ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Dont believe what they show you

So the pictures of the stadium are out. Well let's be honest, they could be drawings of anything that have come from somebody's imagination. It doesn't mean the ground will look anything like that.

Have a look at this:

Artist's Impression

The artist impression of the Ricoh Arena Coventry (Built in conjunction with Tesco, albeit not bay Barr).

And then look at what they actually got:

Shit, isn't it? Dont let the Kirkby pictures sway your vote, our board have never delivered what they say.
Ste Boileau, Walton Posted 23/07/2007 at 13:13:36

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Comments

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Michael

The wonders of night-time airbrushing...

Dan McKie
1 Posted 23/07/2007 at 15:21:07

It looks a bit like the picture,and its better than Highfield Road!!

Brian
2 Posted 23/07/2007 at 15:49:22

No, it’s not shit actually! You can tell about as much from the photo as you can from the artists impression. If you’re anti Kirby just say so, but make your arguments objective at least...and dont get me wrong I’m not pro Kirby either.

Dan Mckie
3 Posted 23/07/2007 at 15:57:33

How do you think the saying ’In the cold light of day’ came about? Nothing looks as good during the day against during the night and how many places that look great still look great from a helicopter view?

John Holmes
4 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:02:37

Whilst the artist’s impression is always going to attempt to show things in their best light the key thing here is the original concept hasn’t actually been followed. Aat the risk of getting too technical, the sticky-out bit hasn’t been stuck on properly so instead of having one flowing roof to form a unique structure looks like someone’s slapped a warehouse on the side. All in all a good display of how the original concept can be lost.

So what do we read into that? God knows, ignore the artist’s impression? Moderate it to something less? Guess at where alterations may be made? Hope that maybe someone’s going to produce evidence of ambitions being scaled up as well as down... buggered if I know.

Ste Boileau
5 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:07:59

Im Anti Kirkby - There you go Brian, said it. Dont take it personally Brian I wasnt saying you built it and it was shit :o)
If you think that stadium looks anything like what a club like ours should be playing in then you need to clean your screen or take another look. Thats a proper piece of slapped up shite, no care taken to make it look like anything special. It looks like a sad lonely load of scafolding stuck in the middle of some industrial estate on the outskirts of town.
My showing this picture was merely to show those who are getting excited about the drawings that you may not actually get what is in the drawings.

matt kay
6 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:33:58

what the fuck do you want with no cash to splash? FFS
wake up guys and get real, it ain’t gonna happen

Brian Waring
7 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:42:41

After reading this article,I rang my sister in law who is a Coventry fan.She said the reason they didn’t end up with the stadium they were promised,was because half way through the build they realised they couldn’t fianance the whole build,so had to make major adjustments to the designs.

Steve Claringbold
8 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:56:01

Looks like the artists impression to me.

Dan Mckie
9 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:56:10

There you go! Coventry bit off more than they could chew,just like Everton themselves did with the Kings Dock but at least they didnt start building it before they realised.

Gavin Ramejkis
10 Posted 23/07/2007 at 16:59:11

Dan McKie don’t you think with KW’s sliding figures he might too fuck up and we end up with a scaled down stadium too, his figures don’t add up now and we haven’t even agreed or started build yet.

Steve Claringbold
11 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:05:56

Let’s put this into perspective shall we?

There can be any number of reasons during planning and building why changes would need to be made on the original spec, it could be for health and safety reasons or whatever. The fact is that the artists impression is not that far off the stadium that was actually built.

John Breen
12 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:04:58

To steve this .... .. .... ... thats brail for are you Ray Charles incarnate ?

steve claringbold
13 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:20:53

John

.... ...

I’ll leave you to interprate what that’s braille for.

Jeremy benson
14 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:33:34

"love you" ?

Ted Jones
15 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:23:32

It’s a football stadium FFS, not the Guggenheim Coventry! Where’s the problem? Let’s see a photo of the finished article taken at night, illuminated by searchlights. That would make for a fairer comparison.

Btw, I wonder if the reason prospective billionaire investors stay clear of our club is because we seem to have the biggest load of moaning, nay-sayers ever to walk the planet wearing a footie scarf? Some of youse make me sick, not to mention embarrassed, to be an Evertonian. We may be in the gutter but can we please gaze up at the stars occasionally, instead of interminably trying to see shite everywhere?

