Erections at BM

[AlanSprouts]

Big crane on site at Tin Shed end. The steel must be going up. Yippee.

[BUSHEAD]

Saw subject line and thought someone was very happy at our start to the season.

[al_quaker]

Seen some pictures on twitter. Excellent stuff! Looking forwards to the fans forum on Friday to get an update on timescales, and to get a proper look at it!

[super_les_mcjannet]

Seen some pictures on twitter. Excellent stuff! Looking forwards to the fans forum on Friday to get an update on timescales, and to get a proper look at it!

Will be there later today to pick up my youngest but those pictures looked great.

Good to see work moving on Tin Shed, main stand and the clubhouse, maybe the 2nd December rumour will become reality.

[don'tbuythesun]

Any chance of a link please? I've looked at various twitter feeds and nothing.

[Quakerz]

@TrevorOakley1

[don'tbuythesun]

Thanks, looks great!

[Darlo_Pete]

Some good photos on the official site, the link is below.

http://darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk/ste ... l-meadows/

[Vodka_Vic]

The caption for the seated stand says there are 297 seats. There are more seats in the stand that is already there, but I think someone posted that these wouldn't count in the capacity for some reason. I found something interesting in the FA's Step 2 ground grading criteria.

"The minimum covered accommodation must be 500, of which at least 250 shall be seats located in one stand. These seats may be inclusive of Directors/Committee and press seating.
Note: Clubs may retain membership of Football Conference NORTH/SOUTH provided that they achieve a Category “B” grading and have 250 seats under cover.
To qualify for promotion to the Football Conference Premier Division by winning the respective NORTH/SOUTH Championship and for the club to participate in the promotion play off matches, the ground must achieve a Category “B” Grading together with 500 seats under cover by 1st April in each season. These seats may be in two locations.
Temporary structures are not acceptable for seating to gain promotion or to take part in the promotion play off matches, unless the club can show that it has obtained planning permission and has the detailed plans to construct a permanent covered seated stand, which may form part of the required total number of 500 seats."

This doesn't seem clear to me. It seems to refer to this season, not next, and on one hand says that a club has to have 500 seats by April in order to take part in the play-offs, (which I don't think we will have, unless the seats in the other existing stand DO count and there's more than 203 of them) then on the other hand it seems to say, well actually you don't, as long as you have planning permission to do it ASAP, then you can still go up or take part in the play-offs. Anyway, if anyone can shed some light on this, that'd be great.

[don'tbuythesun]

I'm no expert but I think reading it, it says if we get promoted to the conference we need to have 500 seats by the next April 1st. 250 seats is fine for this season!

[The Equalizer]

I thought the original plans (and presumably planning application) contained two banks of seats on the far side of the pitch. So hopefully it is just a case of funding and building them when required.

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[lo36789]

I thought the original plans (and presumably planning application) contained two banks of seats on the far side of the pitch. So hopefully it is just a case of funding and building them when required.

Pretty sure that changed due to water pipe and they got pushed together.

[Undercovered]

One just got scrapped

[H1987]

Looking at the stand that is going in, it seems smaller (as in takes up less space on the touchline) than the artists rendition that is on the sign / website... It looks like that would be easily expandable on that touchline without going over the line.

Surely the existing seats will still be used / sold... they're a little bit far back, but some people will want to seat, old folks etc, and provided no one stands in front of them, they'll be fine. If West Ham can have people that far back in the Olympic stadium.....! Saw some from a Boro supporting mate, ridiculously far back! I can't see why these won't count... I would imagine we'll have future plans to alter them to make them usable they can't be counted right now. As i say, i'm sure they'll still be used, even if they don't officially count.

[H1987]

I'm not having for one second that the view from those seats is so bad we can't sell them...!? Sure it isn't ideal, they're a little bit further back that you would like in an ideal world, but we don't live in an ideal world. We have to work with what we've got! Other than the potential that some views might be slightly restricted by that one floodlight, I can't see any reason we can't use them... and we'd be mad not to. I'd say it looks like there's roughly 100 seats there.

