Loirston chosen for new stadium

Aberdeen FC set to move

EXCLUSIVE

By Charlie Allan

 

Published: 03/04/2009

 

THE Evening Express can today reveal the preferred location for Aberdeen’s new community stadium.

 

The £38 million community facility, which will become home to Aberdeen FC, will be at Loirston Loch in the south of the city.

 

It follows a year-long series of feasibility studies to decide if the site at Nigg would be the best location for the stadium.

 

The report on the recommendation of the Nigg site will now go out to consultation and will be referred to the council’s policy and strategy committee on April 28.

 

A number of other potential sites across the city, including one at King’s Links, were examined by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen FC and it was decided all of them were unsuitable.

 

Aberdeen FC managing director Duncan Fraser, who is also a member of the Arena Project Advisory and Monitoring Board created to advise of the best site and stadium design, said: “These recommendations have still to be approved and at the appropriate time, there will be a full consultation process with fans.

 

“Their feedback will be important.â€

 

For more on this story, and an exclusive image of the new arena, pick up today’s Evening Express or check back later

i always said if Wiggy was going to invest any of his own money into Aberdeen he should give us a training complex.

good on ya Wiggy! if this actually happens i think it will be a fantastic step forward for the club and its youth system.

FFS fuck sake Milne!!!!!

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20100812/afc-lodge-arena-planning-application_2275060_2118783

 

Looks quite impressive in my opinion

Looks great on the fly through video:

http://backoffice.afc.co.uk/arena/flythrough.htm

Nice ...... let's get it started!

 

COYR!

Looks great on the fly through video:

http://backoffice.afc.co.uk/arena/flythrough.htm

 

Looks excellent on that! 

Do I remember them saying they were hoping to have it build by 2012?

Do I remember them saying they were hoping to have it build by 2012?

 

If they start now that's possible.

If they start now that's possible.

 

Still to secure funding as far as I'm aware.

It looks great..............  anyone else sceptical it will look anything like that?

It looks great..............  anyone else sceptical it will look anything like that?

 

Yes. I suspect it will look way cheaper than that.

 

I assume we have still not said where the money is coming from.

Not even going to bother with the finances.... 

 

From artists impressions it does look very good & I think I would be a major coup if AFC manages to get a new stadium like it... I am a bit sceptical that the finished article will be the same though. Some fairly major points however:

 

Transport... This has been done to death  - but the fact remains that unless you are driving up from the south, the stadium will be a major pain in the arse to get to & away from games.  For those that do drive from the south i don't fancy your chances finding a parking space close by....

 

Crowd segregation pre/post match....As with any out of town stadium - its a bowl with no 'fan channelling' streets away from it.  this won't be a problem for 9 out of the 11 teams that visit, but when the OF come to town it could be a different story.. Having been to the riverside a few time when Newcastle and Sunderland were visiting & witnessed the problems that occur when you have large groups of fans let loose in the same vicinity, i could see AFC's police bill for these fixtures rising..  Short of keeping away fans in I don't see a way round this, but even the 15 min dispersal time doesn't really do the job, people that want trouble will just hang about outside..

 

As an aside - a way for AFC to make an absolute killing money wise would be to build several bars around the stadium  - given the location I'd guess they'd be pretty popular & it would be a captive audience.

Not even going to bother with the finances.... 

 

From artists impressions it does look very good & I think I would be a major coup if AFC manages to get a new stadium like it... I am a bit sceptical that the finished article will be the same though. Some fairly major points however:

 

Transport... This has been done to death  - but the fact remains that unless you are driving up from the south, the stadium will be a major pain in the arse to get to & away from games.  For those that do drive from the south i don't fancy your chances finding a parking space close by....

