Toon Faltytowers!!!!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Unofficial Newcastle United Football Club BBS : One Thread

"Newcastle United has tabled plans for a huge leisure and shops complex yards from St James's Park.

It will include a 200-bed hotel and 45 flats.

The rest of the development on land at St James's Metro Station, Gallowgate, would contain a 280-space multi-storey car park, shops, a cinema, nightclub, offices, bars and restaurants."

Oh my God.

"Durham-based architects RPS Consultants said the scheme will also take in the car park behind Wellbar House up to Strawberry Lane and down to St Andrew's Place. Technical director David Kershaw said the scheme would cost "tens of millions of pounds" and revealed that the firm had been working on blueprints with the club for two years."

TENS OF MILLIONS OF POUNDS

Oh my God

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

Answers

Perhaps they could include a Youth Academy - clearly this development is seen as a much higher priority!

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

so jeffers costs a pool and a sauna then?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

I thought they had sold that land?

They must have been looking at my balanced St James'park picture to get the inspiration.



-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

That's a hotel / multi storey car park biult under the new stand. I should claim a design fee.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

My design had one more carpark than yours Rik, so I should get more design fees.



-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001



This is one of my greatest bugbears with the club. Project managing the building and leasing of commercial operations such as this IS NOT OUR CORE BUSINESS. Fund raising is fund raising is fund raising you might say - as long as the profit (best case scenario several years down the track mind) gets invested in the footballing club, then all well and good perhaps ? Problem is that we're a publicly listed company and the chief focus therefore is maximising shareholder returns. At many levels, getting into leisure facilities isn't a smart business move anyway (capital intensive, unspectacular, cyclical returns - assuming you actually make money that is). My greatest fear however is that getting something like this off the ground takes the eye further off the ball of what SHOULD be our core business ie. the performance of the first team. Dumb dumb dumb idea. I hope to god they've done some proper analysis against the alternatives and at least realise what they're getting us all into ... and the risks ?

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

I wouldn't be too worried about this on two fronts. The area has apparently been earmarked for a bit of development and this will suit the local authority down to the ground.

Also there has been no mention of who is going to fund the development. Apportionable risk is something that can be swallowed up by investment from outside. Obviously as Newcastle own the majority of the land they have a part to play but any fund could use this land and take on the risk of the development succeeding or failing.

I imagine that this the majority of this development is not going to come from NUFC coffers. The club can see this as a very good deal as they can lease the land and make a substantial amount of money from the scheme without exposing themselves to too much risk.

If it is done in such a way of course!

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001


Great, if NUFC have good well thought out business plans away from football, this can only bring in a good flow of income in the future, hence the value of NUFC goes up, NUFC find it easier to borrow & can help the team. Myopia is a dangerous thing. Personally, I'd hope NUFC bought Leazes terrace & converted that into a Hotel with additional suites that link up to the East stand so that can be bought up to the same level as the rest of the ground.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Crikey - the rate of development is staggering (or was that the effect of last night's beers??). Anyway, last time I saw it (only a few weeks ago, the Gallowgate hadn't changed, but lo and belhold, Rick now shows that it has been brought up to a simmilar (some might say mirror image) of the Leazes.

But, not to rest on their laurels (aka F@t @rses), the club have forged ahead and redeveloped the East stand. Amazing in such a short time - I mean, what happened to all those objectors? Surely a masterpiece of timing from the board of NUFC Plc to do this while the country was engrossed in election fever and queuing all week to vote. For all you doubters, here is evidence of the forward thinking of our board. I hope yo all do you duty and get you ST applications in before the deadline to reward them for their sterling efforts.

Altogether now, I'd like you to join me in a chorus of:

Two Barrack Roads, there's only two Barrack Roads".

PS. I agree entirely with Freaky's plan. The club should be buying up LT and incorporating it into the club structure. Seems like it may be too late now tho. It seems to have disappeared, along with The Straabeery. Paul, can you please tell me I'm wrong aboot the pub.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001


Nice idea Screach ... except I'm not for sale

;o))

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001



Howway Screach, There are season tickets to be got rid of. They've obviously gone for overkill on tempting the ditherers.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Well, it will come as no great surprise to hear that I agree entirely with LT.
Despite their relative success with the stadium expansion, property development is not NUFC's core business, and the Management of NUFC should not be diluting their attention with such diversionary issues.
Do we not remember all the issues that were not able to be addressed because Management were too pre-occupied with the stadium expansion? That says it all.

There are a limited number of important issues that any Management should be focused on, and given our recent playing record there is little doubt what the main priority for Management should be right now. Outside of improving the level of performance and track record on the playing front, IMHO Management should be focused exclusively on:

 establishing asap world-class training, medical support and physical conditioning facilities
 establishing a world-class Youth Academy and the best possible operating staff
 rebuilding their relationships with and communications to their customers, both locally and around the world (including the establishment of a high quality web-site)
 developing real succession plans for all key staff

When all these issues are well in hand, we are riding high in the PL and competing regularly in Europe, THEN is the perhaps time to dabble in property development, but not until.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001


We don't know who is funding this development!

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Doesn't matter DeB - I'm talking about the diversion of management time and effort. Effort that should be totally devoted to running a football club, not property development.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

nail on head clarky

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001


"The position has not changed from where it was three years ago".

Same position as the Youth Academy and the Training Facilities then? I'm delighted to hear they are concentrating all their efforts on the playing side - the results are clearly evident!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001


Mackems have got planning for their new academy and construction will start very soon.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

NOT!!!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Moderation questions? read the FAQ