Match thread from The New Lawn (Macclesfield) FA Cup

[Foggy]

I don't want Dale out, far from it, I accept that we were in a bit of a hole when he arrived and things have been turned around to a degree that almost defies belief and for that I will always be grateful as I still have a team to support. My concern is that when one person or company controls a club there should be measures in place to ensure its future if the worst happens, particularly relating to the ground where it plays, I have never seen any evidence of that being the case. Not backward looking at all, much the opposite, but at the same time concerned about the future rather than taking a more cavalier attitude to it.

[king giraffe III]

I don't want Dale out, far from it, I accept that we were in a bit of a hole when he arrived and things have been turned around to a degree that almost defies belief and for that I will always be grateful as I still have a team to support. My concern is that when one person or company controls a club there should be measures in place to ensure its future if the worst happens, particularly relating to the ground where it plays, I have never seen any evidence of that being the case. Not backward looking at all, much the opposite, but at the same time concerned about the future rather than taking a more cavalier attitude to it.

Far too many clubs have fallen foul of bad times. There needs to be some type of contingency plan in place ... ask the supporters of Rushden & Diamonds, Hereford and Telford. It isn't disloyal to have this, it isn't wanting DV out. It's just common sense!!!!

[king giraffe III]

What would you do differently then?

All we are doing is supporting our club, what is wrong with that??

So many old backward looking people on here.

Do you want Dale out? I don't get your point!!

What's backwards about looking to the future and the uncertainty it brings? What do you suggest we do? Sit on our hands and pretend DV is immortal, can't fall ill, can't encounter financial hardship? This sort of thing happens ... hence, I still don't understand the short sighted decision to do away with the Supporters Trust.

[Stewjacksam]

Pinch yourselves; its not a dream - we are in the EFL Div 2 with aspirations to go higher.
The new stadium is crucial to growing the club - a new way of building a stadium and a new bigger support will surely once we progress up the leagues
I can visualise the new stadium offering with it being a totally new fan experience - good views and superb facilities - a concourse where fans are not treated as being inside a concrete bunker, which serves good food in comfortable surrounding's - no more trying to eat food in the corridor or standing up in the CE; proper eating and drinking facilities - same for all - proper meeting and corporate facilities and to cap it all off a car park and transport link that means its the easiest ground in the UK for fans to access - all part of the new FGR experience - not simply replicating what has gone before.
Music events at the new ground in the summer - surely a must?
The current transport and parking at the new lawn is at best 4th rate - its a nightmare!
Success on the pitch , a new ground , a new way of doing things and the crowds will come.
Hold on - enjoy the ride!

[king giraffe III]

Pinch yourselves; its not a dream - we are in the EFL Div 2 with aspirations to go higher.
The new stadium is crucial to growing the club - a new way of building a stadium and a new bigger support will surely once we progress up the leagues
I can visualise the new stadium offering with it being a totally new fan experience - good views and superb facilities - a concourse where fans are not treated as being inside a concrete bunker, which serves good food in comfortable surrounding's - no more trying to eat food in the corridor or standing up in the CE; proper eating and drinking facilities - same for all - proper meeting and corporate facilities and to cap it all off a car park and transport link that means its the easiest ground in the UK for fans to access - all part of the new FGR experience - not simply replicating what has gone before.
Music events at the new ground in the summer - surely a must?
The current transport and parking at the new lawn is at best 4th rate - its a nightmare!
Success on the pitch , a new ground , a new way of doing things and the crowds will come.
Hold on - enjoy the ride!

Keep calm and drink the...

[Spike]

Pinch yourselves; its not a dream - we are in the EFL Div 2 with aspirations to go higher.
The new stadium is crucial to growing the club - a new way of building a stadium and a new bigger support will surely once we progress up the leagues
I can visualise the new stadium offering with it being a totally new fan experience - good views and superb facilities - a concourse where fans are not treated as being inside a concrete bunker, which serves good food in comfortable surrounding's - no more trying to eat food in the corridor or standing up in the CE; proper eating and drinking facilities - same for all - proper meeting and corporate facilities and to cap it all off a car park and transport link that means its the easiest ground in the UK for fans to access - all part of the new FGR experience - not simply replicating what has gone before.
Music events at the new ground in the summer - surely a must?
The current transport and parking at the new lawn is at best 4th rate - its a nightmare!
Success on the pitch , a new ground , a new way of doing things and the crowds will come.
Hold on - enjoy the ride!

