Too late to strike it lucky?

[eelpie]

The OS are plugging links with the new Bowling Centre at Eastleigh Leisure. Fair enough, we need all the goodwill connections we can make, and I wish the project well.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=11411

 

But it reminds me that when St Mary's Stadium was originally built, I always wondered why it was a 'go it alone' venture. Why was the stadium-build not linked with a money earning project such as a leisure centre? If it had, it might not be the white elephant we are now saddled with. Other stadia have been, like The Madjeski which includes a hotel complex integrated with the football stadium, and all built on a footprint no bigger than St Mary's. So it could have been done. Does anyone recall if there were discussions to include other commercial ventures with the St Mary's build?

 

I know there were failed talks in Laurie Mac's day to build Saints a stadium on the old Pirelli site, now a retail mecca. Why on earth wasn't St Mary's part of a wider commercial venture? Anyone know? We could have been better off

[Doctoroncall]

Depends on the agreement with the council on what could be built there.

 

There may have been regulations or agreements regarding retail and leisure outlets. Besides the costs would have dramatically increased from the off-the-shelf stadium we have at the moment to purpose built complex.

[Saint_clark]

There was a very interesting thread which explained all this a couple of months ago. Called something like "what really happened at Stoneham".