Best Of

I still don't think location is the key issue. When we were getting consistently higher attendances at AP it was a totally different society. There was less competition for people's time, the price of football was less at the turnstile, the price of the day out was less and there was less access to football on TV.

A family day out at AP might cost £100 all in. That's a chunk of change.

And although the Premier League might appear to be flying in terms of attendances ask core fans their opinion. The rise in football tourism across the board has masked the decline in 'real' fans attending. I have friends from all London clubs who say the same. And they have all gone from wouldn't miss a game to pick and choose and using the club re-sell services to retain their season ticket.

I would say a significant issue with our oasis is the lack of engagement within schools and the local community. In the MoN era every chip shop would have a fixture list and you could see that Kidderminster (H) was coming up soon. School receptions would have a poster of fixtures etc.

As for the 'product' I often take my friend's son along and he LOVES it. In the same way that I LOVED it when I was a lad. There is nothing wrong with the matchday experience and the football, and football still being a thing to fall in love with. We just need to let more people know.

This is absolutely right. If there are security issues at the Hillbottom road businesses, then the Management group can offer to help solve them. It must be physically possible to separate access to a car park from access to the buildings for match days, even if it means some infrastructure.

That and a decent bus service to and from the railway station, if Reading can manage it with local council / bus company / lack of billions - I am sure we can.

The chairlift will just be icing on the cake.

I can’t remember who raised the question about the location of Adams Park versus potential alternative sites, but from memory (admittedly a little hazy these days!) the club sought planning permission to build a new stadium on several more suitable sites including Handy Cross. The local council rejected applications for site after site and even Hillbottom Road was initially refused. The club had to appeal against the final rejection because there were no suitable sites left and the Hillbottom Road refusal was overturned by central government.

Absolutely, it’s a disgrace and imagine if we’d have been playing a game that had attracted a bigger crowd. They consistently park on double yellow lines and get away with it causing a potentially dangerous situation should emergency vehicles need to get to Adams Park.

All we need, in my opinion, (and sort of what @eric_plant said) is for the management group to negotiate with some or all of the businesses with very large car parks and bob's your uncle. They could even pay some volunteers to do a bit of traffic management at the end of games. Still be a bugger getting out...but it's a bugger getting out now. I think the chances of them building a new stadium in the area is quite slim...and even though the parking IS good at that lovely empty stadium near Ikea and Costco we really don't want that do we? Wycombe Dons. MK Wanderers.

Talking of being a bugger to get out - Tuesday night was ridiculous for the number of lorries & containers parked along Hillbottom Road; I thought they were clamping down on that on matchdays?

I miss Wheels

In the early 70's, late 60's I remember changing ends at half time and can't recollect a game when it wasn't possible - other than the 'Boro one.

It’s all starting to go horribly wrong for Oxford. Decisions on the new ground delayed again and that’s even before it ends up in court if it’s approved.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cedl1ee6eleo.amp

Homeless in 14 months and at least 4 years away from a new ground, if at all.

The bonds between the Blues and the Shrews continue to grow.