Is It Time To Consider Moving Away From Field Mill?

[Conker]

Why would you give the whole of that side of the ground to away fans ?

If the demand was not there for the home fans, but was for the away fans? Like when we played Derby in the tinpot trophy and they sold out the north stand.

Flexibility to generate the most income.

[Richard Cranium]

IMO the best we can hope for is somehow a proper main stand is built in place of the Bish. How this would be achieved without losing some of the houses behind I don’t know. Incorporate the lot in, ticket office, club shop, decent bar and hospitality etc. Then in time sort the rest of the ground out.

You’d only need something identical to the QLE and North Stand to go down the West stand side and join the corners. Easy to dream when it’s not my money though

[CassellsCap]

If the north stand and quarry lane stands had been wider than the pitch we could get a couple more thousand in.

[HitchcocksShins]

Guess this is somewhat related, but has anyone else seen the absolute state of the drains outside the KBS entrance? Looks like they've been pouring oil and fat down it everyday for a good few years.

Gonna be an expensive issue to undo when the day inevitably comes. Proper AIDS.

[Suttonian]

Why would you give the whole of that side of the ground to away fans ?

On some of these threads it has been discussed about giving the North stand back to the home fans and putting away fans in Bishop Street, so I presumed it was a continuation of that.

Bishop Street used to have a capacity around 1100 so it wouldn't it be better to give that to away fans and have 1900 home fans in the North stand?

[cassellswasmagic]

Can they dig out the pitch a few feet lower. Then build back up with better draining aggregate etc. I’m no expert, so don’t know, regarding the pitch problems.
As for the stadium. At the time of the new stadium being built a lot of us said the whole pitch should’ve been moved maybe 20-30 yards westward. I personally would hate to move away to a new stadium. FM is our home and can be improved…just need a shed load of cash! As for capacity…12k is ideal.

[arsene wengers coat]

Can they dig out the pitch a few feet lower. Then build back up with better draining aggregate etc. I’m no expert, so don’t know, regarding the pitch problems.
As for the stadium. At the time of the new stadium being built a lot of us said the whole pitch should’ve been moved maybe 20-30 yards westward. I personally would hate to move away to a new stadium. FM is our home and can be improved…just need a shed load of cash! As for capacity…12k is ideal.

12k is not adequate.

12k is not adequate for this season when we.play Notts county.

Imagine we were in L1 with away teams capable of selling 4k away fans. And if we got to the Championship, away teams would sell 2k tickets weekly with a lot bringing up to 4k.

So on that basis we need to look at stats about home fans. I'd think we need 12k for this season and looking ahead maybe 16k-18k.

The town gets behind us when we do well.

So back to the question, should we think about moving? Fist we need to know what's achievable within the development opportunities we've got on site. can we get circa 7-10k more seats out of the current ground? That would need a new BS, north stand and QLE.

It's probably better to do all 3 at once and then match the cost against a new purpose built stadium elsewhere - what's the Code/Benefit analysis say?

I think we need to consider the BS in context of integration with the north and QLE expansion to get the numbers we need. I think both ends could be twice the size they are, so say 4k, Bishop could provide say 3k, and the corners from integration could do 2k. So 9k easy expansion I'd predict. We could also do with a new.shop and facilities in the QLE too.

The shop is marginally better than the old trailer we had.

[bobbystagsfan]

Can they dig out the pitch a few feet lower. Then build back up with better draining aggregate etc. I’m no expert, so don’t know, regarding the pitch problems.
As for the stadium. At the time of the new stadium being built a lot of us said the whole pitch should’ve been moved maybe 20-30 yards westward. I personally would hate to move away to a new stadium. FM is our home and can be improved…just need a shed load of cash! As for capacity…12k is ideal.

12k is not adequate.

12k is not adequate for this season when we.play Notts county.

Imagine we were in L1 with away teams capable of selling 4k away fans. And if we got to the Championship, away teams would sell 2k tickets weekly with a lot bringing up to 4k.

So on that basis we need to look at stats about home fans. I'd think we need 12k for this season and looking ahead maybe 16k-18k.

The town gets behind us when we do well.

So back to the question, should we think about moving? Fist we need to know what's achievable within the development opportunities we've got on site. can we get circa 7-10k more seats out of the current ground? That would need a new BS, north stand and QLE.

It's probably better to do all 3 at once and then match the cost against a new purpose built stadium elsewhere - what's the Code/Benefit analysis say?

I think we need to consider the BS in context of integration with the north and QLE expansion to get the numbers we need. I think both ends could be twice the size they are, so say 4k, Bishop could provide say 3k, and the corners from integration could do 2k. So 9k easy expansion I'd predict. We could also do with a new.shop and facilities in the QLE too.

The shop is marginally better than the old trailer we had.

They key words here are 'imagine we were in L1'

[Richard Cranium]

We don’t need an 18k capacity stadium and never will

[arsene wengers coat]

We don’t need an 18k capacity stadium and never will

Maybe not 18. That might be pushing it, but whenever a club sells out, it shows they could have sold more. So the ideal attendance would always be to have 1 spare ticket every game. Ie 1 below capacity, at a ticket price where if it was 50p more expensive, the customer wouldn't have bought it (from a hard nosed business perspective, the club probably shouldn't fleece it's fans like Wednesday do).