I concur with all of this.

I'm already dreading the match day experience (apart from the football) for the Cheltenham game for the above reasons.

I have noticed that a lot of the moaners about moving to a new ground currently live within walking distance but this obviously just a coincidence

[king giraffe III]

Pinch yourselves; its not a dream - we are in the EFL Div 2 with aspirations to go higher.
The new stadium is crucial to growing the club - a new way of building a stadium and a new bigger support will surely once we progress up the leagues
I can visualise the new stadium offering with it being a totally new fan experience - good views and superb facilities - a concourse where fans are not treated as being inside a concrete bunker, which serves good food in comfortable surrounding's - no more trying to eat food in the corridor or standing up in the CE; proper eating and drinking facilities - same for all - proper meeting and corporate facilities and to cap it all off a car park and transport link that means its the easiest ground in the UK for fans to access - all part of the new FGR experience - not simply replicating what has gone before.
Music events at the new ground in the summer - surely a must?
The current transport and parking at the new lawn is at best 4th rate - its a nightmare!
Success on the pitch , a new ground , a new way of doing things and the crowds will come.
Hold on - enjoy the ride!

I concur with all of this.

I'm already dreading the match day experience (apart from the football) for the Cheltenham game for the above reasons.

I have noticed that a lot of the moaners about moving to a new ground currently live within walking distance but this obviously just a coincidence

You are dreading the Cheltenham game because of car parking? Or because you might have to stand up in the CES? You may have to stand and eat? My sympathy card is in the post.

You talk about 'moaners'. They're not moaners. They are people with real concerns which also happen to be realistic concerns.

Have you not considered these are people who care for the long term future of FGR and are not merely there to 'enjoy the ride'? Who don't just see FGR as a disposable venture to follow whilst it lasts? Perhaps they care for the future of their community and locality as well? Fancy that.

By your own logic, is it any coincidence that Stewjacksam want a new football ground just down the road from their home?

[Tomiswalking]

Good post. Let's invest in our ground and our community.

[Stewjacksam]

A modern football facility, where you can access quickly and park properly - just down the road from where we live - Yes please!

[Tomiswalking]

What will it be called? Whitminster FC? The medium sized club by the motorway?

[king giraffe III]

A modern football facility, where you can access quickly and park properly - just down the road from where we live - Yes please!

No sense of history. No context. Google Translate rehashed your signature as 'it did not look like a clue'. How apt.

[Timb]

Whatever happens there will be some unhappy supporters and some made up supporters.

Go back to 2002 and there was plenty of eyebrow raising about building The New Lawn and plenty who thought it was a step too far. For me it was needed but also a massive leap and risky but it worked and got us to where we are now.

Our average crowd is now 2500 odd. And if it goes beyond 3000 there will be real issues with access unless people change their habits and start car sharing. 3500 or 4500 and Nailsworth will be in gridlock and people living in Forest Green will not be able to move on 26 days of the year.

We would nor get planning approval for any additional capacity. We got 5000 because The Lawn had a capacity of 5000 so it was simply like for like. No traffic can of worms to open up and resolve but it still cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put roundabouts footpaths bus shelters traffic calming etc for our humble little home.

We are not a Darlington situation. Pie in the sky.

We are not a Rushden and Diamonds situation with a well meaning owner along the lines of "Build it and they will come" and they didn't. And then with no back bone it disintegrated when the investment ended.

We have a Chairman with a long term plan and also a global and local message and a vision for the future.

Accessibility is key to the success and we are close to in need of a new stadium to flourish again. It will be a number of years in the making. The New Lawn was 5 years in the making with a fair wind. There will be no snapping of the fingers and it appears. Now is the time to plan for it.

We did 2 postcode surveys one for a big game and a small game and for one there were 1000 home fans and another 700 or so. In both cases 70 or so had a Nailsworth post code and the vast majority came from Stonehouse Cashes Green, more than 50% . I dont think that's changed.

