Stadium and pitch investment

[parsforlife]

I think a massive part of the issue, is thats scotlands public transport options are inadequate as they are and there is zero effort to improve them for one off events.  For evening games that’s a nightmare and the idea of hanging around at the end isn’t doable as trains/busses home do run late enough.    For Saturday games the stadium is terribly placed to entice any sort of early arrival / late leaving from the ground,  there are an ok amount of bars on side of the ground but not exactly large and absolutely nothing the other.   With that in mind why not have fanzones open 3 hours either side of KO to relieve pressure?  

Of course that doesn’t change the overall issues with ground design,  but just a bit of effort by the SFA and transport authorities would go along way without much cost.

[lubo_blaha]

19 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

I think a massive part of the issue, is thats scotlands public transport options are inadequate as they are and there is zero effort to improve them for one off events.  For evening games that’s a nightmare and the idea of hanging around at the end isn’t doable as trains/busses home do run late enough.    For Saturday games the stadium is terribly placed to entice any sort of early arrival / late leaving from the ground,  there are an ok amount of bars on side of the ground but not exactly large and absolutely nothing the other.   With that in mind why not have fanzones open 3 hours either side of KO to relieve pressure?  

Of course that doesn’t change the overall issues with ground design,  but just a bit of effort by the SFA and transport authorities would go along way without much cost.

Which side of the ground doesn’t have bars?

[Lyle Lanley]

On 04/04/2023 at 20:02, Molotov said:

It’s worth doing. As @Todd_is_God says it’s only around 45minutes. Plus you get the exercise! Win win! 

Always back from Hampden if getting the train. Far quicker than standing in a queue waiting for the train. 

[parsforlife]

1 hour ago, lubo_blaha said:

Which side of the ground doesn’t have bars?

The torryglen side is terribly supplied.  Ok there’s one or two but absolutely nothing appropriate, a fucking Asda is the most likely place to buy a drink at that end, it’s mostly wasteland

Edited April 5, 2023 by parsforlife

[lubo_blaha]

8 hours ago, parsforlife said:

The torryglen side is terribly supplied.  Ok there’s one or two but absolutely nothing appropriate, a fucking Asda is the most likely place to buy a drink at that end, it’s mostly wasteland

That side does have the two closest pubs to Hampden, both of which are decent size but obviously fill up quickly on matchday. 100 acres 10 minutes along the road as well.

Within half hour walk of the ground, you have about half a dozen places to have a drink on shawlands cross, same number again on that road between there and the ground, similar number at the bottom of Victoria Road, three options on the East side, a good few bowling clubs and the odd pub dotted about like the penny farthing or international bar. Probably around 5 more on Pollokshaws road at the top corner of the park as well. 25-30 options there which isn’t too bad imo.

[forameus]

10 hours ago, parsforlife said:

I think a massive part of the issue, is thats scotlands public transport options are inadequate as they are and there is zero effort to improve them for one off events.  For evening games that’s a nightmare and the idea of hanging around at the end isn’t doable as trains/busses home do run late enough.    For Saturday games the stadium is terribly placed to entice any sort of early arrival / late leaving from the ground,  there are an ok amount of bars on side of the ground but not exactly large and absolutely nothing the other.   With that in mind why not have fanzones open 3 hours either side of KO to relieve pressure?  

Of course that doesn’t change the overall issues with ground design,  but just a bit of effort by the SFA and transport authorities would go along way without much cost.

The Glasgow way.  f**k you and your car, how fucking dare you need to get around, you shouldn't need one, planet killer.  Alright, are you going to improve public transport to give me a better option?  Lol, f**k off you!

The options for just normal journeys are laughably poor even if everything is running absolutely smoothly (which it rarely is).  No joined up thinking on routes so journeys from A to B are probably alright, but if you need to get to C you'll probably struggle.  My car was getting fixed so I had to do a journey from North-West of Glasgow to South-West.  In the car, probably about 25 minutes on a good run.  Public transport?  Couple of hours on the way there, and completely impossible on the way back, as nothing ran back into Glasgow from where I was after 930.

