Please could...

[Guest]

...someone answer a few questions for me. I hear that you have been granted your Conference grading, and well done for that. What did you have to do to the ground to bring it up to standard? What was the deadline for completion of the work? Did you manage to get everything done and swept up in time?

I only ask because when I came to Park Lane a couple of weeks ago to watch you toy with my team (Harrow), there seemed to be a lot of work in progress and it looked far from ready. I was surprised to learn that the steps behind the goal are new terracing because they seem a bit narrow; I presumed that seats would be going there until someone put me right.

Anyway, congratulations on overcoming one major hurdle - just the small matter of a few games to win now, eh?

[Matt H]

Our ground was already Conference standard after all the work we done on it last year, but the Conference Officials changed the rules slightly and said that our terracing wasn't steep enough.<p>We had to put new terracing in that was steep enough for the Conference requirments. Funny thing is from what the terracing behind the goal used to be to what it is now. Our capacity is still 4200 it hasn't changed!<p>All this contruction work had to be done by midnight Sunday with a bit of sweeping up and a little painting here & there Monday morning before the Billericay game.<p>Matt CIFC <p>Oh BTW - Thanks for Spencer Knight, he's a class player and would do us good in the Conference.

[Guest]

Thanks. Do those terrace steps not seem a bit narrow to you? Do they now have those barrier things like you find on (increasingly rare) Football League terraces? Is there no necessity for a similar project behind the other goal? The whole grading system seems a bit haphazard to me, but you have done what was required so I suppose it doesn't really matter.<p>I am glad you like Spencer. It must be gratifying to sign him on the strength of one amazing goal and then find he is not another John Jensen.

[Matt H]

The safety barriers are up and painted. I think the steps are fine, but I can't complain I'm one of the tallest supporters in our little section.<p>It would be good to see terracing like this up the sea-wall end but as that is now the away supporters area. Trouble is although the new terracing is a lovely size there is no room to put cover on top as that's as high as we are allowed to build!<p>I Don't expect to stand higher than the cross bar at a home game! But it does make everything all out of proportion. I can see why away fans who have terracing like our new lot think our ground is crap.<p>But hopefully even with all the building work that has been done at Park Lane, we can move into our new stadium within the next 5 years.<p>I'm sure Spencer wasn't signed just because of the goal he scored against us. Our scout is very good at what he does (especially against Wigan!) Spencer would have been watched at least three times after he interested us.<p>Matt CIFC <img src="graemlins/icon21.gif" border="0" alt="[icon21]" />

[TACKLE1000]

Just thought i'd mention that contrary to MATT'S Info the capacity has increased.Can't give a definite total number but the new stand has a 2200 capacity, where as behind the goal there used to be about 1200. Not accurate i know but there you go.<p>MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!