Fan Zone At St Mirren Park This Saturday V Motherwell

[pozbaird]

Absolutely. The void should never be invested in until the current hospitality area is used to capacity every day of the week and there is need for more space. Otherwise, we'll have an expensive void area being used about 20 times a year.

I don't see the provision of a supporter's club / bar / cafe / meeting place as being tied in to the existing corporate suite being utilised 24/7 365 days a year. Surely, when certain fixtures weren't able to sustain full-on hospitality, the big suite was used successfully as a supporter's bar anyway. Pay a small fee, get first drink included? Pretty sure they did this, and it showed a market for such a thing is there at every home game - as did Saturday's fan initiative. An in-stadium 'club area' should, IMHO be now running alongside the normal matchday hospitality, which a lot of folk can't afford and haven't been to.

A dedicated supporter's bar needn't be kitted out to Merchant city wine bar standards either. A supporter initiative successfully used a hired tent and a bit of imagination and hard work to organise the content.

I have been to many sporting events where a more substantial 'semi permanent' marquee is used for corporate hospitality. Why couldn't something like that be erected in the car park and used each season?

Just putting it out there that five years down the line, I don't think it is something that would have seen Ralston and/or the dome sacrificed. Surely the Tesco initial deal factored in three big things anyway - debt, new ground, and training complex.

I would expect to be shot down big time if I was suggesting that they spent millions on filling in the corners when it really isn't needed, or they try to sustain a stand-alone club shop in the town centre, or they built stands the size of the old Caley one.

Edited December 23, 2014 by pozbaird

[Thorizaar]

I don't see the provision of a supporter's club / bar / cafe / meeting place as being tied in to the existing corporate suite being utilised 24/7 365 days a year. Surely, when certain fixtures weren't able to sustain full-on hospitality, the big suite was used successfully as a supporter's bar anyway. Pay a small fee, get first drink included? Pretty sure they did this, and it showed a market for such a thing is there at every home game - as did Saturday's fan initiative. An in-stadium 'club area' should, IMHO be now running alongside the normal matchday hospitality, which a lot of folk can't afford and haven't been to.

A dedicated supporter's bar needn't be kitted out to Merchant city wine bar standards either. A supporter initiative successfully used a hired tent and a bit of imagination and hard work to organise the content.

I have been to many sporting events where a more substantial 'semi permanent' marquee is used for corporate hospitality. Why couldn't something like that be erected in the car park and used each season?

Just putting it out there that five years down the line, I don't think it is something that would have seen Ralston and/or the dome sacrificed. Surely the Tesco initial deal factored in three big things anyway - debt, new ground, and training complex.

I would expect to be shot down big time if I was suggesting that they spent millions on filling in the corners when it really isn't needed, or they try to sustain a stand-alone club shop in the town centre, or they built stands the size of the old Caley one.

I've no doubt the void would be used but it wouldn't be used enough to justify the investment and turn a profit. The dome cost around the same but is used all day every day. The void would need to produce a similar footfall to make it pay.

[Thorizaar]

Personally I don't believe that £100,000 League Cup profit was directly invested by the club into the Dome.

IIRC money for the Dome was raised via grants, JD sponsorship and a loan from SMISA which is still being paid back.

Unless you know for sure otherwise, as I don't remember this appearing in the annual accounts.

It was stated at an agm that it went towards the building of the dome and to cover initial staff wages to run it.

[santaponsasaint]

So many experts, why we not the biggest club in the world

[pozbaird]

So many experts, why we not the biggest club in the world

Cos we persist with Cheesy at centre back?

[FTOF]

Surely the Tesco initial deal factored in three big things anyway - debt, new ground, and training complex.

There was "spare" cash from the Tesco deal. However, at the time, the club, at the behest of our then manager, Gus MacPherson, invested a large sum into the training complex, which was seen as the crowning glory. IIRC figures of £500K plus were quoted with respect to costs for this.

If the club had really wanted to build and develop and supporters complex they could easily have approached the supporters to raise additional money in the lead-up to the ground move by having raffles, games at Love St, etc - all of which had been done previously by the supporters - Making the Stand raffle in 99/00 and Saints Aid.

A total missed opportunity in my opinion.

Easily?

If it's that easy, why not try it now?

Let's start a raffle and see if we can raise £175K. Although I do appreciate costs most likely would have been lower 5 years ago, but we're still talking a hell of a lot of money.

Good luck with that one.

The new stand money that was raised had the added incentive that if we didn't have the stand , we wouldn't get promoted. Raising a much higher sum of money so that 200-300 supporters can have a pre/post match bevvy, might not have quite the same appeal.

Edited December 23, 2014 by FTOF