Scale that up to trying to get upwards of 50,000 people back from a major sporting event, and them only throwing on a couple more trains as a concession is really, really poor.  I always make the walk back because f**k standing in that queue, but I'm (currently) lucky enough that I can do that walk no bother. Plenty of people that go probably can't, and they're stuck with the shite service.  Even when they tried to do something different and offered those free buses, it all seemed horrendously organised and publicised, and the route took it all the way around Hampden, and then parked about a mile away by the side of a road in Mount Florida.  There was a fucking purpose built bus terminus right there at the foot of the hill...

 

[Skyline Drifter]

On 04/04/2023 at 17:38, DA Baracus said:

Hampden is regularly full or close to it. Fans buy overpriced shirts all the time. They have tens of thousands of members who pay a fee each year on top on tickets, shirts and merchandise.

Where exactly is the issue for the SFA? From their point of view (pun not intended), things are going fine, so why should they spend cash on changing anything?

This is true, though Hampden was half empty regularly up to Covid became a thing and SSC membership had halved from the levels it was at about the time we were beating France twice. These things are cyclical. We're currently on the up with a great young squad and winning a lot. Demand is more than available seating. It will change again, hopefully not for a good few years though.

[Arch Stanton]

Instead of the long queue at Mount Florida, couldn't you walk to Cathcart or Langside and get the train from there?

[DA Baracus]

29 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

This is true, though Hampden was half empty regularly up to Covid became a thing and SSC membership had halved from the levels it was at about the time we were beating France twice. These things are cyclical. We're currently on the up with a great young squad and winning a lot. Demand is more than available seating. It will change again, hopefully not for a good few years though.

Aye but when it goes down the SFA won't think it's because of shite views at Hampden and/or poor transport to and from the stadium, they'll think it's because of the team being rank/poor/mediocre/not as good.

People need to give the SFA a reason to anything about it. How many protests have there been at Hampden about this? How many banners? Have those with a membership ever been balloted about it? Are there petitions? Etc.

[Skyline Drifter]

3 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Aye but when it goes down the SFA won't think it's because of shite views at Hampden and/or poor transport to and from the stadium, they'll think it's because of the team being rank/poor/mediocre/not as good.

People need to give the SFA a reason to anything about it. How many protests have there been at Hampden about this? How many banners? Have those with a membership ever been balloted about it? Are there petitions? Etc.

And they'll be right.

"Issues" with Hampden are largely exaggerated. It could certainly have a better atmosphere with stands closer to the pitch, especially behind the goals, but it's not an issue that needs solved with a massive rebuild. The rest of it's not really for them to deal with. At the end of the day if you have 50,000+ at a football match that crowd won't clear quickly no matter what you do with it. It's a hell of a lot easier to get away from Hampden than it is from Ibrox or Murrayfield for instance. Not really sure about Celtic park, it's a long time since I was there.

[andyg83]

20 hours ago, Skyline Drifter said:

And they'll be right.

"Issues" with Hampden are largely exaggerated. It could certainly have a better atmosphere with stands closer to the pitch, especially behind the goals, but it's not an issue that needs solved with a massive rebuild. The rest of it's not really for them to deal with. At the end of the day if you have 50,000+ at a football match that crowd won't clear quickly no matter what you do with it. It's a hell of a lot easier to get away from Hampden than it is from Ibrox or Murrayfield for instance. Not really sure about Celtic park, it's a long time since I was there.

Agree with this. Hampden has alot of transport links if they were actually managed and set up properly.

My proposal if I ran things would be:

- Free train travel within SPT area for ticket holders - add 2 quid to each ticket if necessary?

- properly organise extra trains to Mount Florida, Cathcart and Kings Park. Reduce normal services 1.5 hours each side of match to accommodate this. Maybe allocate a station for each stand with PRM holders getting to go anywhere..

