Champion Hill: Proposed Ground Redevelopment

[tonysingh]

Can we have this painted on the wall please?

Don't know if you were joking or not but I do think we should contact local graffiti artists, proper ones, and get them to bang out a mural in the new ground. Give them the history of the club and let them have at a blank wall.

 

[scousedom]

Don't know if you were joking or not but I do think we should contact local graffiti artists, proper ones, and get them to bang out a mural in the new ground. Give them the history of the club and let them have at a blank wall.

Yeah if only we knew someone who’s done a ton of boss work at the current ground and who knows loads about the past and present of the club already.

 

[Pink Panther]

I dont know if these are the latest proposals but the designs are here.

https://championhillproposals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Proposed-stadium-drawings.pdf

I cant quite work out if fans can walk in front of the main stand to change ends, or whether it needs to be done via the opposite side.

It's the set of 6 architect's plan drawings in the second of those links that are most relevant. The 3 dimensional artist's impression included in the other link might be more interesting to look at but it isn't very revealing. (That's the same impression that's been knocking around for several years since Meadow were still controlling the club's finances and before our period in exile.)

We were told the capacity would be 4,000, with potential to increase to 5,000. I'm not sure how such an increase could happen within the same footprint, but this criterion seems fairly elastic anyway. (The current ground has potential for quite a large increase in capacity if you extended the main stand towards the Greendale End and built up more steps of terracing elsewhere, but that's irrelevant now.)

The plans illustrate a main stand with 680 seats plus another 60 on a balcony for officials and press, which is almost a 50% increase on the present main stand's capacity. There are 7 steps of terracing running continuously around the other three sides of the ground with a 4 metre wide walkway around the top. Apart from the lack of cover this looks pretty much identical to the three terraced sides of Dartford's ground, therefore a significant upgrade on the current terracing in terms of sightlines for the majority. There are three blocks of three turnstiles, one either side of the main stand an a third in the south west corner accessible from the footpath running through to Greendale. I'm not really clear as to whether you can walk in front of the main stand during the game as the dugouts appear to be in that space, rather like the situation at Tooting.

I notice there are two squash courts included in the main stand complex. I thought the squash courts in the present ground were something of a white elephant? What is with our grounds needing to have squash courts! It always makes me think of Jonah Barrington throwing a strop and walking out of an edition of "Superstars" when he got disqualified from one event.

Once again the main stand complex is on three levels, which we were often told in the past is a design flaw with the current ground as it makes us liable for a greater amount of Council Tax, although I've never understood the reasoning behind this.

 

[tonysingh]

Yeah if only we knew someone who’s done a ton of boss work at the current ground and who knows loads about the past and present of the club already.

Sorry

 

[EDC]

What are the ends going to be called? Sainsbury's End, no way. The Mugger's Footpath End ?
?

 

[Pink Panther]

What are the ends going to be called? Sainsbury's End, no way. The Mugger's Footpath End ?
?

The North End and The South End? The Camberwell End and the Village End? We need to find out whether the previous ground on this site had names for the ends.

 

[sleaterkinney]

The blueberry bush end?.

 

[PartisanDulwich]

always preferred to be in the Car Wash end second half (sorry Mishi)

 

[PartisanDulwich]

Serious amount of work needs to go into to names of ends, stands, roads etc

 

[editor]

Serious amount of work needs to go into to names of ends, stands, roads etc

Mishi End. Has to be.

 

[tonysingh]

Mishi End. Has to be.

Aside form the fact he used to always say that stands and ends etc should be only named for players and managers...

 

[Cyclodunc]

Yeah if only we knew someone who’s done a ton of boss work at the current ground and who knows loads about the past and present of the club already.

That’s no reason not to. Community club etc.

 

[blueheaven]

It's the set of 6 architect's plan drawings in the second of those links that are most relevant. The 3 dimensional artist's impression included in the other link might be more interesting to look at but it isn't very revealing. (That's the same impression that's been knocking around for several years since Meadow were still controlling the club's finances and before our period in exile.)

We were told the capacity would be 4,000, with potential to increase to 5,000. I'm not sure how such an increase could happen within the same footprint, but this criterion seems fairly elastic anyway. (The current ground has potential for quite a large increase in capacity if you extended the main stand towards the Greendale End and built up more steps of terracing elsewhere, but that's irrelevant now.)

The plans illustrate a main stand with 680 seats plus another 60 on a balcony for officials and press, which is almost a 50% increase on the present main stand's capacity. There are 7 steps of terracing running continuously around the other three sides of the ground with a 4 metre wide walkway around the top. Apart from the lack of cover this looks pretty much identical to the three terraced sides of Dartford's ground, therefore a significant upgrade on the current terracing in terms of sightlines for the majority. There are three blocks of three turnstiles, one either side of the main stand an a third in the south west corner accessible from the footpath running through to Greendale. I'm not really clear as to whether you can walk in front of the main stand during the game as the dugouts appear to be in that space, rather like the situation at Tooting.

