[Bluebob]

Quite a damming assessment off Pompey's Academy by Liam Daish. This is one area that Michael Eisner highlighted at the Guildhall meeting that they would support. Liam Daish comments would make any parents of promising youngsters think twice about joining the club.

[Hammie]

Today's comments suggest he feels the U23 set up is the missing link more than anything else.
Regarding an upgraded academy, the rule put in place by the prem clubs make it very very difficult and expensive to get an upgraded "title". From what I've read I doubt there is space on Portsea island to set one up.
Just possibly with st John's College closing imminently we could do such a thing on their playing field if the geese restriction on building still holds against it being sold for housing. I assume we could get permission to use that land for an academy provided we left most of it as grass (ie what the winter migrant geese feed on)

[firqdays]

Totally agreed this is very disagreeable reading and yes BlueBob contrary to the Guildhall pitch so doubly disappointing on that front !

Eons ago one of the/another one of the, sites proposed for a spanking new stadium was the seaward area on the edge of Tipner Lake/Port-Solent area - opposite the crane. Would a suitable Academy set up be viable for that site?

[Roybatty]

Pretty sure that is turning into a country park

[Hammie]

Pretty sure that is turning into a country park

anything owned by the council is probably available for a decent bid

[bluetagagain]

Personally I think it’s a disgrace that a club of our prestige doesn’t have a decent academy and development team. I can understand it during the fan owned era but since the Eisners came ( and it was one of their proclamations that we ‘eat what we kill’) it’s ridiculous that this hasn’t been established. We’ll done Liam Daisy for being so forthright.

[Hammie]

Did anyone else read the requirements for the academy to be raised a level and feel at least a little surprise about the investment and space required?
Half a million a year for a 23 team (and a lot of space)
Sounds a lot more for an academy of a higher level.
?
Maybe we are better paying for the U23 bit right now and picking up cast offs, and there are plenty of those just from Chelsea's list.

[scumslayer]

This would require long term investment rather than slap up and make do

[Hammie]

This would require long term investment rather than slap up and make do

Good. these are the first owners to make a long term investment in the club in my lifetime.

[scumslayer]

Only football fans could mistake a stick for a carrot.

[Cunninglinguist]

Only football fans could mistake a stick for a carrot.

Am i the only dinlo who hasn’t got a clue what you’re talking about? ?

[scumslayer]

I'll be explicit: the Eisners are doing grounds works because they will face stands closures if they don't. That's the stick, not the carrot.

[Cunninglinguist]

But the capacity will increase and facilities will improve. I’m sure they weren’t blind to the possible cost of that.

It was always a choice between staying (and improving what we’ve got) or moving and forking out for a new ground. Neither option is cheap, or am I missing something?

[BlueArmy]

Lots of people still after all these years do not understand that there is not space for a new ground in the city.

We don't need a new ground, improving FP to a capacity of 25,000 plus is just fine for what we need. This can be achieved at FP.

[Pompeyg100]

Didn’t they do a survey and asked if fans wanted to move or stay at FP and the majority came back as stay?

Can you imagine the upset if we moved to a new ground?

[scumslayer]

Lots of people still after all these years don't understand that buildings are not permanent and you can buy rather a lot of them and knock them down to create room to make newer, larger buildings and the connecting infrastructure required to service them.

These people tend not to be able to imagine anything. They can only see what you put in front of them.

[Pompeyg100]

The club have been buying houses surrounding the ground haven’t they?

[BlueArmy]

It makes complete sense to stay FP. Which is why the majority of people associated with the club in many forms want to stay at Fratton.

25,000 to 27,000 capacity, similar to norwich as an example, is more than enough capacity for us. As it is for them too. This capacity can be achieved at Fratton.

We aren't a small club by any means, but we aren't as big as some might think. Football isn't the priority for many people around the country anymore.

We could average 25,000 to 27,000. Very little more than that IMO. Of course we can take huge followings like 50,000 to Wembley etc but if you're talking about week in week out crowds, 25,000 to 27,000 is what we should be aiming for.

We are a similar club in terms of support to Palace, Norwich, West Brom.

[scumslayer]

Disagree vehemently. Six figures on the common after the FA Cup win and consistently half that at Wembley shows we have the same pull and scale as Sunderland.

If we know our arse from our elbow we will also be looking at building an enormous facility in Portsmouth that can stage first class concerts and potentially an England international, you know, like those lot down the road have done with their consistently above 20k STHs every year for the last 5 years and hosting acts like The Killers last week.

Imagine bigger than what your eyes are showing you. Look at the cues.

[BlueArmy]

When scummers go back to the Championship, as they will, as will Brighton, they'll be in half empty stadiums. Scummers especially are not selling out in the premiership. Brighton had lots of empty seats last season too, although not as many as scum.

Most clubs can get good season ticket sales in the prem, including us. 

But it's about being sensible. Building for a sustainable club in the championship too.

Yes we had 200,000 for the parade, the majority went for a piss up and a good time.

There's nothing wrong with us aiming for 25,000 to 27,000. We are a medium sized club, with a good history and a good support. To think we could average 35,000 or something is not realistic. Again IMO.

[Pompeyg100]

Disagree vehemently. Six figures on the common after the FA Cup win and consistently half that at Wembley shows we have the same pull and scale as Sunderland.

If we know our arse from our elbow we will also be looking at building an enormous facility in Portsmouth that can stage first class concerts and potentially an England international, you know, like those lot down the road have done with their consistently above 20k STHs every year for the last 5 years and hosting acts like The Killers last week.

Imagine bigger than what your eyes are showing you. Look at the cues.

The common and Wembley are no indication of what attendances could be at FP.

[bluebollox]

But the capacity will increase and facilities will improve. I’m sure they weren’t blind to the possible cost of that.

It was always a choice between staying (and improving what we’ve got) or moving and forking out for a new ground. Neither option is cheap, or am I missing something?

Capacity last I heard after the work done on the SS & lower NS will still be hovering around 20k?

[scumslayer]

Average gate for Sunderland in League One consistently above 30k

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/afc-sund...verein/289

Sunderland could not be a better archetype for our potential.

Even them down the road averaged 22k in League 1 and the Championship and we know how much more fervant we are compared to them https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-south...verein/180

We should be planning for 30k football attendances and a 35k seater stadium so we can bid to host concerts and internationals.

It also allows 10% head room for further growth in future generations and if we get a big fish in an FA Cup draw.

I follow your logic with comparisons to Palace and Norwich but IMO you're not aiming large enough for all use cases and for your children and your children's children's generations.

[Pompeyg100]

But we can’t even sell out the current capacity.

[bluebollox]

But we can’t even sell out the current capacity.

So we would be the one club to buck what seems like a nationwide trend? Build a new NS & they will come.
Its no good to be so limited in our aspirations. As long as I've supported PFC which is well over 53 yrs now I've never known owners who have truly tested our potential. The PST & Presidents aside, if they had had the clout they would have.