I remember being at the ’Golden Vision’s’ testimonial match and the whole evening some shit was sat behind me in the Upper Bullens slagging-off the club throughout, scarcely drawing breath (shame he managed it at all in fact). I wouldn’t mind betting now that the twat in the business suit was Tony Marsh or one of his miserable acolytes. It could even have been Colm?

Look, if you nay-sayers hate the club so much (and that?s how you?d come across to any objective observer) why don’t you just nob-off and slag another club instead? We loyal Blues are sick of youse! And if Tony Marsh lays a blanket accusation of ?traitor? one more time against people who disagree with him, I?m gonna? be forced to ask for his home address (or seat number) so I can come round and spit in his eye, even if I have to travel all the way from Manchester to do it!

tom morris
16 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:45:54

Ted Jones,

Beautifully put. Sums up everything I feel about some of loons who continually spout their cynical, paranoid nonsense on a daily basis.

If supporting Everton made me as miserable and morose as it seems to make some, I’d have packed it in a long time ago.

Bob Turner
17 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:49:17

Nice one, Ted! I think some people should be forced to write out the definition of "supporter" 100 times on the blackboard!

Chris R
18 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:46:33

Ted
Thats the most enlightning post I?ve read on Toffeeweb for ages.

I?m glad I?m not the only one who thinks that way. Then again we are the silent majority.

I work in Manchester next to Uniteds Ground so you can imagine what I have to put up with, those bastards read these posts and have a good laugh at them

Ray Hughes
19 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:03:02

Shit and lacking character it may be but its still more modern and easier to access to and from than Goodison..I hate to admit it but Goodison is exactly the Grand OLD Lady it was named.. ’Old’ being the word really and sadly we all know it..It is two decades past its sell by date and we will eventually have to accept a move is the way forward..I will be sad to see Goodison for the last time but have to face up to it..

Steve Claringbold
20 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:07:50

Thank God for the last 5 comments.
It’s supporters like you guys that this club need and deserve, unlike the moaning contingent that regularly grace this site every day.

Chris R
21 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:10:34

I may got shot down for this but the new impression looks to me more like a Football Ground than a Stadium.

I’m all for it

Gavin Ramejkis
22 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:15:21

If you ladies in the knitting circle think it’s toffeewinge try Bluekipper and Pravda that’ll fill you with biased bullshit all day and night, this is an independent site with all viewpoints catered for, wind you necks in.

David Barks
23 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:24:50

Come on Gavin, to claim that this site isn’t biased is just not being honest. The proportion of negative to positive stories on this site isn’t even close, and the conspiracy mongering is always in one direction, against the current Board.

Steve Claringbold
24 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:23:47

Gavin,

People are just so negative on here lately it’s unbelievable. At the end of the day we are supposed to be united by our support for Everton, everyone has an opinion that’s fine but the fact that people are so negative is not.

At the end of the day how many of us run football clubs? Do we actually know what we are talking about?

Isn’t it about time that everybody had a bit of faith that the people in power know what they are doing and they, as much as anyone, would not want to see the club fail and want to push the club as far and as high as it can go.

David Barks
25 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:27:43

Well said Steve, I have never been able to understand the reasoning that BK is intentionally running the Club into the ground to fill his pockets. How does a failing business make the owner rich?

John Patrick McFarlane
26 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:12:40

Everton FC, the debate goes on. 1960s successful on and off the pitch. 1970s decline begains, many rivals started to improve and prosper. 1980s a revival on the pitch, failure to capitalise on its success.1990s totally lost our way on and off the pitch. New Millenium, stumbling between failure and minor victories. Current state of affairs, miles behind those clubs we used to match on and off the pitch. In danger of being overtaken by those clubs we used to treat with little or no respect. Whatever the outcome of the Kirkby Project, be warned it will have far reaching effects on the whole club’s future. That’s not being a naysayer that’s just saying it as we see it. If a derby win and qualifying for the Uefa cup now and again is all we wish to aspire to, then fine be as optimistic as you like. On the other hand if you want the blues to at least attempt to become great again you may be more interested in exploring every possible source of income and not jump at the first freebie that comes your way.