I notice there are two squash courts included in the main stand complex. I thought the squash courts in the present ground were something of a white elephant? What is with our grounds needing to have squash courts! It always makes me think of Jonah Barrington throwing a strop and walking out of an edition of "Superstars" when he got disqualified from one event.

Once again the main stand complex is on three levels, which we were often told in the past is a design flaw with the current ground as it makes us liable for a greater amount of Council Tax, although I've never understood the reasoning behind this.

Any idea if the main stand will be raised up like the current one is? (i.e. so the front row of seats are high above the dugouts, rather than at ground level?). I hope so, I think that improves the view from the stand a lot.

 

[Al Crane]

Any idea if the main stand will be raised up like the current one is? (i.e. so the front row of seats are high above the dugouts, rather than at ground level?). I hope so, I think that improves the view from the stand a lot.

Yes, it should be - see image attached.

 

[pompeydunc]

What are the ends going to be called? Sainsbury's End, no way. The Mugger's Footpath End ?
?

Low-flying bat End, Shit Blackberry bushes End, Councillor Seaton Stand, the bar is The Watering Hole, the toilets now the Peter Johns, so the terraced side has to be The Peter Johns Opposite.

 

[pompeydunc]

Put together a three minute (ish) match highlights of the five and half hour meeting...

 

[scousedom]

Low-flying bat End, Shit Blackberry bushes End, Councillor Seaton Stand, the bar is The Watering Hole, the toilets now the Peter Johns, so the terraced side has to be The Peter Johns Opposite.

A la train stations etc, what about a designated "This Is Not Your Meeting" Point?

 

[LiamA]

The blueberry bush end?.

Blackberries Opposite stand.

 

[editor]

Aside form the fact he used to always say that stands and ends etc should be only named for players and managers...

I've seen pictures of him in a Hamlet shirt. That's good enough for me.

But why not name the stage area in the bar after him?

 

[editor]

I'll meet you in the 'No Cover End.'

Oh wait, that's the majority of the ground.

 

[Taper]

Put together a three minute (ish) match highlights of the five and half hour meeting...

That is truly wonderful.

 

[not-bono-ever]

so meadows gamble paid off

 

[editor]

so meadows gamble paid off

Yep. They got what they wanted, and their fat wallets will soon be stuffed even fuller. I sincerely hope somewhere along the line, a big fat juicy bite of karma takes a mighty chunk out of their profiteering arses.

 

[Lucy Fur]

View attachment 224047

Love this, got to be a t-shirt, surely.

 

[PartisanDulwich]

Curva Tuscany

 

[PartisanDulwich]

So pleased we secured planning permission, that meeting could have gone anyway , and seemed to be slipping away at one point.
That said our team was fantastic
personally, it gives me no pleasure to have been effectively played by property speculators, who took a gamble, and while we undoubtedly taught them a lesson about the strength of community football when they tried a short cut to their goal, they ultimately got what they wanted and will make their millions.
It is now vital that we ensure they honour their side of the contract and we get the ground we deserve and demand.
We also have to do our best to ensure that this scheme does ensure Greendale is improved environmentally and the affordable (what ever that means) housing is delivered
I have no doubt that the failure to agree the plans this week, would have lead to years of wrangling, splits amongst the fans and ultimately the loss of the ground and club - as the property company held all the cards, a situation exacerbated by theCovid pandemic.
This is "Realpolitik" and not what we all might dream could happen, this is actually happening. Maybe one day, if DHFC was moving through the Leagues towards the Championship, we could buy Sainsbury's out and build a new stadium there. but until that dream is realised, I will honour those who made this new stadium possible.

 

[EDC]

Yes, it should be - see image attached.

Everyone is going to get soaked in there with that roof, the wind generally blows into it from the direction it’s facing.

 

[Al Crane]

Everyone is going to get soaked in there with that roof, the wind generally blows into it from the direction it’s facing.

We need that roof to protect the top few rows from being blinded by the sun...

 

[DulwichHammer]

Now that it is settled, I think we have come out of it not worse off, but not as well off as I would have hoped. Meadow have got what they want and will walk away with a big wad of cash. There will be no really affordable housing for the local community and I am sure it won't be long before those who buy flats on this settlement put up fences and security gates to keep local people out! The new "Get off my land" stand will never take the place of the toilets opposite stand and the pipistrelle and blackberry ends will not be the same as the car-wash and the other end (did we have a name for it or was it the car-wash opposite end?)! Anyway, it is done and, save being called in by the Mayor, the work should start soon pretty soon. Time will tell how duplicitous Meadow will be, but for now, our options are limited. Let's just celebrate the club's future for now and we can worry about all the other stuff when the building starts.

 

[MrFab_JP]

Is the pitch going to be 3G pitch, to allow for the agreed community use? Conceivably that would have to go should Dulwich ever make it into the Football League. ("only" a couple of promotions away). How would that work with the community use agreement.