?Let’s face it our 3 levels of government and the well connected have not always had the foresight to realize a good thing when blinded by that feather in their hat or their biggie size mentality at taxpayers’ expense; $1.4 Billion for this event. The fact we’re already in debt up to our eyeballs at the Municipal and Provincial levels and while the Province continues on with it record of wasting billions, means we are not going to get an Ivor Wynne type stadium. It’s really being built for politically related reasons just like hosting these games and at the absolutely worst time financially speaking.
I strongly suggest that Fred, the next few mayors, and company hold onto Ivor Wynne Stadium for a few years following these games. (It’s made of concrete with ½ of the stadium built in 1959 and the other ½ in 1971 and won’t be going anywhere soon on it’s own anyway.) Why? Another $50 million from Bob might add 5-10,000 seats to a new stadium and improve the press/private boxes. But, wait and see how many Hamilton football fans spoiled by site lines and ambience of IWS will continue to want to sit in a new metal stadium with a 12 lane track around the field in an area of the city that is even harder to access. My strong intuition is that when the novelty wears off, many people will be watching games from home. So hold onto IWS to catch us after the fallouts with this new stadium. Pay for some of the upgrade to IWS then with some of the money this new stadium will supposedly be generating from other events. And for those with Toronto envy, hey we’ll have 2 stadiums.
Let it go. It's not worth the money needed to renovate it to the standards its needs to be. Not too mention Hamilton wuill never get another Grey Cup as long as we're playing at Ivor Wynne.
Not to mention these sight lines arent anything overly right home about. They are decent yes, but no better then almost any other stadium I've watched football in. I've been to many games in North America and outside of the dome IWS is probably the second worst I've watched a game in for a variety of reasons.
I have to disagree about the sight lines. I love IWS and it's the best place to watch football. I've been to MTL, TOR, OTT and EDM and IWS is my favourite. No matter where I've sat, I've had a great view and always felt like I've been so close to the action on the field. I'm really going to miss IWS, but I know when it's a lost cause and it is.
IWS has always been a neat place to watch a football game. Tradition oozes from it, and being close to the field is neat for sure. That’s not to say there aren’t lots of other stadiums with a good view of the field too. Taylor Field and Lansdowne Park were always good too whenever I was there. I can’t really compare US fields because the field is so much smaller. But I don’t think IWS is categorically superior to all other fields.
For all its charms though, to me IWS is old, creaky, poorly appointed and equipped, and has the look and feel of a tired, old, amateur and inadequate facility. I don’t think it will be kept once a new one is built, and I think that’s as it should be. I’ll be nostalgic about its end, but happier about a new stadium that will be modern, clean and good for another few decades.
Agreed - let it go.
There's no backing out of Pan Am now, no stopping it. People can protest all the want but it won't stop the games.
So just get on with it and build the new stadium.
IWS has the worst seats in the CFL.
I won't attend another game until I can sit in my own seat......................not a bench with no back!!
Rip down the old joint and use some of the land for the construction of a new Scott Park twin (triple) pad arena complex for the inner city kids. And hold a contest to rename the park either “Melrose Place,” “Balsam Flats” or “Graveyard.” Then level the disgusting mess which is presently called Scott Park Rink, and put up a a a a …Dairy Queen? Any votes against the Dairy Queen location?
I think you might be right! The only way we are going to love the new stadium is if, it is modeled after IW. I really don't want to feel like Im sitting in temporary bleachers. That would really suck! We need the Ticats (fans input too) and the Pan Am committy to sit down and figure this one out. We need this to last us another 70 years.
And the very thought of a track around the field makes me feel sick to my stomach. We don't need that, PLEASE figure out a way to cover it when it's all done (the games). Keep it looking like IW
Ivor Wynne is old and it's showing it's age. The dressing rooms are small and the building will start needing major structural renovations in order to keep it safe and sound. Ivor Wynne's days are numbered. But I agree with the others that say the sight lines will be greatly diminished.
The new stadium will have an 8 lane track and that will take a lot of space. Each lane is 48 inches wide, the total width of the track is 92 metres from outside lane to outside lane and the overall length is 177 metres.
The problem is does the city want to keep the track to attract more track and field events. If they do then you will be sitting a minimum 20 yards from the sidelines. and I couldn't see them putting up temporary seating on the track because those track surfaces are really expensive.
If the city decides they don't need the track after the games the stadium can be constructed to allow for seats to be installed after the track is taken out. If that happens you can have an Ivor Wynne stadium feel to it.
It's all going to depend on what the levels of government want.
That has a bit of a scary overtone to it.
The stadium will have retractable seating so the seats can be moved to cover the track when there is a football game. This has been talked about for the last year or so. Hamilton needs a new stadium and although I've become fond of IWS, it's time to prepare for the future.
