Unofficial Halesowen Town FC Forum

Anyone know of any priorities on future ground improvements down The Grove

I get it team finance has to be balanced I am just interested if there are any known plans.

A roof on the terracing at the side? Although costs would be massive - any grants available.

One small thing I would like to see, I have a particular need/want (call it obsessive) to see the entire pitch when watching a game, to that extent I would love to see (as I stand on the terracing at the side) either the dugouts moved to the other side lol, or can they be made of a modern perspex so I can see all the action, I hate it when I can"t see the game in front of the dugout and 10 yards, 2 yards in either side of it.....please can this be sorted??

What do others think? What developments would you like to see?

On the subject of viewing the game, one of the worst grounds for this is, Stourbr*dge’s - awful

When I was a wee lad I remember been taken down the Blues and standing on a box so I could see. I have no recollection of how said box was taken there, must have been some kind family member, but a box there was. I also remember been on a box when Blues got promoted years later. That wasn't taken too kindly to though. Apparently hospitality box roofs are out of bounds....

I remember being on said hospitality box 'corrugated iron' roofing when blues beat Brentford in Leyland daf semi final second leg at griffin park (shown live at St andrews) oh the good old days!

Back to the Grove - please get rid of the dug outs that mean we can't see the pitch - please

Yeltzbaby wrote: ↑

20 Feb 2023, 22:41

...Back to the Grove - please get rid of the dug outs that mean we can't see the pitch - please

Why don't you raise this directly with Karen at a match? I am sure she will explain where it fits in terms of priorities.
Its not like she is banned from our games or on the run from the FBI like some of our previous owners

Noggin wrote: ↑

21 Feb 2023, 10:48

Yeltzbaby wrote: ↑

20 Feb 2023, 22:41

...Back to the Grove - please get rid of the dug outs that mean we can't see the pitch - please

Why don't you raise this directly with Karen at a match? I am sure she will explain where it fits in terms of priorities.
Its not like she is banned from our games or on the run from the FBI like some of our previous owners

we really have had some prize wallies running the show (or rather not running it)don’t forget the fag smuggler who I think is still detained ate His Majesties pleasure

It's an interesting topic. What's worth saying from the outset is that The Grove is just a superb non-league ground and we should be very proud of it. The view of the game is good, no matter which side of the ground you choose to watch it from, and it's got lots of character which makes it continually popular with the hopper crowd too. The ground - even as it stands - could cope with much bigger attendances still.

I think the areas where we need a bit more capacity are the cafe and the JG, which both have sizeable queues at half time. The Yeltz Bar is an interesting acquisition that I guess tries to offset the latter a bit, for people who fancy a brisk walk there and back, even though that's not the main intention. I believe that the plan is also to put some sort of refreshments down at the SRE, which would come into play if we ever had to segregate as well. K&K aren't daft and will know what the priorities are and, as someone else has said, they'd more than likely tell you if you asked them.

A little bit of it is down to the fact that crowds have boomed in the last few seasons, but overall the ground and infrastructure work incredibly well.

If you moved the dug outs to the other side then folk in the Harry Rudge wouldn't get a full view of the pitch. The dug outs as they are are relatively new, replacing the previous breeze block dug outs. We did for a while have some dug outs half way between the 18 yard line and half way line either side of the half way line.
The ground is looking better than it ever has in my Yeltz following time, and it's great that work is now being done in the main by professional trades people whereas in my time as a volunteer much of the work was done by willing volunteers (with the exception of a couple of a couple of people very handy with the tools) trying to get us to not cock things up.
The issue as I see it now is that everything is at one end of the ground, the opening of Harry's is to try and ease the congestion to the cafe and JG lounge as is the Yeltz bar. I would imagine purchasing the Yeltz bar and trying to put a good team on the pitch isn't cheap and luckily the crowds we get offset that somewhat. Some may have noticed that there has been a portacabin type building placed down at the Stourbr*dge Road End. The aim I believe is for that to be some kind of food outlet but making that operational I guess is also a financial outlay.
As for a new roof anywhere in the ground unless a grant could be used I can't imagine that will be seen any time soon. I guess a lot will depend what league we'll be playing in next season to see what and where improvements are made.
One thing i'll say is that with Keith or Karen we know that the club is in great hands and there will be plans in place to for continual development in a sustainable way - we're blessed that we have two business people who love and have the best interests of the club and will do what they feel is right, gone are the days were we're relaying a part of the pitch and cutting the turf using steak knives 5 days before our first pre season...