I'm not sure from what I'm hearing from the council that the bit about the 10,000 stadium is totally correct as at present that bit is 'a moveable Feast' as is its capacity, but otherwise the purchase of the land is well down the road and then its all systems go. The liberal Democrats are on board with the scheme and pushing ahead in the guildhall.

The Fair is a thorny one though because there could be a public backlash on reducing its size and indeed if the Showman's Guild of GB decide to boycott it because of the reduction in size. The fairground layout at present featured around 130 sites that are 'owned' by different showman's families the rights for which have been passed down over the years from generation to generation. Some sites that are allocated separately every year are owned fully by the council whilst the rest (the majority) operate under this ancient convention of family rights.

If the site is reduced, there will be a lot of hand wringing and doom mongering from them as they talk of robbing the community of the fair, its heritage etc. they are a good crowd in general but in the end for them its all about money as it is the biggest earner by far that some get in their whole travelling year. Many I knew told me they lived through the winter from the takings. Whatsmore, an alternative site is completely out of the question as planning and safety legislation deems that any new site for the fair would have to be up to the standards of a current pleasure park with in addition massive car parking provision and with horrendous traffic management issues and anyway development land within the City Boundaries is extremely limited.

So for now as our new owner says we have to concentrate on getting as many as possible through the gates to get those points back.

Playing in the best and possibly the biggest stadium in the country makes a bit of a farce of the percentage of capacity rules in the gradings but at present it is what it is.

Thirkhill also commented that the MKM would be home for 'at least the next 10 years' which seemed a sensible time to me. The stadium would be 32 years old by then and we may decide it's a bit long in the tooth by then and want other options.

Agree people who have businesses have told me over the years that the pubs and restaurants have a lull before and after the fair as people are spent up and the fair income of course mostly goes out of town (except for the councils rent fees)

I'd like to see the club go back to targeting one other game that isn't a derby to get a good crowd. One thing that was better in the Kath era than Pearson's era was games against Bradford and Leeds felt like big events, we had crowds of 16-19k for these games 20 or so years ago. The club would give almost daily '12k seats sold' type comms and hype it up. The then new stadium was more of an attraction to away fans than it is now after they've all been many times though.

Think you will find the Turk has lost his love for the club since his appointment as vice chair at Fenerbahce.
I doubt any of the proposed plans will go ahead especially as now the club are struggling and likely to ditch their latest coach before too long.
He doesnt have the money in any case to develop the plans and its more likely if relegation becomes a real possibility he will try to sell the club
If that plays out it becomes a real opportunity for Pearson and his new pals to move into football and put to bed all this new stadium nonsense