South Stand

[htafcokay]

May 28, 2024 10:15:53 GMT 1 Ginger Ogre said:

As many have said, at the moment its a pointless debate as there isn't enough demand within the stadium to make it worthwhile.

It’s something that has been debated to death on here, and with the club on multiple occasions by various fan groups and splitting the South Stand has come out as being the best option to please all parties.

There is also a lot more to consider than simply HTFC deciding on the where the away fans sit. There is all sorts of red tape involved. For example
- The minimum ticket allocation that Huddersfield Town has to offer away clubs in line with Football League regulation 34.2.1 is 2,000 or 10% of the capacity; whichever figure is lower.
- The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26, states that "away fans must have access to their own segregated set of toilet and concourse facilities".
- The current John Smith’s Stadium safety certificate stipulates that away fans enter and leave the site via the south end of the ground.

If the South Stand was an area for home fans alone, it would necessitate compliance with all of the above. The Club would have to ensure it meets the above and then put in a proposal to the Stadium’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to do so. If the SAG agreed, the Safety Certificate will then be changed.

As above, this is something that has been discussed with the club on many occasions. For those of you who may now have seen it before, below are the options that have been considered before and reasons as to why they are not feasible back in 2014.

RIVERSIDE STAND
As things stand, no toilet and concourse facilities exist in this stand that could be segregated as per The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26; there is access from the Upper Tier seating to the Lower Tier and vice versa, which would contravene The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26 in terms of housing away fans. In the current setup, this stand is NOT an option for away fans.

On 21 October 1998, Sunderland FC was given dispensation to bring additional away fans to sit in the Direct Golf UK Stand. In practise this did not work and was not considered for a repeat.

In theory this stand could be modified to comply with this regulation, but this would require rebuilding work. This would need permission from Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL) and money to fund it.


NORTH STAND
The John Smith’s Stadium was designed to have away fans in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand, which is why that stand has a purpose-built coach park behind it – to allow for the direct and safe arrival and departure of travelling fans. This minimises interaction and crossover with home fans going in different directions.

As things stand, space for a coach park does not exist behind the Fantastic Media Stand – the weight limit on the bridge over to the Town Avenue car park does not permit a coach to travel over it – so it is NOT an option currently.

In theory this could again be changed, but this would require coach parking at the North End. This would need planning permission, permission from the other partners on site, the SAG and then KSDL, as well as cash to fund it.


KILNER BANK – BLOCKS 7, 8, 9 & 10
The Kilner Bank was the original location for away fans in 1994 for a short period before the South Stand was completed.

The south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand complies with all three necessities for away fans at the John Smith’s Stadium detailed above regarding capacity, segregation requirement and access.
- Capacity; with away fans in the South end, the Britannia Rescue Stand would house approximately 3,779 home fans and 2,554 away fans, with a 1,000 (one entire block (6)) segregation requested by the SAG. In the 2013/14 campaign, there were 4,562 Huddersfield Town Season Card holders in the Britannia Rescue Stand, meaning that a permanent move for away fans into this stand will mean displacing a large number of home fans; around 3,000 currently sit in the south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand, a large proportion of which have sat in that area since the John Smith’s Stadium was built.
Allocating such a large chunk of the BR would inevitably mean displacing a substantial number of Town fans who have been settled in that area, probably since the stadium was built
- The south end of the stand can be segregated via the blue central concourse doors, giving away fans access to their own set of concourse facilities including toilets.
- The away supporters would still exit via the south end of the ground as they currently do, allowing access to the existing coach park.

Of all the options this is, in theory, the one with the fewest issues, although it would be the most emotive and still very challenging to even try.


CLUB CONCLUSION
Moving away fans permanently to allow home fans to sit in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand presents very significant problems under all the options in terms of logistics, safety and management and could have a significant impact and challenges to the long-term development of site.

The explanation above has not taken the full array of financial implications into account, which would of course also have a further bearing on the decision.

And they pissed off many Town fans in the process.

[four4two]

This will never happen. Logistically it’s a nightmare on so many fronts.

