i do have one nagging worry about Harlington and that’s all to do with the planned Heathrow expansion. Below is the old original plan and as you can see, the third runway covers a load of the training pitches:
In subsequent plans they have shifted the runway over the M25 (which I think is going to be horrific for traffic but that’s another matter) but ultimately the training ground will be at the end of a very busy runway which could - in itself cause concerns over health and pollution of players training under it every day but perhaps more practical have some heavy building and planning restrictions (not they they would build a tower block there mind).
Just the amount of disruption, noise and divisions around that area could be decades in the making if/when it gets the green light.
So I guess the question is, is Harlington actually a good long term location for this project and investment?
They’ve removed the ‘bucking bronco’ round from the Modern Pentathlon, so the direction of travel will surely be for this to be a pairs event, with successful throwers and throwees both getting a medal.
It’s a very good point. Personally I don’t see a third runway ever being built , but if they go ahead, I guess they would indeed have to move. These guys seem to have their heads on right so let’s hope they have a contingency plan if that does happen. I’m sure that they’d love to have their own training ground/academy that we own and is just for us anyway, as opposed to renting.
This country's ability to deliver large scale capital projects will prevent the 3rd runway being built. The cost to the economy of closing partially the busiest stretch of motorway in the country alone will prevent it, look at the chaos the recent weekend closures have caused at J10.
I’m not entirely sure. Something as important as critical national infrastructure - which Heathrow is regarded as - will find away to get done, if nothing else but to line some political party donors pockets (he says mischievously and maybe slightly more than only half seriously)
It will just cost more than planned and take at least three times as long as estimated.
(or be a half cut, half baked idea that would probably see the runway shifted back to its original plan as it’s easier than digging up and rerouting the M25)
I think one of the main reasons it got paused was because of Covid and the drop off of air travel then. But with it returning to normal usage again now I can see it’s need to go ahead hitting the headlines over the next couple of years.
And with HS2 getting the green light ans higher funding into Euston again, I can see the government being more inclined to use public money on public infrastructure than the previous one. Afterall, they have just rewritten the rules on borrowing for public spending….
Surely the sensible thing to do is move the new third runway to Booker to cope with all the "Worldwide Wycombe Phenomenon" fans who come to watch us in the Champions League?
Add a chairlift from there to AP and everyone's a winner.
The issues with infrastructure projects in the UK are well known, including but not limited to the lack of proper financial oversight, the habit of pricing in expected delays etc into the cost estimates, the failure to exercise decent project control by all parties, the constant scope creep by the authorities, the ludicrous planning & compulsory purchase rule sin theis country etc. etc.
Add to that the insipient corruption, the overly cosy relationships between ministers & donors, the reliance on framework agreements & PSLs, the failure to randomise PSLs, and perhaps most importantly the failure to engage in any joined up thinking when it comes to setting the policy agenda. On the latter if we really are serious about the Kyoto & Paris targets on global warming why are we still talking about increased air travel & why are we holding fuel duty down whilst increasing bus fares & failing to regulate train fares?
As it is such a massive infrastructure project (£14bn at last count) it would require serious government motivation to get it done. Milliband seems a powerful voice in this government so squaring that circle will be impossible and I would suggest we won't see the project advance in this parliament at least.
And even then it will be a decade of appeals and nonsense. Harlington is safe in my lifetime I reckon.
I would be more concerned about the outbreak of nuclear war than a decision being made, appeals being heard and work beginning on a third runway at Heathrow!
Sorry to derail the person-throwing chat, but I'd lay my life savings on a Heathrow expansion not happening inside any timescale that matters to Wycombe Wanderers. Here's some fun reading on why the UK is such a dumpster fire: https://ukfoundations.co
Choice relevant quotes...
Tram projects in Britain are two and a half times more expensive than French projects on a per mile basis. In the last 25 years, France has built 21 tramways in different cities, including cities with populations of just 150,000, equivalent to Lincoln or Carlisle. The UK has still not managed to build a tramway in Leeds, the largest city in Europe without mass transit, with a population of nearly 800,000.
At £396 million, each mile of HS2 will cost more than four times more than each mile of the Naples to Bari high speed line. It will be more than eight times more expensive per mile than France’s high speed link between Tours and Bordeaux.
It is. But it’s also significantly less than the cost of HS2 was predicted to be, and is ultimately costing. And they have just green lit the 4.5mile link to Euston for 1- 14th of the cost for the entire Heathrow expansion. It could be seen as an absolute bargain compared to cut down and reduced HS2.
While I also 100% agree with the climate targets etc, I also think that if there is an economic argument to do it tomorrow and Heathrow was back at capacity they would green light it pretty quickly. Climate targets seem to get forgotten when there’s an economic argument to be had. Especially as they can just green wash their way to justification.
