Frank Adams stand shut for Bristol City game
Just a heads up that the Frank Adams stand won’t be open for the Bristol City game.
Only found this out last night from people who sit near me Initially booking their usual seats only to be told to relocate to either The Family Stand or the opposite stand.I can’t be there in any event due to a prior engagement
Apparently lack of interest is cited. whilst I appreciate there are economics involved here part of the deal being a season ticket holder is that you have access to your seat for all games Albeit Some you have to pay for have to pay for such as cup matches
Naturally don’t expect it to be open for home games in the PizzaExpress cup or whatever it’s called but it’s a shame for those who enjoy the wonderful views we get from the FA stand
Comments
Always a bad sign if you can't even get enough interest to open every stand.
As far as I'm concerned this is a complete shambles on the part of the club. If you sell tickets for the Frank Adams, you honour those tickets regardless. You've made a commitment to open that stand. If not enough people book tickets, you take the hit. Besides, I think many people would have waited before booking, as there would have been no chance of a sellout, so in my opinion the club have been foolishly premature on this.
I am sensing thin edge of wedge here.
We have a rearranged Tuesday night League game on a cold January night against a poorly supported northern side. Is the temptation there to shut the Frank Adams stand ?
I agree once you decide to open a stand for particular game it should stay open slightly different matter if you have said up front that certain parts of the ground are going to be open
I personally would probably not go to a game where I couldn’t sit in that stand because I love the view so much and I have made that decision in the past
Also the cynical in me makes me think that the ground still looks fairly full on the telly because of where the cameras are placed
I assume the club are offering refunds to people who no longer want to go because of this?
The club has been doing this for years... its not the thin end of the wedge unless you consider the wedge to already be stuck in for some time. In fact, last time we played City in the Cup at home they closed the stand and that was pre-Couhig.
Difference being, this time they sold tickets for the Frank Adams and then changed their mind.
@Vital Yes, that's the issue here. No problem with the club announcing from the outset that a particular stand will be closed, but if they commit to opening that stand and begin to sell tickets, then that's a different matter, and completely unacceptable in my view.
Why won't they open an empty stand just for me for a game I'm not going to anyway. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
Precisely. The Frank Adams is, arguably, a ‘white elephant’. We don’t fill the ground, it adds little to the atmosphere, adds considerable overhead in upkeep. In those dark distant league two days it was close to being mothballed.
Silly little dream indeed
Quite a strange take.
Last season showed that for the right games it fills up nicely.
Had our Championship season not coincided with lockdown I reckon that stand would have been full for most games. The Frank Adams stand has greatly improved our facilities and given the stadium a much more professional appearance as well as providing the best view of games.
I wonder if we'll ever swap the TV position to the other side, would look a lot better (although the car park is pretty famous these days)
On behalf of the club I looked into the cost of moving the TV gantry, cabling etc, but the cost was too big to justify going ahead with it.
Where would they have put it? On top of the main stand?
I wonder if it's worth moving the press and commentary positions from the Main to the FA in line with the TV pictures? Not sure what @bluntphil might say though!
The Frank Adams is the best stand in the ground ! I've often heard away fans describe it as very impressive, it definitely adds a more professional look to the ground. I've also always thought it would look so much better with the cameras the other way round, shame it can't be done.
You'd certainly get an unobstructed view up there! Although they might have to move the press room for easy access to half-time crisps.
Not that there have ever been crisps when I've been in there. Disappointing.
The problem is cabling, electricity, phone points etc and it’s not a top priority at the moment.
I’m sure @bluntphil would like the commentary position to match the camera position as
a) it would sync picture with words
b) he would be able to see action at both ends equally well
I would also add that, although, apparently, not a priority, making these changes would chime with the World Wide Wycombe imperative as the global viewing audience (greater potentially than the ground capacity) would perceive the stadium / club as far grander than the reality. Of course this argues against my ‘white elephant’ hypothesis. In which case I would flip my argument and close the ‘Main Stand’ to bulk out the FA for the cameras.
For clarity re my early post which appears, unintentionally, to have got to some folk, I did moderate the comment by saying ‘arguably’.
Of course, irrefutably, in a higher division it would be fuller but reality is at our current level it won’t be.
As for ‘best view in the ground’ for some it lacks the intimacy and connection with the pitch and bench which is a key element to match experience.
It also creates a completely lopsided stadium which doesn’t help create a caldron of support.
I am convinced that, if, the powers that be had their time again we would have developed the stadium differently.
No wonder away supporters are surprised on viewing the Frank Adams for the first time, from tv coverage position you would assume Adams Park was much smaller / more balanced.
All of which is irrelevant right now in comparison to garnering three points at every opportunity, so yes hardly top priority right now.
Shut the Frank Adams Upper and you are left with around 4800 home tickets, a figure we surpassed 11 times last season.
Even in the dark days of 2012-2014 we passed this on a number of occasions
If only the club would get on and move the ground to Booker they would be able to sync the press and TV gantry to the same side, not to mention solving the parking & access issues and the toilets.
Crisps are also in greater supply too as it's nearer to Asda.
You'd get no complaints from me as the view would be fantastic for commentary. Ballroom Bill would probably let off some fireworks as he has been campaigning for this move for quite some time.
I recommend sitting towards the top of the hill opposite the Frank Adams (before or after the game). The stand nestles perfectly into the bottom of the hill and the lower Main Stand enhances the look of the whole ground.
it really is a beautiful looking ground
Longer term if things go well, remember a few short weeks ago, when we considered such things, the plan you'd think would be to build up and over the main stand to increase capacity
Fine then you pay the bill to open it i.e staff, elec so on yada yada - were a business. Just because we are stable now does not mean we will be in the future. Business first then fans with disgruntled seating arrangements.
@wycombelg1boys One visit in four years ... has my comment served as rocket fuel up your arse or something?
I like the Proboscis Prognosis (or whatever it is called now) Stand for 'the intimacy and connection with the pitch and bench which is a key element to match experience.' as @perfidious_albion puts it. I don't mind looking across at the FA stand, but sometimes wish it was a bit fuller.
I thought building the new huge benches in the eyeline of the Press Box was a bit naughty though!