And golf courses. Although there aren't any of those in Wycombe town centre that I'm aware of.
Any new ground will probably be up at Handy Cross somewhere. Which means even more cars. If you could do it in the town centre, you could dispense with a car park - although the drive everywhere brigade would be up in arms (and no, I don't mean the elderly or those with mobility issues before you start).
How about on stilts somewhere on The Rye? It could also double as a shelter for dog walkers on rainy days. Just in case, I have had plans drawn up at considerable expense. Over to you TOG.
Everton's new ground has been built over existing water. I'm sure in this day an age a suitable flood plan could be put in place to encorporate the Prodigy Stadium.
If you bulldoze Morrisons but keep the Spindle & Thread you’ll have a lot of people giving off the odour of a carvery buffet that’s been sitting there a little too long. I’m not saying this is the only factor to consider, one not to be overlooked though.
With HS2 being buried in tunnels under the Chilterns, couldn’t a new stadium be sunk into the ground somewhere, much like they did with Brightons Amex stadium), and have access tunnels running to it from the M40 , A404 and other major routes into/out of High Wycombe. Might even be able to borrow the HS2 tunnelling machines to build them. Stretching this fantastic idea even further, why not build a fully underground stadium in the centre of town .
How about merge JHGS with the High School. Either of those sites would be good for a footie stadium (and I'm sure the pupils would enjoy the merger as well!).
I am not for one second defending the actions of the local council at the time but it should be remembered that a lot of this debate occurred when association football was a rather less inclusive and peaceful experience than it is these days.
Football matches nationally - even occasionally at our level - were seen as violent, unpleasant places which brought trouble and violence into town centres on a Saturday afternoon.
I remember Ipswich town centre was practically a war zone on match afternoons so in the context of the time you can understand some of the about the council promoting the club.
It wasn’t until after Hillsborough that football itself got its act together.
It really wasn’t that easy being labelled as a football supporter back then.
Having said all that their attitude and approach to the club still stunk (and I think both pre and post-dated the ‘dark’ times)
Actually I do believe that building a new football ground on the Morrisons site is the only viable town centre option. Not least because it's the site of two former chair making factories - Glenisters & Parker Knoll.
I'm pretty sure they filled it in first with a lot of sand, but yeah, 5 years ago it was water. Regarding our stadium, a lot of talk about comparing the footprint of AP, but surely if we want a new stadium, we'd want something slightly bigger...? Even if the ground itself isn't that much bigger, you'd want a bigger shop, nicer offices etc - so the footprint would surely expand, even if the car park was smaller - and there would still be a car park, if only for players/staff/disabled bays.
I’m led to believe they already enjoy a considerable amount of joint activity - some of it actually encouraged by the schools themselves.
Back in the late Middle Ages (mid ‘70’s) we John Hampden lads didn’t get a look in with the High School girls - v snooty, however Lady Verney now that was a very different matter.
Would the footprint fit on the Morrison's site /car park? That is a half realistic town centre site.
There would be room for a 16,000 capacity stadium on the Adams Park footprint. If we were to stay with chairlifts, Dashwood Estate Leisure Park, dry ski slopes, new West Wycombe station we could replace the terrace with a big safe standing and flag waving stand up to the boundary bank with the access going underneath, solar panels on the roof and a lounge looking out at the skiers. A stand like the Woodlands could be replicated on the "main stand side" to give us 16,000 without any substantial increase in size.
Or if that footprint would work for a 16,000 stadium on the site of the old furniture factories, we could have a chairlift from the rail station with a stop at the existing Wycombe Museum and even put our own Chairboys Chair Museum under one of the stands.
The challenge for most if not all councils is they struggle to get their head round the changing nature of town centres.
With the continued growth & convenience of "etail", coupled with multi-outlet shopping centres; the demand for bricks & mortar outlets in town continues to diminsh outside of personal services, speciality & food retailing. Town centres need to morph into centres for leisure, places to meet your friends & family for a drink or meal, see a film or theatre show, go to a gig etc.