There is a Forum Quorum that seems to be in favour of standing still. We've never done that. We'll be at The New Lawn for a few years yet and now is the time to plan for the future.

Our plan needs to be very carefully worked out but it's the right plan for the future.

The Supporters Trust is the Supporters Club, we amalgamated with a Supporters Trust constitution and a Supporters Club name. We are the second largest shareholder in FGR.

Keep Calm And Carry On. Crawley on Saturday is what we need to concentrate on.

[The Old TomCat]

Same old OTC. Writes something then slams the door shut, puts fingers in ears and sings 'la la la'. I'm not saying the same as you. There is a subtle difference.

By your own logic I shouldn't be taking your own comments seriously given that you don't live in Forest Green. Yet I have four close family members who do, and I see them all at least once per week. I'm still in touch with Forest Green. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what's your association? Being a Cheltenham fan doesn't count.

I will make an exception to reply to you on this occasion.
I will not converse with you because you are incapable of constructive dialogue and will invariably resort to sarcasm or untruths, such as on this thread - already three untruths.
Remember I also read the Cheltenham forum where you masqueraded as me using my avatar to slag off FGR and to also slag off New Forest Rover because she was so FGR positive.

BTW be assured that I know Nailsworth & Forest Green far, far better than you, in fact much much better.
I have walked every street and alley in the whole area more than many times in my long career as a meter reader.
I have been to every house, business, farm etc, so accept that I write from real knowledge of the area.

And I know that you will reply because you always insist of having the last word, but I'll not bite by replying to you.

[The Old TomCat]

There have been some very strong arguments against relocating TNL, which has given me a lot of food for thought.
I'll start by saying that currently I don't think there is any problem with parking. Plenty of off-street parking. But that might change when the school stops allowing cars to be parked in their yard as I have been led to believe will happen.
The real issue with regards vehicles is that the surrounding roads are narrow and there is always a bottleneck at end of games. To some local non-football fans that is unacceptable if they are perhaps waiting for an ambulance.
TNL is too small for real expansion which would cripple further successes in higher leagues.
The best and cheapest solution to remain at Forest Green is sadly one that seems currently unobtainable and that is to buy the farmer's field and use it as a car park while also building a huge West Stand.
Should that happen then the club and SDC must work together on a traffic control system down to bottom of hill. Somebody coming up the hill who want to turn right can block the whole road from top to bottom.

The proposed new location of FGR would without a shadow of doubt greatly increase support because of its close convenient location to many communities. And after all the football club is a business and more fans through the gate the better.

[Spike]

Pinch yourselves; its not a dream - we are in the EFL Div 2 with aspirations to go higher.
The new stadium is crucial to growing the club - a new way of building a stadium and a new bigger support will surely once we progress up the leagues
I can visualise the new stadium offering with it being a totally new fan experience - good views and superb facilities - a concourse where fans are not treated as being inside a concrete bunker, which serves good food in comfortable surrounding's - no more trying to eat food in the corridor or standing up in the CE; proper eating and drinking facilities - same for all - proper meeting and corporate facilities and to cap it all off a car park and transport link that means its the easiest ground in the UK for fans to access - all part of the new FGR experience - not simply replicating what has gone before.
Music events at the new ground in the summer - surely a must?
The current transport and parking at the new lawn is at best 4th rate - its a nightmare!
Success on the pitch , a new ground , a new way of doing things and the crowds will come.
Hold on - enjoy the ride!

I concur with all of this.

I'm already dreading the match day experience (apart from the football) for the Cheltenham game for the above reasons.

I have noticed that a lot of the moaners about moving to a new ground currently live within walking distance but this obviously just a coincidence

You are dreading the Cheltenham game because of car parking? Or because you might have to stand up in the CES? You may have to stand and eat? My sympathy card is in the post.

You talk about 'moaners'. They're not moaners. They are people with real concerns which also happen to be realistic concerns.

Have you not considered these are people who care for the long term future of FGR and are not merely there to 'enjoy the ride'? Who don't just see FGR as a disposable venture to follow whilst it lasts? Perhaps they care for the future of their community and locality as well? Fancy that.

