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Learning from cricket?

Learning from cricket?

Tark

Tark

The Gentry (RIP)
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
6,253
Location
Avenham
Over the past dozen years or so, it has been a source of regret and embarassment to all Nobber fans that we've not been able to finish off the Invicibles' Stand at the top level.

The idea was that if we ever get into the Prem, that 3rd tier will be completed. The longer the years go by and after our visits to Cardiff the less likely this ever seems.

So let's look at an alternative.

Goodness knows when the virus eventually lowers it's head. It could be years?

This summer's international cricket was held Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl in Southampton because both grounds have an integral hotel.

I suggest turning the top tier into a hotel. It has lift access, presumably?
The location is good, half way between the Marriott and Holiday Inn with easy road access and plenty of parking. This could attract visiting teams and fans coming from a good distance on match days/nights. [The likes of Ford United could have a practice on Moor Park beforehand?] There must be underused kitchens on the Invincible Lounge floor for catering and the underused laundry nearby which does the kit on match days and could do sheets and towels the rest of the hotel time.

Of course, each of the western facing rooms would have an ideal view of the pitch each with prime priced outside seats, and on non-match days have good afternoon sunshine to enjoy. The eastern facing rooms have a elevated view looking towards the attractive hills of Bleasdale if you don't really care for footy.

80% of the structure (floor, walls, roof) is already there, so it would be exceptionally cheap to create.

This idea also can generate income for the club during the closed season. Furthermore, with these facilities on site, it could allow Deepdale to further it's commercial offer to sports and other promoters throughout the year.

I hope Mr Ridsdale sees this. I think it's a really good commercial idea, and a hotel foyer is an ideal location for a tropical fish tank ;-)

And a name for the hotel?
Well, thinking about The Gentry and location, I suggest: 'The Ball'

I hope forum readers like this idea, as I've been thinking about it for 2 nights!
Tark
 
Cant imagine it would ever happen. However it is a brilliant idea and would love to see it take shape.

TH does have many ties to the hospitality world, pop an email into the club, can't hurt to suggest it!
 
With hotels if it's independent you're never going to be able to get it is as cheap as with budget, chain hotels, so if the club opened one it wouldn't be able to compete with stuff like Holiday Inn, Travelodge etc around Preston and would have to go more expensive and aim for a more upmarket clientele. This is the case with other hotels that exist within sports stadiums.
Other hotels in sport stadiums use the view of the pitch and the fact it's in the stadium to justify the higher price of the hotel room, they're rarely as good as an upmarket hotel in town due to location and it being independent but people pay the higher price to go there as they want to wake up to a view of a famous cricket ground or a football stadium (this is especially useful in cricket as people will stay there for multiple days of a five day test match). Unfortunately I don't see waking up to the Deepdale pitch as having that same draw.
There's also the problem of demand generally in Preston. Places like Manchester, London and even Southampton have a much higher demand for upmarket hotels and so there's a bigger market for sports teams in these areas to exploit by creating their own hotels. It's a nice idea but for me, with Preston not having a big demand for upmarket hotels and Deepdale not being a big draw for many people I think it'd end up being a white elephant, used a few times by PNE fans soon after opening but empty more often than not after that.
 
Think it would get rejected on the grounds on planning permission in a residential area, residents willingly signed up for a house next to a football ground, be a shit storm getting council permission.

Unless we get a petition going demanding permission from the council, what's the worst that could happen, bound to be newt free?
 
Tark said:
Over the past dozen years or so, it has been a source of regret and embarassment to all Nobber fans that we've not been able to finish off the Invicibles' Stand at the top level.

The idea was that if we ever get into the Prem, that 3rd tier will be completed. The longer the years go by and after our visits to Cardiff the less likely this ever seems.

So let's look at an alternative.

Goodness knows when the virus eventually lowers it's head. It could be years?

This summer's international cricket was held Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl in Southampton because both grounds have an integral hotel.

I suggest turning the top tier into a hotel. It has lift access, presumably?
The location is good, half way between the Marriott and Holiday Inn with easy road access and plenty of parking. This could attract visiting teams and fans coming from a good distance on match days/nights. [The likes of Ford United could have a practice on Moor Park beforehand?] There must be underused kitchens on the Invincible Lounge floor for catering and the underused laundry nearby which does the kit on match days and could do sheets and towels the rest of the hotel time.

Of course, each of the western facing rooms would have an ideal view of the pitch each with prime priced outside seats, and on non-match days have good afternoon sunshine to enjoy. The eastern facing rooms have a elevated view looking towards the attractive hills of Bleasdale if you don't really care for footy.

80% of the structure (floor, walls, roof) is already there, so it would be exceptionally cheap to create.

This idea also can generate income for the club during the closed season. Furthermore, with these facilities on site, it could allow Deepdale to further it's commercial offer to sports and other promoters throughout the year.

I hope Mr Ridsdale sees this. I think it's a really good commercial idea, and a hotel foyer is an ideal location for a tropical fish tank ;-)

And a name for the hotel?
Well, thinking about The Gentry and location, I suggest: 'The Ball'

I hope forum readers like this idea, as I've been thinking about it for 2 nights!
Tark
Click to expand...

Well that's the next decade's transfer budget committed - and still no new striker!
 
Rothwellwhite said:
Think it would get rejected on the grounds on planning permission in a residential area, residents willingly signed up for a house next to a football ground, be a shit storm getting council permission.