I would also say that we have a near 100% better attendance now (6696 this season) than we did in 2016 (3439). I'd also say that this could have been higher, had it not been restricted by the stadium capacity, Ie the number of sell outs where we could have sold more had we been able to.

This is also in L2.

On balance I reckon 15k is reasonable if we do ever want to get out of L2. So yeah, we need to look at how we can get to 15k Vs getting to 15k on a new site in a new purpose built stadium, and weigh up the benefits of each option.

I don't think for the benefit for 5-6k extra seats needed, the business case would stack up in favour of moving.

[cassellswasmagic]

Can they dig out the pitch a few feet lower. Then build back up with better draining aggregate etc. I’m no expert, so don’t know, regarding the pitch problems.
As for the stadium. At the time of the new stadium being built a lot of us said the whole pitch should’ve been moved maybe 20-30 yards westward. I personally would hate to move away to a new stadium. FM is our home and can be improved…just need a shed load of cash! As for capacity…12k is ideal.

12k is not adequate.

12k is not adequate for this season when we.play Notts county.

Imagine we were in L1 with away teams capable of selling 4k away fans. And if we got to the Championship, away teams would sell 2k tickets weekly with a lot bringing up to 4k.

So on that basis we need to look at stats about home fans. I'd think we need 12k for this season and looking ahead maybe 16k-18k.

The town gets behind us when we do well.

So back to the question, should we think about moving? Fist we need to know what's achievable within the development opportunities we've got on site. can we get circa 7-10k more seats out of the current ground? That would need a new BS, north stand and QLE.

It's probably better to do all 3 at once and then match the cost against a new purpose built stadium elsewhere - what's the Code/Benefit analysis say?

I think we need to consider the BS in context of integration with the north and QLE expansion to get the numbers we need. I think both ends could be twice the size they are, so say 4k, Bishop could provide say 3k, and the corners from integration could do 2k. So 9k easy expansion I'd predict. We could also do with a new.shop and facilities in the QLE too.

The shop is marginally better than the old trailer we had.

The trouble is AWC, I believe 12k will be ideal considering our possible future positioning within the pyramid. I think 16-18k would bust the club long term…I look at clubs with those sorts of capacities and they have thousands of empty seats. We’d definitely need to be in the Championship regularly to need a capacity that big. I’m sticking with 12k as I see at as reasonable given the size of our town and our history. AFC Bournemouth have it right imo. Or maybe 12k with room for an expansion of a few thousand more when we get to the premier league

[Tommy2d]

No, it's home.

I went to Man City vs Spurs the other day and felt so sorry for their fans, who have murals of Maine Road and memoirs all around the place. I'd hate to be in some soulless bowl without any of the references that I hold dear as a Stags fan.

I've often felt that for fans of other clubs who have had to move and hoped it would never be us.

I get the sentiment, but Field Mill has been crap ever since Haslam had control over the rebuild.

To really really sort out the drainage once & for all I think they would need to consider digging down 5 - 10 feet & raising the pitch a couple of feet. It would be a massive project.

As well as sitting on limestone & sandstone there is a band of clay that runs across parts of Mansfield about 3feet below the top soil which is totally impermiable.

I made a tongue in cheek comment about drainage at various Sunday League pitches in the area, but I suspect the clay band may be the reason why Field Mill despite being on a hill doesn't drain.

Doesn't the ground and all of that area sit on sandstone? Doesn't the sandstone seam run right through the town centre from Cauldwell Road through the Town Centre up to the railway bridge on Woodhouse Road and then as far out as Bilsthrope? I was told 20 years ago that, the clay is deeper than 3 feet more like 50 feet, they found that out when they built the underground water storage on Berry Hill years ago.

Looking at the geology / ground information from the land behind the north stand, there is a fairly thick band of clay close to the surface, the sandstone is beneath that, water won't drain throug hthe clay very quickly at all.

Without putting drains or similar right through the clay we're always going to have problems with the playing surface in winter despite the best efforts of improving the near surface drainage every summer.

https://api.bgs.ac.uk/sobi-scans/v1/bor ... ems/229841

https://api.bgs.ac.uk/sobi-scans/v1/bor ... ems/229839

[Dan]

IMO the best we can hope for is somehow a proper main stand is built in place of the Bish. How this would be achieved without losing some of the houses behind I don’t know. Incorporate the lot in, ticket office, club shop, decent bar and hospitality etc. Then in time sort the rest of the ground out.

You’d only need something identical to the QLE and North Stand to go down the West stand side and join the corners. Easy to dream when it’s not my money though

The stand at Macclesfield or Accrington would be ideal for us.

[victor A block]

I agree 12k would generally be enough. Of course there will be exceptions when we could exceed that in demand, but if you look at Meadow Lane which is no more than 50% full other than on 2 or 3 occasions thats a lot of permanent empty seats.

