I dont miss Highfield Road anymore (4 Viewers)

[Joy Division]

Are BR’s original plans to put another tier on valid or did it get binned?

There were plans for a 45,000-capacity stadium that was submitted and they are still available online, but there was never anything integrated into the design of the current stadium to increase capacity.

 

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[Broken Hearted Sky Blue]

There were plans for a 45,000-capacity stadium that was submitted and they are still available online, but there was never anything integrated into the design of the current stadium to increase capacity.

Originally foundations were supposed to be put in place so that an extra tier could be built onto the Tesco stand. These were not put into place so now would cost a fortune.

 

[Astute]

HR midweek games were the ones that got me going. Have a few beers in town then a few more on the way. The floodlights would come on to help you find your way. Then the buzz would start.

Yes the CBS caters for the supporters much better. But I just prefer the old grounds. Our next two games are at one of my favourite grounds. To me an old ground adds to the experience.

 

[JimmyHillsbeard]

Never felt rhe CBS was home

Last few seasons it has felt MORE like home, but still lacked something for me, despite the brillaint seasons and atmospheres

But the CCFC branding all.over the concourses, the stadium owners listening to fans in improvements such as cleaning the place, however basic

And also the atmospheres, the memories we're starting to make there, and the journey we've been on there

I think I've finally fell in love with the place

Turns out the only thing wrong with the Arena was that we weren’t very good there. We used to think it was a soulless bowl no-one (even opposition fans) can say that now.


* apart from other issues like the question of ownership, decontamination costs, landlords, shite fan brick displays, lack of railway line, death trap walks past the frozen canal, car parks that cost and fortune and you couldn’t get out of etc…

 

[JimmyHillsbeard]

Yeah I know a few people who still hate the location. They class it as Beduff rather than Coventry. Was also a better pub crawl to Highfield road. Atmosphere wise though I have to admit the CBS is better as at Highfield road only the West End used to get behind them.

and Highfield Road was a terrible pitch, the stands had poor sight lines (the East stand was the last one built for professional football in England with cantilevered struts that obscured vision for some seats), but if you listen to many of our fans, we never lost at HR and everyone claims to have been in the West Terrace.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Getting to and from the CBS is awful compared to HR
As far as comparing the two I think had they been able to redevelop the main stand at HR substantially, join it to a revamped west stand and in doing so turn it into a 28,000 seater stadium it would have been fantastic.

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

Getting to and from the CBS is awful compared to HR
As far as comparing the two I think had they been able to redevelop the main stand at HR substantially and join it to a revamped west stand and in doing so turn it into a 28,000 seater stadium it would have been fantastic.

But it's a sh&t hole round there and no parking, you wouldn't of had the casino, hotel, exhibition hall or the concerts there which is what the owners wanted at the time to increase revenue

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

But it's a sh&t hole round there and no parking, you wouldn't of had the casino, hotel, exhibition hall or the concerts there which is what the owners wanted at the time to increase revenue

No parking round Highfield Road ? Really ?

Had they been able to replicate a 30,000 seater Arena similar to what they have built at the cbs but managed to shoe horn it in the Swan Lane area would you have moaned about it being in a poor area and the parking being so terrible ? .

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

When we heard the news of a new stadium being built did we all say " I hope they have a casino, exhibition hall etc " ? I don't think so.
As for being a shit hole round there, no old football ground is going to be in posh parts of a city. I didn't realise the CBS was in a decent part of Cov.
No parking round Highfield Road ? Really ?

The car park was a shitty little thing in the corner of the main stand. The new stadium was all about maximising revenues, Paul Fletcher at the time said the club can live off these. No I wasn't keen on moving but HR was so hemmed in there wasn't the room for big expansion.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

The car park was a shitty little thing in the corner of the main stand. The new stadium was all about maximising revenues, Paul Fletcher at the time said the club can live off these. No I wasn't keen on moving but HR was so hemmed in there wasn't the room for big expansion.

Most of us parked in the surrounding streets.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

I just wish the CBS was next to the city centre like HR. None of this edge of the city nonsense.

I think this is the only thing about HR that was better…but it’s a biggie for me. Getting to/from the CBS is an arse.

 

[wingy]

Went up about 5past 11 hit the 444 no trouble a bit of traffic first but strangely just disappeared after Gallagher island all the way to CBS Parked up about 20 past walked,made a mistake stopped for a drink outside, being retired I'm always up their an hour, hour and half before,moral of the story get arse up there if leisure time,stop trying to do it last minute,get in seats 30 mins in advance and watch,feel the build up.

 

[Sick Boy]

But it's a sh&t hole round there and no parking, you wouldn't of had the casino, hotel, exhibition hall or the concerts there which is what the owners wanted at the time to increase revenue

There was some street parking around the ground and loads of parking within 10 mins walk.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

There was some street parking around the ground and loads of parking within 10 mins walk.

There was loads of parking easier to get to from the rail station. Could even walk in 30 from there .

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

There was some street parking around the ground and loads of parking within 10 mins walk.

I was on about proper stadium parking, yes I know there was loads of on street parking

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

I think we needed to move to push on as Highfield Rd was so hemmed in. Like a lot of people I'm not keen on the location either, i would of preferred an old factory site closer to the City Centre, but it's where it is now and we going anywhere else anytime soon.

 

[Sick Boy]

There was loads of parking easier to get to from the rail station. Could even walk in 30 from there .

Yeah I rarely drove there anyway.

 

[SBbucks]

I was on about proper stadium parking, yes I know there was loads of on street parking

There wouldn’t be street parking now, there would likely be a 2 mile exclusion zone for non-residents.

