Retractable seating at the OS

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Wembley1966
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Wembley1966 »

Doc H Ball wrote: 1966 - did anyone ask him if fans will be consulted on this before they decide to bid? He keeps saying words to that effect.
Not that I'm aware of - certainly not in the public session or for the 10 minutes afterwards until we got moved out of the room. I hung around for another 15 minutes and it was mainly people taking photographs. He then started to talk to one or two people individually but they seemed to be business related so I didn't hang around.
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Pop Robson
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Pop Robson »

hadleighhammer wrote: So we have a think about what we want to do, then get the stadium, then realise we can't do what we hoped for. What then? :?

Surely best to ensure we can do what we plan to, then get the stadium on the basis these plans are fulfilled?

Still, at least they've now changed their tune and aren't talking about sight lines but rather that we need retractable/temporary seating.
All sound pie in the sky, hit & miss, suck it and see ..........etc

Although Brady has seen the retractable seating design as has the committee and it was in her Sun column so it must be true

Good point about the sight lines, they are now admitting the sight lines are crap.
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frankiemac
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by frankiemac »

just cant see how retractable seating will work with the current set up

the gradient of the lower tier is so shallow, not sure how it would work at all...without pulling it right up to pitch level and having a massive gap behind it, which would pretty much be like a temporary stand

who is going to be happy with a mish mash of retractable seats / temporary stands??? this is going to be our permanant home....the only way for this whole project to work and give us increased income is to significantly increase our average gate....and i cant see it happening

the club are so focussed on attracting 15-20k fans who dont currently attend, they have forgotten about the 10-15k who go every week and will potentially stop going, when they rip the heart out of our club by moving us to a soul less bowl not fit for a team with over 100 years history
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War Pony
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by War Pony »

With all the talk about changes to the stadium, where will the corporate boxes go? Outside?

I was all for the olympic stadium which we owned, having to put up with someone else owning the stadium we will be playing in.....bad darts! :thdn:
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Denbighammer »

War Pony wrote:With all the talk about changes to the stadium, where will the corporate boxes go?

Portakabins balanced on top of the temporary Lego seating I would imagine.

The club have got the old club shop in storage somewhere. Lick of paint, bigger windows - jobs a good un'.
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frankiemac
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by frankiemac »

I used to love the old portacabin outside the west stand!!!
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Rocketron »

Portakabins
portacabin
One of these words we're not supposed to use anymore.
KUMB apparently got grief from lawyers about "defaming" or somesuch.
I can't remember which, though. :lol:
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brownout
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by brownout »

Am I missing something because I simply can't see how retractable seats can work unless the pitch is lowered?

The front row seats are on a similar level to the pitch, so to put seats over the track would surely mean that the pitch would have to be lowered, which appears to be extremely expensive if it's practical at all. The only other option that would achieve banked seats would seem to be to put new seats over both the track and front of the lower tier, but at a lower rake than the lower tier currently has. Whilst probably technically possible, this would I suspect give seats with a very shallow gradient and hence poor views.

Behind the goals the problem is even worse as its a huge distance from the pitch to the stands. Again to have retractable seats if the pitch isn't lowered they would have to go over some (all?) of the lower tier, but slope would still be very gentle.

If by retractable they mean movable seats, perhaps stands on wheels, these could be placed behind the goals, but only if the existing seats at each end weren't used. However they wouldn't be covered by the roof.
Last edited by brownout on Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by prophet:marginal »

The voice of reason that, to date, has only been in my head every time I go past the place on train or DLR.

I just can't see how they're going to do it.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Denbighammer »

brownout wrote:Am I missing something because I simply can't see how retractable seats can work unless the pitch is lowered?

If by retractable they mean movable seats, perhaps stands on wheels, these could be placed behind the goals, but only if the existing seats at each end weren't used. However they wouldn't be covered by the roof.
brownout, I believe that the temporary seating would be for behind the goals only, therefore rendering the seats behind them (the ones furthest from the pitch) unuseable. There would be no temp seats along the side of the pitch.

The problem with the roof would be that there wouldn't be one.

