6000 safe standing stand behind our goal with some decent facilities in the middle.

[BradTee93]

Doesn't Headingley have a similar set up & a double sided stand for the cricket & the rugby?

[Transpennine]

Doesn't Headingley have a similar set up & a double sided stand for the cricket & the rugby?

It does. They've recently rebuilt that stand for that exact purpose. Seats on both grounds with shared corporate facilities in the middle. Its an excellent setup and generates income all year round.

[Bordeauxclaret]

At a cost of £45m quite a few years ago.

[Andreshotboots]

Doesn't Headingley have a similar set up & a double sided stand for the cricket & the rugby?

It does, but the players dressing rooms aren't in there, they're at the other side of the ground..personally, I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of shared stands like that, but if that's the only potential option we've got, it needs locking into.

[Andreshotboots]

There's plenty of spare room behind the James Hargreaves stand to not need anything from Burnley CC.

Rotate the pitch just like Spurs did when they built their new stadium, we'll maybe have to play at PNEs ground for a couple of years, then build a lovely 25, 000 stadium withing the current footprint. Another bonus with pitch rotation is the keepers will no longer have to have the sun in their eyes, and we won't have to see those bloody chimney shots on the TV coverage again!!!

Anybody got a spare £300 million knocking about?.

[Transpennine]

It does, but the players dressing rooms aren't in there, they're at the other side of the ground..personally, I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of shared stands like that, but if that's the only potential option we've got, it needs locking into.

That's true about the changing rooms. But it's an example of what could be possible. Headingley and the Turf are pretty unique in their layout.

[Transpennine]

At a cost of £45m quite a few years ago.

Yep. And we've spent about 1/4 of that on the CFS just to keep it operational with no additional benefits. Really does highlight the lack of forward planning with regards this stand.

[ArmchairDetective]

Someone mentioned earlier about incorporating a new cricket club pavilion into the stand. If an agreement could be made this would be by far the best way to go. County class cricket pavilion and 1000 stand, 6000 safe standing stand behind our goal with some decent facilities in the middle.

This is the one. Been saying it for years. Keeps everyone happy and would be a right novelty.

The cricket ground is one of the things away fans remember most about a trip to the Turf. Might as well make the most of that part of our identity rather than ignoring it/paying for it to go away.

[blatherwickstattoos]

Well I think you better start believing

Mine and my lads season ticket are still in the same seats. Nothing at the ticket office to suggest they are to be moved .

[bfcmik]

I love the CFS as it stands. There may be some druggies in there, I wouldn't know as I don't think I've seen anyone that looks 'out of it' but I'll bet there are some in all 4 sides of the ground. The atmosphere may not always be electric, but when it is ... !

There is a great camaraderie in there, a vague, controlled sort of anarchy too. Despite it's outward experience, with the paucity of toilets, overcrowding just before the game and at half-time, the place just works! Not everyone wants a plastic upmarket environment or a managed, supporter friendly space to support our team from.

[bobinho]

I imagine the reality is the only financially viable option is to move.

because no sooner we rebuild CFS, we then need to do the Bob Lord. And the new stands are shite too!

That said, rebuilding over the cricket club should be easier than many suggest. The current layout makes it look impossible. But with some creative 'architecture' we can easily do it. Eat into the land that fans walk to and from the stand. Reshape the cricket pitch. Build a stand thats double sided (how big does the cricket stand need to be anyway!?

That said - could it even be redone to such a standard the cricket club could host high profile Lancashire / England games? Corporate benefits et al that come with it!

Hosting high profile games??? That wouldn’t go down well in the west end…