By your own logic, is it any coincidence that Stewjacksam want a new football ground just down the road from their home?

Very clever but more to it than standing in the CES actually and if I want a sympathy card you, I will come and ask you personally for one.

[king giraffe III]

Same old OTC. Writes something then slams the door shut, puts fingers in ears and sings 'la la la'. I'm not saying the same as you. There is a subtle difference.

By your own logic I shouldn't be taking your own comments seriously given that you don't live in Forest Green. Yet I have four close family members who do, and I see them all at least once per week. I'm still in touch with Forest Green. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what's your association? Being a Cheltenham fan doesn't count.

I will make an exception to reply to you on this occasion.
I will not converse with you because you are incapable of constructive dialogue and will invariably resort to sarcasm or untruths, such as on this thread - already three untruths.
Remember I also read the Cheltenham forum where you masqueraded as me using my avatar to slag off FGR and to also slag off New Forest Rover because she was so FGR positive.

BTW be assured that I know Nailsworth & Forest Green far, far better than you, in fact much much better.
I have walked every street and alley in the whole area more than many times in my long career as a meter reader.
I have been to every house, business, farm etc, so accept that I write from real knowledge of the area.

And I know that you will reply because you always insist of having the last word, but I'll not bite by replying to you.

So you know Forest Green because you rummaged around under the stairs to get to grips with some dirty old dials. I think you mean you knew every old cobweb.

[king giraffe III]

Very clever but more to it than standing in the CES actually and if I want a sympathy card you, I will come and ask you personally for one.

Thanks. Do you want my email address?

[Old Git]

I applaud you for not biting Old Tom Cat. As we all know there are a few sad individuals who only get pleasure out of being nasty.

[king giraffe III]

I applaud you for not biting Old Tom Cat. As we all know there are a few sad individuals who only get pleasure out of being nasty.

There's a big difference between being nasty and being honest. I'm the latter. Whether OTC responds is entirely up to him.

[Tomiswalking]

Whatever happens there will be some unhappy supporters and some made up supporters.

Go back to 2002 and there was plenty of eyebrow raising about building The New Lawn and plenty who thought it was a step too far. For me it was needed but also a massive leap and risky but it worked and got us to where we are now.

Our average crowd is now 2500 odd. And if it goes beyond 3000 there will be real issues with access unless people change their habits and start car sharing. 3500 or 4500 and Nailsworth will be in gridlock and people living in Forest Green will not be able to move on 26 days of the year.

We would nor get planning approval for any additional capacity. We got 5000 because The Lawn had a capacity of 5000 so it was simply like for like. No traffic can of worms to open up and resolve but it still cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put roundabouts footpaths bus shelters traffic calming etc for our humble little home.

We are not a Darlington situation. Pie in the sky.

We are not a Rushden and Diamonds situation with a well meaning owner along the lines of "Build it and they will come" and they didn't. And then with no back bone it disintegrated when the investment ended.

We have a Chairman with a long term plan and also a global and local message and a vision for the future.

Accessibility is key to the success and we are close to in need of a new stadium to flourish again. It will be a number of years in the making. The New Lawn was 5 years in the making with a fair wind. There will be no snapping of the fingers and it appears. Now is the time to plan for it.

We did 2 postcode surveys one for a big game and a small game and for one there were 1000 home fans and another 700 or so. In both cases 70 or so had a Nailsworth post code and the vast majority came from Stonehouse Cashes Green, more than 50% . I dont think that's changed.

There is a Forum Quorum that seems to be in favour of standing still. We've never done that. We'll be at The New Lawn for a few years yet and now is the time to plan for the future.

Our plan needs to be very carefully worked out but it's the right plan for the future.

The Supporters Trust is the Supporters Club, we amalgamated with a Supporters Trust constitution and a Supporters Club name. We are the second largest shareholder in FGR.

Keep Calm And Carry On. Crawley on Saturday is what we need to concentrate on.

Excellent thank you for the information. Is there any consultation or planning documents online concerning the legacy the club will leave in forest green. I'm still not convinced at the moment that the most healthy solution is to move, but maybe I have different priorities. Thanks again timb