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Post by station on Jul 27, 2018 12:05:19 GMT
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Post by station on Jul 27, 2018 12:09:34 GMT
New Bristol Rovers CEO says new stadium "still on the agenda"
By Tom Walker 26 Jul 2018
The club has been looking to move away from the ageing Memorial Stadium since 2006
The current works aren't an indication that plans for a new stadium have been dumped.
– Martyn Starnes
New Bristol Rovers CEO Martyn Starnes has confirmed that the club still plans to move into a new stadium.
Speaking to local press, Starnes said that while Rovers are currently undertaking renovation works at its Memorial Stadium, the works aren't part of a long-term plan to upgrade the stadium – but rather "necessary maintenance works".
The club has been looking to move away from the ageing Memorial Stadium since 2006, but advanced plans to build a £40m venue – developed in partnership with the University of Western England (UWE) – collapsed in August 2017.
Following the cancellation of the plans, Rovers owner Wael Al-Qadi suggested that the club might have to look at abandoning hope of a new stadium – and instead redevelop its existing home.
Starnes, however, said that the current works aren't an indication that plans for a new stadium have been dumped.
Starnes joined Rovers this summer from League One rivals Plymouth Arqyle.
Bristol Rovers Martyn Starnes |
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pirate
Forum Legend
Posts: 18,765 
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Post by pirate on Jul 27, 2018 12:16:30 GMT
Their seems to be some confusion here.
Back in February the Bristol post reported Al Qadi would be "rebuilding the Memorial Stadium stand by stand."
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Post by yatetown85 on Jul 27, 2018 12:19:50 GMT
Is there more to this interview, or was that it?
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Post by peterparker on Jul 27, 2018 12:20:36 GMT
Whilst I aim to be positive, there are no actual quotes from Mr Starnes saying that
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Post by singupgas on Jul 27, 2018 12:24:34 GMT
Their seems to be some confusion here. Back in February the Bristol post reported Al Qadi would be "rebuilding the Memorial Stadium stand by stand." AS Darrell would say, we go again... This is welcomed news though, we all know the Mem rebuild is not realistic as the site is so small. Could never get a 20k seater stadium on the plot. I am happy just to sit tight now though and hopefully enjoy the season ahead, with the hope we do get confirmation with plan and all that we will be building a stadium. |
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Post by Jomo on Jul 27, 2018 12:28:00 GMT
This is just regurgitating what was said in his first and only statement thus far, on his first day. It in no way implies that we are going to be moving to a new stadium. Every option is still open, including full scale renovation of the Mem. I can't stand it when journalist's only use certain parts of an interview/statement, in order to sensationalise an article.
Nothing to see here.
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pirate
Forum Legend
Posts: 18,765
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Post by pirate on Jul 27, 2018 12:28:08 GMT
Their seems to be some confusion here. Back in February the Bristol post reported Al Qadi would be "rebuilding the Memorial Stadium stand by stand." AS Darrell would say, we go again... This is welcomed news though, we all know the Mem rebuild is not realistic as the site is so small. Could never get a 20k seater stadium on the plot. I am happy just to sit tight now though and hopefully enjoy the season ahead, with the hope we do get confirmation with plan and all that we will be building a stadium. But, Al Qadi said we would be rebuilding the Mem "stand by stand." I don't think this latest article is correct. “We have a beautiful piece of land here at the Mem,” Al-Qadi said. “There were two planning permissions in the past for building and regenerating the Mem, it’s always been our fall-back plan. “Now it’s just regrouping and taking account of all issues that are needed to get this project – regenerating the Mem – up and running.” |
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Post by matealotblue on Jul 27, 2018 12:31:34 GMT
Whilst I aim to be positive, there are no actual quotes from Mr Starnes saying that Whilst I aim to be positive I dread the thought of another 15-20+ pages going round in circles with the same points made over and over again as they have been previously on similar threads. For me, unless and until some substantial unequivocal statement is made and contracts signed (watertight ones😀) then I refuse to believe any of this. But of course you are all free to believe whatever you like. 50+ years of supporting this club has taught me to caution on these matters. |
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Marshy
Proper Gas
Posts: 14,130
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Post by Marshy on Jul 27, 2018 12:32:34 GMT
Ah yes, here we go again another 30+ pages of absolute bollocks!
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Post by faggotygas on Jul 27, 2018 12:37:04 GMT
Well that's me confused
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Post by simon1883 on Jul 27, 2018 12:40:34 GMT
I don't think there is harm in having a look at a new stadium whilst developing the existing one. Remember that all the current mods to the stadium have been assessed as cost neutral. All they are doing is improving the match day experience. If you think about it, we have the design for UWE - we paid for that so it is ours to use as we please. We can easily use this as an initial indication of what we want when talkling to councils etc about sites.
