Guys... everybody likes the concept of a new stadium......Government, Sports bodies all. But after spending milions & millions of tax payer's money none will care to maintain the stadium. Why ? We all know the reason. In Kolkata & nearby suburbs... we have YBK, Barasat Stadium, Howrah Stadium, Rabindra Sarobar Stadium and 3 enclosed grounds at the Maidan (Kalyani is far off so I'm not counting it). Now we didn't have any competitive football involving Mohun Bagan, EB, MSC or any I-League teams in Rabindra Sarobar Stadium for some decades & at Howrah Stadium for 6-7 years. Either the pitch is bad or stands are incomplete or approach to the stadium is encroached etc. etc. My friends who frequent Barasat Stadium in rainy season will agree that the walkway from the main gate to the area where the club members are asked to sit is so slushy and it stinks like a hell. But no body cares. YBK repair work can be done at the expense of I-League & AFC Cup matches but not ISL. Maidan Grounds are Army property and for any improvement you need Army's approval, but nobody cares to take up the issue with the Army and resolve the matter. If these 3 grounds are renovated as per accepted AFC norms at least Mohun Bagan, EB & MSC need not run to YBK or Barasat or Kalyani to play a non Derby match. We have one Eden Gardens for decades, no body felt the need of any other stadium for Cricket... because it is beautifully maintained by CAB. Now we all of a sudden hear that State Govt would give land to CAB to construct another Cricket Stadium. But why ??? Why the State Govt. does not pay attention to the existing stadiums owned by them ??? Building a new stadium makes all concerned happy because of obvious reasons but when it come to house keeping & maintenance those happy faces disappear in a flash.
AFC Cup has a criteria of Floodlights for AFC Cup matches whether you use it or not. I dont know whether Howrah Municipal Stadium can be used for AFC Cup then. It got floodlights? I dont think Barasat will qualify as AFC Cup either. They may have to go to Barabati Stadium in Cuttack then.
Barasat may have Dressing room & Media enclosure issues as per AFC norms. Otherwise playing surface is good..better than YBK, floodlights are ok. But the very look of the Stadium is aweful & no AFC delegate will give a green signal to it. If you ask the authorities to construct a new stadium at Barasat... they would immediately jump up & down with joy but if you tell them to renovate it as per AFC norms every official will search for hearing aids. Really sickening state of affairs.
@munna219777 But there are still costs which come from demolishing stadiums, can't just demolish it and how long would it take to reconstruct? I don't mind staying where the SLS is, just don't like how long the whole thing can take and also that there is no "incentive" to do it.
Cities have a "Masterplan" and land is earmarked for things like stadium, schools, hospitals, residential or agricultural purposes. It will become very difficult to find new place for stadium as people have less incentive to have a stadium in newly developed area. Because of high costs, all political and businessman pressure is to construct flats, Malls or IT Parks for Corporates. Stadium Project File will be dead and buried. Besides that, new developments are far off from the city.
In Demolishing, land and ownership is already there. State Government need to build it once and for all.
I dont support any PPP private chor participation also as it only delay the project in order to escalate the cost and profit for the private partner. Bangalore Football stadium is in the limbo for last 1 and half year and even work has not started. Ahmedabad transtadia is under construction for last 7 years.
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Now we didn't have any competitive football involving Mohun Bagan, EB, MSC or any I-League teams in Rabindra Sarobar Stadium for some decades & at Howrah Stadium for 6-7 years. Either the pitch is bad or stands are incomplete or approach to the stadium is encroached etc. etc.
My friends who frequent Barasat Stadium in rainy season will agree that the walkway from the main gate to the area where the club members are asked to sit is so slushy and it stinks like a hell. But no body cares.
YBK repair work can be done at the expense of I-League & AFC Cup matches but not ISL.
Maidan Grounds are Army property and for any improvement you need Army's approval, but nobody cares to take up the issue with the Army and resolve the matter. If these 3 grounds are renovated as per accepted AFC norms at least Mohun Bagan, EB & MSC need not run to YBK or Barasat or Kalyani to play a non Derby match.
We have one Eden Gardens for decades, no body felt the need of any other stadium for Cricket... because it is beautifully maintained by CAB. Now we all of a sudden hear that State Govt would give land to CAB to construct another Cricket Stadium. But why ??? Why the State Govt. does not pay attention to the existing stadiums owned by them ???
Building a new stadium makes all concerned happy because of obvious reasons but when it come to house keeping & maintenance those happy faces disappear in a flash.
In Demolishing, land and ownership is already there. State Government need to build it once and for all.
I dont support any PPP private chor participation also as it only delay the project in order to escalate the cost and profit for the private partner. Bangalore Football stadium is in the limbo for last 1 and half year and even work has not started. Ahmedabad transtadia is under construction for last 7 years.