Edinburgh City

[Cowdenleith]

1 minute ago, AllyMonc said:

On the stand and it's suitability. When the proposal for the stadium was put to the club they decided it wasn't suitable for any sort of league football and began looking elsewhere. Basically Edinburgh Leisure/the council had no interest in City as a tenant.

 

Then COVID and it's financial implications hit and meant they had to think again so approached the club and were far more accomodating - City would be the anchor tenants and could explore building a new stand. From that the club decided New Meadowbank would be viable and announced the return. Obviously plenty of delays etc and we ended up doing another year in Pilton (or North Fettes as some call it) but broadly we were going home and had permission to build a new stand which would make it a decent enough ground as well as being able to use the facilities for training and for the women's team. Most importantly to the board we had free reign on the hospitality side of things. Which we didn't at all at Ainslie Park.

 

However, it's clearly not planned out as we would have liked. New Meadowbank had a little extra delay which meant we had to run the cup games as 'test' events and most importantly the planning permission that was granted on the new stand seems to have been granted on top of a piece of land owned by the housebuilder developing the old Meadowbank footprint. Not sure whose fault that is but I'd suggest someone should be checking in advance who owns the land and all that.

 

So that's where we are and broadly why. Vague noises about building a temporary standing area where the illicit stand was meant to be (but not encroaching on the disputed territory) but who knows. But as it a stands you can't really say anything other than New Meadowbank isn't fit for this purpose (despite being an excellent gym by all accounts, in fact I think I'll visit on Sunday).

 

This is not insider info, it's just piecing together what the club have said over the months.

 

It will be interesting to see the crowd levels for tonight. If it’s as low as I think it might be, based on what I heard the home support was on Saturday, alarm bells could be ringing.

[AllyMonc]

6 minutes ago, Cowdenleith said:

It will be interesting to see the crowd levels for tonight. If it’s as low as I think it might be, based on what I heard the home support was on Saturday, alarm bells could be ringing.

Yeah even with it being a pleasant enough evening for watching football I think it'll be pretty low. Not sure how low it would need to be for the board to consider their approach. The focus for them really is the hospitality side of things

[1320Lichtie]

17 minutes ago, AllyMonc said:

Yeah even with it being a pleasant enough evening for watching football I think it'll be pretty low. Not sure how low it would need to be for the board to consider their approach. The focus for them really is the hospitality side of things

How do they manage to focus on the hospitality? Where will the hospitality watch the game from? How would they be able to know how many tickets are available for a match if the hospitality is not sold out beforehand? Will a full hospitality mean a reduced general admission capacity?
 

What kind of hospitality is actually available inside of a leisure/athletics centre, is it just a function room with alcohol and food brought in? 

[AllyMonc]

12 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

How do they manage to focus on the hospitality? Where will the hospitality watch the game from? How would they be able to know how many tickets are available for a match if the hospitality is not sold out beforehand? Will a full hospitality mean a reduced general admission capacity?
 

What kind of hospitality is actually available inside of a leisure/athletics centre, is it just a function room with alcohol and food brought in? 

As I'm sure you can imagine I don't care about hospitality provisions as it's not why I go to the football but I'd assume most of these have not been thought about other than the facilities probably will be quite good as Edinburgh Leisure can use them as an extra revenue stream. Renting out during the week for events etc.

[Parttimesupporter]

43 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

How do they manage to focus on the hospitality? Where will the hospitality watch the game from? How would they be able to know how many tickets are available for a match if the hospitality is not sold out beforehand? Will a full hospitality mean a reduced general admission capacity?
 

What kind of hospitality is actually available inside of a leisure/athletics centre, is it just a function room with alcohol and food brought in? 

I had a wee look round yesterday before admiring the view from the £18 seats.  Hospitality is on the 3rd floor.  Obviously it's not accessible to the public but like AllyMonc I suspect it will be decent.  How 'FC Edinburgh' will make use of it is less clear.  

They could keep the hospitality folk in the suite for the duration, but that would seem like a weird experience.  3 floors up and for the time being it will look like a game with no spectators.  However, the alternative is to use the 2 lifts and the stairs to get punters down to the seats in the current grandstand where the viewing is poor.  I can't see how that can work at half-time. 

I doubt they will be planning to move these folk to the new stand if and when it is built as that involves a lengthy walk while open to the elements.

Like most recent events associated with this club, a bit baffling.

[tamthebam]

The lowest Meadowbank Thistle crowd was officially 80 against Stenhousemuir in 1979. 