With regards to the mem being upgraded, again we have designs that have been previously accepted so we dont have masses of ground work to cover i guess?
Exploring both options in parallel is the right thing to do. Plus WAQ saying we are now developing the Mem means that people will turn their attention to that and away from the new ground issues leaving them to do things under the radar.
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Post by singupgas on Jul 27, 2018 12:43:48 GMT
How long can the board get away without there being real evidence of plans though.
Like someone said on another thread it's been 200 something days since we were told plans were to be submitted for the training ground.
Surely patience is going to be run out if we don't get anything by end of the year and serious questions will have to be asked.
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Post by lastminutewinner on Jul 27, 2018 12:44:09 GMT
Never going to happen, but they have got to keep the natives happy with sound bites I suppose, evolution not revolution...la la la
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Post by cj on Jul 27, 2018 12:48:23 GMT
The Bristol Post had an interview with Starnes as he joined us. It was posted on this forum at the time. This thread is just repeated what was said back then!
Here are the bits he said abut the Mem. Talking about the facilities. The new CEO has put the record straight about the Memorial Stadium development work. Widespread confusion reigns over the Bristol Rovers stadium plans following the collapse of their deal to build a new ground in partnership with UWE last August. However Starnes has gone some way to clarifying the club’s short term strategy and how the recent renovations at the Memorial Stadium fit into the grand plan. He only started his new role at Rovers last Monday, while building work has been taking place since early May to the main club bar, the shop, the pitch and have created a new small canopied family stand with seating. Starnes said: “I had no material input in the projects before arriving because Tom Gorringe, our commercial director, had already set sail with those, which I was very supportive of. So when he showed me around after I had been offered the job, the plans had already been drawn up but the work had not started. And I thought this is very good and the right way to go so I was very supportive and pleased with what has been done so far and there is more to do.”After the proposed stadium move fell through last summer, club president Wael Al-Qadi said if a new location could not be secured, a plan to develop the Mem "stand by stand" would be drawn up. With some of the most significant building projects for years currently underway at the Mem this summer, many questioned whether this was indeed the first step to that second option. However, Starnes has put the record straight about Rovers plans. He explained: “The work going on at the Mem right now is not the discussed development of the stadium. This is to try and improve what we have got while we try to develop a long-term plan. We are investing in this stadium in the interim, in a relatively small way, to hopefully try and make some major improvements for fans. So it is a relatively small investment to get a good return in terms of match day experience. I think quite understandably previous owners have said we are not going to spend any money on the stadium because we are going to move, and they were much further down the line I guess with Sainsbury's and the student lets projects, but all those have fallen through. We decided you can only wait so long before doing some basic maintenance and improvements and a decision was made prior to me joining, that now is the time to bite the bullet and certainly make some improvements. The sort of things that we are doing now, to improve the shop, to improve the bar, there is a little more of that to do, a small stand, but there is nothing major at the moment." |
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Post by 84gas on Jul 27, 2018 12:52:16 GMT
I think it’s our next project...
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Post by Henbury Gas on Jul 27, 2018 13:00:00 GMT
AS Darrell would say, we go again... This is welcomed news though, we all know the Mem rebuild is not realistic as the site is so small. Could never get a 20k seater stadium on the plot. I am happy just to sit tight now though and hopefully enjoy the season ahead, with the hope we do get confirmation with plan and all that we will be building a stadium. But, Al Qadi said we would be rebuilding the Mem "stand by stand." I don't think this latest article is correct. “We have a beautiful piece of land here at the Mem,” Al-Qadi said. “There were two planning permissions in the past for building and regenerating the Mem, it’s always been our fall-back plan. “Now it’s just regrouping and taking account of all issues that are needed to get this project – regenerating the Mem – up and running.” Don't always believe what you read..........  |
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Post by baggins on Jul 27, 2018 13:07:13 GMT
Ah yes, here we go again another 30+ pages of absolute bollocks! Let's make something up. |
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Post by Henbury Gas on Jul 27, 2018 13:15:04 GMT
Ah yes, here we go again another 30+ pages of absolute bollocks! Let's make something up. Baggy is a sex toy for younger woman |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2018 13:16:37 GMT
Does the head know what the arse is up to (or whatever that phrase is) at Rovers?
Wael comes out and says the plan is a Mem redevelopment, we rip out and refit the shop and bar, stick up some new stands and now there's some interview out of nowhere in *squints* Sports Management saying we're looking at a new stadium? Why isn't this through the official channels?
Sorry I got perilously close to a meltdown there.
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