Paul Lovatt
27 Posted 23/07/2007 at 17:42:32

Ste Boileau pointed out the Ricoh does not resemble the artist's impression. That's because it is what it is an: impression, "doh". As a member of the team that actually built this stadium its is a great place to watch football. Remember the old Coventry stadium? I for one do and it's not a patch on the new one.

Don't be mislead by the "built by Tesco line", the building with Ricoh on the roof is in fact a casio, bar and leisure facility that is a sourse of income for Coventry FC. It's not a Tesco as the previous artical suggests.

I believe EFC should investigate all possible options on a move and all Evertonians should be patient and not be lead by their heart but by their head in making this desicion. I don't remember too many Coventry fans complaing on my last visit. On the contrary, they were singing the praises of the new facilities they had.

David Barks
28 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:30:59

John, the club did not just jump at this chance without thinking. The search has been going on for years now, and this one appears to be the best option in their eyes. Those of us who are positive about the current situation are not just happy with a Derby victory here and there and occasional Uefa Cup appearance. We are happy after looking at where we were throughout the 90’s that you mentioned, and seeing the progress that we have been making. We have been improving on the field, qualified for Europe 2 out of 3 seasons, and have locked down our current squad for years to come. There are things that we would like improved, but spending all of our time looking at what is wrong is just not the way to live.

tom morris
29 Posted 23/07/2007 at 18:35:14

Gavin,

I believe us ’ladies in th knitting circle’ were doing exactly what you protest that people have the right to do.

Giving our opinion. Redressing the balance a little.

Wind your own neck in.

Alan Clarke
30 Posted 23/07/2007 at 19:08:22

Does anyone else think the Ricoh arena looks very much like a giant bell end?

No-one can accuse Coventry of building a characterless stadium. Who knows where they’ll shoot celebratory fireworks from if Coventry win promotion!

Steve Claringbold
31 Posted 23/07/2007 at 19:22:22

That’s some strange looking bell-end.

Ste Boileau
32 Posted 23/07/2007 at 19:18:58

Fair enough some of the comments here. But you cant turn around and call some of us biased just because we’re passionate about Everton and our points of view differ to your own. Nothing but the best the moto reads and that stands for everything in the club. There are past players of this great club that would turn in their grave at the shite that gets dished up on the pitch (and the bolloc*s off it).
As for that ’football stadium’ in Coventry, Nil Satis Nisi Optimim it certainly isnt, its your run of the mill, Riverside, St Marys, Pride Park. If im called a moaner for wanting nothing but the best and refusing to take ’just good enough’ then fine i’ll take it. But anti Everton im not. Bottom line is, that type of stadium is not f*****g good enough for us.

Gavin Ramejkis
33 Posted 23/07/2007 at 19:11:34

Steve Claringbold

Not all management is good they are human like the rest of us and make mistakes, only trouble is in this game its about passion and tribalism for the fans. Ever remember Peter Swales at Man City and Francis Lee that followed him; both hailed as great saviours at the time but both stayed too long and had negative impact on the club and yes both claimed undying love for their colours.

The fact this site is used as a medium to vent frustrations and viewpoints is just that a medium where the IT literate dwell.

Tom the point is about making your point and not trying to ram it down peoples throats, if you believe its toffeewinge then change channels or join the debate don’t decry other just because they don’t think exactly the same way as you do.

David B, fair play but I don’t run the site and the clarity of just how many posts the extremists make eg Marsh and Doddy is supposition, even Dutch is back, nothing is stopping them from typing up their own stuff but themselves, even if commented by Colm, Lyndon and Michael what the hell it’s their site.

To lighten the humour again and prove I’m not an old fart I hope Paul Lovatt made a typo and didnt mean a giant calculator

David Mills
34 Posted 24/07/2007 at 15:55:36

As a resident of Coventry and occassional attendee at the Ricoh, I can say it isn’t that bad really.

But the finish does look, generally, a bit mediocre. Like they were cutting costs as they went (which they were). That said, compared to bits of Goodison it’s a palace.

Significant thing to note though is that the transport connections are a bit pants.

One, albeit large, road for all traffic in and out equals gridlock following big events, such as the Rod Stewart concert lasdt week. And that was only 30,000 people, not the 50,000 we want to shift out of Kirkby every fortnight.

Of course, the opening of a station on the rail line that runs directly behind would help.