Spoiler

Any rumours it was that low because GordonD brought along the new joke book he got for Christmas are entirely accurate false

I suspect there will be more tonight but it depends on how many Blue Brazilians turn up. Usually they have a good support. 

[Cowdenleith]

Decent crowd in I would say, don’t suppose this will be a problem often but the sun is a pain in the butt

The crowd is oh so quiet, zero atmosphere.

[ARFC Exile]

Was dragged along tonight by my son, against my better judgement.

I have to say that my worst fears about the new stadium were confirmed. Terrible sightlines, too far from the pitch and less atmosphere than the moon, it's an absolutely souless place to watch football. At least at the old Meadowbank 500 people grouped together could generate a bit of noise, but this new design, stretching the 500 right along the length of the pitch, makes it seem impossible. I genuinely can't see how this 'stadium' will be suitable for league one football in it's current state.

Added to that, the playing surface also looked terrible with players from both sides struggling to get any consistency of play from the ball. Seemed to be alot more black pellets coming up than on other artifical pitches.

Edited July 21, 2022 by ARFC Exile

[Robert James]

On 19/07/2022 at 20:25, DiegoDiego said:

I used to live in Edinburgh, including a stone's throw from Meadowbank, which is why I pop up on this thread from time to time.

I'm well aware of the terrible job Edinburgh Council are doing. The city has such potential and they're doing their best to f**k it for the benefit of tourists, temporary residents and (to please Mr Le Bam) those who enjoy cycling on pavements.

None of this changes the fact that "clowncil" is cringeworthy, playground level punnery.

Ordinarily I'd genuinely wish you the best this season (especially considering the Clydes, Airdries and Falkirks you're up against), but it's tough to root for a club like the one you've become. An abomination of an unconsulted name change playing out of a stadium which reminds me of my standard grade English essays: the absolute bare minimum required to pass handed in well after it was due.

I have to agree that the new name of FC Edinburgh is bland, and as you suggest is "an abomination".  If a name change was unavoidable, there would have been better alternatives, namely :  Edinburgh Meadowbank FC or Edinburgh Thistle, (Livingston FC didn't retain the name Thistle) : City of Edinburgh OR Edinburgh Citadel (reflecting the club's previous name).    

Like some other current City supporters, I was an original Meadowbank Thistle fan (I still have the programme for their first Scottish League match), and to me, the spirit of the current Edinburgh club is an historic throwback to MT. 

No new name consultation ? Shocking if true.

[Parttimesupporter]

Had another look at the stadium today.  The first picture shows the window of the hospitality suite on the third floor (the first floor is Edinburgh Leisure offices). 

A fence is being constructed which runs roughly from behind the goals at the west end to behind the goals at the east end.  This must be to allow for some standing room.  Presumably the idea is that fans who want to stand come in through the turnstiles on London Road (there are 2) and can then shuffle along to their preferred vantage point.  There is a separate patch of grass behind the goals at the east end of the ground with a gate giving access (see second picture).  There is a substantial solid fence round the west and north sides of the ground which is presumably there to deter spectators from trying to look in from outside.  It does also smack of the developers putting down a marker. 

Presumably some form of portaloos will be required if reasonable numbers of fans (I think an extra 1,000 was mentioned) are to be given access to the standing area.  No idea what they plan to do with catering.  Obviously there is no cover at all if it starts raining.

The only saving grace for this place would be proper facilities on the north side as Edinburgh City  FC Edinburgh had planned.   My gut feel is that that is unlikely to happen any time soon, if at all.  

[Bay Citizen]

9 minutes ago, Parttimesupporter said:

The only saving grace for this place would be proper facilities on the north side as Edinburgh City  FC Edinburgh had planned.   My gut feel is that that is unlikely to happen any time soon, if at all.  

According to the Programme last night, it looks unlikely until the houses planned behind the proposed stand are built.  Without a spade in the ground yet that looks a long way off.

[Parttimesupporter]

4 hours ago, Bay Citizen said:

According to the Programme last night, it looks unlikely until the houses planned behind the proposed stand are built.  Without a spade in the ground yet that looks a long way off.

It does indeed.  Hard to envisage anything being completed this season if that's the case.  I was chatting to a mate who is involved with Edinburgh Athletic Club last night.  He highlighted this fine piece of understatement in an interview with June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure (he thinks it is a direct quote from her, but it may be the view of the reporter).

