http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/4450122.Percy_feeling_pinch_at_New_Road/

Looks like the new pavilion is going to stand out like a sore thumb for some years to come.

£100,000 share anyone?

Will I live long enough to see the old pavilion rebuilt?

Depends, how are you feeling at the moment mate?

In seriousness, it makes sense and I cannot say I am surprised.

Will have a look down the back of the sofa when I get home!

I've tried not to mention the 'credit crunch' on this nice little piece of escapism- but we have one, it is real and profound and now hurting people badly.

Cricket is a luxury and we are doing well to fight off any moves to a 6, 9 or 10 team superleague.

There will be honey again for tea one day- but it feels like a dark winter's dawn at the moment.

The numbers are beginning not to stack up. The article is full of " hopefully's " and " probably's ". Dreamland thinking to me.

Hardly dreamland. A back up plan has obviously been in place for some time and the sensible course is being taken. Secure what you need ie the business plan above the flood plain, consolidate and then expand again.

Xraysteve - I think you need to stand the other side of the lead partition !

Trust me I know where I am standing.

Surely re-assessing the financial position and then announcing what you are doing to the people with a valid interest is sound management.

Any big development will be risky these days. I'd rather have nothing done than pushing on with a potentially risky project, so I'm more than happy to let the experts at the club crack on their own way.

Out of interest, they say the hotel is the third phase. Obviously the pavillion must be the second, so what was the first ? The Dolly stand maybe ?

Hotel is phase 2 I think. I think phase 3 is the bit that joins them together isn't it?

Yeah, Pavillion 1
Hotel 2
Media Centre/Hospitality/New Road Stand 3

Looks like we'll have to get used to half the Dolly stand being an eyesore
for many more years.

Suspending ground

Unlike at Warwickshire where they are pressing ahead with the TOTAL redevelopment in one go; starting on it before everything is even finalised. The entire members area has been demolished; despite the fact that the purchase of 12 houses which are due to be demolished has not even been finalised according to press reports early last week.

Apparently they will have to make £1M profit each year just to pay the debt for about 20-30 years. Sheer madness, plus they have p***ed of the local residents big time. Unfortunately no-one apart from the club seems to know how this has affected the membership figures as they are no longer published. But there were a large number of regulars missing this year and will be at least 2 more this season (myself and Kim.

One resident is going to judicial review and has threatened Strasbourg- this one will run and run...

I don't want to get involved at such private grief, except to relay one point- another organisation I am a member of holds its AGM at Edgbaston, and to be fair, I was always very pleased at the luxury of the Tom Dollery Suite. This year, we were told that the Suite- and Edgbaston- were 'closed for refurbishment'. As in, being totally demolished, as I found on the day!

We moved our meeting and luncheon to Walsall FC..and were so impressed by the even better facilities that we have agreed to stay there- through the Edgbaston rebuilding and beyond.....how many other bodies have decided to do what we have done?

I know of one other WBB, The CMS (Cricket Memorabilia Society) jumped ship around 4 years ago. Previously they had always held their meetings at cricket grounds, rotating them around counties with Edgbaston (AGM & auction) and Old Trafford (auction) being fixed.

That was until the club/letherby & christopher, kept upping the price, so that it became uneconomical. So it was decided to decamp to the Tally Ho police training facility just across the road. Which is a much better place in terms of layout and food.

Also the NHS used the County Ground for their recruitment campaigns for one season, then moved on to an alleged football club in Small Heath Birmingham. Which it pains me to say as a Villa fan is also much better than WCCC but not of the same standard as Tally Ho. The only problem is that our staff have to be careful which cars are taken down there as if any had Villa or other clubs stickers in; I doubt they would survive, if Small Heath were playing away.

Worcs News yesterday. Not sure what to make of this, no timescales given.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8316173.First_view_of_planned_sports_village/