Rocking all over the world (6 Viewers)

[SBT]

Affordable season tickets at a time when the club was on an upward trajectory made a huge impact. The atmosphere inside the CBS is a lot better with a crowd of regular fans than it ever was with capacity crowds of the dreaded day-trippers.

 

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[theferret]

I’d wager that the fans who label it as the worst away day in the country haven’t visited the ground in the last 15 years (if at all)

Might apply to some, but I've spoken to some who hate it. What's to like? A six mile taxi ride to and from the city centre before and after the game? Worst away days I can think of are Reading and Colchester, middle of nowhere, no pubs, utterly devoid of soul. Those places could be absolutely bouncing atmosphere wise, but they would still be shit away days.

Don't get me wrong, CBS for a home fan, especially as I can walk to the ground, is a decent matchday experience now. Love Dhillons and atmosphere is great. Would still take a city centre ground though everyday of the week.

 

[bigfatronssba]

Might apply to some, but I've spoken to some who hate it. What's to like? A six mile taxi ride to and from the city centre before and after the game? Worst away days I can think of are Reading and Colchester, middle of nowhere, no pubs, utterly devoid of soul. Those places could be absolutely bouncing atmosphere wise, but they would still be shit away days.

Don't get me wrong, CBS for a home fan, especially as I can walk to the ground, is a decent matchday experience now. Love Dhillons and atmosphere is great. Would still take a city centre ground though everyday of the week.

Most fans these days travel to away games by either car or coach. For that the CBS is in an ideal location. I'd actually argue that location wise its better for away fans than home ones

 

[fatso]

There was also a rose tinted view of Highfield Road (often by people who were too young to have actually been there).
The soulless bowl vs the atmospheric old stadium.
I remember being in HR at times and you could hear a pin drop

Yes, so true, I've been there many times when there was only 10k for premier league games (when it was called Division 1 for all you youngsters)

I Remember sitting in those few rows of seats when the cop was done away with and we went all seater, and getting absolutely pissed on every time it rained.

I remember the stewards walked us all round the pitch to the covered areas once because it was raining so hard. That's all I remember from that game, can't even recall the opposition.

 

[Travs]

Yes it has improved massively..... but its still an identikit out-of-town stadium...

If i was an away fan coming to Coventry, the one plus point would be the generally large allocation.... i'm not personally a fan of stadiums out-of-town.

Its strange, i realised that i've now supported City for longer while we've been at the Ricoh than at Highfield Road, but it'll never feel "home" like Highfield Road did for me..... no doubt the next generation will feel very differently.

 

[theferret]

Most fans these days travel to away games by either car or coach. For that the CBS is in an ideal location. I'd actually argue that location wise its better for away fans than home ones

Why is it an ideal location for those travelling by coach? The people on it are not driving, and you'd surely much prefer to get off in a town centre than a windswept car park with nowhere to get a beer or kill a few hours before kick off.

Genuinely surprised to be having this debate to be honest, never encountered anyone who has argued for edge of town over a town centre for a football ground.

 

[bigfatronssba]

Why is it an ideal location for those travelling by coach? The people on it are not driving, and you'd surely much prefer to get off in a town centre than a windswept car park with nowhere to get a beer or kill a few hours before kick off.

Genuinely surprised to be having this debate to be honest, never encountered anyone who has argued for edge of town over a town centre for a football ground.

Quick getaway after the game.

Its hardly the middle of nowhere. Longford Road isn't exactly a remote country lane!

 

[Calista]

They all said when they visited the Ricoh it was like going into a music festival.

Was it one of the Bruce gigs?

 

[fatso]

Yes it has improved massively..... but its still an identikit out-of-town stadium...

If i was an away fan coming to Coventry, the one plus point would be the generally large allocation.... i'm not personally a fan of stadiums out-of-town.

Its strange, i realised that i've now supported City for longer while we've been at the Ricoh than at Highfield Road, but it'll never feel "home" like Highfield Road did for me..... no doubt the next generation will feel very differently.

We should be grateful the stadium is out of town, the city centre main routes are permanently gridlocked, and sooner or later some twat will start charging us £12 per day to drive there!!!

 

[clint van damme]

Completely agree about the atmosphere. Its just a building. What's happening on the pitch and the general feel of the place is what makes an atmosphere.

Thats about what happens during the game, a matchday experience is about far more than that and most of these edge of town bowls dont provide one in the way the old grounds did.

 

[theferret]

Quick getaway after the game.

Its hardly the middle of nowhere. Longford Road isn't exactly a remote country lane!

Fair enough, people have different priorities I suppose and not everyone wants a load of beer before the game!

Just prefer the buzz a city centre ground creates. As for transport, they are much easier to get to for those not traveling by car (they are accessible via literally every bus and train route into the city), are walkable by far more people and also there are much more parking options for those driving.

Still, the CBS is where it is and it's not moving. It does feel more like home now and the atmosphere is as good as you get in the league.

 

[Ashdown]

I think the location is changing already in the 18 years since construction. It really did feel a bit remote in 2005 but since then house building has meant Coventry is extending all around it now. Could do with a more few decent pubs within walking distance…..however we do now have the Byatts facility, Dhillons, the Anecdote and the train stop, all were non existent in the early days

 

[shmmeee]

I still think the bit by the canal you could do up with a few bars and make it a bit of a destination. And public transport needs massively improving hopefully the VLR will actually happen in a reasonable timescale.