 

[wingy]

There wouldn’t be street parking now, there would likely be a 2 mile exclusion zone for non-residents.

Shame the department responsible for restrictions don't enforce any!Round hereabouts.

 

[skybluericoh]

Most of us parked in the surrounding streets.

You would struggle to park in the surrounding streets now. My late in-laws lived round the corner, no matter when I/we visited parking was awful the last few years, far more parking options around the CBS. Granted, you could walk from town so public transportation was better at HR but driving there today would be far worse.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

You would struggle to park in the surrounding streets now. My late in-laws lived round the corner, no matter when I/we visited parking was awful the last few years, far more parking options around the CBS. Granted, you could walk from town so public transportation was better at HR but driving there today would be far worse.

I thought were talking about when HR was open. I mean 15 years ago there was no problem parking in my road where I lived in Islington but not now. If we are going down that road .

 

[skybluericoh]

I thought were talking about when HR was open. I mean 15 years ago there was no problem parking in my road where I lived in Islington but not now. If we are going down that road .

Yes get what you mean, but people remember how things were not how they might be now. If we had developed HR I think we would just different problems.

 

[M&B Stand]

There were plans for a 45,000-capacity stadium that was submitted and they are still available online, but there was never anything integrated into the design of the current stadium to increase capacity.

I doubt they would even consider anything on expansion, especially while netting off 2500-3000 seats every sold out game.
They could posibly invest in a kind of segregation barrier that some other clubs have.
Or sort the gantry out like someone said the other day. Utilise what’s there to the max. Pack it to the rafters.

 

[AJB1983]

Only thing about HR is that I wished my kids had known it - I speak about it a fair bit, how it was in the different stands in the concourse areas (you couldn’t really call them that in the west stand or main stand). The smell of an old football ground, the pokey little pie kiosks etc close to pitch.
Enjoyed the matchday experience - best time was when I did football courses at the sports centre - would have a fishy moores lunch with dad and then walk up from there. Or the Sydney Stringer Saturday Club, getting the bus to the game.

Ricoh/CBS for me location wise was perfect as I grew up/lived in Longford - 15 minute walk. I now go to my parents first and go from there.
feels much more like home now though - much nicer experience.

 

[clint van damme]

Anyone know (and I wouldn’t have believed, 3 years ago, that this question would ever be a serious one) what the options are for increasing the capacity at the CBS?

If we follow the Luton pattern (where we followed them up the league 1 year behind) we might well go up.

I’m sure we’ll sell out season tickets in the Prem.

Are BR’s original plans to put another tier on valid or did it get binned?

Would safe standing work?

If we fluke it to the Prem, the only way to ever be seen as a “big” club is to have a big stadium and big attendances.

Let's get a plan to sell the seats we have rather than the current model where the capacity seems to change from one game to the next.

 

[mmttww]

No need for a bigger ground until we've:

- got a waiting list for season tickets
- been selling out a home section of c. 29k for most games across more than one season
- been comfortable and established in the league above for three seasons or more

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

There were plans for a 45,000-capacity stadium that was submitted and they are still available online, but there was never anything integrated into the design of the current stadium to increase capacity.

Many moons ago, when we were promoted to the first division at the end of the 1960s they discussed plans to increase the capacity of HR to around 66,000 with, as far as I recall, a huge spion kop with standing for over 18k and a top tier for several thousand seated. I cannot imagine how that would be achieved given the close proximity of Swan Lane.

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

There was talk over the years of rotating the pitch 90° as well if remember correctly

 

[Adge]

I



I'd be very surprised, the cost alone would make it unfeasible. Like the BS some people actually believed about a ground at Warwick Uni when those Sisu lot were around.

Still surprised that Warwick University had their pants pulled down with that load of cobblers.

 

[Flying Fokker]

No need for a bigger ground until we've:

- got a waiting list for season tickets
- been selling out a home section of c. 29k for most games across more than one season
- been comfortable and established in the league above for three seasons or more

Build it and they will come…hold on a minute, wrong sport.

 

[Flying Fokker]

No need for a bigger ground until we've:

- got a waiting list for season tickets
- been selling out a home section of c. 29k for most games across more than one season
- been comfortable and established in the league above for three seasons or more

29k quite possible in the premier league. Agree with the 3 years delay.

The only way we’d increase capacity is by creating tiered stands or adding an extra 20 odd rows on three sides. Potential on north, south and east stands if they actually built the structure with that in mind.

Look at what S*** planned: a massive stadium with 17k capacity with potential to expand to 23k. Surprising how small minded they became due to years of struggle.

Design: Coventry City Stadium – StadiumDB.com

stadiumdb.com

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

29k quite possible in the premier league. Agree with the 3 years delay.

The only way we’d increase capacity is by creating tiered stands or adding an extra 20 odd rows on three sides. Potential on north, south and east stands if they actually built the structure with that in mind.

Let's just get it filled regularly with 29k home fans first, having a queue for tickets will be a better option as it keeps everyone on there toes

 

[Tommo1993]

Never left HR with my ears ringing. Ever. Maybe I was too late from the mid 90’s onwards.

Where would we put the rest of the fans after 23k anyway?!

 

[wingy]

You would struggle to park in the surrounding streets now. My late in-laws lived round the corner, no matter when I/we visited parking was awful the last few years, far more parking options around the CBS. Granted, you could walk from town so public transportation was better at HR but driving there today would be far worse.

Tbf if the locals were out Yeah but inconvience for 2-3 of machtime,far worse nowadays , absolute nightmare.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]