Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
I was at games at the old White Hart Lane and the new one (technically Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I guess). The old building was far more intimate and I think better from an atmosphere and crowd perspective. The new one is incredible, and it's just plain cool to have 60,000 people at an event, but you do lose some intimacy. There are some huge benefits though; the enormous bar at the goal line of the south stand is way better than the old barn. That said, there are pubs there (across the street) where you get that same atmosphere and I'm sure they're les enthused about the club pub than me!
|
It kind of reminds me of the old 'Hicks & Gillette' days of Liverpool ownership. They kept on promising a new stadium.
But...for the most part I dont think anyone wanted to replace Anfield, it just needed more capacity.
And again, Soccer Stadiums are an entirely different animal.
They need a pitch, drainage, capacity, some amenities. Sure you want premium Luxury boxes for the VIPs and whatnot, but they dont go through the same wear and tear as NHL/North American arenas with ice-plants and huge energy requirements or being an arena thats converted into hockey/lacrosse/basketball and have several tenants, etc.
They also dont have to deal with severe weather changes like NA arenas.
Like...to this day I ponder ceaselessly about who in their right mind decided to shape the Saddledome's roof like a gigantic scoop in an environment where we get this much snow.
I think people who made buildings with flat-roofs are idiots. A giant scoop? What idiot thought this would be swell plan?
So, anyways, they tend to last a lot longer and require less maintenance, but as they last longer they become iconic.
That being said, I do feel that the older stadiums have a more...special environment and I'm glad England is going back to 'Safe Standing.'
I stood for the entire CL Final with thousands and thousands of people and it was an amazing experience.