The Uk Supreme Court overturned any legal objection on climate grounds in 2020 and seemingly the thing that slowed it up most recently was Covid rather than any other reasons.
With labours target of renationalising the railways as contracts expire, I could personally see them stepping into to bridge the funding gap so UK government has more control and input into what and could be a major economic driver.
But yes, the biggest question on this is when how and if it were affect Wycombe Wanderers. It might not, but then it might.
Hence the question “is it the right place for an academy?” - which itself will require decades of work to potentially provide a meaningful and solid ROI - when the ground could literally be pulled out from under them after the millions of pounds and thousands of man hours required in investments.
If they waved a magic wand and had the CAT1 academy in place today with the under 7’s and 8’s being developed - we are still a decade away from them being ready for the (or anyone’s) first team.
Any “it won’t happen in my lifetime” arguments aren’t thinking about how long term the academy is. You may not see that bearing fruit in your lifetime either but you’re thinking about it now.
As, I think and hope, those planning the academy are about Heathrow. A week is a long time in politics. 10 years is an eternity.
Have not watched all the interview yet but the following points stuck out.
Dan is clearly someone not to upset or try to fool, he comes across as talented, determined and nobody's fool. I wonder how long he has worked with ML (he certainly included himself in the ownership team).
How long have they been working on this project and how long ago did they look into the club.
They were very respectful of the club, what it has been doing with young players already, they seemed very impressed that Wycombe has the same outlook and values as themselves. Have they looked at the Gasroom and realised its fans are a cut above the rest!!
Although they want the first team to do well, it is clearly not the first priority as yet. They seem happy to trust the current management team at the moment.
Back to Dan, he is either a very awesome guy (how did he get the job?) or is a con man. I don't think he is the latter, so we could be in for quite a ride!
I won’t be revealing my source for that and I’ve never understood why people expect them to would a journalist reveal their source? (Not comparing myself to a journo).
Comments
Something to rival the chairlift @MorrisItal2?
When it does become an Olympic sport will you be able to bring your own person or will you be issued with a person when you get to competition ?
i do have one nagging worry about Harlington and that’s all to do with the planned Heathrow expansion. Below is the old original plan and as you can see, the third runway covers a load of the training pitches:
In subsequent plans they have shifted the runway over the M25 (which I think is going to be horrific for traffic but that’s another matter) but ultimately the training ground will be at the end of a very busy runway which could - in itself cause concerns over health and pollution of players training under it every day but perhaps more practical have some heavy building and planning restrictions (not they they would build a tower block there mind).
Just the amount of disruption, noise and divisions around that area could be decades in the making if/when it gets the green light.
So I guess the question is, is Harlington actually a good long term location for this project and investment?
They’ve removed the ‘bucking bronco’ round from the Modern Pentathlon, so the direction of travel will surely be for this to be a pairs event, with successful throwers and throwees both getting a medal.
It’s a very good point. Personally I don’t see a third runway ever being built , but if they go ahead, I guess they would indeed have to move. These guys seem to have their heads on right so let’s hope they have a contingency plan if that does happen. I’m sure that they’d love to have their own training ground/academy that we own and is just for us anyway, as opposed to renting.
This country's ability to deliver large scale capital projects will prevent the 3rd runway being built. The cost to the economy of closing partially the busiest stretch of motorway in the country alone will prevent it, look at the chaos the recent weekend closures have caused at J10.
The good news is that the runway will never be built.
The bad news is that the land will be used to build our new stadium.
I’m not entirely sure. Something as important as critical national infrastructure - which Heathrow is regarded as - will find away to get done, if nothing else but to line some political party donors pockets (he says mischievously and maybe slightly more than only half seriously)
It will just cost more than planned and take at least three times as long as estimated.
(or be a half cut, half baked idea that would probably see the runway shifted back to its original plan as it’s easier than digging up and rerouting the M25)
I think one of the main reasons it got paused was because of Covid and the drop off of air travel then. But with it returning to normal usage again now I can see it’s need to go ahead hitting the headlines over the next couple of years.
And with HS2 getting the green light ans higher funding into Euston again, I can see the government being more inclined to use public money on public infrastructure than the previous one. Afterall, they have just rewritten the rules on borrowing for public spending….
Any expansion isn't going to happen overnight. This is going to take years and we will be in the Premier League by then anyway.
Surely the sensible thing to do is move the new third runway to Booker to cope with all the "Worldwide Wycombe Phenomenon" fans who come to watch us in the Champions League?
Add a chairlift from there to AP and everyone's a winner.
The issues with infrastructure projects in the UK are well known, including but not limited to the lack of proper financial oversight, the habit of pricing in expected delays etc into the cost estimates, the failure to exercise decent project control by all parties, the constant scope creep by the authorities, the ludicrous planning & compulsory purchase rule sin theis country etc. etc.
