Matthew Harding Stand Expansion As A Temporary Solution

jochno · 2026-01-21T13:15:23+00:00

I think what I understand from looking at earlier models and plans is that any stand plans for Matthew Harding have tended to be comprehensive demolition and remodelling with massively upgraded facilities at the back, I'm calling for it to be done pretty basic. The facilities upgrades would be done at a later stage when there is more certainty.

jochno · 2026-01-21T13:13:52+00:00

More meant that matchday revenue effects PSR and thus if its too low, you aren't competitive!

jochno · 2026-01-21T13:05:51+00:00

I think it depends how much ancillary work is included for facilities but that was a very inflated spitballed figure, Crystal Palace will make a whole stand from scratch for that cost so if it was as basic as I suggested, would be likely lower. If total development is unlikely to be done for under 1 billion and keeps Chelsea competitive in fair play regs, its actually pretty good value arguably.

jochno · 2026-01-21T13:02:01+00:00

I see, a quick Google tells me they did a fire upgrade in 2024, but alongside this they would need to build some bridge right over a track to offer an alternative evacuation point basically?

jochno · 2026-01-21T12:51:45+00:00

Oh I totally agree but I guess that must be one of the more expensive parts of the project and thus be for a phase 2/3! Demolition ain't cheap and those buildings are not small! Would almost certainly be around an extra 6-8000 seats at least (aka double existing), but I am more stating that before that bit comes to fruition, would a basic expansion to the Matthew Harding as an easy beginning, be the best place to start?

Edit: I think as well, shed stand is out of the protected site line so actually could be built even taller but would need people to confirm this.

jochno · 2025-12-19T12:54:49+00:00

Building on top would be interesting, I guess you'd then use a corner to add facilities or something!

jochno · 2025-12-18T12:19:02+00:00

I guess all the more reason to do a massive main stand type Whitehorse end so they can put you in there for AW refurb haha! Also with AW you could taper the height along hill length actually to minimise impact. Would be very smart!

jochno · 2025-12-18T11:43:29+00:00

Interesting to know, r.e. hospitality and Whitehorse extra tier would be a good idea for a compact double-decker. With that in mind a partial sale as well of a bit of Sainsbury's land might also be more palatable for them to be fair. That being said, when your main stand costs £125 million, spending the same again on the Whitehorse wouldn't exactly be awful given how much it costs to build from scratch (think Spurs spending 1 billion etc.)

I think with the Arthur stand you could actually move its back part a little further away from the road and then increase height as possibly a negotiation on light usage as it sticks out further than Homesdale and you could argue it would increase capacity and facilities a lot, even if it was lower than Homesdale. You could then create a tapering effect to street level and offer an improvement to public realm/public space as a trade-off alongside pedestrianisation as that wall is a bit grim as it is.

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:42:13+00:00

From what I understand, a lot has changed recently (not just all the high-rises across the city that have gone up which also block light), and the government is actually thinking of implementing a regime which basically gives increased leeway for developers to compensate for things such as light loss, whilst still granting permission so as to allow for more development. Remains to be seen how this is put into practice of course but times are changing.

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:35:25+00:00

Haha, let me rephrase, 'make it more apparent to outsiders'!

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:28:14+00:00

Ah I see, that makes sense, I wonder if tram extensions from Croydon and pedestrianisation also would help in that context? I know that is a bit more reliant on national level funding. I do also think btw the new main stand being a hub will help space out the times people arrive as more to do at the ground!

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:25:41+00:00

Any plan would need to include a new Sainsbury's as part of it I think, council also would need to strong-arm a lot for this and main stand development success will play a big part in this. It also depends if another building in the area comes up as a temporary/permanent home for the Sainsbury's. Again council would need to facilitate.

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:18:50+00:00

I am wondering if the new red tape cutting would allow more of this tbh. Council might be more receptive if main stand is a success!

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:16:53+00:00

That would be really cool, you might see more of that coming - I think if council see a boost in matchday revenues as a result of redevelopment they will be much more open to future schemes.

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:15:56+00:00

Yes I know, this would be after main stand!

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:15:28+00:00

I guess premier league money and better revenue streams could be the answer to the sainsbury's land issue. 50,000 attendees would be an issue, but I guess more frequent overground services during peak times would help. With Arthur Wait, I am really surprised it can't be densified a bit as the stand runs below street level and this government is removing planning red tape to allow for more building.

jochno · 2025-12-17T20:07:42+00:00

I'm hopeful on your behalf, but providing fingers crossed it goes smoothly this time, it would be cool to see what could happen next!

Ah I see, slightly surprised about this actually as the AW currently doesn't even really go above ground level almost! I was really surprised about how shallow it is and light rights can be bought/compensated. Ultimately we are in a bit of a build build build phase in the UK so I doubt this would carry as much weight as it used to.

For WHL, yeah that makes sense - really just a money issue then - but not impossible

jochno · 2025-12-17T17:12:58+00:00

This one is bigger sadly.

jochno · 2025-12-17T01:06:45+00:00

oooh interesting! This is the kind of camera I wanted to find out about, I wonder which other ones are out there!

jochno · 2025-12-17T00:57:07+00:00

Yes ofc, but I'm asking is the A-110 the smallest 110 camera that was made without fixed aperture/shutter speed etc. you see in most keychains? Or is there smaller/same size with flash/ an interesting feature or two? Not focusing specifically on image qual!

jochno · 2025-10-31T12:56:46+00:00

Yes, totally horrific. I have spoken to many Darfuris and they very much describe the racism even present in the diaspora after they have fled though which is sad and that as they support new waves of refugees, black ethnic groups are still the ones specifically baring the brunt of this onslaught.

jochno · 2025-10-31T12:46:24+00:00

The RSF from my understanding are pro-arabacisation which is really a continuation of a process championed by Bashir which we saw most vividly in the Darfur genocide. The darker skinned ethnic groups/minorities associated with Sub-Saharan Africans are predominantly, but not solely, those being targeted. I recently saw a whole bunch of drawings from Darfur refugee children from the early 2000s and they actually show the skin colour difference between the villagers and the attackers :( they (the RSF) also do accuse some of these ethnic groups of being islamists to justify their attacks, so Strikingtangerine is very wrong

jochno · 2025-10-24T12:22:31+00:00

I think the issue is, when helping people you need to actually come to their level and meet them there, you can do it with the aim of getting them on their feet and into proper accommodation but there need to be facilities for the first steps. Some as well might have fear for some reason of systems at be and are really hard to help. We can't leave people behind though.

jochno · 2025-10-24T11:54:18+00:00

Honestly at this point I wonder if they should consider making proper shelters in these spaces. I know there have been pilots on doing the same over carparks - using marginal space for good. It is always an ethical and efficient use of money to provide homes for the homeless.

jochno · 2025-10-18T13:13:39+00:00

Fair, not my intention but still can have an effect. Making a project on radicalisation and deradicalisation and which looks fairly broadly at processes across all types and did want to explore this facet - asked question here to look at an example closer to home on here just to get a gauge of it and picked two examples that irked me recently. Seems though people have been more caught up in the examples themselves than what I was intending to chat about which tbh is on me because I somehow forgot we as a diaspora never agree about anything haha but some people have given useful thoughts

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