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Stadium Improvements/Enhancing the Crowd


Renegade

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I know the new chairman has a number of plans in place to improve the stadium and what not.  So far I've heard plans are afoot to improve the car parks, new toilets, try and bring some sort of tie in with the North Coast 500 and the sports bar will soon become something a bit more homely.  So what plans do you have to improve the matchday experience and try and enhance the crowds?  I know he's been having meetings with a lot of fans and I assume he read this site so it could be a good idea to use this thread as a sort of central hub for everyone's ideas.

Here's one idea I have for an improvement is for the wheelchair-bound supporters.  Now granted, there's been a slight improvement in the perspex dugout, but the general match experience must still be pretty poor, shunted over to one side with a worm's-eye-view.  Surely it's time we gave disabled fans a special area with a decent view.  As some may have noticed that St Mirren recently built this - 

 

C6pfywZWcAEiqZ6.jpg 

Could we not do something similar? 

Edited by Renegade
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Agreed on the disabled area - just because someone uses a wheelchair they shouldn't be forced to sit down the front in the rain, although I do understand how it could be difficult to accommodate but putting them at the back of a stand isn't right either. Fortunately we are lucky that we don't fill our main stand so could somewhere introduce a platform area and sacrifice a few seats although it may mean relocating ST holders - problem is then does the club have lift access otherwise its yet another expense in a stadium that was never built that way? I'm also not certain on this but there may be lottery money available for modifications of this nature as its more than just football related but community also.

The catering needs looked at, queuing in a system that seems to have no real order to it and service which is pedestrian and highly inefficient - you have a lack of co-ordination between the staff and too many doing too many things rather than defined roles - the food & drinks on offer don't really represent value for money based on the quality (or lack of) and I'm sure its got worse over the years.

Tickets - it would be nice that on matchdays tickets for the next home game are available for sale either before and after the game, possibly with small reductions to try capture fans on a high who may have come along and seen a positive result. Advertising in advance of promotions etc - if I'm at a game I don't want to wait til a few days before the next match to know I can get a reduced ticket for my mate through an offer but need to turn up to get it before the day of the game - give the opportunity to get it when fans are there already and in advance. Make it easy for the customer especially those who travel distances to games.

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30 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Agreed on the disabled area - just because someone uses a wheelchair they shouldn't be forced to sit down the front in the rain, although I do understand how it could be difficult to accommodate but putting them at the back of a stand isn't right either. Fortunately we are lucky that we don't fill our main stand so could somewhere introduce a platform area and sacrifice a few seats although it may mean relocating ST holders - problem is then does the club have lift access otherwise its yet another expense in a stadium that was never built that way? I'm also not certain on this but there may be lottery money available for modifications of this nature as its more than just football related but community also.

 

The areas that went through my mind would be taking away the first eight rows or so of either the family section of the North Stand or in the wing of the Main Stand, building a platform that comes a bit and have that as a disabled section.  The view would be better in either section and also in a position when hard wayward shots wouldn't be such a danger.  You could find a way around having a lift as well.

In terms of the catering, my understanding is that the pies are still (or were up until recently) made in Glasgow, frozen and then brought up to Inverness during the week and then defrosted and reheated for the Saturday.  We have Harry Gows, Ashers, Duncan Fraser's and other local companies whose products are a far higher quality.  Why don't we use them?  Ross County do.  If your ground becomes known for having really good catering then people will use it despite the high pricing, as we've seen with Kilmarnock and the Killie Pie and Dunfermline's bridie.  We could sell Dream Rings at games.  People would buy them in droves!

The tannoy is also a disgrace.  We nearly had a match postponed once because it failed yet some weeks you'd be forgiven for thinking it'd packed in years ago.  What would happen if there was emergency?  On Saturday it was barely audible.  I've been to Highland League grounds with a clearer tannoy.  I don't know what it's like in the Main Stand, but almost always in the North Stand it is unacceptable.

Edited by Renegade
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2 minutes ago, Renegade said:

In terms of the catering, my understanding is that the pies are still (or were up until recently) made in Glasgow, frozen and then brought up to Inverness during the week and then defrosted and reheated for the Saturday.  We have Harry Gows, Ashers, Duncan Fraser's and other local companies whose products are a far higher quality.  Why don't we use them? 

Absolutely, the pies are awful, I'd gladly pay a bit extra for a decent pie.