[Gag N Bone Man]

couldn't care less

[nicovaesen]

Currently the noise isn’t like it has been has a lot to do with the shitshow on and off the field of the past five seasons minus the CC playoff final but since the cowshed was reintroduced and out next to the away fans we’ve created amongst the best atmospheres since the stadiums been built. Some will argue this was lightning in a bottle moment with the arrival of herr wagner and all but we are capable of creating great atmospheres with the brilliant work from the cowshed loyal lads and lasses working tirelessly to do so. Don’t change it just give us a club to cheer for. I’m feeling confident we are in the right hands and people are trying to bring about change for the better. UTT

[nicovaesen]

I also hated teams coming and completely taking over the atmosphere of the stadium by filling the south stand just fir revenue.

[rougeboy31]

May 28, 2024 12:19:23 GMT 1 nicovaesen said:

I also hated teams coming and completely taking over the atmosphere of the stadium by filling the south stand just fir revenue.

Still happened plenty of times regardless. I think it’s better for our atmosphere but one of the issues the south stand has caused is a slight rift between fans. Hasn’t happened as much recently for obvious reasons but it did feel at one point like the club and players were way more bothered by that small section than the rest of the ground.

[overtonterrierspirit]

May 28, 2024 12:19:23 GMT 1 nicovaesen said:

I also hated teams coming and completely taking over the atmosphere of the stadium by filling the south stand just fir revenue.

Totally agree.
We should never go out of our way to assist the opposition.
It’s crazy having that entire end full of away fans giving our opponents an atmosphere similar to a home game.
You don’t see this anywhere else, where away supporters are often provided with the most uncomfortable viewing areas possible.

[Christ in Shades (art)]

May 28, 2024 10:15:53 GMT 1 Ginger Ogre said:

As many have said, at the moment its a pointless debate as there isn't enough demand within the stadium to make it worthwhile.

It’s something that has been debated to death on here, and with the club on multiple occasions by various fan groups and splitting the South Stand has come out as being the best option to please all parties.

There is also a lot more to consider than simply HTFC deciding on the where the away fans sit. There is all sorts of red tape involved. For example
- The minimum ticket allocation that Huddersfield Town has to offer away clubs in line with Football League regulation 34.2.1 is 2,000 or 10% of the capacity; whichever figure is lower.
- The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26, states that "away fans must have access to their own segregated set of toilet and concourse facilities".
- The current John Smith’s Stadium safety certificate stipulates that away fans enter and leave the site via the south end of the ground.

If the South Stand was an area for home fans alone, it would necessitate compliance with all of the above. The Club would have to ensure it meets the above and then put in a proposal to the Stadium’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to do so. If the SAG agreed, the Safety Certificate will then be changed.

As above, this is something that has been discussed with the club on many occasions. For those of you who may now have seen it before, below are the options that have been considered before and reasons as to why they are not feasible back in 2014.

RIVERSIDE STAND
As things stand, no toilet and concourse facilities exist in this stand that could be segregated as per The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26; there is access from the Upper Tier seating to the Lower Tier and vice versa, which would contravene The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26 in terms of housing away fans. In the current setup, this stand is NOT an option for away fans.

On 21 October 1998, Sunderland FC was given dispensation to bring additional away fans to sit in the Direct Golf UK Stand. In practise this did not work and was not considered for a repeat.

In theory this stand could be modified to comply with this regulation, but this would require rebuilding work. This would need permission from Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL) and money to fund it.


NORTH STAND
The John Smith’s Stadium was designed to have away fans in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand, which is why that stand has a purpose-built coach park behind it – to allow for the direct and safe arrival and departure of travelling fans. This minimises interaction and crossover with home fans going in different directions.

As things stand, space for a coach park does not exist behind the Fantastic Media Stand – the weight limit on the bridge over to the Town Avenue car park does not permit a coach to travel over it – so it is NOT an option currently.

In theory this could again be changed, but this would require coach parking at the North End. This would need planning permission, permission from the other partners on site, the SAG and then KSDL, as well as cash to fund it.


KILNER BANK – BLOCKS 7, 8, 9 & 10
The Kilner Bank was the original location for away fans in 1994 for a short period before the South Stand was completed.

The south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand complies with all three necessities for away fans at the John Smith’s Stadium detailed above regarding capacity, segregation requirement and access.
- Capacity; with away fans in the South end, the Britannia Rescue Stand would house approximately 3,779 home fans and 2,554 away fans, with a 1,000 (one entire block (6)) segregation requested by the SAG. In the 2013/14 campaign, there were 4,562 Huddersfield Town Season Card holders in the Britannia Rescue Stand, meaning that a permanent move for away fans into this stand will mean displacing a large number of home fans; around 3,000 currently sit in the south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand, a large proportion of which have sat in that area since the John Smith’s Stadium was built.
Allocating such a large chunk of the BR would inevitably mean displacing a substantial number of Town fans who have been settled in that area, probably since the stadium was built
- The south end of the stand can be segregated via the blue central concourse doors, giving away fans access to their own set of concourse facilities including toilets.
- The away supporters would still exit via the south end of the ground as they currently do, allowing access to the existing coach park.

