Torquay's New Stand

[mrddavies]

credit to original posters for the photo's

[Curious Orange]

I didn't realise that the seating didn't go all the way to pitch side. Are the areas between the stairs for disabled supporters?

[mrddavies]

Originally Posted by Curious Orange

I didn't realise that the seating didn't go all the way to pitch side. Are the areas between the stairs for disabled supporters?

Not sure, I believe the reason for it being built that way is to incorporate the classrooms ( financed jointly by the football foundation and the adjacent Westlands School) and changing rooms I think.

I like raised stands, common in the rest of the world but england do seem to want fans as close to the pitch as possible, but I like it and it works well, all different sized stands makes it unique especially thesedays with so many bland stadiums being built.

[mrddavies]

Looks like small standing area infront of the stand.

[johnnycakes]

Originally Posted by mrddavies

Looks like small standing area infront of the stand.

I see the local leeds fans are out in force!

[JamesWales]

Nice to see some standing including in a new stand.

[BIGcider APPLE]

But is it really standing our just walkway/concourse. Looks a lot like the dolman stand at ashton gate, before they replaced the stairways with a lower tier of seating. This area was meant solely for entry/exit to the seating above but predictably it was busy with people throughout most games wanting a closer view of the action. Personally, the closer to the pitch the better in my opinion.

[Faustus]

Didn't Adams Park in Wycombe have a gap at the front in the early days?

Don't remember seeing angled walkways going up at any other ground.

[macmanyoung]

Originally Posted by BIGcider APPLE

But is it really standing our just walkway/concourse. Looks a lot like the dolman stand at ashton gate, before they replaced the stairways with a lower tier of seating. This area was meant solely for entry/exit to the seating above but predictably it was busy with people throughout most games wanting a closer view of the action. Personally, the closer to the pitch the better in my opinion.

Is it me, or is the bottom tier at a steeper angle than the top tier of the dolman stand?

[BIGcider APPLE]

Yes the lower tier needed to be steeper so that a small walkway could be retrained in front of it since the dolman has no vomitories.
The stand is a bit of a death trap if you ask me and an accident waiting to happen. The upper tier steps are fairly steep themselves, and to get out you have to walk down to the small walkway in between tiers(seen in the old photo) and then traverse to open stairwells tacked onto either side of the stand. As you can imagine, hundreds of people on one very long, thin and steep stair is a bit hairy. People are different - some are impatient or in a rush to get out, some seem to want to take all day. Some need to take all day as they're old. Some stop for no reason, some decide it quicker to jump and climb down over the seats!
Anyway, I digress. You don't see many stands with a steeper lower than upper. I wonder if it is unique? One thing's for sure though, the views are great from every seat in the Dolman.

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by BIGcider APPLE

Yes the lower tier needed to be steeper so that a small walkway could be retrained in front of it since the dolman has no vomitories.
The stand is a bit of a death trap if you ask me and an accident waiting to happen. The upper tier steps are fairly steep themselves, and to get out you have to walk down to the small walkway in between tiers(seen in the old photo) and then traverse to open stairwells tacked onto either side of the stand. As you can imagine, hundreds of people on one very long, thin and steep stair is a bit hairy. People are different - some are impatient or in a rush to get out, some seem to want to take all day. Some need to take all day as they're old. Some stop for no reason, some decide it quicker to jump and climb down over the seats!
Anyway, I digress. You don't see many stands with a steeper lower than upper. I wonder if it is unique? One thing's for sure though, the views are great from every seat in the Dolman.

I like the Dolman Stand, as indeed I generally like Ashton Gate..mainly because it's an old ground I suppose.

I've been in the Dolman stand a few times, and while I didn't notice it, I have heard a few people say it's quite dangerous, and I know the bottom bit by the pitch turns into a de-facto terrace for the last 5 minutes (not that I think standing is dangerous by the way, but it's clearly a design fault in an all-seater stand)

I wonder why clubs built these strange stands in the first place? I know Swindon had one as well. Obviously it means you can have facilities underneath, but you can do that anyway..it just seems strange that the stand wasn't built as it is now from the start.

[BIGcider APPLE]

Well I can't speak for swindle or other similar stands but the Dolman's irregular form was bourne out of a necessity if a bowling green and conferencing facilities were to be underneath it. As you have been in the Dolman yourself, james (hope you kept your bluebird scarf well hidden!), you will know that there is bugger all space behind it, with no direct turnstiles to the seating above. Access is purely from the sides.
This is why it has no vomitories, because entrances/exits within a stand break up the internal space. Instead the solution was for spectators to use large stairways to the front and side and a broad concourse at pitch level.
The problem now, of course, is that they have somehow managed to sidestep regulations by building the lower tier where the concourse once was, and all the stairwells gone with it except the two at either side. Of course it is still possible to walk right down from the upper, through the lower and along the smaller concourse in front, but it is now populated by the extra capacity so not really worth it.
God forbid there is ever a fire in there, it would be a stampede and carnage. Thank god they replaced all the wooden seats a few years back to "bring the ground up to championship standard" - we all know the real reason...

[TommyGod]

This stand reminds me of the old Brian Bevan stand at Warrington Wolves Rugby League club's former Wilderspool ground
image hosted on flickr

[RMB2007]

From www.tothe92.co.uk:



More images can be found on Stuart's site:

http://www.tothe92.co.uk/index.html