Tatnam farm..

[bensc]

What improvements have to be made? Obviously completely enclosing the ground, but what else?

[expat]

as i have said, a lot of recent ptfc history has passed me by but
I am sure that when we see those photos of the Stadium(thanks
neutral1) most supporters must ask .. Why?? I know that
most PTFC fans will help the club improve Tatnam and that
we can't run before we can walk but if we are really looking
long term some how or another we have to figure the Stadium
into the plans...somone posted on here sometime ago
"The Stadium, Our Home"...I have to echo that. It was, it still is
in many PTFC hearts, and hopefully it will be again. Hey what a
story that would be!!! UP THE TOWN!!!!

[justafan]

Back in the late 50's and through the 1960's I used to go with my dad to watch the Town at the Stadium. To me then it was the biggest Stadium I'd been to, what with the greyhound and speedway tracks between the spectators and the pitch. Crowds of 1000 + were regular, but still the place seemed a bit empty.
Now, I'm 3 yards from the pitch and even with the much smaller crowds (at the moment) I feel more involved with the game and the players than ever I did back at the Stadium.
Tatnam has possibilities to be developed into a fair size FOOTBALL ground, not a mix and match stadium which is what the old Stadium was, and where, to be honest, the Football club would once again play second or third fiddle to the other users.
If you were to run a vote on this issue it would be interesting to see the general feeling.
There are issues which would need to be sorted all in good time like parking and amenities but we have a good little ground at the Tanam with the land available to progress to a good bigger ground.
Yes I know we will need the council to approve the ideas and plans, but that is definitely more of a possibility than the Town ever playing again at The Stadium, which I for one will not be upset about.

[Bay Dolphin]

You have a justifiable point justafan! Are there any other options apart from the Stadium and Tatnam?

[neutral1]

The old stadium has many similarities with the old league grounds of yesteryear and hence it provokes a lot of nostalgia. However i find Tatnam signifies a new beginning and in that way is quite romantic. Of course without a track around the pitch it brings the play much closer and in some ways is better.
Looking on at the professional way the club seems to be run, even down to the bench kitted out in Poole Town track suits, i feel that those in charge of the club are looking to improve things all the time to try to take the club forward.
I see Poole have signed a new experienced player to help strengthen the side for the promotion and Vase assault, that should tell us something.

[sandy]

There is a lot tp be said for Tatnam Farm, but what I want to know is will we be allowed to develop the ground to the requirements needed for promotion ? We have to remember like it or not that at the end of the day it is a school playing field.

[justafan]

Have just copied this from another forum topic

in this day and age ways could be found to sheltered accommodation over the dog and speedway track if only for the football season.

Perhaps some people don't realise or remember that to get a full pitch at the Stadium, a fair sized area at the corners the grass was on removeable pallets. These were placed on the speedway track.

This is not possible these days (Health and Safety and all that!) and there is just no way the speedway or greyhounds are going to allow their tracks to be altered to accommodate a full football pitch.

If they pulled down the Main Stand and moved it back about 10 yards then there might be a slim chance. But can anyone see that happening? I don't think so.

[probbo]

It has been interesting to read the posts here & on other message board topics about the Stadium & promotion. Felt the need to put in my thoughts.
I too regard Poole Stadium still as 'our ground'. The reality is that it is not. The terracing on the railway side where I used to stand is long gone. If we went back that would leave just the Grandstand, effectively a one sided ground. We had just over 400 for today's game against Totten. Any atmosphere from a crowd that size would be lost, just as it used to be in the old Southern League days. To make The Stadium a decent football ground would require a lot of investment & development &, realistically, only the emergence of an 'Abramovich' type of character is going to make that happen, even if they can get past any obstacles thrown up by Poole Council. In the present climate, it is a non starter.
The way everyone involved in PTFC has managed to enhance Tatnum is an absolute credit to themselves & the Football club. I was reminiscing with my old friend Doug Huggins today of the dark days a few years back, when we were based at Haskell's Rec.Specifically one Boxing Day, watching us in Hants Div1, when we were stood on the touchline in freezing rain, questioning our mentality for being there. Believe me, floodlights, grandstand, top 4 in the Wessex League & a few games away from Wembley would have seemed like a madman's rant that day.
While promotion should always be the aim, I am not sure we should take stock of where we are & where we have been. Promotion to the Southern League, along with further ground improvements, will bring an increase in traveling & costs. You also need a squad of players who are not only capable of competing at the higher level (I believe all our current squad probably could) but are also able to commit themselves to the traveling midweek in February to a club 100 miles+ away which the fixture list would no doubt throw up. I believe we need to consolidate where we are. The Wessex League is a decent standard of football which provides many local derbies. Games against local rivals like Hamworthy/Wimborne et all provide more interest, I believe, than potential games against Uxbridge, Burnham or Oxford City (no disrespect to those clubs).
Every game that I walk to Tatnum from the bus station, I pass The Stadium & see the Poole Town Football Club name still displayed & it does get to me & bring back memories of times past. However, I also know that nostalgia can be a very strong emotion & we should not let that cloud any vision of the future of PTFC.

Come on the Town.

[expat]

Big Question. IF we end up in one of the two "may be promoted "spots and don't go up
are the players and fans ready for another season,or two or three, of Wessex League
Yes there are local rivalries......the better ones would be with Dorchester,Weymouth,Salisbury.'or we can keep winning against Downton,Ringwood,
Cbhristchurch and the like who are quite happy with where they are.. UP THE TOWN