Poll: Keep the terrace or become established in the second tier?
This poll is probably completely irrelevant, as we will be hard pressed to stay even a second year in the Championship, let alone four, but given the second tier rules about terracing, I thought it would be interesting to find out which is more important - a long stay in the second tier, or keeping the terrace? Do you dream of all seater glory as we "do a Brentford" of sorts and somehow become established in this tier, or would you rather yo-yo and avoid ever having to lose the terrace?
I thought of a third option, 'convert the terrace to safe standing, if rules allow', but I wanted to avoid any kind of happy medium, as I find the question an interesting one.
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You can't go out not wanting to win, it's not good all round and you'd look pretty stupid if we ended up on a downward spiral having passed on going up to the Championship. The ideal scenario being that we stay up, or return and have another good go whilst safe standing is passed as legal. Difficult to know if that cause will be hindered by a lack of fans or aided by a bit more goodwill as people return.
Oh, we better make sure we get relegated now lads, we've just had 3 years in the championship.... Wouldn't wanna lose the terrace!!!
Come on now!! I can't believe that anyone has chosen the keep terrace option!!????
I dare say there's fans who would still prefer us to be deep in the non league system, paying cheaper entrance, changing ends at half time etc, so I'm sure there will be some terrace dwellers who would hate it.
A Dev-esque poll from Shev, if I may be so bold!
5 terrace votes. I think 3 tongue in cheek, 1 deadly serious and 1 mis-read the question.
I voted to stay in the Championship, despite being a terrace dweller and someone who changed ends at Loakes Park in days of yore. I can only remember three occasions at Adams Park when I have seen a game from elsewhere.
On a slightly more exciting note - I guess the terrace would be the easiest part of the ground to redevelop to increase capacity to level up to a ground like the Vitality Stadium - ready for the next step. In that fantasy world we could have a Blue Wall of safe standing behind that goal.
Option 3:
Be a major player in the drive towards the Safer Standing project and get that in place as a recognised safe alternative.
If it’s good enough for the Bundesliga and Borussia Dortmund's south stand can have over 25,000 standing fans I can’t see it being an issue at Adam’s park.
Wonder how much, if any, of the land behind the terrace we own , and you'd have same access issues so total might not be easily increased, but v easy to turn terrace to same as away end so that's probably the cheap quick option, not the desirable one
I'd like to see the home terrace built up to be the same size as the away end, with seats installed, but also safe standing facilities. That way we'd hopefully be set up for an extended stay in the Championship (or higher ☺️).
What's the betting we wouldn't get planning permission though?
Maybe not if we wanted to expand into the hills but if it mostly stays within the existing boundaries it's difficult to see how it would affect anyones view or anything else
This would be my preference, the view and the acoustics from the terrace are poor. I prefer to stand along the side myself, not an option at AP aside from limited space in the Main Stand Paddock
“This poll is probably completely irrelevant”
...
Seeing that safe standing is gaining ever more traction the poll doesn't make much sense. This is a great chance for the club to make a stand and lead the way for giving supporters the facilities to enjoy Championship football with the choice of sitting or standing.
I voted for the terrace just to annoy people like @Alexo, but of course i want to see us established in the Championship. Safe standing is the answer, as others have pointed out.
As is the norm which such polls, the 2 choices given are not the only options so how can you make any kind of judgement based upon the outcome.
I voted to keep the terrace. I enjoy football much more while standing than sitting if that means not being in the Championship for more than 3 years so be it.
The poll is totally fictional so getting upset because I cast a vote to not want to stay in the Championship is completely absurd.
New poll
1) Stay in the Championship/Premier League forever
or
2) Have unlimited funds to spend on players
I'll take offence whichever one you vote against.
Nonsense
Would you prefer to stand up watching us play in the wycombe combination division 5, rather than sit down watching us as a league club?
Again Maolone those aren't the only 2 alternatives?
Q Would you rather sit down to watch us play in the combination division 5 or stand up - in a safe standing area - to watch us play in the Championship?
My alternatives are every bit as valid as your arbitrary choices.
Loving the Brentford announcer trying to gee up the crown over the PA system
Well, that’s embarrassing. Wrong post.
I will take that as a typo rather than trying to equate my views to being worthy of Chairman Mao!
Half tongue in cheek, but I was interested that you seem to favour being relegated over not sitting down to watch, so I wondered how far you'd take that.
