It could be a good move depending on the terms of the move. A 1,000 year lease would be perfect but a move to a stadium controlled by Civil (or uncivil) Servants would be a no go for me. As for the Valley .. nothing is permanent except change. If the club has long term ambitions to be a major factor in English football, a larger stadium is a necessity. Who would have believed that Arsenal would ever move from Highbury or Millwall from the Den or Manchester City from Maine Road. The Valley site must be worth tens of millions. Shades here of 'who owns CAFC' .. who would benefit most from a move to a (as yet hypothetical) new stadium.
The words "open air" dont set my heart racing, looking at the artist impression there are not a lot of roof's on show. OK for Seaworld in Florida but facing the Thames on a cold Febraury night......................nah.
Thought one concert arena was enough for the Greenwich Peninsula? Plans released by Greenwich Council reveal it’s giving serious consideration to a second, open-air, arena on the west side of the peninsula.
The idea is floated in a new masterplan for Greenwich Peninsula West, designed to set out how the area could look in 15 years or so.
On the site of the former Tunnel Refineries/Syral plant, it suggests a “multi-purpose complex”. “Designed specifically to hold large outdoor concert events the form of the complex could be configured to offer picturesque views westward to Canary Wharf and beyond,” it says.
“The complex could be developed in phases, as demand & uses change. Configured to primarily to hold concerts and other similar events, the complex should ideally be flexible enough to also host sports fixtures.”
It adds that a university or sports training centre could be located at the venue, with photos of a Rolling Stones gig and baseball stadia in St Louis, Missouri and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
As well as being just half a mile from the 20,000-capacity O2 arena, the proposed site is just a couple of miles from The Valley, which holds 27,000 people. Any new sporting venue is likely to need a tenant, but Charlton Athletic have twice rejected plans to move to the peninsula since the 1980s, most recently passing on a proposal which would have seen them take over the Millennium Dome.
Any proposal for an open-air concert venue is likely to cause uproar on the Isle of Dogs, with noise likely to cross the river towards Cubitt Town. A leading Tower Hamlets councillor joined residents last year petitioning against the Peninsula Festival, which has since been given the go-ahead.
The report also acknowledges that transport links will need to be improved, and proposes a new bus station on the west side of the peninsula as well as a Docklands Light Railway extension “from Canning Town or Royal Victoria” (about which there’ll be more on this site in the coming weeks).
The masterplan is part of a package of proposals for various areas of the borough put forward by Greenwich Council. Plans for the Charlton riverside envisage a “Charlton Garden City” with space for creative industries close to the Thames Barrier. They’ve already stirred up debate at the Charlton Champion.
Another masterplan, for Woolwich town centre, suggests demolishing the Waterfront Leisure Centre, replacing it with a new facility in the town centre and extending Hare Street towards the riverside.
All the proposals can be inspected online, with the Greenwich Peninsula proposals to be exhibited at the Forum on Trafalgar Road on Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 February. The Charlton and Woolwich schemes can be seen at The Valley on Monday 20 February, and Woolwich Library on Saturday 3 and Monday 5 March.
I take it I'm not the only one who used to laugh when the teacher drew the Thames on a blackboard? The isle looked like the shaft with Wapping & Silvertown forming mangled testicles.
Whilst I would hate to leave the Valley I think that the club should set out some strict conditions that would ensure that any future move is most definitely advantageous to the club in both the short, medium and longer term. Conditions like- no sharing with other clubs, massive financial benefits, in borough of Greenwhich, excellent Transport links, Charlton priority tenants, low rent that can't be hiked no threat of expulsion, much better facilities etc...I think that if a proposal met all those conditions, fans would not be too opposed if it promised the club a rosy future. Highbury had so much history but Arsenal fans accepted the move to the Emirates as it is a fantastic stadium but doubt it would have been so if they shared it with Spurs.
Don't get me wrong - we fought for the Valley and it is part of our souls but if the situation simply had plusses and no negatives- well it is something the club and fans would need to think closely and clearly about. Not saying this is that though.
"The design and the desire to have the towers of Canary Wharf in the background reminds me slightly of an open-air Ricky Martin concern I – erm – happened to catch on telly once. He was doing that one song he has, Livin’ La Vida Loca, and when he sang “Woke up in New York City”, he paused, and the banner behind him fell to reveal… the Manhattan skyline! Everyone went crazy. It was a clever moment, but you’d have thought the crowd would already have been aware they were in New York.
Of course, for this to work, someone would have to write a hugely successful song about Canary Wharf."
It's easy to see why people will look at this and make 2 + 2 = 5. On the other hand it would now seem that our new owners are shrewd hard nosed businessmen looking to maximise the return on their investment who might if the circumstances are right see things very differently to the board during the Murray years. A new 40k stadium with very decent transport links with a licence for other entertainment less than a mile ? From The Valley might seem attractive prospect given the resale value of The Valley site and with Greenwich Council already onside with regard to planning permission for The Valley site. I agree that The Valley is very special to us Addicks but as previously posted is it any more special tha Highbury, The Den, Roker Park, Ayresome Park the list goes on. Change is always hard but not always wrong.
Seems a bit excessive to have the o2 arena, The Valley and this proposed stadium within a couple of square miles of each other, but if the investment is going anywhere then am happy to see it go to our home borough. The reason they can't just fund an upgrade in capacity at The Valley is because, due to it's residential location, the Valley is only permitted to hold four or five open air concerts a year I believe. It would be hard to increase this number.