- properly organise electric shuttle buses in a dedicated bus lanes to and from George Square and other park and ride hubs (euro central? somewhere north and west?)  do it for 2 hours either side of game (like 2002 champs league final or like we saw for commonwealth games)

- properly police traffic in hampden area and restrict access to drop off points for buses to residents only. Micromanage the stretch between the stadium and the M74 to allow traffic to flow quickly in the required direction in and out. Implement alternative routes for Asda etc.

- do something with the spare land in and around Hampden to get people into the area earlier. The old esso station across the road has sat derelict for years. Make each game a festival feel with decent food and drink to get people to come earlier. 

- renovated stadium to improve views obviously!

I have seen these type of things in other countries as a matter of course. Its probably too sensible for Glasgow City Council, Scotland, SPT and SFA?

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by andyg83

[Skyline Drifter]

11 minutes ago, andyg83 said:

Agree with this. Hampden has alot of transport links if they were actually managed and set up properly.

My proposal if I ran things would be:

- Free train travel within SPT area for ticket holders - add 2 quid to each ticket if necessary?

 

As a non train user I've no idea why I should be expected to pay an extra £2 per ticket so that train users can do so free? If it's thrown in with the ticket price go for it. If it's an extra cost it should be borne by those who use it.

[invergowrie arab]

My problems with Hampden seem to have completely disappeared now we are good again.

What I think could be copied from the Murrayfield is getting folk through the turnstiles earlier by putting stuff inside the complex with ticket barriers further out.

There would be room around 3 sides of the ground to do this although access the North stand would be an issue.

 

[andyg83]

1 hour ago, Skyline Drifter said:

As a non train user I've no idea why I should be expected to pay an extra £2 per ticket so that train users can do so free? If it's thrown in with the ticket price go for it. If it's an extra cost it should be borne by those who use it.

In Germany its free I was thinking worst case throw in the 2 quid levy

[andyg83]

1 hour ago, invergowrie arab said:

My problems with Hampden seem to have completely disappeared now we are good again.

What I think could be copied from the Murrayfield is getting folk through the turnstiles earlier by putting stuff inside the complex with ticket barriers further out.

There would be room around 3 sides of the ground to do this although access the North stand would be an issue.

 

Yes this would be great

[Skyline Drifter]

4 minutes ago, andyg83 said:

In Germany its free I was thinking worst case throw in the 2 quid levy

I know it is, and it's a great idea if a deal can be done somehow to do the same at no cost to the SFA / ticket buyer. But tickets are already expensive. I drive to games, trains are no use to me, why should I have a supplemental charge for those who do use a train? Should we add more to each ticket to pay for the parking of those who drive (I don't pay for parking either, I park on street, but the principle stands).

[andyg83]

4 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

I know it is, and it's a great idea if a deal can be done somehow to do the same at no cost to the SFA / ticket buyer. But tickets are already expensive. I drive to games, trains are no use to me, why should I have a supplemental charge for those who do use a train? Should we add more to each ticket to pay for the parking of those who drive (I don't pay for parking either, I park on street, but the principle stands).

I was thinking of it as a levy to tickets to pay for better transport and organisation. More people by train means easier access for cars. it's a win win. 

The shuttle buses would also help. 

[Skyline Drifter]

14 minutes ago, andyg83 said:

I was thinking of it as a levy to tickets to pay for better transport and organisation. More people by train means easier access for cars. it's a win win. 

The shuttle buses would also help. 

I have perfectly easy access now. I live 75 miles away and am usually in the house about an hour and a half after the full time whistle having parked for free about a mile from the ground. I'm failing to see any "win" for me here? If more people would like to use the trains then those people should pay for it.

[DA Baracus]

No has yet been able to answer why the SFA, from their point of view, should actually do anything. To them there is no problem, certainly nothing worth chucking millions of pounds they don't have at it.

[101]

26 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

No has yet been able to answer why the SFA, from their point of view, should actually do anything. To them there is no problem, certainly nothing worth chucking millions of pounds they don't have at it.

Easier to keep fans than entice them back if we go on a poor run, but I agree a modest increase in capacity might see them bring more finals to Glasgow and bring in extra cash for gigs etc but from a domestic footballing POV the capacity is probably about right