 

Crowd segregation pre/post match....As with any out of town stadium - its a bowl with no 'fan channelling' streets away from it.  this won't be a problem for 9 out of the 11 teams that visit, but when the OF come to town it could be a different story.. Having been to the riverside a few time when Newcastle and Sunderland were visiting & witnessed the problems that occur when you have large groups of fans let loose in the same vicinity, i could see AFC's police bill for these fixtures rising..  Short of keeping away fans in I don't see a way round this, but even the 15 min dispersal time doesn't really do the job, people that want trouble will just hang about outside..

As an aside - a way for AFC to make an absolute killing money wise would be to build several bars around the stadium  - given the location I'd guess they'd be pretty popular & it would be a captive audience.

 

I would hope so - I've always said I would rather pour money for beers into the club than I would some shitty bar in the city. Even if it was a bit dearer.

Not even going to bother with the finances.... 

 

From artists impressions it does look very good & I think I would be a major coup if AFC manages to get a new stadium like it... I am a bit sceptical that the finished article will be the same though. Some fairly major points however:

 

Transport... This has been done to death  - but the fact remains that unless you are driving up from the south, the stadium will be a major pain in the arse to get to & away from games.  For those that do drive from the south i don't fancy your chances finding a parking space close by....

 

Crowd segregation pre/post match....As with any out of town stadium - its a bowl with no 'fan channelling' streets away from it.  this won't be a problem for 9 out of the 11 teams that visit, but when the OF come to town it could be a different story.. Having been to the riverside a few time when Newcastle and Sunderland were visiting & witnessed the problems that occur when you have large groups of fans let loose in the same vicinity, i could see AFC's police bill for these fixtures rising..  Short of keeping away fans in I don't see a way round this, but even the 15 min dispersal time doesn't really do the job, people that want trouble will just hang about outside..

 

As an aside - a way for AFC to make an absolute killing money wise would be to build several bars around the stadium  - given the location I'd guess they'd be pretty popular & it would be a captive audience.

 

 

I see what you're saying but then again if people want trouble they'll have it no matter how hard you try to prevent it. Keeping away fans in for 15 minutes is as much as we could stretch to doing I reckon.

Looks great on the fly through video:

http://backoffice.afc.co.uk/arena/flythrough.htm

 

That is pretty good 

I would hope so - I've always said I would rather pour money for beers into the club than I would some shitty bar in the city. Even if it was a bit dearer.

 

would it really be worth it for the club to do this though? Cost of building and furnishing it, cost of staffing, cost of rates/heating/lighting, cost of goods to sell... and it'll only be open once every two weeks on average, and shut during the whole of the summer.

They're already said they're building a supporters bar in the stadium, I saw it during the public consultation.  I hope they haven't changed that.

would it really be worth it for the club to do this though? Cost of building and furnishing it, cost of staffing, cost of rates/heating/lighting, cost of goods to sell... and it'll only be open once every two weeks on average, and shut during the whole of the summer.

 

I think there would be a return on it the season it opens.

I think there would be a return on it the season it opens.

 

The mark up would have to be hefty.

The mark up would have to be hefty.

 

 

You mean like the mark up on the shite they sell at the kiosks? I can't see a high mark up being a problem to AFC. The fans will probably still buy as they'll have next to no other options close to the ground.

The mark up would have to be hefty.

 

Possibly, I do think it would turn a profit eventually. Especially if there is internationals, concerts or rugby and stuff. £3 a beer or something. Doesn't need to be anything more than a couple of taps and a lot of space.

 

You mean like the mark up on the shite they sell at the kiosks?

 

No, because that isn't AFC who decide that.

I would imagine the Supporters Bar would be catered for by the same company doing the corporate hospitality and the food kiosks inside

Aye Penfold you're probably right. I can't help but feel the club could make more money if they handled everything like catering, hospitality and club shops themselves.

 

No, because that isn't AFC who decide that.

 

Aye I know but only because they gave the responsibility to someone else. It's the same idea though.

They'd still have problems of getting licences for anything outwith the stadium wouldn't they?  Can't see the authorities being too enamoured with the club actively encouraging folk to drink for hours before a match...you know how they see these things.