I realise I might be being just a tad optimistic here but if by some miracle we were actually able to get promoted would the ground be OK for the conference proper? I thought you had to have 2000 seats and capacity of 6000 - I'd say we have 1000 seats and capacity 3500. It was rumoured that more seating could be used on top of the Deres bar, although I also heard that if this was used it would block the view of the road end for those in the existing stand as the buildings are in slightly the wrong place.
It's all a bit confusing because Grade A is still under review at the moment.
Grade "A" which is what you need to get to League level is currently 6,000 minimum capacity.
Grade B which is Conference South and North is 3,500 minimum capacity but with capabilities of increasing to 4,000. You also have to have 500 places (not necessarily seats) under cover.
I think you can get in the Conference Premier if you have Grade B but you wouldn't be eligible for promotion to the League or the play-offs.
It does look like Welling would be OK groundwise to play in the Conference Premier. The only thing I could see that maybe a problem is that you have to have 6 turnstiles but we're OK if we also use the ones at the Erith side.
If that was the plan we would need more toilet facilities on 'our' side of the ground as the Erith toilet block would be for away fans only. Think you need to think this through a bit more, ground regulations have changed a lot since the last time we had to segregate (Halifax?).......
Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves here. League status demands far more than a ground which meets the minimum criteria. It may or may not be a long term aim but just plucking a couple of obvious issues out of the air it would require a massive change in the structure of the club itself, and at least a sixfold increase in support.
I would suggest that getting into the conference premier and staying there consistently at mid table or above is what the club should be focusing on, certainly in the short to medium term. In my view this, which in itself would necessitate changes in the club structure and increased gates, has to be achieved before anyone outside of the club itself even contemplates League status.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
Got a bit carried away there folks but the major issues about promotion are the same just to a lesser degree. Conference premier will require changes in the club structure and increased gates or regardless of what happens on the pitch we wouldn't survive.
As far as the ground goes in April 2006 I was told by Graham that there was an issue about turnstiles and he was going to approach WSU to see if they could help with the funding. Don't know exactly what the issue was nor if he did in fact approach WSU - perhaps someone from the WSU could enlighten us. Even if the issue hasn't been resolved I wouldn't see it as a show stopper.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
What is the situation regarding segregation in Conference Premier? Are ther hard and fast rules? When we were last in it, there were only a few grounds where fans were segregated. With the increase in former League clubs, presumably this has increased, but surely when playing the likes of Grays or Crawley (to name but two), it would not be necessary.