So there is a lot of logic in building a town centre multi-purpose stadium that can be used for more then football. How about, like at Spurs, have a pitch that can be retracted or properly covered so it can become a concert venue, or as a stage for other sporting or cultural events. Perhaps then include alongside a decent club shop a public access gym, coffee shop(s), conference facilities and so on to make the stadium a hub for the WWFC Experience. The proximity of public/council car parks, rail & bus links removes the need for parking provision - the club offices could still be at Adams Park, which could then become the match day base for the Womens firsts.
The issue with the local muslim population is down to a tiny minority of rabble rousers, so combat them with positive engagement through the Foundation, Trust & Club and offering the community the opportunity to engage around what interests or bothers them.
I know most of this will never happen, but I dont see why not.
@bargepole - what is more salient is will that continue? Is there longevity for them & the other big name supermarkets?
Are there better options than the broadly piss-poor offer/range from Morrisons in Wycombe close by (there is a huge Sainsbury's across the road-ish).
Here on the South Coast, other than M&S Food Hall for a treat & my local Aldi for tinned produce & cleaning products I have pretty much stopped using any of the major supermarkets and instead use the great variety of independent food outlets here offering excellent choices of Eastern European, Turkish, Indian & South East Asian produce at decent price points. Why? the variety of produce is better, the pricing is on par & the money stays pretty much locally.
Comments
Sorry, let me correct myself, simultaneously failing to criticise the 57 year occupation.
And golf courses. Although there aren't any of those in Wycombe town centre that I'm aware of.
Any new ground will probably be up at Handy Cross somewhere. Which means even more cars. If you could do it in the town centre, you could dispense with a car park - although the drive everywhere brigade would be up in arms (and no, I don't mean the elderly or those with mobility issues before you start).
How about on stilts somewhere on The Rye? It could also double as a shelter for dog walkers on rainy days. Just in case, I have had plans drawn up at considerable expense. Over to you TOG.
Everton's new ground has been built over existing water. I'm sure in this day an age a suitable flood plan could be put in place to encorporate the Prodigy Stadium.
Football for the Stilted Generation...
If you bulldoze Morrisons but keep the Spindle & Thread you’ll have a lot of people giving off the odour of a carvery buffet that’s been sitting there a little too long. I’m not saying this is the only factor to consider, one not to be overlooked though.
Damn, I knew it was by water but not *over* it - that's insane!
What about buying up Wycombe Heights Golf Course. The only problem is there's only one way in and out at the moment.
I've told you all, the future is near Denham Golf Course. A bit out of town but ticks all the other boxes.
(y'all, if any young person is somehow reading this)
With HS2 being buried in tunnels under the Chilterns, couldn’t a new stadium be sunk into the ground somewhere, much like they did with Brightons Amex stadium), and have access tunnels running to it from the M40 , A404 and other major routes into/out of High Wycombe. Might even be able to borrow the HS2 tunnelling machines to build them. Stretching this fantastic idea even further, why not build a fully underground stadium in the centre of town .
How about merge JHGS with the High School. Either of those sites would be good for a footie stadium (and I'm sure the pupils would enjoy the merger as well!).
I am not for one second defending the actions of the local council at the time but it should be remembered that a lot of this debate occurred when association football was a rather less inclusive and peaceful experience than it is these days.
Football matches nationally - even occasionally at our level - were seen as violent, unpleasant places which brought trouble and violence into town centres on a Saturday afternoon.
I remember Ipswich town centre was practically a war zone on match afternoons so in the context of the time you can understand some of the about the council promoting the club.
It wasn’t until after Hillsborough that football itself got its act together.
It really wasn’t that easy being labelled as a football supporter back then.
Having said all that their attitude and approach to the club still stunk (and I think both pre and post-dated the ‘dark’ times)
Actually I do believe that building a new football ground on the Morrisons site is the only viable town centre option. Not least because it's the site of two former chair making factories - Glenisters & Parker Knoll.