Of all the options this is, in theory, the one with the fewest issues, although it would be the most emotive and still very challenging to even try.


CLUB CONCLUSION
Moving away fans permanently to allow home fans to sit in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand presents very significant problems under all the options in terms of logistics, safety and management and could have a significant impact and challenges to the long-term development of site.

The explanation above has not taken the full array of financial implications into account, which would of course also have a further bearing on the decision.

That Safety at Sports Grounds act, does that apply to all sports stadia or just football because at Rugby League games there was never any segregation nor at Rugby Union games.

[htafcokay]

May 28, 2024 12:43:53 GMT 1 overtonterrierspirit said:

May 28, 2024 12:19:23 GMT 1 nicovaesen said:

I also hated teams coming and completely taking over the atmosphere of the stadium by filling the south stand just fir revenue.

Totally agree.
We should never go out of our way to assist the opposition.
It’s crazy having that entire end full of away fans giving our opponents an atmosphere similar to a home game.
You don’t see this anywhere else, where away supporters are often provided with the most uncomfortable viewing areas possible.

Barnsley?

[Ginger Ogre]

May 28, 2024 13:06:01 GMT 1 Christ in Shades (art) said:

May 28, 2024 10:15:53 GMT 1 Ginger Ogre said:

As many have said, at the moment its a pointless debate as there isn't enough demand within the stadium to make it worthwhile.

It’s something that has been debated to death on here, and with the club on multiple occasions by various fan groups and splitting the South Stand has come out as being the best option to please all parties.

There is also a lot more to consider than simply HTFC deciding on the where the away fans sit. There is all sorts of red tape involved. For example
- The minimum ticket allocation that Huddersfield Town has to offer away clubs in line with Football League regulation 34.2.1 is 2,000 or 10% of the capacity; whichever figure is lower.
- The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26, states that "away fans must have access to their own segregated set of toilet and concourse facilities".
- The current John Smith’s Stadium safety certificate stipulates that away fans enter and leave the site via the south end of the ground.

If the South Stand was an area for home fans alone, it would necessitate compliance with all of the above. The Club would have to ensure it meets the above and then put in a proposal to the Stadium’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to do so. If the SAG agreed, the Safety Certificate will then be changed.

As above, this is something that has been discussed with the club on many occasions. For those of you who may now have seen it before, below are the options that have been considered before and reasons as to why they are not feasible back in 2014.

RIVERSIDE STAND
As things stand, no toilet and concourse facilities exist in this stand that could be segregated as per The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26; there is access from the Upper Tier seating to the Lower Tier and vice versa, which would contravene The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26 in terms of housing away fans. In the current setup, this stand is NOT an option for away fans.

On 21 October 1998, Sunderland FC was given dispensation to bring additional away fans to sit in the Direct Golf UK Stand. In practise this did not work and was not considered for a repeat.

In theory this stand could be modified to comply with this regulation, but this would require rebuilding work. This would need permission from Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL) and money to fund it.


NORTH STAND
The John Smith’s Stadium was designed to have away fans in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand, which is why that stand has a purpose-built coach park behind it – to allow for the direct and safe arrival and departure of travelling fans. This minimises interaction and crossover with home fans going in different directions.

As things stand, space for a coach park does not exist behind the Fantastic Media Stand – the weight limit on the bridge over to the Town Avenue car park does not permit a coach to travel over it – so it is NOT an option currently.

In theory this could again be changed, but this would require coach parking at the North End. This would need planning permission, permission from the other partners on site, the SAG and then KSDL, as well as cash to fund it.


KILNER BANK – BLOCKS 7, 8, 9 & 10
The Kilner Bank was the original location for away fans in 1994 for a short period before the South Stand was completed.

The south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand complies with all three necessities for away fans at the John Smith’s Stadium detailed above regarding capacity, segregation requirement and access.
- Capacity; with away fans in the South end, the Britannia Rescue Stand would house approximately 3,779 home fans and 2,554 away fans, with a 1,000 (one entire block (6)) segregation requested by the SAG. In the 2013/14 campaign, there were 4,562 Huddersfield Town Season Card holders in the Britannia Rescue Stand, meaning that a permanent move for away fans into this stand will mean displacing a large number of home fans; around 3,000 currently sit in the south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand, a large proportion of which have sat in that area since the John Smith’s Stadium was built.
Allocating such a large chunk of the BR would inevitably mean displacing a substantial number of Town fans who have been settled in that area, probably since the stadium was built
- The south end of the stand can be segregated via the blue central concourse doors, giving away fans access to their own set of concourse facilities including toilets.
- The away supporters would still exit via the south end of the ground as they currently do, allowing access to the existing coach park.

Of all the options this is, in theory, the one with the fewest issues, although it would be the most emotive and still very challenging to even try.


CLUB CONCLUSION
Moving away fans permanently to allow home fans to sit in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand presents very significant problems under all the options in terms of logistics, safety and management and could have a significant impact and challenges to the long-term development of site.

The explanation above has not taken the full array of financial implications into account, which would of course also have a further bearing on the decision.

That Safety at Sports Grounds act, does that apply to all sports stadia or just football because at Rugby League games there was never any segregation nor at Rugby Union games.

The Safety of Sports Grounds Act makes provision for the Secretary of State (for Culture, Media and Sport) to designate any sports ground with accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators (or more than 5,000 spectators for grounds hosting Premier League / English Football League matches) to require a safety certificate.

3.26, the section on segregation states...
If ground management adopts a policy of segregating groups of supporters, the arrangements for admitting spectators should be drawn up in consultation with the local authority and police, and be carefully controlled to ensure as far as possible that segregation is effective.

Each segregated area must have its own independent means of egress or evacuation (see Chapter 10).

Where considered necessary, a neutral or sterile zone may be provided between groups of supporters. However, in all cases it is recommended that the method of segregation used should be flexible (see Section 12.20).
Management should ensure that each segregated area offers full access to sufficient toilet and catering facilities. It should not be necessary for spectators in segregated areas to have to cross barriers or seek special permission to use such facilities (see also Chapter 9).

Management should also ensure that wherever possible sufficient viewing accommodation and facilities are provided in each segregated area for disabled spectators.

So, its allowed at Rugby (and other sports where supporters are mixed) as the the ground management (for that event) have deemed it unnecessary to adopt a policy to segregate supporters.

[cyberman]

May 28, 2024 11:04:40 GMT 1 terryya said:

Whilst I agree with the current set up, most of the above is nonsense, written in an official way so people don't question it. It's mainly a list of excuses to keep the status quo and was churned out so often by thy club that it became accepted as fact.

For example, parking coaches at the other side of the ground! They don't need to go over the bridge. They can either park on the ground side or enter the main part of the car park direct from Bradley Mills Road.

But law !

Give you head a shake !

[twyford]

May 28, 2024 12:43:53 GMT 1 overtonterrierspirit said:

May 28, 2024 12:19:23 GMT 1 nicovaesen said:

I also hated teams coming and completely taking over the atmosphere of the stadium by filling the south stand just fir revenue.

Totally agree.
We should never go out of our way to assist the opposition.
It’s crazy having that entire end full of away fans giving our opponents an atmosphere similar to a home game.
You don’t see this anywhere else, where away supporters are often provided with the most uncomfortable viewing areas possible.

I remember going to Blackburn when Walker was rebuilding the ground and the away supporters had a covered terrace behind the goal (Darwin Rd?) but the home supporters had to stand in the rain along one of the touchlines.

[townarentbest]

May 28, 2024 13:06:01 GMT 1 Christ in Shades (art) said:

May 28, 2024 10:15:53 GMT 1 Ginger Ogre said:

As many have said, at the moment its a pointless debate as there isn't enough demand within the stadium to make it worthwhile.

It’s something that has been debated to death on here, and with the club on multiple occasions by various fan groups and splitting the South Stand has come out as being the best option to please all parties.

There is also a lot more to consider than simply HTFC deciding on the where the away fans sit. There is all sorts of red tape involved. For example
- The minimum ticket allocation that Huddersfield Town has to offer away clubs in line with Football League regulation 34.2.1 is 2,000 or 10% of the capacity; whichever figure is lower.
- The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26, states that "away fans must have access to their own segregated set of toilet and concourse facilities".
- The current John Smith’s Stadium safety certificate stipulates that away fans enter and leave the site via the south end of the ground.

If the South Stand was an area for home fans alone, it would necessitate compliance with all of the above. The Club would have to ensure it meets the above and then put in a proposal to the Stadium’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to do so. If the SAG agreed, the Safety Certificate will then be changed.

As above, this is something that has been discussed with the club on many occasions. For those of you who may now have seen it before, below are the options that have been considered before and reasons as to why they are not feasible back in 2014.

RIVERSIDE STAND
As things stand, no toilet and concourse facilities exist in this stand that could be segregated as per The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26; there is access from the Upper Tier seating to the Lower Tier and vice versa, which would contravene The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26 in terms of housing away fans. In the current setup, this stand is NOT an option for away fans.

On 21 October 1998, Sunderland FC was given dispensation to bring additional away fans to sit in the Direct Golf UK Stand. In practise this did not work and was not considered for a repeat.

In theory this stand could be modified to comply with this regulation, but this would require rebuilding work. This would need permission from Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL) and money to fund it.


NORTH STAND
The John Smith’s Stadium was designed to have away fans in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand, which is why that stand has a purpose-built coach park behind it – to allow for the direct and safe arrival and departure of travelling fans. This minimises interaction and crossover with home fans going in different directions.

As things stand, space for a coach park does not exist behind the Fantastic Media Stand – the weight limit on the bridge over to the Town Avenue car park does not permit a coach to travel over it – so it is NOT an option currently.

In theory this could again be changed, but this would require coach parking at the North End. This would need planning permission, permission from the other partners on site, the SAG and then KSDL, as well as cash to fund it.


KILNER BANK – BLOCKS 7, 8, 9 & 10
The Kilner Bank was the original location for away fans in 1994 for a short period before the South Stand was completed.

The south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand complies with all three necessities for away fans at the John Smith’s Stadium detailed above regarding capacity, segregation requirement and access.
- Capacity; with away fans in the South end, the Britannia Rescue Stand would house approximately 3,779 home fans and 2,554 away fans, with a 1,000 (one entire block (6)) segregation requested by the SAG. In the 2013/14 campaign, there were 4,562 Huddersfield Town Season Card holders in the Britannia Rescue Stand, meaning that a permanent move for away fans into this stand will mean displacing a large number of home fans; around 3,000 currently sit in the south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand, a large proportion of which have sat in that area since the John Smith’s Stadium was built.
Allocating such a large chunk of the BR would inevitably mean displacing a substantial number of Town fans who have been settled in that area, probably since the stadium was built
- The south end of the stand can be segregated via the blue central concourse doors, giving away fans access to their own set of concourse facilities including toilets.
- The away supporters would still exit via the south end of the ground as they currently do, allowing access to the existing coach park.

Of all the options this is, in theory, the one with the fewest issues, although it would be the most emotive and still very challenging to even try.


CLUB CONCLUSION
Moving away fans permanently to allow home fans to sit in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand presents very significant problems under all the options in terms of logistics, safety and management and could have a significant impact and challenges to the long-term development of site.

The explanation above has not taken the full array of financial implications into account, which would of course also have a further bearing on the decision.

That Safety at Sports Grounds act, does that apply to all sports stadia or just football because at Rugby League games there was never any segregation nor at Rugby Union games.

The one-liner summary above doesnt provide the full context (and is inaccurate - although probably not intentionally). The Safety of Sports Ground Act does NOT include ANY mandate in law around segregation of fans in grounds or provision/access to toilet and other facilities.



However, in section 3.26 of the "Guide to Safety at Sports Ground" (aka the Green Guide), ONLY in the case where segregating groups of supports has been adopted (ie, not at RL games) does Access to toilet and catering facilities come up as a consideration (and actually with the word SHOULD, not MUST, for those into their MoSCoW).

The Green Guide is exactly what it says on the tin, a GUIDE that sets out principles for establishing a balance between good management and design of sports grounds, and which the local SAG groups use as a check-list to ensure that a venue is being operated as safely as reasonably possible in line with the standards, such that safety certificates can be provided for events to happen.

[nnnlove]

May 28, 2024 9:14:01 GMT 1 htafcokay said:

Away fans should get the lower tier of the Panasonic.

Panasonic? Showing your age there, old-timer!

As an aside, I can't be the only one who can't keep up with what the stands are officially called any more? I don't even know the name of the stand I'm in - only that it is, and always will be, the Kilner Bank.

