by tomogull » 05 Jun 2014, 12:01
EddUK12 wrote:if i rember rightly city spent loads of money on the training ground and youth system 'investing for the future'. things like a car park at the traing ground etc
It's easy and good fun at times to come on here and bitch about other clubs but the fact is Argyle, City and us need each other. Next season, we miss out on four local derbies and Argyle and City miss out on two each. This affects the clubs' income of course. As for comparisons with City, as EDDUK has posted, they have invested heavily in their youth structure and it is proving successful as shown by the number of players last season who had come up through their youth ranks. They tailed off after Christmas but with that experience, they will come back stronger next season. Steve Perryman is a good guy and has been great for them - I wish we had a Steve Perryman-type at Plainmoor.
As for comparisons between their ground and Plainmoor - I have been told by a former professional that the playing surface at St James Park is one of the best, if not the best, in Div 2. They have seating on two sides of the ground (okay, the Grandstand on one side is past it's sell by date), their Big Bank is much better than our Family Stand with its cramped seating and I know this is sacrilege, but in my view their 'new' stand (several years old now) is a better design than our Bristow's Bench. For a league side, their away end is appalling of course, but if you aint got the money ...... it comes down to do you spend on the team, or the ground? There are those who would say that's where our Board went wrong last season.
As for Bristow's Bench, although I've never sat in it, I don't like it. There, I've said it ! I thought I would get used to it but I haven't. In my view, it's too high and seems to overshadow and dominate the whole ground. A stand like Exeter's or Cheltenham's would have been more appropriate at Plainmoor I think. There - I've opened a whole new can of worms !!!!
[quote="EddUK12"]if i rember rightly city spent loads of money on the training ground and youth system 'investing for the future'. things like a car park at the traing ground etc[/quote]
It's easy and good fun at times to come on here and bitch about other clubs but the fact is Argyle, City and us need each other. Next season, we miss out on four local derbies and Argyle and City miss out on two each. This affects the clubs' income of course. As for comparisons with City, as EDDUK has posted, they have invested heavily in their youth structure and it is proving successful as shown by the number of players last season who had come up through their youth ranks. They tailed off after Christmas but with that experience, they will come back stronger next season. Steve Perryman is a good guy and has been great for them - I wish we had a Steve Perryman-type at Plainmoor.
As for comparisons between their ground and Plainmoor - I have been told by a former professional that the playing surface at St James Park is one of the best, if not the best, in Div 2. They have seating on two sides of the ground (okay, the Grandstand on one side is past it's sell by date), their Big Bank is much better than our Family Stand with its cramped seating and I know this is sacrilege, but in my view their 'new' stand (several years old now) is a better design than our Bristow's Bench. For a league side, their away end is appalling of course, but if you aint got the money ...... it comes down to do you spend on the team, or the ground? There are those who would say that's where our Board went wrong last season.
As for Bristow's Bench, although I've never sat in it, I don't like it. There, I've said it ! I thought I would get used to it but I haven't. In my view, it's too high and seems to overshadow and dominate the whole ground. A stand like Exeter's or Cheltenham's would have been more appropriate at Plainmoor I think. There - I've opened a whole new can of worms !!!! :clown: :clown: :clown:
