according to the mail via hodcrofts notes in the programme, sounds like its very close to happening,hopefully by the end of the year.

Why do you think it's good news, out of interest?

because i believe that ior genuinely want to take this club to the next level. Part of that has to include improving the ground, facilities etc. So it would be another piece to the jigsaw, so to speak.

Whats your view?

Buut wouldnt you want the team bringing up to the next level before the ground, you only have to look what happened down the road when they done the ground first but at the end off the day they will have the best non-league ground in the world next season

yes but a big part of our problem is attracting players up north. If improving the facilities and the ground help improve our chances of signing better players then its got to be a good thing?

We'd have to make it an indoor arena before some of those southern softies will come up here.

the club need to invest as much time in buying the ground into getting a competent manager to lead the team.

I do think once the ground ownership is delbt with IOR will put more money into the team as well. They are not stupid why build up the ground when we can fill it at the moment (granted could have more in away end). But with the security of ground ownership they will be more inclined to invest in the team. Uncle Ken isnt a window licker and has seen events down the road to understand the ground isnt the answer.

I don't really know or care. I'm yet to see a convincing reason why things will improve once the club own the ground and not really sure what the big fuss is about.

With gates falling it will take years to win some fans back so get the team and manager right first..

I've waivered over the past couple of years but when it comes down to it IOR are not going to invest big bucks into something they don't own. I think they deserved the opportunity to own the ground.

In terms of attracting players then the training facilities are more important than the ground facilities. The players send a lot more time training than the 1 afternoon every other week at the ground.

IOR owning the ground may make good sense now but the ground could / would be sold with the club once they do decide to go. Then it's upto the new owners what happens to ground (unless clauses are written into the ground sale initially)

what a lot of rubbish, if IOR did sell pools they wouldnt leave up shit creek without a ground, they are the best interest of the club at heart its not West Rugby club you know. Anyone who bought pools would buy it lock, stock and that would include a ground to play footy on not of anyother application at all.

Investment in the ground could also bring in more revenue. Darlo might have a crap team but the stadium is well used as a conderence venue (OK might be Blue Square conference next year!), a party venue, car boot sales, computer fairs, concerts, Sunday lunches etce etc. These all bring in revenue.

If Pools can improve the facilities at the Vic then this would increase revenue on non match days - as well as match days - which could then be re-invested in the team.

2 points raised on here are linked

The club I think will invest more heavily in facilities etc if they buy the ground. That will only be good for HUFC in the long run. MrB is spot on what he says there

The other point Mr MOD raised is also true - an unbelievably bad sequence of home results for the past 12 months has seen to the crowds falling. Something will have to give soon. A home game against formerly top flight opposition under Neale Cooper saw sell out crowds. Last night's home attendance is an indictment on the current feeling of enthusiasm amongst Pools fans under CT

I'll vote to sell if we can have a carvery.

With being an exile I don't think I can comment on the quality of football served up by Pools under CT, highlights don't tell the whole story. But I do think its fair to say that, for a lot of non-die hard fans, the novelty of being in the third division has worn off, same with the idea of playing big clubs. First time we played Forest and Leeds in the league I was excited, now I've adjusted to Forest and have started to vomit when Leeds are mentioned (could be a Ken Bates allergy).

Add the financial situation and it starts to look hard to keep crowds up but there doesn't seem to be a lot of effort being made with special offers etc to keep drawing people in. Over here the football goes more or less head to head with the rugby and loads of matches are half price, cheaper for kids, family tickets etc etc. Helps to keep the atmosphere decent and a club makes more from a free kid that craves sugar than from an empty seat. All clubs can sell tickets when they're setting the world alight but no club gets endlessly better and more and more exciting for ever. Pools need to work harder at marketing now that the wider population take our league position for granted. Maybe IOR think that developing the ground would allow them to make changes that would make an afternoon at Pools more attractive to casual fans.

Obviously, dire football would undermine any efforts to build crowds but, as I said, I'm in no position to judge that.

No-ones mentioned probably the most relevant part of all this, the fact that we must be renting the ground from the council, chuck in the business rates and it'll be a tidy sum every year. We can't do much about the rates but we can at least chuck the ground on the assets side of the balance sheet and lose the liability that is the rent. Probably one of the biggest obstructions to the deal and the reason it's taken so long is that the council will be reluctant to lose the income despite trousering a substantial one off payment.

I would think that IOR would be much happier owning a ground that appreciates in value than watching the rent bill climbing and depleting the clubs finances. Who knows it could free some money up for errr.......a holding midfielder and a striker......

kev, you've brought logic into the debate, you know that will confuse some people. But, to add to things, with talk of changes due to the recession, coming election and cuts in public finance, what's to say councils putting up rents for business won't come into the equation, b councils may try to claw back the cash they may lose in government funding. Paying increasing levels of rent in such circumstances may turn out to be not too clever after all.
Plus the little matter of eligibility of grants for clubs who OWN their grounds.

Sorry, Spud...errrr......Hodcroft out!!

As soon as IOR have ownership of the ground they should begin a program of installing escalators. Having people effortlessly carried upwards to their seats/terrace would surely entice huge numbers. Its worked before elsewhere, I'm sure.

Might go for Heskeylators. The big name signing that people want and then, when Emile turned out to be injured all the time like aproper big name signing should, he could give piggybacks up to the back of the Mill House seats.