[bluebeard]

Away fans will always be where they have always been those in charge of health and Safety and security would have kittens if they moved anywhere else. It was mentioned before about 12/15 years a go and they said there is nowhere to park the coaches. It really is simple, you drop the away fans off outside the ground at the FM Lower tier end then park up in their normal spot. All they have to do then is wait 10 minutes after the final whistle until all the Town hooligans have gone then they can make their way down the ramp to pick them up.

[Tim Nice But Dim]

May 28, 2024 18:30:55 GMT 1 bluebeard said:

Away fans will always be where they have always been those in charge of health and Safety and security would have kittens if they moved anywhere else. It was mentioned before about 12/15 years a go and they said there is nowhere to park the coaches. It really is simple, you drop the away fans off outside the ground at the FM Lower tier end then park up in their normal spot. All they have to do then is wait 10 minutes after the final whistle until all the Town hooligans have gone then they can make their way down the ramp to pick them up.

Super duper idea but don't away teams in the F A Cup get allocated more tickets.

[dooky82]

I expect the cinema will close soon after the new one opens in the town centre. This will provide an area for away coaches to park if we move them to the Panasonic lower

[htafcokay]

May 28, 2024 18:04:38 GMT 1 nnnlove said:

May 28, 2024 9:14:01 GMT 1 htafcokay said:

Away fans should get the lower tier of the Panasonic.

Panasonic? Showing your age there, old-timer!

As an aside, I can't be the only one who can't keep up with what the stands are officially called any more? I don't even know the name of the stand I'm in - only that it is, and always will be, the Kilner Bank.

Riverside, Kilner Bank, South Stand and Panasonic to me, mate.

[terrier17]

If logistically it can ever happen, I’d just give away fans the whole North stand (small allocations in lower tier and if a club can sell more than 2000, give them upper).

Must only ever be around 1000 in there on a normal match day anyway, unless a promotion is on with school tickets.

[nnnlove]

May 28, 2024 18:52:04 GMT 1 htafcokay said:

May 28, 2024 18:04:38 GMT 1 nnnlove said:

Panasonic? Showing your age there, old-timer!

As an aside, I can't be the only one who can't keep up with what the stands are officially called any more? I don't even know the name of the stand I'm in - only that it is, and always will be, the Kilner Bank.

Riverside, Kilner Bank, South Stand and Panasonic to me, mate.

Three out of four are the same for me - North Stand being the other. Simpler times, when stands were named literally, rather than after whichever company sponsored them that particular season - modern football, grumble grumble. I do have a soft spot for Panasonic, though - of all our various sponsors over the years, they're the ones I will always think of first.

[28901]

May 28, 2024 9:14:30 GMT 1 ben1987 said:

May 28, 2024 5:27:06 GMT 1 duncfost01 said:

Kev Nagle was asking for questions for the latest video diary. I posted the question on twitter to Dave Carmichael.

Some responses said 100% yes some bright spark thinks it’s a “shite idea”.

That end creates the most atmosphere but often the away fans are louder. I would stick them in the opposite end of the ground so we can have our own “kop”.

I I know it’s been discussed before, but given that there will probably be less away fans now is the time to do it. Start the process.

Thoughts ?

It’s a completely pointless debate. You’re suggesting that we move away fans to fill it with home fans that aren’t filling the current section we already occupy. Theres no demand for tickets in the stadium , you only have to look at this season just gone and the first time since we’ve had that stand, it’s been noticeably thin, as has the rest of the ground.

It's almost like the club make the crowd numbers up.
It was beyond ridiculous at some games last season. Must have been 10k down on the official 'gate' some midweek matches.
Legacy of cheap season tickets, shite negative football and losing all the time.

[detox]

May 28, 2024 10:15:53 GMT 1 Ginger Ogre said:

As many have said, at the moment its a pointless debate as there isn't enough demand within the stadium to make it worthwhile.

It’s something that has been debated to death on here, and with the club on multiple occasions by various fan groups and splitting the South Stand has come out as being the best option to please all parties.

There is also a lot more to consider than simply HTFC deciding on the where the away fans sit. There is all sorts of red tape involved. For example
- The minimum ticket allocation that Huddersfield Town has to offer away clubs in line with Football League regulation 34.2.1 is 2,000 or 10% of the capacity; whichever figure is lower.
- The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26, states that "away fans must have access to their own segregated set of toilet and concourse facilities".
- The current John Smith’s Stadium safety certificate stipulates that away fans enter and leave the site via the south end of the ground.

