Open End Numb Legs

Might be a language issue here.....

Caption:- 'I was told we played in red....?' My favourite in the top 10 above has to be the open top bus tour. So much to see in one photo, you couldn't have staged it better.

Well, we are 3rd in the table at the moment so we have earnt that praise.

Yep, fair enough, what was I thinking?

With my serious head on, they should stay at the Mem, embrace the history of the ground, engage with the area, develop the ground properly. We are a distraction that is driving the thoughts of their supporters and short termism. They would be better doing their own thing, at their own pace. Develop the squad as an asset to become a regular top end of L1 club. These things, when done correctly, do actually take time! They aren't being done correctly though.

It's not rocket science.

That one seems to mistake 'good investment' for 'cheap'. Just because you don't pay much for something doesn't mean you get a better return. When something is a total mess it means you need to spend a ****** fortune to put it right. Do you think they will feature on one of those DIY rescue programs? Homes Under the Hammer?

Return on investment!!!!???? This is football!!!!!

On a similar theme there is the chap who was looking after the new stand planning application........

Short concise speech, well said! ? It does make me think that this could help to explain the new stand fiasco? Rovers have taken their eye off the ball, been distracted by the prospect of offloading some ownership when their priority should have been abiding to planning process and making sure the paying fan has a useable ticket come the new season. I used to see this at my work, the boss offloaded responsibility on the pretext of having something more important to do that was way above my pay grade (usually a jolly somewhere).

Would this make them the 5th richest in the country? Maybe 4th? Incoming kit deal worth £900m then?

One of our friendly Rovers visitors explained that the ground at the Mem was originally built up at the south end with waste from south wales coal mines and locals have complained of noise and vibration so maybe piling works have been going on or will be needed at some point.

If the league have it in their power wave some regs they might, for example, take into account exceptional circumstances that are unlucky or outside a clubs control. Taking down existing stands before even getting planning permission for a replacement build doesn't qualify as unlucky does it? It's self inflicted chaos.

The solution then is to relegate them from the EFL to non league?

There are some very poor attempts to justify what has happened in the comments section of that article. One tries to scare off the locals by suggesting that if Rovers don't get their way they will leave the Mem and what would be built instead would be worse than a stand. As if residential property would be bigger than a football stand.

I have just checked, The Flower Pot Men (pictured) dates back to 1952/1953!! There won't be many that remember that. It must have been repeated through the 60s as I can just recall it as a very young lad.

Track suit man is actually wondering who has built an enormous clay chiminea where there should be a new stand. Did they get planning permission for that?

By the end of a game, behind that goal will look like a toddler's ball pit at an indoor play centre.

If this saga is going to run on past September I will need to look at the long term health issues of consuming popcorn over such a long time.

Thanks for the info, makes you wonder what that does for the groundwater. Must have taken a while for it all to compact. I have never been there but as soon as the old stand was removed it was clear it was on a perch over the nearby houses which made any height increase a factor in planning. I have said in this thread for a while they should develop the Mem but your inside info suggests there could be some expensive foundations required. The infill you mention makes the piling make sense.

It may be an example of how not to develop a football ground but on a selfish note I am sure we are very grateful for the entertainment value it has given us through the summer. Like a film you don't want to end. from me. ???

On 2nd look at the steps, they appear to have struck coal during the foundations work. Could be the only rich seam of form they will find this year.

To keep them in?

On behalf of everyone here on OTIB, I wish you all the best of luck at this difficult time. As regards the stand, that picture of castors could be a good idea. Rovers could wheel the stand into place for each game.

Maybe not but that entrance looks like something that you want to run away from but can't in a bad dream. I have never been to the Mem but have seen lots of photos of grey building blocks on here. Would it be that difficult to render them or paint them white or something? Or clad them?