New Bucks Head blueprint could suit Grimsby Town
I'M sure I wasn't the only one who travelled to Grimsby Town's recent match with Telford and was impressed with the set-up at New Bucks Head, writes the Grimsby Telegraph's Matt Dannatt.
The 6,300 capacity stadium, which was opened in 2003, replaced the old Bucks Head ground which had been home to Wellington Town and Telford United for over a century.
On the club's official website, it reads: "Although the Bucks Head held a special place in the hearts of many supporters, it was in desperate need of renovation.
"The terraces were a mixture of concrete steps, one of the stands was built from wood and the toilet facilities left a lot to be desired."
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Sound familiar Town fans?
With the heated debate over the Mariners' own relocation project still raging, could anything be learnt from the way the Shropshire outfit have done it?
I'm not saying that Town should look to copy the New Bucks Head blueprints entirely – any new stadium would need to be on a much grander scale for starters.
But I left Telford's ground with a sense that it was the result of what must have been a well thought through and well executed project – and that's what Town's must to be.
The match-day experience at Buck's Head seemed to be exactly what many Mariners fans have been crying out for in recent years.
At half-time, the concourses were packed with fans queuing for a pie or a pint while watching scores from around the country roll in on Sky TVs.
Its toilets were clean and modern, while outside the ground, car parking was ample, making getting in and out of the ground relatively easy.
And, at £3 a car, it would have generated a healthy match-day revenue stream for the club.
But as all modern stadiums need to be, Bucks Head has also been built to stand on its own feet financially.
The complex boasts the 90-room Telford Whitehouse Hotel, which has been built as an integral part of the stadium.
The hotel features an impressive bar and restaurant, the usual conferencing facilities as well as a state-of-the-art gym, swimming pool, solarium and beauty spa.
Admittedly, it's a departure from what was seen at grounds in the past.
But increasingly, more and more clubs and, in Telford's case, local authorities, are realising that their stadiums need to pay their way for the whole week, rather than just a couple of hours on a Saturday.
And this is crucial in Town's case.
Traditionalists will still argue that there is no need for a move – but frankly, the opportunity to redevelop Blundell Park has gone.
A new stadium is vital to the prosperity of Grimsby Town and, if done right, there is no reason why it cannot play a huge part in a bright future for the club and the area.
It would be nice – some may say fanciful – to think that the fans can play a part in shaping the new vision for the stadium by having some degree of input into how it looks and feels.
After all, a stadium has to mean something to the club and its fans.
But the bones of the new development must be sound.
It has to 'work' for Town and add something to the local area, just like it appears to be doing for Telford.
What are your views on a new stadium? Comment on this story online at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/sport, email me at matthew.dannatt@gsmg.co.uk or you can tweet me @mattdannatt
Comments
by pontoonergy
Sunday, October 28 2012, 6:33PM
“I say it has i see it ....... it will not happen BECAUSE The Moaners of Grimsby will not let it and we have No Money to pursue it.It would be great for the football fans of Grimsby Town to have a new stadium but lets stop kidding ourselves here its all talk and nothing more.Besides i love our little shack BP,cosy but not so rosey,we will just have to make the best of what we have like we have done for years.FACT!!!!!”
by Grantyy
Sunday, October 28 2012, 4:06PM
“Good article Matt, wish i'd read this before I posted on Lee's post regarding the docks not being the answer, right or wrong I agree that getting the right location and building as part of a well thought out complex are vital to the club and very important to give a boost to the economy of our area, many football fans follow their club, stay over and spend plenty, making that decision to do so easy and giving them easy access to our seafront and shopping areas is a big deal, GTFC should be looked at as a big opportunity to give our town a boost by the authorities and they cannot afford to get it wrong!”
by meggie63
Saturday, October 27 2012, 6:58PM
“thanks whyhaveone, very informative.”
by whyhaveone
Saturday, October 27 2012, 6:38PM
“An interesting article by Matthew. However, the Telford story is rather different to the GTFC situation.
The construction of the New Bucks Head stadium was completed in 2003 before the demise of the old Telford United in 2004. AFC Telford United was formed on the same day that Telford United folded. According to Wikipedia, the stadium lease is held by Telford and Wrekin Council. AFC Telford United were therefore new tenants in an existing stadium. It wasn't actually built for them. Telford is also an area where lots of land is already earmarked for development.
Again, Wikipedia states the capacity of the New Bucks Head stadium is 5400. This in my opinion is inadequate for a club which aspires to play at a higher level than League 3 - GTFC attendances in BSP aren't that far short of this already. A new ground of a similar size to New Bucks Head would therefore be inappropriate.
In practice, the ground is rarely filled for an AFC Teford United match. However, Wolves reserves regularly play there. This means that AFC Telford United are not in fact the sole tenants.
In summary, New Bucks Head is nice as small grounds go, it's definitely more plush than Blundell Park, but is an inappropriate exemplar for a former League club planning for better times in the future and for whom groundshare is not an option.
With either redevelopment or refurbishment, Town's biggest problem is lack of money.
UTM”
by meggie63
Saturday, October 27 2012, 5:35PM
“I take all those points, of course. It's just that now, we have the best view in the whole of football (the Upper Findus), the best fish and chips in the world on the same block, the nicest walk to the match from the train station in the whole of football (along the front, possibly matched only by the walk to Fulham's ground along the Thames), a ground which has more antique and nostalgic charm with every year that passes (because of other teams building miserable breeze-block monstrosities), and a capacity which I simply don't accept can't be raised, with some judicious use of currently unused space. Fans of other teams *like* coming here - that is a fact. I *dread* us moving to a low, soul-destroying plastic kit-ground with a pitiful capacity, which will commit us to oblivion for all time. Telford as a role model, no. I don't go to football for the toilets.”
by ErnieBrown
Saturday, October 27 2012, 2:31PM
“A new stadium might really help to bring GTFC out of the realm of part timers and into the football league proper......but it might not. An important caviat to any proposed development might be that the fortunes of football clubs rise and fall. Who's to say that GTFC won't plummet even further into non-league/Sunday league status....and what will happen to Fenty's white elephant then? The people of Gy would then be left without this valuable green space....forever......a monument to GTFC's expansionist dreams, which are in reality nothing more than bluster.
How are GTFC going to pay for a brand new Community Stadium, especially now that RGF have turned down their ludicrous bid for x million pounds of public money?
How much did Telfords new ground cost to build?
Who paid for Telfords new stadium?”
by AndrewClee
Saturday, October 27 2012, 2:21PM
“@meggie63
I think the point is that Telford are an example of a modern, forward thinking club. We have been 'trying' to be(Talking about being) a modern forward thinking club for over 10 years now and look where we are. Maybe we should take a leaf out of one of our Non League rivals book and actually do something for a change. We don't need to use Telford as a role model or even a template but we need to follow them into the 21st Century or in another 5 or 10 years their attitude towards us will be the same as your's is towards them now. I'm setting off for the match now. I have had my lunch because i wont eat or drink there, i have been to the loo because i don't want to use their facilities and i'm wearing a hat because i know at some point i will be dripped on. That has cost the club 3 or £4, that adds up if 2000 fans do the same.
UTM”
by meggie63
Saturday, October 27 2012, 11:15AM
“The day we use *Telford* as our role model is the day I'm off.”