New Stadium

[Pat Butchers Ring]

Has any one ever thought about what the football experience would be like if the club had built the SCL Stadium somewhere near the town centre. We always hear comments from visiting fans about the ground feeling 'soulless' and the fact its on an out of town industrial estate so it got me thinking about in the age of public transport where it would have been located if it was being built in 2021.

Completely hypothetical but i wonder if the club in the mid term future would consider moving the stadium back to the centre of town as part of another scheme. The benefits to the wider community (shops, ease of access) would be huge and I think overall football experience and attendance would improve.

I feel the stadium actually looks tired now so perhaps not beyond the realms of possibility.

[paultheroyal]

Dont think the stadium looks tired at all and with a proper TLC session it would look pretty sparkling again. One thing i wish they do, replenish the soft blue tarmac around the edge of the pitch, get sponsors written on it, anything, but spruce it up.

[The Royal Forester]

Where could you build a new stadium near the town centre? Who would put a large area of grass and a building that are only used a few times a year near the town centre? The cost of land in Reading would rule that out as any developer would want a much bigger return for his money. Afraid it is a non-starter, why not build shops, eateries etc. near the present stadium? Perhaps we could call it Royal Elm Park. A new station could also be built nearby. If only I had the money to to back my idea up...............

[Zip]

No chance of this happening. The cost would be astronomical. That alone makes it a non starter.

[Jagermesiter1871]

I mean what with the fantastic situation the clubs finances are in it seems a suitable time to discuss this.

Saying that - this very topic was discussed sometime last year and I suggested the current Police station/old civic centre. Parking underneath. IDR straight in from motor way. Not far from station. On the 17 bus route. It would be absolute class.

[Brogue]

talk of the royal berks being knocked down and a new hospital to be built near the M4. perhaps they could swap sites for free...

[Pat Butchers Ring]

:lol: I mean what with the fantastic situation the clubs finances are in it seems a suitable to discuss this.

Saying that - this very topic was discussed sometime last year and I suggested the current Police station/old civic centre. Parking underneath. IDR straight in from motor way. Not far from station. On the 17 bus route. It would be absolute class.

In fairness I think the owners have money, its just how much we spent that was the issue.

Its all hypothetical of course but imagine a stadium where the old royal mail sorting office was next to that station.

[AthleticoSpizz]

In true Reading TC tradition, it’d have to incorporate hundreds of flats to get through the planning process.

[PATRIQT]

Never happening of course, but your best bet would be by the Thames, building on top of Rivermead and taking the Reading Fest site.

As for the Madstad, it's one of the worst (outside) new stadiums around. It's pretty uninspiring, but it does what it says on the tin.

[3points]

what about Kings Meadow / Queens Meadow? I know flooding could be a problem!

Or Great Knolly Street where the auction site is, car park, & bus depot?

[Dirk Gently]

The key to the MadStad's financial success was the hotel and conference centre, a revenue stream all through the year. That needs to be close to the M4, so move into town and you negate a lot of that and go back to a facility that's only really used 20-odd times a year.

[Sutekh]

Has any one ever thought about what the football experience would be like if the club had built the SCL Stadium somewhere near the town centre. We always hear comments from visiting fans about the ground feeling 'soulless' and the fact its on an out of town industrial estate so it got me thinking about in the age of public transport where it would have been located if it was being built in 2021.

Completely hypothetical but i wonder if the club in the mid term future would consider moving the stadium back to the centre of town as part of another scheme. The benefits to the wider community (shops, ease of access) would be huge and I think overall football experience and attendance would improve.

I feel the stadium actually looks tired now so perhaps not beyond the realms of possibility.

It’s just that finances, getting to the ground, parking, the utter cr@pness of public transport and the fact there’s no free space in the town (without building on public “green” areas or knocking down an area of office space or dilapidated housing) might prevent such a move.

Therefore the club will never move back into the urban centre that is Reading and should instead clean, update and improve what it currently has if there’s ever any money available.

Alternatively the club could have a “home” in each town in its catchment area and play home games at each so 1 game in Reading, the next in Hungerford, then Bracknell, then Newbury, then Basingstoke, then Wokingham, then Slough then back to Reading again. Be interesting to see Reading v Millwall at Bottom Meadow….

At the end of the day Reading’s tired soulless plastic spakkerdome is pretty much the same as all the other tired soulless plastic spakkerdomes that have been built since the 1980s.

[Pat Butchers Ring]

The key to the MadStad's financial success was the hotel and conference centre, a revenue stream all through the year. That needs to be close to the M4, so move into town and you negate a lot of that and go back to a facility that's only really used 20-odd times a year.

I know I know, this is purely hypothetical but look how Real Madrid are approaching the fact they only play 20 times a year. https://youtu.be/epef95O-EwY

Plus the Madejski was designed for a period where no one lived in the town centre and the car was the mode of transport for everything. Now and the future will see a move away from using cars and the Town centre will have a huge population.