I'm pretty sure they filled it in first with a lot of sand, but yeah, 5 years ago it was water. Regarding our stadium, a lot of talk about comparing the footprint of AP, but surely if we want a new stadium, we'd want something slightly bigger...? Even if the ground itself isn't that much bigger, you'd want a bigger shop, nicer offices etc - so the footprint would surely expand, even if the car park was smaller - and there would still be a car park, if only for players/staff/disabled bays.
Our future ground (beard optional)
I’m led to believe they already enjoy a considerable amount of joint activity - some of it actually encouraged by the schools themselves.
Back in the late Middle Ages (mid ‘70’s) we John Hampden lads didn’t get a look in with the High School girls - v snooty, however Lady Verney now that was a very different matter.
a considerable amount of joint activity
A distant memory for many Gasroomers....
Oi! My sister went to Lady Verney in the 70s.
I dated a girl from Lady Verney in the 70s, 😨.
Unconfirmed reports of an '8-way santa' taking place at Lady Verney's in the 1970's....
Would the footprint fit on the Morrison's site /car park? That is a half realistic town centre site.
There would be room for a 16,000 capacity stadium on the Adams Park footprint. If we were to stay with chairlifts, Dashwood Estate Leisure Park, dry ski slopes, new West Wycombe station we could replace the terrace with a big safe standing and flag waving stand up to the boundary bank with the access going underneath, solar panels on the roof and a lounge looking out at the skiers. A stand like the Woodlands could be replicated on the "main stand side" to give us 16,000 without any substantial increase in size.
Or if that footprint would work for a 16,000 stadium on the site of the old furniture factories, we could have a chairlift from the rail station with a stop at the existing Wycombe Museum and even put our own Chairboys Chair Museum under one of the stands.
I don't know where Morrison's might go.
I could get behind the get rid of Morrisons idea
Lommy’s already on it. The disinformation has begun…
I guess that with regard to the chairlift you would rather be on it rather than behind it.
On the subject of attendances btw, does anyone remember the free game v Chester City about 20 years ago? We didn't even sell that out!
That did sell out. We just weren’t allowed to use any of the away end for home fans. Chester brought about 400 from memory.
They could easily relocate to...
Hillbottom Rd
Attendance 8124, so that would check out
The challenge for most if not all councils is they struggle to get their head round the changing nature of town centres.
With the continued growth & convenience of "etail", coupled with multi-outlet shopping centres; the demand for bricks & mortar outlets in town continues to diminsh outside of personal services, speciality & food retailing. Town centres need to morph into centres for leisure, places to meet your friends & family for a drink or meal, see a film or theatre show, go to a gig etc.
So there is a lot of logic in building a town centre multi-purpose stadium that can be used for more then football. How about, like at Spurs, have a pitch that can be retracted or properly covered so it can become a concert venue, or as a stage for other sporting or cultural events. Perhaps then include alongside a decent club shop a public access gym, coffee shop(s), conference facilities and so on to make the stadium a hub for the WWFC Experience. The proximity of public/council car parks, rail & bus links removes the need for parking provision - the club offices could still be at Adams Park, which could then become the match day base for the Womens firsts.
The issue with the local muslim population is down to a tiny minority of rabble rousers, so combat them with positive engagement through the Foundation, Trust & Club and offering the community the opportunity to engage around what interests or bothers them.
I know most of this will never happen, but I dont see why not.
Morrisons made £9.7m profit from its 498 stores last year, an average of nearly £2m per store.
Assuming the High Wycombe store is about average, why on earth would Morrisons want to give that up?
There are some bonkers suggestions on this thread, but that takes the biscuit (custard cream).
9,700,000 / 498 = 2,000,000??
@bargepole - what is more salient is will that continue? Is there longevity for them & the other big name supermarkets?
Are there better options than the broadly piss-poor offer/range from Morrisons in Wycombe close by (there is a huge Sainsbury's across the road-ish).
Here on the South Coast, other than M&S Food Hall for a treat & my local Aldi for tinned produce & cleaning products I have pretty much stopped using any of the major supermarkets and instead use the great variety of independent food outlets here offering excellent choices of Eastern European, Turkish, Indian & South East Asian produce at decent price points. Why? the variety of produce is better, the pricing is on par & the money stays pretty much locally.