Fans Forum 12/04

[bwildered]

Fans forum tonight . Any intresting points raised ?

[Daren Mootoo]

I asked a question about the Olympic Stadium. It looks like there are a lot of ongoing discussion and the panel were very enthusiastic about playing there, although 2017 is looking very unlikely. The dimensions suit, a POTENTIAL crowd of 62500 (i.e. a much bigger crowd than the 5-6000 that currently attend Chelmsford T20s)would swell the coffers but the suitability of a drop-in wicket is still under development. Any cricket there would be under "festival" conditions, with likely a couple of Essex T20s being played, alongside England Women and potentially any touring side. All other T20 fixtures would remain at the ECG. There are huge positives around this project, especially tapping into the huge cricketing community in East London and West Essex and would also open new avenues of commercial revenue.  Providing a suitable playing surface can be found, it looks like this will happen, but now not before 2018.

[afinetickletoleg]

Did they really say a potential crowd of 62,500? 
Got their feet on the ground then. 

[nat]

Did they really say a potential crowd of 62,500? 
Got their feet on the ground then. 

Essex vs Middx on a barmy summers evening. I can see it happening. Average ticket price of say £20 and you can see why the gin-soaked committee must be salivating at the thought.

[Andy]

Drop in wickets were used in 1977 for Packer's Circus.  As for the 62000 spectators, this is the sort of nonsense we hear from idiots like Vaughan. Cricket would've rarely drawn that sort of crowd - certainly in the modern era i.e. once people got TVs!

Only a minority of EPL clubs draw regularly huge crowds over 50k - and there is a lot of coverage of the sport in the media - plus the EPL analogy falls down because there's a lot of footie on terrestrial TV anyway (note the failed experiment of putting the FA Cup on BT). I don't mind the OS experiment because it makes us look as if we have some ambitions, but also it is the nearest we'll get to festival cricket in metropolitan Essex. I'm a pragmatist rather than die in the wool Luddite.

[Slogger]

Yes - I'm in favour of trying this at Stratford too. Get the pricing right and you'd get 20,000 plus. Get England men playing there in a T20 and you might just fill it. I just wouldn't want to lose the more traditional park ground festival at Colchester, which I fear will happen with the reduction in fixtures next year.

Was anything said about festival cricket?

[alji]

I think for Colchester to be anywhere near viable it must have a limited over fixture ideally at the weekend. It's a great pity that it hasn't got one this year, particularly when other counties such as Glos have got one at their festivals.

[squarelegumpire]

I think for Colchester to be anywhere near viable it must have a limited over fixture ideally at the weekend. It's a great pity that it hasn't got one this year, particularly when other counties such as Glos have got one at their festivals.

I was told yesterday ..... couldn’t get to the Forum ..... that there aee to be no stands at Colchester this year. Can’t see that as positive.

[nat]

I think for Colchester to be anywhere near viable it must have a limited over fixture ideally at the weekend. It's a great pity that it hasn't got one this year, particularly when other counties such as Glos have got one at their festivals.

I was told yesterday ..... couldn’t get to the Forum ..... that there aee to be no stands at Colchester this year. Can’t see that as positive.

No point having stands for a 4 day game. Will be the last game at CP sadly.

[IlfordEagle]

If that is the case then what happens if we have large crowds for each day, which is possible as Sussex are good opposition & it is in the middle of the School holidays?
There will be a problem if we don't have enough individual seats to put out, surely we need those 2 stands that CP normally has?

[Perov]

Plenty of room to stand and view, or bring your own.
Rather that than lose Colchester.

[IlfordEagle]

People who travel by train can't bring their own!!
Parking inside CP itself is good but unless you leave an over or two before the end it takes forever to get onto the main Road again.
I agree with earlier poster that CP needs a T20/RL match to be viable financially, if it means moving the Festival forward a week or two then sobeit rather than lose the Festival for good.

[Perov]

Folding camping chair, lightweight, with carrying bag, easy to carry on a train, £6.99 at Argos.

Sorted!   

[Mog]

I asked a question about the Olympic Stadium. It looks like there are a lot of ongoing discussion and the panel were very enthusiastic about playing there, although 2017 is looking very unlikely. The dimensions suit, a POTENTIAL crowd of 62500 (i.e. a much bigger crowd than the 5-6000 that currently attend Chelmsford T20s)would swell the coffers but the suitability of a drop-in wicket is still under development. Any cricket there would be under "festival" conditions, with likely a couple of Essex T20s being played, alongside England Women and potentially any touring side. All other T20 fixtures would remain at the ECG. There are huge positives around this project, especially tapping into the huge cricketing community in East London and West Essex and would also open new avenues of commercial revenue.  Providing a suitable playing surface can be found, it looks like this will happen, but now not before 2018.

Personally, I'd suggest that once ECCC are given a quotation of the venue hire, stewarding costs - even based upon opening the lower tier of seating exclusively, then add drop- in pitch fees, technology, etc. they will soon lose interest. I'd suggest 25,000 attendance per fixture would be required to make the venture financially viable for T20.
It's all very well citing how ECCC fill the most basic and facility deficient County HQ in the country, the reality is it only has a capacity of circa 5500 - even then they certainly do not sell-out every match by any measure.

[nat]

Mog - having a bad day?