Once the next six weeks have passed, the Swans will have played three games in their new stadium and the 2005/2006 season will be underway, hopefully with a Swans win and three points on the League One board.
We all know that just around the corner is a start to a new era. An era that will see the Vetch consigned firmly to the history books of a coloured past and a new 20,000 all seater stadia will officially be our new home.
26 days until the opening ceremony and there is no official name although we hear on the grapevine continually that it is coming but most have settled on the name White Rock and it will take some effort for that to be removed.
But as we enter that era then we have to accept that some things will change as the Swans finally get their 21st century home. Gone will be the days that you see in the picture at the top of the page of people getting grandstand views from the roof of a terraced house and gone will be some other things that may take some getting used to.
Debate has raged for months about the all seating aspect of the ground as well as the ‘I want to sit next to my mates’ debate. Such is the position we are in that the only way seemingly to guarantee the latter was a purchase of a season ticket. It is reported that anywhere between 6 and 8000 of these have been shifted in the seven weeks since we clinched promotion and whilst they are still available to purchase it is now off site plans only with the stadium closed to public viewings.
An alleged open day on 10th July is no longer happening and the next time any significant number of Swans fans are in the stadium will be 23 July when Fulham visit for Alan Curtis’ testimonial match which will follow the official opening ceremony.
And on that day expect some confusion very probably with most of it being over ‘should I stand or should I sit’ We are yet to hear from the club on the official ruling on this but the general opinion appears to be that it’s an all seater stadia so sit down. Of course they have to make allowances for standing when there is goalmouth action but I have a sneaky suspicion that there may be a hard line taken on those that constantly want to stand. Many stated that they believed that unreserved seating would solve this problem but there is a world of difference between unreserved seating and a standing area. Unreserved seating basically means you can sit where you want – the key word being seating I suspect.
Now many have, and rightly so, pointed out that when the Swans have travelled in numbers to all seater stadia – standing in the support has been common place. West Ham, Reading and Bury spring instantly to mind but of course there are more. Does that mean it will happen at White Rock? Only time will tell but lets also not forget that we have seen the safety committee in action before and although we know it can be a threat would it be any surprise to see them reduce capacity for standing. After all they used to if you stood on yellow lines?
That aside if you are in an area where someone complains because you are standing do you have a leg to stand on (pardon the pun) if the stewards ask you to sit down? Indeed could you even be thrown out of the ground if you refuse to sit down? These are questions that we do not know the answer to.
It’s going to be a strange few months inside the new stadium as people get used to the change of surroundings. I cannot imagine even now what it will be like watching from my seat in the East Stand compared to that I had in the centre stand. It will be strange, very strange, but at the same time I am getting like the kid at Christmas. It’s counting the days until we open this new era. I loved the Vetch but it was past it and as I have said countless times this is the progression the club needed. Season ticket sales are up and does anyone believe we would have sold as many as we have at the Vetch? Not me.
There are mistakes – we know there are – but this is the future – let’s embrace it?
