Family Stand in Lower Loft

[Stanley]

Tonight was the perfect example of why this decision has been an absolute disaster for a multitude of reasons.

Just compare it to the away end which had both tiers full and noisy, with our end which was meek by comparison with an almost half empty lower-loft.

The decision to put the family stand there has basically ruined the atmosphere at home games now, or at least is the primary reason for it. Even as a financial / business decision it makes no sense whatsoever by the club because destroying the atmosphere at home games directly correlates to poorer results on the pitch from the negatively impacted atmosphere. The loft end is no longer the 12th man it used to be, especially in the 2nd half of games when it used to almost will the ball into the net.

A far better solution IMO would be to make the lower school end the family stand, and upper school end for home fans. This would also solve the problem of an often completely empty lower school end - which again also makes no business sense as it reduces attendances. The away stand could be either one of the paddocks, or both if there's a larger away following; or to give them X block and create adequate segregation with W block as well as in the concourse area.

I just think it's so embarrassing to us as a club when away teams can fill both school end tiers and make a ton of noise, when our home end is so feeble by comparison, especially as it never used to be that way in the pre-family stand days, when our renowned LR atmosphere of bygone days was once so feared by opposing teams. The fact that it makes no business sense either makes it even more baffling, when there is surely a better solution.

[Fraggy]

Have to agree. Watching the game, all I could hear were those idiots putting Mackie down.

[vespa]

the club ,has been told time and time again that the Loft is our HOME end ,and not the place for the family stand ,but they wont listen , major shame for all us who used to defend/ or more often than not,get overran in the Loft back in the day .
How can you expect people like Fernandes and Lee hoos to understand what a Home END even is let alone what it means to an English football club, they have no idea ,they were never part of our culture

[Stanley]

the club ,has been told time and time again that the Loft is our HOME end ,and not the place for the family stand ,but they wont listen ....

I think as fans all we can do is keep hammering away at them (e.g. with MB posts like this) until they are forced to listen and act, because it's so patently obvious now that their experiment has abjectly failed on every level - and you would think even on a business level alone they could see that, even disregarding the issue of the club's culture and history.

[qprjeff1882]

I don't see why you have to have a child with you or be a member to sit in either tiers of the 'home' end. Surely that takes away revenue as a lot of non season ticket holders I'm sure would choose to sit there. Just doesn't make financial sense to me. If you are registered to the club you should be able to buy tickets anywhere in the ground (obviously not among away fans)

[Ginger Ninja]

I bring my daughter to games and we sit in R block. I've no problem with swearing, shouting etc while she's there because guess What, that's part and parcel of football. Has been for years. The idea of a family stand is cool but the fact that our Loft end, which was the main hub of our atmosphere for years, has been sacrificed for the family stand where you have to be careful what you shout etc makes me sick. As does the fact that they will do nothing to change it.

[West Acton]

There is an easy compromise as in the loft there is that natural divide more or less down the middle. On left hand side make it family enclosure and on the side towards ellersie make that normal so anyone who wants to sing or be bit more rowdy can go there and there right under and beside QPR blocks to add to atmosphere

No need for whole of lower loft to be family

[Leweshoop]

Couldn’t agree more was saying this last night

[loftbalcony]

Club ran a poll couple of years back, everybody I know said move family area but nothing happened, as I sit in paddock I wouldn't want to move (selfish!) swapping it with R block is my vote and if more room needed then R and S. R block noisemakers can go to x block to get atmosphere going with away fans.

[72bus]

i've sat in west paddock for years , i've made lots of friendships and enjoy seeing the same faces each home game i've seen little kids grow up to young men and only the other week a kid was telling me about his new job and how he couldn't believe he had got it , i've brought my own 5 boys to football on and off for over 30 years and have never had any need to sit in a family stand . why do we need a family stand the ground is to small , i spent my childhood in the loft and and don't see why it has to be a family stand it never was back then

[davieqpr]

You cannot move the away end as it must have a separate turnstile entrance. Regulations state you cannot have a shared turnstile or concourse.
Family area is uncovered so the club do not want adults buying cheaper tickets.

[Stanley]

You cannot move the away end as it must have a separate turnstile entrance. Regulations state you cannot have a shared turnstile or concourse.

Paddocks (if using one or both) already have a separate entrance and concourse.

Or if you had it in X block you could use the entrance in that corner as a separate one, then segregate the concourse in that section.

[brightonr]

In fairness to the club, I can see why a "family area" in the lower loft makes sense. You want somewhere with a roof and it's probably better not to have little ones having to deal with more stairs than is necessary from a safety point of view.

However, I think that a sensible plan would be for the club to make it perfectly clear that if they are to provide a dedicated area for families, then at the start of each season, those wishing to sit in such a space commit to purchase season tickets, at one side of it. In this way, the club can have a dedicated area without restricting the opportunity to fill the home end for those who might want to sit there. The adjoining couple of hundred seats should only be available to walk ups in order that additional ST's could be sold there during the following season should demand warrant it and there would be no need to displace ST holders in the unlikely event that was the case.

It's not really as difficult a problem as the club would make it out to be.

[loftbalcony]

You cannot move the away end as it must have a separate turnstile entrance. Regulations state you cannot have a shared turnstile or concourse.
Family area is uncovered so the club do not want adults buying cheaper tickets.

Loads of clubs have shared concourse, Newcastle just close a set of doors on concourse and put a steward there, Fulham have it in their away and "neutral end" all the bowl stadiums have it, they just close doors off between sections depending how big away support is.

[loftbalcony]

In the past we have sold x block to away fans if I remember right