I was watching the Liverpool v Walsall match (1984) the other day and noticed how the ‘dug outs’ were just that. Buckley’s head was level with the pitch and there was a bench with room for about 3/4 people. Obviously then we didn’t have half a team as substitutes but you realise how they’ve changed.
Knock the home and away changing rooms into one and the away side can get changed in the car park
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Got to remember that when Bescot was built you typically had …
11 players + 2 Subs
Manager, Assistant, Physio, Kit man, maybe a gk coach and a tactics board (did Kenny have tactics)
Now you have
11 players + 7 subs, plus an extra goalkeeper and anyone else doing the warm up to join in.
The support teams have more coaches. Extra physio / doctor on hand maybe massues._- throw in a big TV and a fridge or whatever fancy stuff they have
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Lots of facilities at Bescot illustrate the fact that much of the ground hasn’t changed since being built in 1990.
Fellows Park was apparently ramshackle and outdated but most of it had received some type of improvement since 1955 (I.e the same time lapse between Bescot’s construction and now).
It’s an expensive undertaking but it needs addressing even if in a very piecemeal way.
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At the risk of being berated by some - it’s often difficult when comparing
I’m not denying our changing rooms are a bit cramped and maybe fairly ‘basic’ but they aren’t that bad are they?
When I look at some of the grounds we play (to compare more generally) our facilities look pretty good on most levels and personally, Has anyone heard of away teams complaining (exc of the course the rare PL prima-donnas such as Chelsea?)
That said, if we’re gonna continue to commit to improve things (as we no doubt are under Trivela) should we remain focused on the fan experience in the ground not the player experience?? Sufficient and decent quality food and drink, improved toilet facilities and better, speedier service would be much more welcomed in my opinion….
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Are they much different to many teams in our league though, really? It hasn’t done us any harm this season.
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Bloody hell - don’t forget the 15 man bath!
Things have moved on haven’t they and not everything takes place in the player changing rooms….
Don’t we have treatment rooms for undertaking physio related stuff such as massages and light physical treatments?
Also, notwithstanding some tactical discussions will be needed during half time - doesn’t the more detailed tactical stuff take place in a pre-match, analysis sessions? This isn’t held in the changing room….
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@DanG_WFC this isn’t a criticism more advice. The mentality of “we are doing well do nothing” is a pitfall to be avoided. Think Dean Smith era where Mole and Co congratulated themselves on the Walsall way which soon morphed from The Dean Smth Walsall way to 6/7 years in Division 4.
Is it a priority for us I doubt it - getting out of Div4 is.
Who are likely to have better. Primarily whoever has a newer ground than us ? Donny, MK, Morecambe, Colchester. Then again the likes of Fleetwood, Salford etc have “redeveloped” grounds.
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We are doing things though, the locker, the overall match day experience. You can’t do it all within a couple of years. I’m sure they have many things on their list but they have to be prioritised. I totally get prioritising money making things such as the two mentioned. Increasing income will lead to other things being improved with less of an effect on the budget.
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Just to avoid any misinterpretation - I fully agree with your point but I did say the fan experience ‘in the ground’….
The development of the Locker has been fantastic and I’ve said many times on here that I believe it’s one of the statement things Trivela has done to signal their approach to improving the fan experience…
The in ground experience (to elaborate, I mainly refer to the corner kiosks and Poundland stand area) is still way short of what it should be…