We are nowhere near needing a bigger stadium currently. Will need another long run in the premiership for that to be the case. Also there's no character in a lot of new stadiums, I prefer the ways ours and others have got bigger (after getting smaller) one development at a time.
We are nowhere near needing a bigger stadium currently. Will need another long run in the premiership for that to be the case. Also there's no character in a lot of new stadiums, I prefer the ways ours and others have got bigger (after getting smaller) one development at a time.
Agree but what is the unknown factor here is what medium and long term plans the Mysterons have in mind. Perhaps they see us in the top flight pdq ?
It is true that we don't need a bigger stadium at present, but we could do in the future (don't forget the club obtained planning permission to extend the Valley capacity not so long ago). A 40k capacity stadium would future proof the club in that respect.
The problem for all peninsula based locations, is that they are far less convenient for the majority of our supporters who live east of Charlton, who currently have a railway station 5 minutes from the ground with direct services. Prety inconvenient for street parking too.
Unlike those other clubs, we don't have a reason to move. Arsenal had to move to build a much needed larger stadium, while post Taylor all those clubs moved as it was easier than redeveloping their existing sites.
Unlike those other clubs, we don't have a reason to move. Arsenal had to move to build a much needed larger stadium, while post Taylor all those clubs moved as it was easier than redeveloping their existing sites.
Unlike those other clubs, we don't have a reason to move. Arsenal had to move to build a much needed larger stadium, while post Taylor all those clubs moved as it was easier than redeveloping their existing sites.
This</blockquote
Aren't you forgetting the money to be made from selling The Valley for development ?
Unlike those other clubs, we don't have a reason to move. Arsenal had to move to build a much needed larger stadium, while post Taylor all those clubs moved as it was easier than redeveloping their existing sites.
This
Is the land on which the Valley sits really that valuable ? (genuine question)
Comments
Are there any Lifers that would support a move away from The Valley?
Thought one concert arena was enough for the Greenwich Peninsula? Plans released by Greenwich Council reveal it’s giving serious consideration to a second, open-air, arena on the west side of the peninsula.
The idea is floated in a new masterplan for Greenwich Peninsula West, designed to set out how the area could look in 15 years or so.
On the site of the former Tunnel Refineries/Syral plant, it suggests a “multi-purpose complex”. “Designed specifically to hold large outdoor concert events the form of the complex could be configured to offer picturesque views westward to Canary Wharf and beyond,” it says.
“The complex could be developed in phases, as demand & uses change. Configured to primarily to hold concerts and other similar events, the complex should ideally be flexible enough to also host sports fixtures.”
It adds that a university or sports training centre could be located at the venue, with photos of a Rolling Stones gig and baseball stadia in St Louis, Missouri and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
As well as being just half a mile from the 20,000-capacity O2 arena, the proposed site is just a couple of miles from The Valley, which holds 27,000 people. Any new sporting venue is likely to need a tenant, but Charlton Athletic have twice rejected plans to move to the peninsula since the 1980s, most recently passing on a proposal which would have seen them take over the Millennium Dome.
Any proposal for an open-air concert venue is likely to cause uproar on the Isle of Dogs, with noise likely to cross the river towards Cubitt Town. A leading Tower Hamlets councillor joined residents last year petitioning against the Peninsula Festival, which has since been given the go-ahead.
The report also acknowledges that transport links will need to be improved, and proposes a new bus station on the west side of the peninsula as well as a Docklands Light Railway extension “from Canning Town or Royal Victoria” (about which there’ll be more on this site in the coming weeks).
The masterplan is part of a package of proposals for various areas of the borough put forward by Greenwich Council. Plans for the Charlton riverside envisage a “Charlton Garden City” with space for creative industries close to the Thames Barrier. They’ve already stirred up debate at the Charlton Champion.
Another masterplan, for Woolwich town centre, suggests demolishing the Waterfront Leisure Centre, replacing it with a new facility in the town centre and extending Hare Street towards the riverside.
All the proposals can be inspected online, with the Greenwich Peninsula proposals to be exhibited at the Forum on Trafalgar Road on Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 February. The Charlton and Woolwich schemes can be seen at The Valley on Monday 20 February, and Woolwich Library on Saturday 3 and Monday 5 March.
It's inspired by a lot of US stadiums which have nice views from one end.
The Valley is as important as the Club itself to me.
Don't get me wrong - we fought for the Valley and it is part of our souls but if the situation simply had plusses and no negatives- well it is something the club and fans would need to think closely and clearly about. Not saying this is that though.
"The design and the desire to have the towers of Canary Wharf in the background reminds me slightly of an open-air Ricky Martin concern I – erm – happened to catch on telly once. He was doing that one song he has, Livin’ La Vida Loca, and when he sang “Woke up in New York City”, he paused, and the banner behind him fell to reveal… the Manhattan skyline! Everyone went crazy. It was a clever moment, but you’d have thought the crowd would already have been aware they were in New York.
Of course, for this to work, someone would have to write a hugely successful song about Canary Wharf."
Agree but what is the unknown factor here is what medium and long term plans the Mysterons have in mind. Perhaps they see us in the top flight pdq ?
Unlike those other clubs, we don't have a reason to move. Arsenal had to move to build a much needed larger stadium, while post Taylor all those clubs moved as it was easier than redeveloping their existing sites.