Unless we get a petition going demanding permission from the council, what's the worst that could happen, bound to be newt free?
Click to expand...
Planning regs have changed. The Council effectively needs to grant permission unless there are serious issues preventing them doing so. A hotel wouldn’t be deemed a huge change of use and would have little impact on the local area. I think it’s an idea well worth considering- that is if they haven’t already thought of it and rejected it!
 
Certainly a intresting idea but given that Hemmings thinks a fanzone is out of the box over expensive thinking it would probably blow his mind.

There is a decent enough space up there although not enough to have enough rooms to make a hotel profitable i would suspect. Let's be honest outside of football would a hotel in Deepdale be in demand?

If we got promotion there are loads of upgrades we would need to make for the Premier League in terms of press, TV, etc. I believe there are already loose plans to move the changing rooms and dug outs to the Finney Stand in such scenario.

Always bugs me we didn't finish that top bit off. If we did go up we would be able to sell boxes up there as corporate would snap them up just for the big games.

As a side fact, there is room for a lift up there... that they have never been able to install because the roof is too low.
 
JK said:
Always bugs me we didn't finish that top bit off. If we did go up we would be able to sell boxes up there as corporate would snap them up just for the big games.
Click to expand...

Me too, for the sake of appearing a completed stadium for the cameras, at least double glaze that tier, even if it’s not being used. But does this again reflect the ambition of the club? A nearly completed team together with a nearly completed stadium?
 
Final Stand said:
Me too, for the sake of appearing a completed stadium for the cameras, at least double glaze that tier, even if it’s not being used. But does this again reflect the ambition of the club? A nearly completed team together with a nearly completed stadium?
Click to expand...

Always been led to believe if they glassed or boxed it in would make it a room. Which we would then be required to pay rates on.
 
JK said:
Always been led to believe if they glassed or boxed it in would make it a room. Which we would then be required to pay rates on.
Click to expand...
Fill the gap with flags or printed fabrics, just like loads of stadiums have done to replace the crowds?
 
JK said:
Been there, done that.

Due to the weather its a nightmare. It needs finishing off properly.
Click to expand...
In a funny way it reminds me of the window tax of the 17th & 18th centuries. Big houses used to brick up their windows to pay less tax.

Sounds like we're doing a similar thing 🤪
 
Tark said:
Over the past dozen years or so, it has been a source of regret and embarassment to all Nobber fans that we've not been able to finish off the Invicibles' Stand at the top level.

The idea was that if we ever get into the Prem, that 3rd tier will be completed. The longer the years go by and after our visits to Cardiff the less likely this ever seems.

So let's look at an alternative.

Goodness knows when the virus eventually lowers it's head. It could be years?

This summer's international cricket was held Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl in Southampton because both grounds have an integral hotel.

I suggest turning the top tier into a hotel. It has lift access, presumably?
The location is good, half way between the Marriott and Holiday Inn with easy road access and plenty of parking. This could attract visiting teams and fans coming from a good distance on match days/nights. [The likes of Ford United could have a practice on Moor Park beforehand?] There must be underused kitchens on the Invincible Lounge floor for catering and the underused laundry nearby which does the kit on match days and could do sheets and towels the rest of the hotel time.

Of course, each of the western facing rooms would have an ideal view of the pitch each with prime priced outside seats, and on non-match days have good afternoon sunshine to enjoy. The eastern facing rooms have a elevated view looking towards the attractive hills of Bleasdale if you don't really care for footy.

80% of the structure (floor, walls, roof) is already there, so it would be exceptionally cheap to create.

This idea also can generate income for the club during the closed season. Furthermore, with these facilities on site, it could allow Deepdale to further it's commercial offer to sports and other promoters throughout the year.

I hope Mr Ridsdale sees this. I think it's a really good commercial idea, and a hotel foyer is an ideal location for a tropical fish tank ;-)

And a name for the hotel?
Well, thinking about The Gentry and location, I suggest: 'The Ball'

I hope forum readers like this idea, as I've been thinking about it for 2 nights!
Tark
Click to expand...
I think this is a brilliant idea Tark 🙂 I reckon many a North Ender over the years would have loved to have (erm, how shall I put it ? 😉 ) serviced a young lady in their favourite place in all the world 👍 Sorry to have been crude. ps .. To add to Tarks idea, I think PNE could get into the nursery business. It's a goldmine is that. If they could get 200 children to be looked after each week, that could bring in (at £60 per day ? , £300 per week ?) possibly £3m each season.
 
Most of you, Kitty Kat paticularly, seem to be missing the point. This bunny will get back in his hutch.
 
Kitty Kat said:
I think this is a brilliant idea Tark 🙂 I reckon many a North Ender over the years would have loved to have (erm, how shall I put it ? 😉 ) serviced a young lady in their favourite place in all the world 👍 Sorry to have been crude. ps .. To add to Tarks idea, I think PNE could get into the nursery business. It's a goldmine is that. If they could get 200 children to be looked after each week, that could bring in (at £60 per day ? , £300 per week ?) possibly £3m each season.
Click to expand...

im not sure if you’ve ever used childcare but at £30 a day you’re actually meant to pay someone to look after them. Unless this is some elaborate scheme involving using the players as the childcare after training. Your cunning plan for £3m seems to have a tiny flaw(and possibly some relatively serious safeguarding issues)
 
I thought there were plans a few years back of putting a large mural up there?

I think with the large number of media points needed in the Prem if we ever did get promoted it would become the media centre which would be a shame as it would probably be the best view in the stadium up there.
 
I run a medium term, small serviced apartment buisness overlooking Avenham Park. We've lost many thousands of pounds since February 2020. Just trying to look at what might help our employees. And those of others.
 
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