The Infrastructure Projects

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Over 4 years now since the plans were announced. Nothing unusual in that and not blaming the club but you do start to wonder if the costs involved now outweigh the benefits.

[Paplane]

I'm in the devlopemnt business and can tell you that developments like this are difficult. Planners can be a nightmare but they're only one problematic element. Rising costs, uncertain income and then throw in a global pandemic and a recession into the mix things get almost impossible.

[nffc93]

I just hope it gets done while I'm around long enough to enjoy looking at it from another stand. Haha

[zicorice]

Selfishly I'm just glad we have another year of fun in A block.

[Madforit]

That old tin shed will still be there in five years time.

[JPS53]

If the new stand cannot be started for financial/planning/full support, reasons would it not be prudent to push forward the promised improvements to the other three stands?
The concourse on the upper BC stand is diabolical pre match and half time and would be so easy to extend, there is no handrail from row 10 to the top which must be a safety issue with the age of many of the supporters in that stand.
The corner between BC and Trent End could be filled in a la Bramall Lane to provide more seats, the extension to the Bridgford End could be completed relatively quickly and again add more seats and I'm sure others know of other areas that need improvements.

[JollyLolly]

Smells like the big man is hedging his bets here. He has invested monies into the playing staff in an effort to establish a premier club. If it fails he can have a fire sale of players and get a reasonable portion of that back on any relegation and SKY monies, however if we stay up he could also cut his losses at that point and sell as established premier club to any buyer and there are plenty about. The new stand being built at this point would not really be a good business as EM would not get this outlay back, it's all being calculated on various possible scenario's.

[wassy04]

Smells like the big man is hedging his bets here. He has invested monies into the playing staff in an effort to establish a premier club. If it fails he can have a fire sale of players and get a reasonable portion of that back on any relegation and SKY monies, however if we stay up he could also cut his losses at that point and sell as established premier club to any buyer and there are plenty about. The new stand being built at this point would not really be a good business as EM would not get this outlay back, it's all being calculated on various possible scenario's.

I have to say I really don't think that's what's happening here. If there one criticism that you cannot make about EM it's that he hasn't put his money in. He's been aggressive in both the championship and this season in spending basically to the max of our available FFP budget. In a world without FFP, I suspect he'd have spent more (probably unwisely in the championship).
It may not always have been the most efficient use of budget, particularly in the championship, however to question his commitment is unfair.

Even if you were doing that, not building the stand would just factor into the future price in the event he did want to sell. A prospective buyer would pay less for the club as they'd have to use that difference to do the stadium build.

We know the complexity of the project and already high cost for an extra 5,000 seats. I think they have just re-evaluated the benefits of the project and decided the value just isn't there with costs so high right now. Look at Everton, committed to this massive new stadium (does it even have a long term life with it's location?!) and now the costs have spiralled and they're struggled to find investors willing to support it. Regardless of intentions there's no point throwing bad money at something.

[JollyLolly]

Wassy I hear what you say, however your last sentence confirms the point I make !!!!

[wassy04]

Wassy I hear what you say, however your last sentence confirms the point I make !!!!

I'm not sure him not wanting to spend silly money for a marginal benefit (and short term cost in terms of the stadium atmosphere etc) implies that he is positioning himself to sell in the next few years! Or in anyway questions his commitment to the club. It's simply not a good business decision right now.

[JollyLolly]

Wassy I agree with the point you make, however EM seems to be at a holding position in my opinion and rightly so, he has committed a lot of funds to this project to date. Maybe its a good time to reflect where he is with the club and decide if he wants to plough further large sums in the future or step aside relatively unscathed and without a large hole in his bank balance? In his position it would be an interesting time to sell having achieved his original ambitions without further commitment in chasing the dream.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

EM is going nowhere and the stadium will get done when the time is right.