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Current state of the SOL and surrounding area.

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HoxtonMackem said:
I've not heard anything other than inaudible noises and 'haway the lads!' before kickoff for the last 5 years or so. Can't make out anything at half time or subs announcements at all.

Shambles the PA system. Surely a health and safety risk too if the crowded needed to be ordered to do anything in an emergency.

No offense to the bloke who is our PA announcer these days but the bloke we had for years at the end of Roker Park and the SOL right up until about 10(?) years ish ago was head and shoulders more clear than him and had a proper announcer voice. It's probably mainly due to the shocking state have fallen into mind.
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Eh!!! You haven't heard the music at half time last 2 games? It's ridiculous.
 
6inarow said:
They should bring that stall which is stationed outside on the corner of ALS inside the ground which sells everything on the loudspeaker for 1 pound and 1 pound 50 - its so funny and has got Pheonix nights written all over it. Would be great having it belting out on the stadium speakers
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Come and get your sweets n pop.
On offer til December.
Come and get your liquorice sticks
They’re long and black and slender.
 
Hyltons finest said:
Only issue I have is the size of the concourses. But that’s an expensive issue I imagine
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I remember the first season at the stadium standing in the concourse, I loved it but couldn’t help thinking the architects didn’t understand how much people drink before the match. The toilets are too small and concourse should have been 2 or 3 metres wider all the way round the stadium with more places to put a pint while you eat your pie. Can’t really see a complete solution. Maybe they could extend some parts of the concourse to ease bottlenecks.
 
Left Half said:
I remember the first season at the stadium standing in the concourse, I loved it but couldn’t help thinking the architects didn’t understand how much people drink before the match. The toilets are too small and concourse should have been 2 or 3 metres wider all the way round the stadium with more places to put a pint while you eat your pie. Can’t really see a complete solution. Maybe they could extend some parts of the concourse to ease bottlenecks.
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Agree.
Compared to the Prem Concourse where you can actually put your drink down and thus seems a bit more civilised there.
Shelves, tables and counters would just take up more valuable space down in the other concourses tho.
Imagine the crush if they actually sold nice food and beer ???
 
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Frankly people can scoff all they want but the one area a billionaire owner can invest in with impunity and no fear of sanction is the ground and facilities. Those facilities need upgraded to represent something approaching the 21st century. Pitch, concourses, bit of f***ing pride in the ground, licks of paint etc etc. If the owner doesn’t do it he’s a massive bellend. There I’ve said it 💪
 
Left Half said:
I remember the first season at the stadium standing in the concourse, I loved it but couldn’t help thinking the architects didn’t understand how much people drink before the match. The toilets are too small and concourse should have been 2 or 3 metres wider all the way round the stadium with more places to put a pint while you eat your pie. Can’t really see a complete solution. Maybe they could extend some parts of the concourse to ease bottlenecks.
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Wonder why it wasn't made a few yards wider, surely wouldn't have cost much more
 
Wearson said:
So will the finance team invite us to have a look at the accounts?
Maybe pop into the kitchens to check the recipes being used in hospitality?

Best let professionals do their jobs rather than fans.

There is something not right about this “walkabout”.
My guess is only a handful of things will be done.
Hopefully structural and safety issues will be first on the list, so why invite fans ?
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Facilities are not just about maintenance, there is user experience to consider which might inform how they are developed. Things might be to high, to low, to wide, to thin, to hot , to cold , to light, to dark ... you get the idea. Seeking to understand the customer ‘journey’ can never be a bad thing.
Roadhouse said:
Imo they should get rid of the TVs in the concourse. They all seem to be situated near an access tunnel, toilet or opposite a bar. It's hard enough getting about or forming queues without loads of people standing looking at the TVs right in the way.
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Really good point .. they are in high footfall areas. Where they actually there when stadium opened? I can’t recall
 
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Chewit said:
Facilities are not just about maintenance, there is user experience to consider which might inform how they are developed. Things might be to high, to low, to wide, to thin, to hot , to cold , to light, to dark ... you get the idea. Seeking to understand the customer ‘journey’ can never be a bad thing.
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I think you have rather high expectations of what is actually going to happen.

The only customer “journey” at the SoL is the one that starts on about 85 minutes 😂

And it’s “too” 👍🏻
 
Football Dinosaur said:
The flags need replacing but they were a good idea. Most of the signage went when Ellis "Americanised" the bars. Real shame. I'd give free labour to paint the concourses but the club don't seem bothered to date.
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A Friends of the SOL’ would be a good idea imho.

I’d quite happily give a Saturday morning or two voluntarily to do low skill maintainance jobs such as giving a lick of paint, litter pick, jet wash and tidy the surrounding area as I’m sure others would do.

Unfortunately all Davison is interested in is ailienating supporters at the moment not getting them onside sadly.
 
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6inarow said:
Did they do the walk round last week and decide what's priority to bring up to scratch? @Guinness Guzzler
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Yes mate. I didn't go on it but apparently it was quite positive, and hopefully the club will communicate a bit about it shortly.

One thing that I wasn't aware of is that apparently there's a facilities team every match, so if people find things that aren't working they can tell a steward who will inform the facilities team. How well it works I couldn't comment on mind, because like presumably about 99.99% of the support I didn't realise it was a thing!
 
Mboma said:
Just came up from 4 years in League One where clubs were struggling to keep the gas n leccy on due to no income and they weren't half the size of the SoL or had an academy to run.

These things are important, but its going to take time for this club to get back on its feet properly and folk are going to have to be patient.
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Fully agree. I think some forget we’ve been down amongst the dead men for 4 years living on scraps, it will take a while to get back on track off the field.
 
Guinness Guzzler said:
Yes mate. I didn't go on it but apparently it was quite positive, and hopefully the club will communicate a bit about it shortly.

One thing that I wasn't aware of is that apparently there's a facilities team every match, so if people find things that aren't working they can tell a steward who will inform the facilities team. How well it works I couldn't comment on mind, because like presumably about 99.99% of the support I didn't realise it was a thing!
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Don't they already know about the state of the toilets? 😀😃🙂 I hope Steve Davison looks into that one
 
Guinness Guzzler said:
Yes mate. I didn't go on it but apparently it was quite positive, and hopefully the club will communicate a bit about it shortly.

One thing that I wasn't aware of is that apparently there's a facilities team every match, so if people find things that aren't working they can tell a steward who will inform the facilities team. How well it works I couldn't comment on mind, because like presumably about 99.99% of the support I didn't realise it was a thing!
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Nice one, cheers mate
 
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