I have not read this anywhere other than some fans here expressing a desire for such a thing.
Can you provide a sourse stating, “The stadium will have retractable seating so the seats can be moved to cover the track when there is a football game.”?
I was looking again at the artists conception of the new stadium. Once the Games are over I think it would not be too much of a problem to add another level on to the smaller east(?) stand and also build endzone seats at least on one end to give the fans a similar set up to IWS. Same goes for the track. Surely it won't take much of an architectural stretch to find a way to extend the seats over the track when"Tiger-Cat Stadium" is used for other events.
I like IWS....and its location...regardless of its many shortcomings.
But its time to plan for the future and also attract new fans.....so I think now is the time to jump on board the Pan-Am bandwagon and make the most of it. It could be a long time before we have this opportunity for a new stadium.
I live right across the street and let me tell you ...ALL GOOD THING'S END . History has told us many times that with the change of a stadium brings change to the Organization and everyone involved , A new beginning of sort's so why deprive anyone that opportunity of a new start ... Im not afraid or really pondering what will happen to the old IWS stadium , Hamilton housing ,or community center , who cares and i live here my biggest concern is this Organization that has been threw hell and back in a handful of years has the opportunity to that Fresh Start Mr. BoB Young deserves this We as Fan's deserve this and first off our children and young ones that have to preserve this Great History in Hamilton Ontario Canada Deserve this .Cherish the time we have left with the Beauty ole Girl IWS but on that exhale in your thought's remember all the times of triumph and tribulation that We as a Football Community have battled threw. History has to be made by Moment's like these ! This stadium is more then a stadium it's Part of the community and Deep in my and many other heart's and family memories .
Build it and they will come ....Put a winner in it and they will come running
That is my point exactly. People want to get on this “vogue” wagon of the newest is better for sports. They love to compare Ivor Wynne Stadium to the Montrel Forum or Yankee Stadium etc etc. and that our 80 year old stadium is history. But, wait a minute. The Forum was built in 1924 and Yankee stadium in 1906 with not much else added…yet the Ivor Wynne Stadium of today was rebuilt from the ground up in 1959 and 1971. Calgary’s McMahon stadium is older than Ivor Wynne yet they have no plans for a new one and will be hosting this years Grey Cup in a stadium with a 34,000 seat capacity.
My point is that if and most likely when footall fans in Hamilton are sadly dissapointed with our new metal track and field stadium and its lack of accessibility and the attendance numbers drop off due to our spoiledness with the best professional football stadium in the world for watching a football game, we should keep our IWS. We’ll still get our track and field meets, country music stars, and monster trucks in the new outdoor facility, but will still have IWS for fans to enjoy football the way it should be enjoyed. I think we deserve 2 stadiums.
Winnipeg, with their bleacher type metal stadium had a full house last weekend, yet it was mostly a joke in their attempt to make an impact on the game. Why? Because they are toooooo far from the field. Even when they build new it will be the same as goes with all the other CFL stadiums. They can wear all the “blue” or green or red they want. Nobody intimidates or has an impact on other teams like Ticat fans and that has a lot to do with IWS. I say we should have put the $100 million into renovating it. Imagine what that cash would have done.
However, that is not the reality right now with the political and business driven swipe for more cash from a debt ridden province and municipal taxpayers. Save our stadium for a few more years after we get our tin can Pan Am facility and spend the revenue on IWS. That’s my 2 cents. Oops it used to be my 2 cents. Increased taxes everywhere.
"?Let’s face it our 3 levels of government and the well connected have not always had the foresight to realize a good thing when blinded by that feather in their hat or their biggie size mentality at taxpayers’ expense; $1.4 Billion for this event. The fact we’re already in debt up to our eyeballs at the Municipal and Provincial levels and while the Province continues on with it record of wasting billions, means we are not going to get an Ivor Wynne type stadium. It’s really being built for politically related reasons just like hosting these games and at the absolutely worst time financially speaking.
I strongly suggest that Fred, the next few mayors, and company hold onto Ivor Wynne Stadium for a few years following these games. (It’s made of concrete with ½ of the stadium built in 1959 and the other ½ in 1971 and won’t be going anywhere soon on it’s own anyway.) Why? Another $50 million from Bob might add 5-10,000 seats to a new stadium and improve the press/private boxes. But, wait and see how many Hamilton football fans spoiled by site lines and ambience of IWS will continue to want to sit in a new metal stadium with a 12 lane track around the field in an area of the city that is even harder to access. My strong intuition is that when the novelty wears off, many people will be watching games from home. So hold onto IWS to catch us after the fallouts with this new stadium. Pay for some of the upgrade to IWS then with some of the money this new stadium will supposedly be generating from other events. And for those with Toronto envy, hey we’ll have 2 stadiums."