From Andrew Davies Thursday October 16 2003
Quite a few people have raised the issue of the stadium having scope for future expansion. Lets hope the planners and decision makers also have the same outlook.
If we are to be taken seriously in our attempts to become a major sporting city then we have to have a stadium that has the potential for hosting major events and this will include having the capacity to house in excess of 20,000 people at any one event.
Think of all the football & rugby matches that have large capacities but don’t fill the Millennium stadium, are we saying that we just want to hand these opportunities to that other team up the M4, bearing in mind as a city they already benefit from the income generated by the Millennium stadium and they are now planning to move to a new stadium.
20,000 is fine as a starting point however considering we are pulling in gates of between 8 & 10,000 at the moment in the lowest division in the football league and in a ground that has had no major funding for many years & whose facilities are awful, then the potential to outsell the projected capacity is there for everyone to see. people have always criticised the local council for their lack of forward thinking & planning, here is the opportunity for them to correct that.
As a footnote i think the new stadium should be called the “New Vetch” however our rugby tenants will prevent that from happening so as a second choice I would be happy for it to become “White Rock” stadium.
Keep up the good work on an excellent site.
From Lyn Carter Monday 13th October 2003 23:37
I write in response to the council’s decision to give the new stadium a working name (White rock). At the age of fourteen I left Swansea to live in Carmarthen with my parents because of my dads work commitments, the year was 1979. Since that time I have returned home on a weekly basis to see my family, friends and of course the SWANS. I have never seen myself anything other than a proud Jack and believe the council must get the stadium name right but more importantly the stadium itself. Councillor Bailey said that the stadium will not only promote football and rugby, I couldn’t agree more. I believe this stadium will unite the people of Swansea and west Wales into a sense of togetherness that will push football, rugby and more importantly Swansea on to greater things. I have seen many changes in Swansea in my life time, I believe that the new stadium will be the most important one yet.. That’s socially and sporting. I leave you with this thought, what ever the stadium is called, lets put our football and rugby teams back where they belong. TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT..
From Col P (Hull Fan) Thursday 2nd October 2003 7.34pm
I didn’t know the Swans were getting a new stadium, good luck with it. Is there an artists impression anywhere? Good game the other night, two good teams! Just read about the Hull fans sneaking in your end, I know for a fact that some got in the away end simply to get in as they couldn’t get in the home end. Hope that was the case.
From Lyn Carter Thursday 2nd October 2003 11.50am
I agree with Steve Holmes who wrote about standing areas at the new stadium..unfortunately standing areas are seen as a thing of the past and will never be incorporated into a new stadium in our life time.
Although there are many who would rather stand little notice is taken by the authorities who oversee such projects. This I feel is due to the so called safety regulations(RED TAPE). I find these regulations hard to understand as whenever I have been to an all-seater stadium I have stood to watch the match along with many others.. Standing at football matches is not a problem linked only to the lower divisions..Its seen as a problem even at Man Utd who have threatened legal action to some fans who continue to stand after all these years of Old Trafford becoming an all-seater stadium.
Long live the terraces…Sadly not…
From Jon Hammond Thursday 2nd October 2003 9.17am
Thoughts on Morfa – here’s a couple of small points. Have you been to/ seen the City of Manchester Stadium? Its looks fantastic because its just a sea of uniform light blue seats. No words or images picked out in different colours and I hope the Morfa is like that – I don’t want “Swans” or “Whites” or “SCFC” or anything like that. Plain black seats will be fine thanks. We know who we are, we don’t need reminding and on the basis of the noise we’ll make in there visitors won’t need telling either!
Secondly, and I think I’ve seen it somewhere else on the site, the idea of naming the stands after legends is a great idea.
I’ll sign off with a bit of personal trivia – for around 20 years my dad had a small civil engineering company in Swansea, called Marion Construction (based on the then Gas Board Industrial Estate, Samlet Road). As a family we had season tickets and the company did match ball sponsorship for a few years. Dad then upgraded and we had a smart yellow and blue sign, slap bang above the goal at the East stand end. For the 2 glorious years in the first division Marion were above the goal, so when I watch the videos and I see the sign (first seen on TV at the 5-1 home win on opening day) I have fantastic memories of the team, my home town and my family. One of my most treasured football possesions is a signed team picture, with the Marion sign behind the players – happy days!! (The sign had to go in year 3, I was told the club wanted too much for it!). The Vetch will always have a place in my heart and one day if I can afford it I will put a sign again, even though the company has long gone. For me, the Swans home should have a Marion sign – it just looks right!
From Steve Holmes Wednesday 1st October 2003 9.51am
Phil, as a North Bank regular for 30 years, and having only ever sat in the East Stand and Family Stand only once due to an inability to secure cup/play-off tickets, I am concerned that seated areas simply do not generate the same sort of atmosphere as standing areas. Whilst appreciating the safety issues of new stadiums, is there no way that a standing area can be incorporated whilst designed to modern safety standards? That aside, I agree with others that it is important that the stadium is designed with an increased capacity ability and that there should be sufficient investment in the surrounding infrastructure to ensure that the area does not come to a stand still on match/event days.
From Richard Sunday 28th September 2003 9.58am
I am delighted to see the stadium finally going ahead, but wanted to raise these two issues.
Firstly, (and optimistically), will there be provision for future expansion, including parking, transport infrastructure etc?
Secondly, Can it be arranged so that away fans occupy the Eastern end of the new stadium, therby ensuring that Swansea fans don’t spend season after season with rain, wind and blinding sunlight in their faces?
From Lyn Carter Saturday 27th September 2003 7.23pm
The reason I’m writing is to comment on the morfa stadium..I believe the stadium is vital for the future of the swans and Swansea’s chances of competing on a bigger stage.
Two stands of the new stadium need to be named after football legends such as Ivor Allchurch, John Charles, Robbie James, Mel Nurse etc..With the other two stands being named after local Rugby legends..
I would also like to ask your opinion on whether the local council could sell bricks which will form the first 6ft in height around the stadium. These can be engraved with the names of people wishing to part with..lets say £50 for the privilege.. The money raised could be used towards a sporting museum on the site of the stadium which I’m sure would be a great success.
From Gerard Duggan Friday 26th September 2003 7.42pm
I was showing some visitors from Crewe the Morfa project from the vantage point of Trwyddfa road and I/we were wondering if ‘they’ were thinking of re-opening the Landore train station or if there were any other arrangements to be made for visiting fans.
If so could you please let me know so I can re-gain some credibility with my friends.
From Matthew Parry Friday 26th September 2003 10.59am
if the next 2 seasons go perfectly according to plan – say we win the third this year with full Vetch’s a regular occurance and maybe a decent FA cup run, followed by promotion the following – is there no chance that this would encourage the planners to expand capacity durning building work – i see no reason why this wouldn’t be possible.
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