Add to that the insipient corruption, the overly cosy relationships between ministers & donors, the reliance on framework agreements & PSLs, the failure to randomise PSLs, and perhaps most importantly the failure to engage in any joined up thinking when it comes to setting the policy agenda. On the latter if we really are serious about the Kyoto & Paris targets on global warming why are we still talking about increased air travel & why are we holding fuel duty down whilst increasing bus fares & failing to regulate train fares?
As it is such a massive infrastructure project (£14bn at last count) it would require serious government motivation to get it done. Milliband seems a powerful voice in this government so squaring that circle will be impossible and I would suggest we won't see the project advance in this parliament at least.
And even then it will be a decade of appeals and nonsense. Harlington is safe in my lifetime I reckon.
I would be more concerned about the outbreak of nuclear war than a decision being made, appeals being heard and work beginning on a third runway at Heathrow!
Very pessimistic @glasshalffull . The negotiating prowess of Daddy Trump, Clacton Nige and Piers Morgan will sort it all that out.
Oh and we'll get automatic promotion...Sam Vokes winning the Golden Boot. 😉
Sorry to derail the person-throwing chat, but I'd lay my life savings on a Heathrow expansion not happening inside any timescale that matters to Wycombe Wanderers. Here's some fun reading on why the UK is such a dumpster fire: https://ukfoundations.co
Choice relevant quotes...
The team can hide in the West Wycombe Caves as National Trust properties cannot be bombed.
It is. But it’s also significantly less than the cost of HS2 was predicted to be, and is ultimately costing. And they have just green lit the 4.5mile link to Euston for 1- 14th of the cost for the entire Heathrow expansion. It could be seen as an absolute bargain compared to cut down and reduced HS2.
While I also 100% agree with the climate targets etc, I also think that if there is an economic argument to do it tomorrow and Heathrow was back at capacity they would green light it pretty quickly. Climate targets seem to get forgotten when there’s an economic argument to be had. Especially as they can just green wash their way to justification.
The Uk Supreme Court overturned any legal objection on climate grounds in 2020 and seemingly the thing that slowed it up most recently was Covid rather than any other reasons.
With labours target of renationalising the railways as contracts expire, I could personally see them stepping into to bridge the funding gap so UK government has more control and input into what and could be a major economic driver.
But yes, the biggest question on this is when how and if it were affect Wycombe Wanderers. It might not, but then it might.
Hence the question “is it the right place for an academy?” - which itself will require decades of work to potentially provide a meaningful and solid ROI - when the ground could literally be pulled out from under them after the millions of pounds and thousands of man hours required in investments.
If they waved a magic wand and had the CAT1 academy in place today with the under 7’s and 8’s being developed - we are still a decade away from them being ready for the (or anyone’s) first team.
Any “it won’t happen in my lifetime” arguments aren’t thinking about how long term the academy is. You may not see that bearing fruit in your lifetime either but you’re thinking about it now.
As, I think and hope, those planning the academy are about Heathrow. A week is a long time in politics. 10 years is an eternity.
The irony being Leeds once had one of the best tram networks in the country.
He’s not talented, he's a weasel and isn’t highly thought of in the game, he’s seen by a fair few as a joke.
What an extraordinarily unpleasant thing to post.
And what’s your source for that?
His Source: “Trust me bro”
What a curious post to make, just your 3rd on the gasroom under this account.
However, someone has liked it, so seems to agree, unless that was you using another account to do so?!
Have not watched all the interview yet but the following points stuck out.
Dan is clearly someone not to upset or try to fool, he comes across as talented, determined and nobody's fool. I wonder how long he has worked with ML (he certainly included himself in the ownership team).
How long have they been working on this project and how long ago did they look into the club.
They were very respectful of the club, what it has been doing with young players already, they seemed very impressed that Wycombe has the same outlook and values as themselves. Have they looked at the Gasroom and realised its fans are a cut above the rest!!
Although they want the first team to do well, it is clearly not the first priority as yet. They seem happy to trust the current management team at the moment.
Back to Dan, he is either a very awesome guy (how did he get the job?) or is a con man. I don't think he is the latter, so we could be in for quite a ride!
Wonder if we'll get any back story to this? Or is it Kipper's burner account?
Interesting how Kipper’s run of form for predicting signings / leaking info dried up around the time of Dan Rice’s appointment.
Perhaps that explains their sour view? Odds on Bloomball is their burner account.
Nothing to do with me old chap
I won’t be revealing my source for that and I’ve never understood why people expect them to would a journalist reveal their source? (Not comparing myself to a journo).
You did sort of just compare yourself to a journo mate
I’m not after likes, not that obsessed by that stuff.