[Amberheart]

Can they dig out the pitch a few feet lower. Then build back up with better draining aggregate etc. I’m no expert, so don’t know, regarding the pitch problems.
As for the stadium. At the time of the new stadium being built a lot of us said the whole pitch should’ve been moved maybe 20-30 yards westward. I personally would hate to move away to a new stadium. FM is our home and can be improved…just need a shed load of cash! As for capacity…12k is ideal.

12k is not adequate.

12k is not adequate for this season when we.play Notts county.

Imagine we were in L1 with away teams capable of selling 4k away fans. And if we got to the Championship, away teams would sell 2k tickets weekly with a lot bringing up to 4k.

So on that basis we need to look at stats about home fans. I'd think we need 12k for this season and looking ahead maybe 16k-18k.

The town gets behind us when we do well.

So back to the question, should we think about moving? Fist we need to know what's achievable within the development opportunities we've got on site. can we get circa 7-10k more seats out of the current ground? That would need a new BS, north stand and QLE.

It's probably better to do all 3 at once and then match the cost against a new purpose built stadium elsewhere - what's the Code/Benefit analysis say?

I think we need to consider the BS in context of integration with the north and QLE expansion to get the numbers we need. I think both ends could be twice the size they are, so say 4k, Bishop could provide say 3k, and the corners from integration could do 2k. So 9k easy expansion I'd predict. We could also do with a new.shop and facilities in the QLE too.

The shop is marginally better than the old trailer we had.

They key words here are 'imagine we were in L1'

Been doing that for over 20 years

[bear 73]

Reading though all the comments on here the one fact that stands out is money needed on the Stadium and Pitch to move forward and a new stadium perhaps a bridge to far.
Events on the field have to move forward to keep the fans interested and build up the fan base, and player recruitment vital to stay competitive.
So where is the money coming from ,
The Radfords support the club and maintain league football in Mansfield, Stretching their budget to keep the club competitive in league 2.
The Bishop St stand stands empty , a ghost of the past, and while only two stands for home fans , it leaves us at a disadvantage to most clubs.
Stability is key, League 1 the next dream, and our ground can get us there, but the problem is money money money. and their is no billionaire here who wants to lose millions.
Building the Bish and keeping top players will stretch our finances, lets hope each year we progress up the league table , and improve the One Call.

[pemill]

A couple of postponed games a year and we need to move to a brand new stadium - only on Stagsnet and FB.

It's a good job JR & CR run the club otherwise we wouldn't exist, we'd be bankrupt.

JR has said on more than one occasion if we get to L1 he'll redevelop Bishop Street, let's hope NC doesn't mess it up this season and achieve project promotion.

[bigalstag1]

Notice that we are only 20 seats away from a sell out on Boxing day with 2 weeks to go. Nah, we don't need a new stand, do we?

[MansfieldMick]

Notice that we are only 20 seats away from a sell out on Boxing day with 2 weeks to go. Nah, we don't need a new stand, do we?

Lets hope Doncaster 3 days later follows suit. Great days to be a Stags fan and hopefully many more sell outs to follow.

[DoomMerchant]

A couple of postponed games a year and we need to move to a brand new stadium - only on Stagsnet and FB.

It's a good job JR & CR run the club otherwise we wouldn't exist, we'd be bankrupt.

JR has said on more than one occasion if we get to L1 he'll redevelop Bishop Street, let's hope NC doesn't mess it up this season and achieve project promotion.

Nobody has said "two games postponed, we need to move". It's about how Field Mill has been left behind by the demands of the modern game.

Let me point some things out that you've missed:
Stadium is a shambolic wreck that is both inadequate and crumbling.
We are looking at building a fourth stand that has been missing for decades.
The pitch clearly struggles every year because of the make-up of the ground beneath it.

Nobody is saying that we should move; the question is, would it be more beneficial in the long term to consider other options, instead of the inevitable outlay on a new stand, countless new pitches and the constant repairs to the current car crash of facilities?

[oldweststander]

I have to agree that other areas of the stadium need attention and, IMO, before a new Bishop St Stand is even considered.

The IG Stand roof leaks terribly, upper area seats are always wet after heavy rain.

The toilets are extremely poor and need revamping.

The food kiosks look shabby and unattractive to the purchaser.

The club shop would benefit from being larger, just in case they had something to sell other than what Castore decide to supply.

[HitchcocksShins]

A couple of postponed games a year and we need to move to a brand new stadium - only on Stagsnet and FB.

Calm down mate, just a thought exercise. Something to discuss while we haven't played a game in what feels like an eternity

[cassellswasmagic]

Can we get any financial help/grants for this type of work? All this work, plus a new Bish stand does seem to lead us away from the Mill.

[bear 73]

5 million to spend surplus, question do we spend it on the stadium or players, one or the other.
Me Stadium

[Sneag]

5 million to spend surplus, question do we spend it on the stadium or players, one or the other.
Me Stadium

Grants couldn't be spent on players. This isn't Chesterfield.