"The basic facilities for track and throwing are in place, but some further infrastructure would be needed to run any Commonwealth Games in the future. "

Meadowbank opens its new doors to the public on Tuesday | The Edinburgh Reporter

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

Don't know if it's been mentioned previously on here but hand eggers Glasgow Warriors have a similar problem at Scotstoun - trying to use an oval shaped arena for a sport played on a rectangular surface

Appreciate it's not the bonniest looking thing to be erecting at a brand new facility but would surely do the job until you could get started on a more permanent stand along the other side of the pitch to increase capacity? They have one at each end and hold 1,309 each. 

I've also included a photo of our own small temporary stands (rip) which held a total of 1,068 and were constructed along our empty side in about 5 minutes but had to be filled 3 times a season to pay for themselves.

 

 

 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Parttimesupporter said:

It does indeed.  Hard to envisage anything being completed this season if that's the case.  I was chatting to a mate who is involved with Edinburgh Athletic Club last night.  He highlighted this fine piece of understatement in an interview with June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure (he thinks it is a direct quote from her, but it may be the view of the reporter).

"The basic facilities for track and throwing are in place, but some further infrastructure would be needed to run any Commonwealth Games in the future. "

Meadowbank opens its new doors to the public on Tuesday | The Edinburgh Reporter

"Further infrastructure"  is the understatement of the year from June here. In fact, I'm sure she was the person mentioned as being more of a hindrance than a help where Edinburgh's return to Meadowbank was concerned on the club's live stream (the one that was basically a car crash).

I'm not getting into the name change, the disgraceful lack of consultation with the fans and general piss poor behaviour from the hierarchy in the board room. However, on Meadowbank Stadium, I've a degree of sympathy for them. Unless you get in and grab a seat on the back row, then the view is turgid.

No idea what gets done to address this and no doubt there will be a severe lack of communication telling the fan base anyway.

 

 

 

[parsforlife]

On 21/07/2022 at 01:54, ARFC Exile said:

.

Added to that, the playing surface also looked terrible with players from both sides struggling to get any consistency of play from the ball. Seemed to be alot more black pellets coming up than on other artifical pitches.

Newly laid astro always plays worse,  especially if not given a proper bedding in period,  given how last minute everything seems to be it wouldn’t surprise me if it had not been put down on schedule. 

[tamthebam]

2 hours ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

Don't know if it's been mentioned previously on here but hand eggers Glasgow Warriors have a similar problem at Scotstoun - trying to use an oval shaped arena for a sport played on a rectangular surface

Appreciate it's not the bonniest looking thing to be erecting at a brand new facility but would surely do the job until you could get started on a more permanent stand along the other side of the pitch to increase capacity? They have one at each end and hold 1,309 each. 

I've also included a photo of our own small temporary stands (rip) which held a total of 1,068 and were constructed along our empty side in about 5 minutes but had to be filled 3 times a season to pay for themselves.

 

 

 

I sat in that thing for a game v Airdrie. 

The wind certainly whistled up the Trossachs... 

[Tory Boy]

2 hours ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

Don't know if it's been mentioned previously on here but hand eggers Glasgow Warriors have a similar problem at Scotstoun - trying to use an oval shaped arena for a sport played on a rectangular surface

Appreciate it's not the bonniest looking thing to be erecting at a brand new facility but would surely do the job until you could get started on a more permanent stand along the other side of the pitch to increase capacity? They have one at each end and hold 1,309 each. 

I've also included a photo of our own small temporary stands (rip) which held a total of 1,068 and were constructed along our empty side in about 5 minutes but had to be filled 3 times a season to pay for themselves.

 

 

 

Chelmsford City have a similar setup with small stands built behind either goal (in the D of the running track).

You can see their setup here:  Chelmsford City

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tory Boy

[RubyTuesday]

2 hours ago, Pete83 said:

Unless you get in and grab a seat on the back row, then the view is turgid.

I am mulling over whether to just go to a few away games this season. Going to Meadowbank might just feel like seeing your ex-girlfriend with a new fella, after she has dumped you via the Evening News classifieds...

[AllyMonc]

I don't think the behind the goal idea is viable as there's some sort of big storage shed at the West end and the East end looks like it's to be used for some sort of jumping/running/throwing activity.

 

Uncovered standing across from the 'main' stand looks most likely. The trees and the old terrace might give some shelter from the North wind at least.

 

Anyway, popped to the gym at lunch today. Absolutely tremendous facility, really first class.

[Tenkay]

7 hours ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

 

This looks like one of the stands at the "mini Murrayfield" there was talk of us going to.

Although I hate these stands with pillars blocking your view, I'd take this one  WITHOUT the roof, for a year or two until our permanent stand gets started.