[Vodka_Vic]

If someone can bring back up the thread about the water pipe (I couldn't find it) then it was on there that someone mentioned that the seats in the existing stand didn't count towards the capacity. I don't know who said it or how accurate that information was. If they do count, then it looks like we have our 500, as there must be around 200 there.

[Quakers1883]

One just got scrapped

That's a shame as the roof running the full length of the pitch looked quite good.

[Yarblockos]

If someone can bring back up the thread about the water pipe (I couldn't find it) then it was on there that someone mentioned that the seats in the existing stand didn't count towards the capacity. I don't know who said it or how accurate that information was. If they do count, then it looks like we have our 500, as there must be around 200 there.

I'm pretty certain it has been mentioned a few times that those seats can be used but they won't count towards the seating capacity. Something to do with not being fully enclosed and not having a unrestricted view of the pitch.

[dickdarlington]

In the original plans, the existing seats were not factored in for the capacity because the whole side was going to be allocated as flat standing. My understanding is the seats can be used but no one would be able to stand which would cause an obstruction. Additionally, the subs benches will also be taken into consideration.

The original plans had two seated decks under the tin shed roof, separated to allow f R the original subs benches. This was shelved at the same time the terrace switched ends. And both were pushed together and moved westwards.

The 500 seat stand was cut back to 250 because we didn't raise enough to build it. Planning permission is in place for it. We just need to have the cash for it. And because it doesn't s modular it can be added to st any time.

[Vodka_Vic]

If someone can bring back up the thread about the water pipe (I couldn't find it) then it was on there that someone mentioned that the seats in the existing stand didn't count towards the capacity. I don't know who said it or how accurate that information was. If they do count, then it looks like we have our 500, as there must be around 200 there.

I'm pretty certain it has been mentioned a few times that those seats can be used but they won't count towards the seating capacity. Something to do with not being fully enclosed and not having a unrestricted view of the pitch.

I did wonder that because the ground grading does say:

"A minimum of FOUR rows is required to the dimensions recommended in “The Guide to the Safety at Sports Grounds” (Green Guide). In order to meet the sight line requirements it is recommended that the first line of seating is located above pitch level. There must be an unobstructed view from the lowest level of the seated area."

which obviously is not the case here.

[Vodka_Vic]

How come we didn't raise enough Dick, because the share offer was closed when we reached the target amount, and we could easily have raised more. I for one was waiting for pay day to come to buy shares and then couldn't.

[dickdarlington]

Can't remember the exact amounts. But in the original fundraising we exceeded the minimum target criteria but not the higher amount. The subsequent initiatives have been to keep us at the same level (accounting for the delays etc).

[Yarblockos]

How come we didn't raise enough Dick, because the share offer was closed when we reached the target amount, and we could easily have raised more. I for one was waiting for pay day to come to buy shares and then couldn't.

It wasn't a share offer, it was effectively a loan. The terms of the loan were set and couldn't be changed. Whatever amount was raised must be paid back eventually, theoretically at least.

[super_les_mcjannet]

This was the latest artist impression I believe and the ground is starting to look a bit like it.

[Darlo1235]

What is the rugby clubs work doing. What is the new building for as on the photos it doesn't look like it's connected to the main building.

[dickdarlington]

The new building houses the changing rooms. It isn't attached to the existing changing room annex. But will be by a walkway with direct access to outside the ground too. This allows the existing facilities to be used on a match day. It does at present look quite small. But then all buildings generally look small whilst they're only waist high.

[Darlo_Pete]

That artist's impression does make it look on the small side. Where will future developments be?

[quaker4life]

That artist's impression does make it look on the small side. Where will future developments be?

I'm sure at some point it will be brought up to Catergory B grading.

[lo36789]

That artist's impression does make it look on the small side. Where will future developments be?

where and when we need them.

[H1987]

Looking at what has been actually going up as opposed to the artists impression, the seated stand seems much shorter. Perhaps they have made it deeper instead? Would make sense, it seems to leave plenty of room to expand.

Presumably the dugouts will go in front of the club house itself? It'd be pretty stupid putting them in front of the seats... (and they're strangely not in the middle anyway?)