Thats as I understand it of course, although I might be wrong. Tbf, nobody really knows properly do they?
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Wembley1966
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Wembley1966 »

I think behind the goals they will just be temporary seats - although they will be built on proper permanent foundations under the grass between the running track and the goal line - and according to David Gold, they will take 2 weeks to construct so not classified as temporary by UEFA guidelines and would probably look quite reasonable - but not under the main stadium roof - they may have their own roof though. Non of the existing seats behind the goals would be used - as either the temporary seats would be in the way of the lower tier and the upper tier is too far away. By the corners behind the goals where the running track is near the pitch would be a small amount of retractable seating that would probably go over part of the existing lower tier when not used for football.
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Francoisvander or else
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Francoisvander or else »

Wembley1966 wrote:I think behind the goals they will just be temporary seats - although they will be built on proper permanent foundations under the grass between the running track and the goal line - and according to David Gold, they will take 2 weeks to construct so not classified as temporary by UEFA guidelines and would probably look quite reasonable - but not under the main stadium roof - they may have their own roof though. Non of the existing seats behind the goals would be used - as either the temporary seats would be in the way of the lower tier and the upper tier is too far away. By the corners behind the goals where the running track is near the pitch would be a small amount of retractable seating that would probably go over part of the existing lower tier when not used for football.
I hope your wrong because that would look utter gash. I thought we was meant to be moving into an iconic world class stadium not one that will resemble a meccano set.
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Pop Robson
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Pop Robson »

Can't wait to see all the plans of these temp seats in the rented athletics stadium :?
Rheo
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Rheo »

Wembley1966 wrote:I think behind the goals they will just be temporary seats - although they will be built on proper permanent foundations under the grass between the running track and the goal line - and according to David Gold, they will take 2 weeks to construct so not classified as temporary by UEFA guidelines and would probably look quite reasonable - but not under the main stadium roof - they may have their own roof though. Non of the existing seats behind the goals would be used - as either the temporary seats would be in the way of the lower tier and the upper tier is too far away. By the corners behind the goals where the running track is near the pitch would be a small amount of retractable seating that would probably go over part of the existing lower tier when not used for football.
Sounds like a bit of a dog's breakfast.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

We can only speculate what the plans are in respect of seating but the ideas above do sound messy and surely wouldn't be costing £10million!
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brownout
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by brownout »

I still can't see any way how we can end up with a proper football stadium with seats reasonably close to the pitch unless either the pitch is lowered ot the stadium knocked down & rebuilt.
It seems as if we'll end up with a 2 sided stadium with temporary stands at the ends that are like those at Fulham - not too bad in themselves but looking rather silly plonked in the middle of a stadium.
Is this better than Upton Park?
Surely if there was a way to convert the stadium to make it suitable for football someone would have proposed a design by now, even if not the club.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Francoisvander or else »

Not sure if anyone has been watching the Davis Cup inal but it is being played in the Olympic Stadium in Seville with temporary stand, Have a butchers at some pictures below the final one is a CGI image of the venue empty. Please God if we do move I hope we end up with something better than this :cry:

http://img.skysports.com/11/10/660x350/ ... 662121.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://answers.bettor.com/images/Articl ... 115366.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ySrfZYuxhuA/T ... B-%2B1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Hammer Smith
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Hammer Smith »

brownout wrote:I still can't see any way how we can end up with a proper football stadium.
We wont end up with a proper football stadium. We will end up with a roofless abortion which will be the laughing stock of the football league. But the sightlines will be better than Wembley even in the rain.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by eastsider »

Francoisvander or else wrote:Not sure if anyone has been watching the Davis Cup inal but it is being played in the Olympic Stadium in Seville with temporary stand, Have a butchers at some pictures below the final one is a CGI image of the venue empty. Please God if we do move I hope we end up with something better than this.

http://img.skysports.com/11/10/660x350/ ... 662121.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://answers.bettor.com/images/Articl ... 115366.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ySrfZYuxhuA/T ... B-%2B1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The last one is facing away from the pitch so I hope we don't get that one!! :wink:
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by paulhs1 »

It’s beginning to look unlikely that retractable seating will be in place for us at Stratford. I’m no architect but it appears that many specialists are stating that to put in retractable seating you will probably need to rebuild parts of the lower tier at a cost way in excess of what the OPLC are ever going to contemplate for the reconfiguration. And so, at best we are looking at temporary seating which will possibly be very similar to those in the Sevilla links above. We may have them only behind the goals or around all sides but either way temporary seating is probably what we are looking at.
I think the only way to do it would be by having it all around the pitch as otherwise the stadium will look lob sided although this would make the whole of the current lower tier unusable and further away from the upper tier making parts of the stadium feel disjointed from the rest of the arena. In addition to this it has already been confirmed that the top tier behind the goals will be screened off and not used.
You can way up all the possible scenarios but I think when you take everything into account the reality will be that with temporary seating we will end up with a stadium that will probably look lob sided, have areas behind the goals screened off, have a lower tier disjointed from the upper tier with parts of the ground far away from the pitch and will probably not be fit for football.
So if we are the preferred tenant then I think the only option is to have no temporary seating at all and just keep it as an athletics stadium, at least then it will feel like a stadium rather than a temporary structure or a giant sized Lego kit!
But on a positive note there could still be an opportunity of a share of profits and naming rights which is possibly the only saving grace left for the owners before they finally decide to call it a day on the whole thing.
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