I'm a little surprised the poll was seen as so ridiculous. Maybe I am overreacting to my own hatred of the increasingly sterile game played in identikit stadiums, but to me, unless you believe we are going to stay in the top two tiers for ever, it is reasonable to ask if it is worth losing the terrace for a fourth year (and possibly beyond). If we ever end up back in the lower leagues, which is a reasonable thought, some might see it as a shame to have lost that atmosphere. So I guess the question was more geared towards where your pain point is for losing a bit of soul. Everyone has that point of trade off as far as soul v success, which we see on a more extreme level in the debate over the owners of Man City and would-have-been owners of Newcastle.
For me, the terrace is very symbolic of the heart of football, and seeing Brentford's brand new soulless arena today just brought that home a little more.
I did see you in the upper tier of the Frank Adams stand a couple of seasons ago, didn’t I @Shev ?!
Unfortunately I did not meet you that day, @micra - but you may have seen me. It's on my list for the next time we are over post-Covid!
Definitely a typo Maolooney.
Steady, calling someone a looney is pretty offensive.
@Malone - you're right I apologise if it offended anyone. I was actually thinking of rhyming it with Clooney, rather than anything else but since you appear to see it as a slur I withdraw it.
BTW I didn't actually say I favoured relegation over not sitting down. I said I favoured watching standing up over sitting down and since that option was only available in the poll if we assumed relegation then so be it.
Being relegated isn't the only way to achieve that, e.g. Safe Standing as I've said before, but that option wasn't included in the poll.
I'm just messing of course. I thought it was borderline genius wordplay.
Am glad to see I'd misread it then - i thought it'd be a bizarre attitude to take relegation over sitting, but you've explained well that's not the case.
Irrelevant poll, bottom of the league and going down faster than a skint prozzie. Established in the second tier!!!
I voted for the terrace but only in terms of keeping ticket prices as low as possible for as long as possible so watching Wycombe remains an affordable thing to do.
Hi Shev, I thought the poll was a great idea and made a nice change to have one. We all have our preferences and opinions and that’s what makes football so great. Also thought your comment about a terrace being symbolic to the heart of football was a great footnote.
My opinion/s (you can all feel free to shout me down!) as follows. I would rather sit down behind the goal watching Wycombe in higher leagues than standing behind the goal in lower leagues as I enjoy watching a better quality of player which I think is very evident as we go up the leagues (from both teams).
When I was a kid I was in the woodlands terrace and what is now the away end as a terrace. I stood in the home terrace during my 20’s and I move about from stand to stand these days now I have kids, depending on who we play and whether my kids come or not and who I’m meeting at the game.
If you fall into the category of only ever standing in the terrace and not watching from anywhere else, maybe give it a try. Everywhere in our stadium has positives and negatives, I think.
Away end.
Positive.
EXCELLENT acoustics
Negative.
It’s shite watching an entire match early season and late season with the sun in your eyes.
Frank Adams
Positive
The top tier is a fantastic view, of premiership standard. When they sing it makes a great noise.
Negative
Feels a bit soulless to me on a midweek game when it’s a small crowd
Terrace
Love the fact I can go in here and guarantee I will see faces I know in different sections and meet up with them even on games when I go on my own, even if I’ve not seen them for a long time. Great having a laugh with everyone being a part of singing and geeing the players up.
Negative
For all the effort our great supporters make when singing, if you ever go and stand at the halfway line for a match you realise just how quiet it sounds(coming from the terrace) due to the acoustics / roof.
Family stand
Positive
It feels safe when I take my kids
Negative
Get wet and cold when it pisses it down. Sitting down at a low level gives me neck ache when sitting in the sidelines!
Main stand
Positive
Can still stand at the front. Can get very close to the players and management, can watch from closer to the goal at the away end when shooting that way. It’s the best stand (my opinion) to take your kids in if they idolise any players as it’s easy to get personal photos and autographs and chat to the current players before the game. It’s great when away players and coaches who you admire visit too. For example I would definitely want to be in this area with Rooney on the touchline! Ex players can be found at every match and always happy to chat - such as Brownie, Scotty, Ryan, Leon Johnson, Paul Hayes and CMS have all been very approachable just last season.
Negative
Personally, very little atmosphere, seating at a low level on three side gives me neck ache !!! Sun in your eyes again unless you are in the top 3 rows.
After what’s happened this year, I just want to go again, sitting or standing. But I’d rather it be in the Championship.