4 minutes ago, Renegade said:

The tannoy is also a disgrace.  We nearly had a match postponed once because it failed yet some weeks you'd be forgiven for thinking it'd packed in years ago.  What would happen if there was emergency?  On Saturday it was barely audible.  I've been to Highland League grounds with a clearer tannoy.  I don't know what it's like in the Main Stand, but almost always in the North Stand it is unacceptable.

Main stand is just as bad, easily drowned out by the Worthers wrappers.

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Could the West stand be adapted to accommodate wheelchair users and use ramps to allow them a better view putting a roof over it as well to keep of the rain? Also the toilets there could be upgraded for their use and roofing off the section behind the west stand and toilets to stop it becoming a quagmire on wet days.

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Is it possible to have a section for safe standing or was that ruled out due to cost? Some seats in the main stand could be replaced with the seats from the north, which could become safe standing. 

A paint of the stanchions would be good.

Local pie suppliers would be great, Harry Gows...mmm!

A roofed disabled section sounds good.

Much, much better parking arrangements are required. Just look at how many people park further away and walk, if it was £2, quick and easy to get out then that’s a small profit and better match experience.

The area behind the bar has enough space to be extended by quite a distance and made into a really appealing pre-skite venue.

Its great to see the new club shop which is a much more professional setup! 

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17 hours ago, Renegade said:

I know the new chairman has a number of plans in place to improve the stadium and what not.  So far I've heard plans are afoot to improve the car parks, new toilets, try and bring some sort of tie in with the North Coast 500 and the sports bar will soon become something a bit more homely.  So what plans do you have to improve the matchday experience and try and enhance the crowds?  I know he's been having meetings with a lot of fans and I assume he read this site so it could be a good idea to use this thread as a sort of central hub for everyone's ideas.

Here's one idea I have for an improvement is for the wheelchair-bound supporters.  Now granted, there's been a slight improvement in the perspex dugout, but the general match experience must still be pretty poor, shunted over to one side with a worm's-eye-view.  Surely it's time we gave disabled fans a special area with a decent view.  As some may have noticed that St Mirren recently built this - 

 

C6pfywZWcAEiqZ6.jpg 

Could we not do something similar? 

Has to be your most sensible suggestion to date Renegade . I'm well impressed !!

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On the subject of pies .Hastie & Dyce supply us on away buses with pies .I can honestly say they are the best macaroni and meat pies I have tasted . It would be good to use a local supplier . I bought a macaroni pie on Sat before game and it was so frazzled it was virtually impossible to eat . (Food for thought if you pardon the pun )

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The pies are very average and poor value. A quality local supplier would have the double advantage of improving the quality of the catering from a fan point of view and provide good will locally.

Any loss of income from the point of view of the club could be compensated for by increasing the prices slightly which I'm sure most people would be happy to pay for better quality.

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18 hours ago, Renegade said:

I know the new chairman has a number of plans in place to improve the stadium and what not.  So far I've heard plans are afoot to improve the car parks, new toilets, try and bring some sort of tie in with the North Coast 500 and the sports bar will soon become something a bit more homely.  So what plans do you have to improve the matchday experience and try and enhance the crowds?  I know he's been having meetings with a lot of fans and I assume he read this site so it could be a good idea to use this thread as a sort of central hub for everyone's ideas.

Here's one idea I have for an improvement is for the wheelchair-bound supporters.  Now granted, there's been a slight improvement in the perspex dugout, but the general match experience must still be pretty poor, shunted over to one side with a worm's-eye-view.  Surely it's time we gave disabled fans a special area with a decent view.  As some may have noticed that St Mirren recently built this - 

 

C6pfywZWcAEiqZ6.jpg 

Could we not do something similar? 

Absolutely cracking idea-as a club that the chairman said he wants to see being closer to the communuty, this would be a great start

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17 hours ago, Renegade said:

The areas that went through my mind would be taking away the first eight rows or so of either the family section of the North Stand or in the wing of the Main Stand, building a platform that comes a bit and have that as a disabled section.  The view would be better in either section and also in a position when hard wayward shots wouldn't be such a danger.  You could find a way around having a lift as well.

