Had a walk up to the ground today, thoughts below ...
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Since I was in town I decided it'd be rude not to head down and have a look at the [more or less] finished article, especially since I can't make the open day on the 27th. Managed to get a little closer than I expected [technically trespassing as I was later to be told].
Arrived via the flyover and I have to say there can't be another stadium in the UK which has such an impressive approach. It was good to see there is finally something resembling a sign up facing the motorway, but why it isn't something larger and more obvious I don't know. The rumour was that they couldn't get planning permission for it but that just sounds like rubbish [if you can get permission for the stadium a sign isn't going to be a problem is it?] and it's not like it would be expensive by comparison to the whole development.
I jumped out at the front entrance just off Liverpool Way and was surprised to find that there's a public walkway around the site. First impression up close is that looks very professional and certainly projects the right image from this angle. The red club crests look particularly good and I like the general colour scheme. It's certainly more impressive than when you approach the main stand at the DW Stadium or Halliwell Jones. I couldn't help but feel though that getting to the stadium this way makes it feel very isolated coming from the rest of Salford, it pretty much feels like an out of town stadium even though it isn't really if you look at where the nearest communities are.
The public walkway led me straight on to the car park and after a quick chat with the onsite security I was able to snap a few photos on the proviso I didn't go inside the stadium itself. I managed to stick my head through the turnstile [which seem to be very similar to the public toilet turnstiles you get in major train stations ... slightly worrying given the stories that free entry was rife at The Willows] at the North West corner to get a glimpse inside. The in goal area seems to be quite big which is possibly linked to Sale moving in. Compared to my impressions of the West Stand (main) and certainly versus The Shed or North Stand at The Willows I think the terracing seems very shallow - I could only count about twelve rows of terracing as well - which suggests to me the viewing angles from here will be very poor, especially for those of us who resided towards the back of The Shed. Willows End Reds will probably be at home though. The tunnel under the stand didn't look to have been fully fitted out yet judging by some of the debris but what I could see suggested it'd be pretty drab like underneath the HJ or DW. No sign of anything resembling the famous player displays that Saints have added at their new place, but there's time yet I suppose [not that I think for a second anything like that will actually be added]. Also the terracing doesn't go as far back as the stand structure itself does as can be some on some of the photos released last week officially. Essentially the tunnel underneath is in fact behind rather than under the terracing. I can only imagine this is something to do with facilitating the Phase II or III building work [as if].
I couldn't see through the glass in to the Club Shop or Ticket area so nothing to report there. The South West corner is pretty much the same as the North West corner except you've got the pitches down there with by the look of it the changing facilities for these being behind the South Stand. I wasn't able to walk around the rest as it was sealed off and at that point one of the other security guards came over and told me I was trespassing and had to leave [the first one failed to mention this entirely ...].
I walked away with the feeling that the place does inspire a certain amount of civic pride as a Salfordian but still feels underwhelming as a Salford RLFC fan. I think the design of the stadium itself could turn out to be a real negative. It hasn't been mentioned so far but for me being able to walk all the way around The Willows was a huge part of the matchday experience - how many of us would go to see mates or relatives in other parts of the ground at half time or even just watch from a different spot now and again? I couldn't see whether or not there is a tunnel running under the West Stand suggesting access around the stadium once inside, but if that doesn't exist then I think it will really detract from matchdays. Add to this the fact that there will almost certainly not be any sort of supporters bar onsite and you have to wonder how this place will ever truly feel like home, and whether it will lead to a sort of breakup of the fan community if people spread out around the stadium. It could well end up being like OT where you see your mates before and after in the pub but not inside. I couldn't and still can't shake the feeling that going to COSS is ultimately not going to feel any different on an emotional level to going to the cinema. Perhaps this is the point when we stop being fans and start being customers. The fact there hasn't been any consultation with the fans throughout the entire design and building of the current version of the stadium doesn't really encourage me.
