South Stand

[Oakham Pilgrim]

A very sensible post, Pete, as always. I agree. Given the all but terminal mess we were in some years back, I find it very difficult to be critical of where we find ourselves, on and off the pitch, when we could easily have ended up reforming in the South Lincs Fen League Div 3 (North). No new ground will ever be perfect. The school I taught at for many years went to a new build for my last 10 years. Those designing it (including me for the Music Dept) visited other schools that had done similar, learnt from them things they wish they'd done differently, but mistakes were still made, with limitations of finance inevitably leading to some. But, as with our stadium, give me what was new any day.

I'll give them an extra cheer for you this evening. UTP!

[Lee Newell]

I can remember standing at York Street for the meeting where it looked like we were losing our club. On that we can only have dreamed we would be in the position we are now. That is down to David Newton and his vision. Never forget that when we are tempted to grumble about certain aspects of the new stadium which some people don't like. There's always things we can nitpick about but things could have been far far worse.

Well said, when we think about what the realistic alternatives are we are very lucky to have the JCS,  far better than most stadiums at our level, no stadium anywhere is perfect. Only got to look at other new ground at our level Glocester recently rebuilt, Bishop Stortford newish built in '99 both make me think what we could have had if the chairman wanted to spend half as much, York some generic multi sports all seater not my idea of a good non league ground, Fylde hard to compare to as they feel like what Rushden were 20 odd years ago with chairman spending his millions until it's gone, we know what happened to them, will possibly end up like Rushden in a few years when the chairman has had enough, whereas JCS designed to sustain the club financially.

Remember the start of the 2020/21 season we ground shared with Gainsborough for a few weeks, imagine if that was a few years rather than weeks would really reduce the fan base with only 2 or 3 hundred going if results aren't good, with no fans allowed at the time easy to forget. Staying at YS not a realistic option either as not financially sustainable. Building the whole JCS must be running into 8 figures by the time the south stand is done, David Newton has done incredible to find that money and build what he has for a club that had no money or assets and not put debt on the club. Could have been less ambitious given how hard raising that amount of money must be and built a stadium that wasn't designed to EFL standards with a main stand half the size and north stand 6 steps high as per original plans. The issue of no segregation in main stand won't be an issue when south stand has been built as the new designed has some seats in there, and if we get a club that brings a big away following could then give them south + half of east, I imagine Scunthorpe will be first club to bring a big away following to JCS, with south not ready I should think they will get all of east.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Also important to note that that YS really was a bit of a dump by the end. Even if we owned it, it would have needed a major rebuild in the next 10 years and I'm not sure there was sufficient space for any redevelopment to have complied with modern safety regulations.

It's a futile debate anyway - Newton has said himself he didn't really want to leave YS but it simply wasn't a viable option. End of story.

[yam man]

Against Notts County I had to sit in the stand for the first time and have to agree the view is excellent. But I prefer to stand and as long as I'm physically able will continue at the top of the East stand despite not being able to see the far touchline.

[Dipdodah]

Against Notts County I had to sit in the stand for the first time and have to agree the view is excellent. But I prefer to stand and as long as I'm physically able will continue at the top of the East stand despite not being able to see the far touchline.

I'm afraid my time to move was this season.  The old legs expect a bit of comfort.

[oxo]

Of course we all want to see the stadium completed and it will be as promised, and yes the rerrace could be a little higher but come on we have a stadium the likes of which nobody could have dreamed of a few years ago.
Like others on here I was also at that desperate meeting and I was also at the press conference when David and Neil stepped in, when, being a sceptic I asked where the buuldozers were? and were they just another building firm getting what they could from the the club brought to its knees by the riff raff who had caused its demise? Well I just look around when I come to the games and the answer is there for me and all to see, a beautiful stadium that we and everyone with the club at heart have, and I for one will be eternally grateful. Things seem to be going the right way on the pitch so let us all get on with supporting our club home and away.  UTP.