If the South Stand was an area for home fans alone, it would necessitate compliance with all of the above. The Club would have to ensure it meets the above and then put in a proposal to the Stadium’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to do so. If the SAG agreed, the Safety Certificate will then be changed.

As above, this is something that has been discussed with the club on many occasions. For those of you who may now have seen it before, below are the options that have been considered before and reasons as to why they are not feasible back in 2014.

RIVERSIDE STAND
As things stand, no toilet and concourse facilities exist in this stand that could be segregated as per The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26; there is access from the Upper Tier seating to the Lower Tier and vice versa, which would contravene The Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975, item 3.26 in terms of housing away fans. In the current setup, this stand is NOT an option for away fans.

On 21 October 1998, Sunderland FC was given dispensation to bring additional away fans to sit in the Direct Golf UK Stand. In practise this did not work and was not considered for a repeat.

In theory this stand could be modified to comply with this regulation, but this would require rebuilding work. This would need permission from Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL) and money to fund it.


NORTH STAND
The John Smith’s Stadium was designed to have away fans in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand, which is why that stand has a purpose-built coach park behind it – to allow for the direct and safe arrival and departure of travelling fans. This minimises interaction and crossover with home fans going in different directions.

As things stand, space for a coach park does not exist behind the Fantastic Media Stand – the weight limit on the bridge over to the Town Avenue car park does not permit a coach to travel over it – so it is NOT an option currently.

In theory this could again be changed, but this would require coach parking at the North End. This would need planning permission, permission from the other partners on site, the SAG and then KSDL, as well as cash to fund it.


KILNER BANK – BLOCKS 7, 8, 9 & 10
The Kilner Bank was the original location for away fans in 1994 for a short period before the South Stand was completed.

The south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand complies with all three necessities for away fans at the John Smith’s Stadium detailed above regarding capacity, segregation requirement and access.
- Capacity; with away fans in the South end, the Britannia Rescue Stand would house approximately 3,779 home fans and 2,554 away fans, with a 1,000 (one entire block (6)) segregation requested by the SAG. In the 2013/14 campaign, there were 4,562 Huddersfield Town Season Card holders in the Britannia Rescue Stand, meaning that a permanent move for away fans into this stand will mean displacing a large number of home fans; around 3,000 currently sit in the south end of the Britannia Rescue Stand, a large proportion of which have sat in that area since the John Smith’s Stadium was built.
Allocating such a large chunk of the BR would inevitably mean displacing a substantial number of Town fans who have been settled in that area, probably since the stadium was built
- The south end of the stand can be segregated via the blue central concourse doors, giving away fans access to their own set of concourse facilities including toilets.
- The away supporters would still exit via the south end of the ground as they currently do, allowing access to the existing coach park.

Of all the options this is, in theory, the one with the fewest issues, although it would be the most emotive and still very challenging to even try.


CLUB CONCLUSION
Moving away fans permanently to allow home fans to sit in the Chadwick Lawrence Stand presents very significant problems under all the options in terms of logistics, safety and management and could have a significant impact and challenges to the long-term development of site.

The explanation above has not taken the full array of financial implications into account, which would of course also have a further bearing on the decision.

The bridge won't take a coach? Are you serious? Opponents team buses always go over that bridge, the big TV trucks go over that bridge,half the builders lorries that brought materials to build the JSS came over that bridge. At the end of a game you get 6-8 cars on that bridge....

[28901]

May 28, 2024 13:08:41 GMT 1 htafcokay said:

May 28, 2024 12:43:53 GMT 1 overtonterrierspirit said:

Totally agree.
We should never go out of our way to assist the opposition.
It’s crazy having that entire end full of away fans giving our opponents an atmosphere similar to a home game.
You don’t see this anywhere else, where away supporters are often provided with the most uncomfortable viewing areas possible.

Barnsley?

They only allowed Bolton 2500 in the play off game in a 6k stand. The rest was empty.Bolton would have taken 4-5000 I reckon.

[ben1987]

May 28, 2024 20:06:17 GMT 1 28901 said:

May 28, 2024 9:14:30 GMT 1 ben1987 said:

It’s a completely pointless debate. You’re suggesting that we move away fans to fill it with home fans that aren’t filling the current section we already occupy. Theres no demand for tickets in the stadium , you only have to look at this season just gone and the first time since we’ve had that stand, it’s been noticeably thin, as has the rest of the ground.

