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Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 8:33 am**

Hiya Lads. Just heard in the last couple of days that if Blackpool are promoted that they are looking to play their home matches at the Reebok Stadium as apparently their ground capacity is unsuitable for the Premier League. I for one was looking forward to visiting Bloomfield Road - very disappointed with this decision :(

Any thoughts on this if correct?

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 8:48 am**

Surely it can't be as bad as Fratton Park?

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 8:58 am**

Havent they got scoffolded stands or something until they get their ground improvements finished? I would be inclined to speculate it's their unfinished work that the Prem are frowning at if anything, but what do I know?

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:00 am**

12,500 capacity? Not sure what the stage the development work is at but maybe the Prem money would allow them to accelerate that and get at least half the season at home?

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:26 am**

Dameerto wrote:Havent they got scoffolded stands or something until they get their ground improvements finished? I would be inclined to speculate it's their unfinished work that the Prem are frowning at if anything, but what do I know?

Logically I would agree with that.

I can't see that the PL would have any hard and fast rules as to what capacity any club MUST have in order to use their own ground in the league. They might prefer a certain capacity but I don't think they could demand one (at least not without themselves undertaking to assist clubs in increasing capacity etc).

They definitely would, however, be likely to stipulate some hard rules about facilities/standards/safety and, as set out above, those are much more likely to be the stumbling blocks

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:31 am**

yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:37 am**

MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

I thought they had to be all-seater for the Prem?

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:38 am**

MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

Provided those Welsh thugs don't bugger things up!

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:39 am**

Haz wrote:
MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

I thought they had to be all-seater for the Prem?

Fulham managed to get away with it for one season when they first came up!

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 9:57 am**

Craig B wrote:
Haz wrote:
MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

I thought they had to be all-seater for the Prem?

Fulham managed to get away with it for one season when they first came up!

Just tried to find some info, apparently your right they do have to be all seater (which Blackpools is) and have to comply with the 'safety of sports grounds act' 1975, but dont think there is a min requirement

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 10:01 am**

If needs be they can just bang up some Temporary seating on the empty side or make them bigger akin to the Gene Kelly stands.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 10:04 am**

MancMorino wrote:
Craig B wrote:
Haz wrote:
MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

I thought they had to be all-seater for the Prem?

Fulham managed to get away with it for one season when they first came up!

Just tried to find some info, apparently your right they do have to be all seater (which Blackpools is) and have to comply with the 'safety of sports grounds act' 1975, but dont think there is a min requirement

I think you have to become all-seater within 2 seasons of being promoted to the Championship. Fulham got back-to-back promotions, I think, so they still had a season left. Blackpool have been in the Championship for successive seasons since the mid-'90s, so they'll have already got it sorted.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 10:21 am**

I was in Blackpool recently and they have completed the third side of the ground. Not sure whether it's behind the goal or the temp seated area along the side that is the incomplete part of the ground.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 10:50 am**

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:I was in Blackpool recently and they have completed the third side of the ground. Not sure whether it's behind the goal or the temp seated area along the side that is the incomplete part of the ground.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 10:56 am**

BlueinBosnia wrote:
MancMorino wrote:
Craig B wrote:
Haz wrote:
MancMorino wrote:yea is b0llox mate, its just over 12k seater at the moment, only need 10k (with 7k seated) for the prem. However they would need to build a press section / medical area etc but you have something like 3 seasons to complete the work! So were off to Bloomy Rd :)

I thought they had to be all-seater for the Prem?

Fulham managed to get away with it for one season when they first came up!

Just tried to find some info, apparently your right they do have to be all seater (which Blackpools is) and have to comply with the 'safety of sports grounds act' 1975, but dont think there is a min requirement

I think you have to become all-seater within 2 seasons of being promoted to the Championship. Fulham got back-to-back promotions, I think, so they still had a season left. Blackpool have been in the Championship for successive seasons since the mid-'90s, so they'll have already got it sorted.

But they didn't though.. I remember it clearly because they were promoted as Champs of D2 with us winning the play-offs but they finished about 8th the following season when we were promoted finishing as runners-up that year. It was only the next season when they steam-rollered to the title and they've been up ever since. I remember them having at least one season playing at the old style Craven Cottage with terracing before they moved to Loftus Road for a while.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 11:41 am**

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:I was in Blackpool recently and they have completed the third side of the ground. Not sure whether it's behind the goal or the temp seated area along the side that is the incomplete part of the ground.

Yeah it's along the side that's the only part left to do now, from the outside the rest looks pretty smart

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 11:47 am**

Craig B wrote:
BlueinBosnia wrote:
MancMorino wrote:
Craig B wrote:
Fulham managed to get away with it for one season when they first came up!

Just tried to find some info, apparently your right they do have to be all seater (which Blackpools is) and have to comply with the 'safety of sports grounds act' 1975, but dont think there is a min requirement

I think you have to become all-seater within 2 seasons of being promoted to the Championship. Fulham got back-to-back promotions, I think, so they still had a season left. Blackpool have been in the Championship for successive seasons since the mid-'90s, so they'll have already got it sorted.

But they didn't though.. I remember it clearly because they were promoted as Champs of D2 with us winning the play-offs but they finished about 8th the following season when we were promoted finishing as runners-up that year. It was only the next season when they steam-rollered to the title and they've been up ever since. I remember them having at least one season playing at the old style Craven Cottage with terracing before they moved to Loftus Road for a while.

Sorry, it's 3 seasons you're allowed according to Wikipedia article on Craven Cottage. My bad.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 12:33 pm**

I think it might be more to do with loss of revenue with the relatively small capacity of the ground and the fact that they think that they would probably get another 10,000+ punters at the Reebok.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 2:12 pm**

Naa they should stay at Bloomfield, just charge an extra £10er a seat because the demand will be there.

It's not right that they play in Bolton, everyone wants an anyway day in Blackpool! It would give a town a huge weekly/fortnightly income boost during the mostly winter months of the football season.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2010 3:51 pm**

i want to go to blackpool, and it wont seem right, that blackpool will have more home fans then bolton

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