In terms of the catering, my understanding is that the pies are still (or were up until recently) made in Glasgow, frozen and then brought up to Inverness during the week and then defrosted and reheated for the Saturday.  We have Harry Gows, Ashers, Duncan Fraser's and other local companies whose products are a far higher quality.  Why don't we use them?  Ross County do.  If your ground becomes known for having really good catering then people will use it despite the high pricing, as we've seen with Kilmarnock and the Killie Pie and Dunfermline's bridie.  We could sell Dream Rings at games.  People would buy them in droves!

The tannoy is also a disgrace.  We nearly had a match postponed once because it failed yet some weeks you'd be forgiven for thinking it'd packed in years ago.  What would happen if there was emergency?  On Saturday it was barely audible.  I've been to Highland League grounds with a clearer tannoy.  I don't know what it's like in the Main Stand, but almost always in the North Stand it is unacceptable.

The idea for a local bakery to supply the pies, etc, is long overdue (think I may have said something similar on another thread, long ago)-I noticed that Nairn County have their local bakers products on sale (Ashers) at 1 of the pre-season friendlies.

Again, a community club should be supporting local businesses (& vice versa)...also, would be far better quality & would sell more!

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17 hours ago, jingsmonty said:

Again, a community club should be supporting local businesses (& vice versa)...also, would be far better quality & would sell more!

There's some truth to this I think.  I may be wrong, but there seems to have been an attitude in the past with the club that the town and it's local businesses should be grateful for the club.  It has to work both ways.  Perhaps if the club approached local businesses themselves and perhaps giving special tariffs for smaller local firms in terms of advertising boards etc. then the club's connection with the town could be vastly improved.

We'll use the aforementioned Harry Gows as an example.  It's one of the biggest Inverness based companies.  They have a huge advertising board at Forres Mechanics and another at Elgin City.  Do they have any board whatsoever at the Caley Stadium?

Edited by Renegade
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1 hour ago, Renegade said:

There's some truth to this I think.  I may be wrong, but there seems to have been attitude in the past with the club that the town and it's local businesses should be grateful for the club.  It has to work both ways.  Perhaps if the club approached local businesses themselves and perhaps giving special tariffs for smaller local firms in terms of advertising boards etc. then the club's connection with the town could be vastly improved.

We'll use the aforementioned Harry Gows as an example.  It's one of the biggest Inverness based companies.  They have a huge advertising board at Forres Mechanics and another at Elgin City.  Do they have any board whatsoever at the Caley Stadium?

says it all

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 To read that pies are imported from the South West of Scotland when Inverness businesses can be benefitting is ...well... completely bizarre. Who thought out that one? In what way can it be benefitting the club when local businesses can be used?

Just think of the goodwill alone. I mean, when locals are first contacted goodwill come of it I am sure.

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5 hours ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

 To read that pies are imported from the South West of Scotland when Inverness businesses can be benefitting is ...well... completely bizarre. Who thought out that one? In what way can it be benefitting the club when local businesses can be used?

Just think of the goodwill alone. I mean, when locals are first contacted goodwill come of it I am sure.

Fraser Gow was a very promising youth at ICT who is now running the bakery. I would have thought he would be a good prospect for advertising and supplier.

 

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We should be looking at getting rid of pies and soft drinks from the ground, or at least providing healthy alternatives. This is the 21st century and we should be facilitating the uptake of healthy habits by the local community; not encouraging the opposite.

The current "healthy option" is a macaroni pie...

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1 hour ago, ictbob said:

I might be wrong but is all the catering not done by an outside company.

Your right Bob it has been for a few years now I believe the club gets a fixed fee and the profit goes to the company and it's not been so good and no chance of getting local products! I don't know if the deal was for a fixed period though.

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6 hours ago, PumpFake said:

We should be looking at getting rid of pies and soft drinks from the ground, or at least providing healthy alternatives. This is the 21st century and we should be facilitating the uptake of healthy habits by the local community; not encouraging the opposite.

The current "healthy option" is a macaroni pie...

Steady on there. While I am all for having the option of healthier alternatives I don't want the health police depriving me of my half time pie. As far as I'm aware, those in my vicinity will not be suffering from passive pastry consumption.

Add healthy options but keep the pies, which are as big a tradition at football as suspecting that the referee in myopic, just get them locally sourced and more tasty.

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Ah, the age old Catering standards issues, raises its head again. So many good bakers in Inverness, but the club take in (likely) mass produced drivel. Same Old same old.
If we did have good pies supplied, id likely buy one on matchdays, at the games i manage to attend.

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