It's almost like the club make the crowd numbers up.
It was beyond ridiculous at some games last season. Must have been 10k down on the official 'gate' some midweek matches.
Legacy of cheap season tickets, shite negative football and losing all the time.

When 16k renewed, they renewed buying into a team giving everything under Warnock. Within a few months, we’d rid ourselves of Warnock and we watched awful football and equally awful results. It was no surprise that so many stayed away, they invested in something far better than they actually got. And the club took supporters for granted.

[28901]

May 28, 2024 20:10:54 GMT 1 ben1987 said:

May 28, 2024 20:06:17 GMT 1 28901 said:

It's almost like the club make the crowd numbers up.
It was beyond ridiculous at some games last season. Must have been 10k down on the official 'gate' some midweek matches.
Legacy of cheap season tickets, shite negative football and losing all the time.

When 16k renewed, they renewed buying into a team giving everything under Warnock. Within a few months, we’d rid ourselves of Warnock and we watched awful football and equally awful results. It was no surprise that so many stayed away, they invested in something far better than they actually got. And the club took supporters for granted.

True but 250 quid it's easier to stay away than 550 quid a pop.

[duncfost01]

May 28, 2024 9:14:30 GMT 1 ben1987 said:

May 28, 2024 5:27:06 GMT 1 duncfost01 said:

Kev Nagle was asking for questions for the latest video diary. I posted the question on twitter to Dave Carmichael.

Some responses said 100% yes some bright spark thinks it’s a “shite idea”.

That end creates the most atmosphere but often the away fans are louder. I would stick them in the opposite end of the ground so we can have our own “kop”.

I I know it’s been discussed before, but given that there will probably be less away fans now is the time to do it. Start the process.

Thoughts ?

It’s a completely pointless debate. You’re suggesting that we move away fans to fill it with home fans that aren’t filling the current section we already occupy. Theres no demand for tickets in the stadium , you only have to look at this season just gone and the first time since we’ve had that stand, it’s been noticeably thin, as has the rest of the ground.

I’m not sure it’s a pointless debate Ben. Some have a view and some don’t. This season hasn’t been the norm. When we did have success we had the tinpot home end in the corner. Changing it now when it’s easier sets a process that would probably stay in place.

[Sio]

May 28, 2024 22:09:09 GMT 1 duncfost01 said:

May 28, 2024 9:14:30 GMT 1 ben1987 said:

It’s a completely pointless debate. You’re suggesting that we move away fans to fill it with home fans that aren’t filling the current section we already occupy. Theres no demand for tickets in the stadium , you only have to look at this season just gone and the first time since we’ve had that stand, it’s been noticeably thin, as has the rest of the ground.

I’m not sure it’s a pointless debate Ben. Some have a view and some don’t. This season hasn’t been the norm. When we did have success we had the tinpot home end in the corner. Changing it now when it’s easier sets a process that would probably stay in place.

Tinpot home end is a little unfair isn't it Duncan?

[duncfost01]

For a “pointless debate” some have written some incredibly long posts….

Maybe it’s not a pointless debate ?

[duncfost01]

May 28, 2024 22:25:25 GMT 1 Sio said:

May 28, 2024 22:09:09 GMT 1 duncfost01 said:

I’m not sure it’s a pointless debate Ben. Some have a view and some don’t. This season hasn’t been the norm. When we did have success we had the tinpot home end in the corner. Changing it now when it’s easier sets a process that would probably stay in place.

Tinpot home end is a little unfair isn't it Duncan?

Not really. In the prem, it did look tinpot. Imagine the whole south stand singing “smile a while “ that wouldn’t look tinpot.

My point is; it’s easier to change it now, from a practical point of view. Less fans. Etc

[terryya]

May 28, 2024 14:13:29 GMT 1 cyberman said:

May 28, 2024 11:04:40 GMT 1 terryya said:

Whilst I agree with the current set up, most of the above is nonsense, written in an official way so people don't question it. It's mainly a list of excuses to keep the status quo and was churned out so often by thy club that it became accepted as fact.

For example, parking coaches at the other side of the ground! They don't need to go over the bridge. They can either park on the ground side or enter the main part of the car park direct from Bradley Mills Road.

But law !

Give you head a shake !

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

How much law is actually in there?

Stop shaking your head and put your glasses on!