Anyhow the point of this thread was more about imagining what the match day experience would be with football being back closer to town centre pubs, bars and restaurants.

[paultheroyal]

Have a drink in town, lol's with the lads, get on a train to Green Park, job done. No need to move. Just paint the blue tarmac please.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Has any one ever thought about what the football experience would be like if the club had built the SCL Stadium somewhere near the town centre. We always hear comments from visiting fans about the ground feeling 'soulless' and the fact its on an out of town industrial estate so it got me thinking about in the age of public transport where it would have been located if it was being built in 2021.

Completely hypothetical but i wonder if the club in the mid term future would consider moving the stadium back to the centre of town as part of another scheme. The benefits to the wider community (shops, ease of access) would be huge and I think overall football experience and attendance would improve.

I feel the stadium actually looks tired now so perhaps not beyond the realms of possibility.

It’s just that finances, getting to the ground, parking, the utter cr@pness of public transport and the fact there’s no free space in the town (without building on public “green” areas or knocking down an area of office space or dilapidated housing) might prevent such a move.

Therefore the club will never move back into the urban centre that is Reading and should instead clean, update and improve what it currently has if there’s ever any money available.

Alternatively the club could have a “home” in each town in its catchment area and play home games at each so 1 game in Reading, the next in Hungerford, then Bracknell, then Newbury, then Basingstoke, then Wokingham, then Slough then back to Reading again. Be interesting to see Reading v Millwall at Bottom Meadow….

At the end of the day Reading’s tired soulless plastic spakkerdome is pretty much the same as all the other tired soulless plastic spakkerdomes that have been built since the 1980s.

I've already highlighted a suitable in town site with good transport links that doesn't require anything being knocked down.

[Jagermesiter1871]

The key to the MadStad's financial success was the hotel and conference centre, a revenue stream all through the year. That needs to be close to the M4, so move into town and you negate a lot of that and go back to a facility that's only really used 20-odd times a year.

Is a town centre hotel that is at most 10 minutes from motorway any less viable?

[Hound]

Stadium certainly won't move any closer. Its a decent stadium still, comfortable, and the atmosphere is decent when the crowds are in. Don't think its soulless particularly. Obvs a bit of a spruce up and better access from that roundabout on the A33 would be nice.

Anyway, the town centre is slowly spreading out to meet it anyway - expect there will be further developments all along the A33 over time. Definitely make life a lot better if some of that development did include a couple of nice pubs etc on the way

[Green]

The location is shit but I think you're kidding yourselves if you think a move a mile up the road will really make any difference to the overall matchday experience - even if such a plot of land were ever to come up and the council grant planning on it.

Have a look at a club like Derby - sure it's gr8 being able to walk back into city centre pubs in 20 minutes - but the actual stadium is the same as any other modern stadium - just car parks, A roads and Frankie & Bennies as far as the eye can see.

[Jackson Corner]

I don’t think the stadium looks tired, in fact I think it still compares well with ones built in the last ten years. I thought Coventry looked in a really poor state rust, dripping water the seats looked really worn. Of course every new stadium built will be better. It’s like buying a car that’s 20 years older than a new one. I didn’t really think about the location when we first moved but looking back I do miss my pre match pint all day breakfast and the walk down tilehurst road for the kick off.

[Brogue]

Has any one ever thought about what the football experience would be like if the club had built the SCL Stadium somewhere near the town centre. We always hear comments from visiting fans about the ground feeling 'soulless' and the fact its on an out of town industrial estate so it got me thinking about in the age of public transport where it would have been located if it was being built in 2021.

Completely hypothetical but i wonder if the club in the mid term future would consider moving the stadium back to the centre of town as part of another scheme. The benefits to the wider community (shops, ease of access) would be huge and I think overall football experience and attendance would improve.

I feel the stadium actually looks tired now so perhaps not beyond the realms of possibility.

It’s just that finances, getting to the ground, parking, the utter cr@pness of public transport and the fact there’s no free space in the town (without building on public “green” areas or knocking down an area of office space or dilapidated housing) might prevent such a move.

Therefore the club will never move back into the urban centre that is Reading and should instead clean, update and improve what it currently has if there’s ever any money available.

Alternatively the club could have a “home” in each town in its catchment area and play home games at each so 1 game in Reading, the next in Hungerford, then Bracknell, then Newbury, then Basingstoke, then Wokingham, then Slough then back to Reading again. Be interesting to see Reading v Millwall at Bottom Meadow….

At the end of the day Reading’s tired soulless plastic spakkerdome is pretty much the same as all the other tired soulless plastic spakkerdomes that have been built since the 1980s.

I've already highlighted a suitable in town site with good transport links that doesn't require anything being knocked down.

My idea was better.