These are not the next two big money player signings coming to Burnley Football Club but represent the beginning of a groundswell of opinion amongst Clarets' fans that something needs to be done about the unfashionable and beyond its sell by date Cricket Field End Stand at Turf Moor. For current sponsorship purposes, fans will recognise the stand as the "David Fishwick Stand".
Potteries' based Burnley fan MrTstoke opines as follows: "Whatever your thoughts on where the Premier League revenue should be spent, yesterday's shock defeat to Lincoln certainly exposed a weakness in the Clarets line-up.
Not the line-up on the pitch but the formation and distribution of the stadium. I know many think every penny should be spent on playing staff, but I believe the current levels of income should allow a decision to be made on the re-development of the Cricket Field End stand.
This topic has been done to death I here you shout and I might well agree with you, except that no official sources have acknowledged the importance of getting this right. Many without thought scream for a third stand in the style of the "North" and "East" stands built by Linpave in the aftermath of the Popplewell enquiry. These stands DIVIDE the fans, a mammoth FAIL in the psyche of football fans, more than any other.
Tottenham have spent millions getting the design of the new "White Hart Lane" absolutely right with the multi tiered stadium including a SINGLE TIER "Home" end seating some 17,000. Whilst this alone will make Tottenham a more hostile place to visit than the ill-thought out multi-tiered Emirates of Arsenal, Burnley can still steal the lime-light with the Holy Grail of Football Stadium design.
Many fans are giving Burnley's Cricket Field End stand a poor rating for it's run down state but are rating the atmosphere at Turf moor as the best this season. This is because that same run down stand is single tiered with a split of vociferous "home" and "away" supporters. The flaw I speak of at the moment is that the atmosphere is tilted in favour of the visiting fans because two thirds of the stand is occupied by away fans.
A new Cricket End Field should be single tiered and whilst I don`t think the capacity should be increased for the sake of it, a stand that can accommodate 6,000 fans would make the Turf Moor capacity 24,000. Allowing 2,400 seats to be handed to visiting fans and a healthy 3,600 to Burnley supporters giving Turf Moor a "Home" atmosphere once more.
As a Staffordshire man born in Stoke on Trent, I have no connection to Burnley other than my support of the Clarets. My son and I are season ticket holders and will be season ticket holders in the Cricket Field End stand again next season.
I travelled the country looking for exciting football stadiums and teams to support and astounded even myself that then fourth division Burnley would edge out many "bigger" clubs with the exceptional atmosphere generated by the split Longside terrace.
There was similar stands at Manchester City and Wolves Southbank but this tiny Lancashire Town had no right to sustain such a big club at the league basement.
Let's use some of this new found wealth to return that unique atmosphere to the Turf?" (MrTstoke - Clarets Mad contributor).
We would love your opinions on this topic. Join in the debate at www.clarets-mad.co.uk
Source: DSG