[Dipdodah]

Well said Mel. Our hearts may still be at York street but our brains tell us it wouldn't work.
You are right it's a stadium to be proud of. The club has cast off the bad name it got under a previous tenure. All of that can be attributed to the Chairman.

[Pete Brooksbank]

The club has cast off the bad name it got under a previous tenure. All of that can be attributed to the Chairman.

Exactly, and I think another important point lost in amongst all this is that the path to self-sustainability is a painful one - it takes a long time, and we're still not there because the income streams from the south stand facilities aren't ready yet. But one thing's for sure - the revenues the club will have generated from a 2/3rds completed ground will be more than anything they've ever generated in their history, and we can finally look forward to a future where the club is not needing to be propped up by people like David Newton and, looking further back, the Malkinsons.

Would I like a bigger squad and more money spent on the team? Sure, what fan wouldn't? But first and foremost I only want us to spend what we can afford.

[nikko]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

[noughtyforties]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

Yeah, Football League to National League North for 13 seasons is certainly something.

I pinch myself too how its been allowed to drift to this extent that we're now firmly established as nothing more than a mid table regional league club.

Yours very self importantly......

[Cavalier]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

Yeah, Football League to National League North for 13 seasons is certainly something.

I pinch myself too how its been allowed to drift to this extent that we're now firmly established as nothing more than a mid table regional league club.

Yours very self importantly......

The only prediction I got right last night was you would be smug this morning!

[Pete Brooksbank]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

Yeah, Football League to National League North for 13 seasons is certainly something.

I pinch myself too how its been allowed to drift to this extent that we're now firmly established as nothing more than a mid table regional league club.

Yours very self importantly......

We couldn't afford to be in the FL, Andy! We never could. I would have thought that you of all people would recognise this but the last few years you seem to have got so frustrated with our lack of progress back from the brink it's been lost in the mists of time. At least now if we ever get back it will be properly and not as a Fylde-esque financial basket case and ticking time bomb.

That's why we nearly became AFC Boston

[noughtyforties]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

Yeah, Football League to National League North for 13 seasons is certainly something.

I pinch myself too how its been allowed to drift to this extent that we're now firmly established as nothing more than a mid table regional league club.

Yours very self importantly......

The only prediction I got right last night was you would be smug this morning!

Far from smug, I want a successful Boston Utd as much as the next person. Its so disappointing but utterly predictable that the team will get hopes up, get a top midweek gate in and absolutely fall flat on its face. Its become so its part of the clubs DNA.

But apathy has done for me, I genuinely can't see me ever attending as a regular again.

 

[noughtyforties]

Can't believe how some on here always need to have a moan about something.  Most supporters I have spoken to are very pleased with the stadium and thankful to the Chairman for making it happen.  Please be happy, life is too short to be miserable.

that's Boston for you....mainly those with an elevated sense of self importance......to think where we were to where we are now i have to pinch myself

Yeah, Football League to National League North for 13 seasons is certainly something.

I pinch myself too how its been allowed to drift to this extent that we're now firmly established as nothing more than a mid table regional league club.

Yours very self importantly......

We couldn't afford to be in the FL, Andy! We never could. I would have thought that you of all people would recognise this but the last few years you seem to have got so frustrated with our lack of progress back from the brink it's been lost in the mists of time. At least now if we ever get back it will be properly and not as a Fylde-esque financial basket case and ticking time bomb.

That's why we nearly became AFC Boston

Honestly Pete, I can't see this club getting back in The National League National, let alone the FL, which we all know is a step too far.......although once inferior clubs like Cheltenham,Accrington, Morecambe and Crawley to name a few seem to be making a good fist of things.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Honestly I share your frustration - but I don't share your pessimism about the future. Yes I know it seems we're always talking about the future rather than the present I but genuinely believe with a completed stadium we wouldn't just survive in the NL, we could thrive. Obviously a good cup run can accelerate the process!

So for getting there, we still don't know what this season holds - Kiddy were bang average for much of it and look what happened... (and York the season before, but I try not to talk about that).