 

[theferret]

I think the location is changing already in the 18 years since construction. It really did feel a bit remote in 2005 but since then house building has meant Coventry is extending all around it now. Could do with a more few decent pubs within walking distance…..however we do now have the Byatts facility, Dhillons, the Anecdote and the train stop, all were non existent in the early days

I think this will continue. For example, the new hotel on Rowley's Green Ind Est (originally rejected by planning committee) is going ahead as the decision was overturned on appeal. So that is going up opposite the North stand in the near future.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Fair enough, people have different priorities I suppose and not everyone wants a load of beer before the game!

Just prefer the buzz a city centre ground creates. As for transport, they are much easier to get to for those not traveling by car (they are accessible via literally every bus and train route into the city), are walkable by far more people and also there are much more parking options for those driving.

Still, the CBS is where it is and it's not moving. It does feel more like home now and the atmosphere is as good as you get in the league.

It's worth remembering that when HR was built in 1899 it would have been much closer to the edge of the city boundary than when we all remember it. There was a lot of expansion around the city during the 20th century.

 

[DrPoolittle]

Yes, so true, I've been there many times when there was only 10k for premier league games (when it was called Division 1 for all you youngsters)

I Remember sitting in those few rows of seats when the cop was done away with and we went all seater, and getting absolutely pissed on every time it rained.

I remember the stewards walked us all round the pitch to the covered areas once because it was raining so hard. That's all I remember from that game, can't even recall the opposition.

That might be one of the Wimbledon games. Could be a dire experience.

 

[Chester FC Fan]

As a Chester Fan whose been quite a few times to the watch Coventry when I'm working down there - Yes the stadium isn't exactly in the centre of the city but I've never really seen a problem with the location and actually getting to the stadium. I stay at the Village hotel with work which isn't exactly close to the stadium but a good bus network means it's easily accesible via public transport, although the trains to the station there and back are a joke.

It's a stadium that needs to be fairly full to create an atmosphere worthy of its size. I've been there on a freezing cold Tuesday evening
for a game against Colchester with barely 10,000 there and it was completely flat. I've been some championship games with nearly twice the crowd in and it's been a vast improvement irrelevant of the result.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

Location is terrible. On a list of priorities for a football ground 'easy access to the motorway' would be bottom.

The matchday experience has massively improved for sure, but it's a shit location and no surprise it's often ranked as one of the country's worst away days.

This for me…although I can’t really complain as I no longer live in Cov.
The old man who used to go up every week and was even a steward for a while, never went up to the Ricoh cos he couldn’t walk there.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

It's worth remembering that when HR was built in 1899 it would have been much closer to the edge of the city boundary than when we all remember it. There was a lot of expansion around the city during the 20th century.

Crikey, I didn't know you were that old.

 

[Covcraig@bury]

Crikey, I didn't know you were that old.

He was 45 then

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Crikey, I didn't know you were that old.

 

[Harry Krishner]

I felt that there was a big improvement in the atmosphere post-covid. It was like people were straining at the leash to get out and make some noise - especially after that tribute to all the people who died that went on for ages. Before that I always found the home crowd a bit whiney.

I also preferred HR for access (walkable) and the number of pubs, but it's worth remembering that it would have been almost full with the number of season tickets sold this year.

 

[Sick Boy]

At the time there were few complaints about leaving HR. It’s easy to get nostalgic about it but at times there was next to no atmosphere and poor crowds. I’d still rather be there though due to its location and the pubs on the walk up to the ground.

 

[SkyBlueCharlie9]

Approx 1900... edge of Cov

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

Approx 1900... edge of Cov

Can't see Thackhall street on that map but Highfield road is there, which is why they called it Highfield road.

 

[Robinshio]

Yes, so true, I've been there many times when there was only 10k for premier league games (when it was called Division 1 for all you youngsters)

I Remember sitting in those few rows of seats when the cop was done away with and we went all seater, and getting absolutely pissed on every time it rained.

I remember the stewards walked us all round the pitch to the covered areas once because it was raining so hard. That's all I remember from that game, can't even recall the opposition.

I was in the same end - started with the stewards walking around, but then from the far side we ran across the pitch into the main stand . All seater with an uncovered stand - Jimmy hill was not a popular guy at the time

£5 for 1 match ticket , £6 for 3 (different games) and £40 for a season ticket back in those days - with the 1 match ticket to deter away fans but proved very unpopular for home fans aswell

 

[bigfatronssba]

Can't see Thackhall street on that map but Highfield road is there, which is why they called it Highfield road.

Yep. Entrance to the ground was at the end of Highfield Road, Thackhall street was just a footpath then.

Interestingly the entrance to the previous ground (which covered where Mowbray street is now) had its entrance at the end of Catherine Street (basically where the turnstiles for the Family Stand were), so I wonder why they never just reused the same entrance?

 

[blunted]

And Highfield road was a parking paradise? I don’t see how poor pub facilities is a Stadium issue but fair enough. I go to the Anecdote or Dhillons or have a drink at one of the many very good trucks outside the stadium with my friends. Perhaps I am easily pleased.

No way you would be able to park near Highfield Rd if the ground was still there. Times have changed and car ownership has rocketed.

 

[shmmeee]

No way you would be able to park near Highfield Rd if the ground was still there. Times have changed and car ownership has rocketed.

We used to park occasionally and it was far worse than getting out the Ricoh after a game. It would be ten times worse today.

All we need is a decent shuttle between town/Nuneaton & Bedworth and the arena, maybe a couple of park and rides in the south. Doesn’t seem insurmountable.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Can't see Thackhall street on that map but Highfield road is there, which is why they called it Highfield road.

It was a foot path at that point by the look of the map

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