lordy_87

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Jul 1, 2014
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Let's hope this happens. Compared to other training grounds in this division it's embarrassing.

Plans unveiled for extensive work at Coventry City's Ryton training ground

 

slowpoke

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Apr 24, 2015
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Interesting it mentions 2 phases first being the pitches pretty obvious really the second the building,saying they could add buildings, renovate or even flatten it, no mention at all about the original Connexion building. Wonder if in time they will consider getting it back and use it for what it was built for.
 

GaryPendrysEyes

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Mar 20, 2011
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Hmmmm…this all sounds rather promising in terms of proper investment in the club.
I mean sorting 2 training pitches isn’t a huge investment and there is no detail on the milestones or plans re the buildings.
A big summer for Doug King to show us what he’s made of.
So far he’s been eerily quiet about his vision and plans…
 

fernandopartridge

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I mean sorting 2 training pitches isn’t a huge investment and there is no detail on the milestones or plans re the buildings.
A big summer for Doug King to show us what he’s made of.
So far he’s been eerily quiet about his vision and plans…

The two pitches is a significant investment and it started without any grand announcement.
 

slowpoke

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When you look at it now what a disgrace that training facility has become, it was only two pitches ffs! Just shows the contempt sisu held for our football club, and us, makes my blood boil.
 

GaryPendrysEyes

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Not necessarily a bad thing after our last owners.
I would rather have an owner who just behaved like a normal business owner. When they come in do some decent ongoing communication and give us some vision and say an outline 3 year plan.
But as I say the summer will tell us a lot.
 

Danceswithhorses

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Mar 26, 2011
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Kudos to Doug, for listening to the staff telling him that Ryton was not fit for purpose, and in effect, putting the club at a disadvantage, before we even played a game on the turf at CBS Arena.
Modest though they maybe, the plans for redevelopment are much needed....small incremental steps to making the club better.
 
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BackRoomRummermill

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Let's hope this happens. Compared to other training grounds in this division it's embarrassing.

Plans unveiled for extensive work at Coventry City's Ryton training ground

I can remember what it was like in the 70 ‘a it was one up from a park pavilion - then they built the connexion - and all amazing the players area etc and then after that all went they built the lodge and Graham Taylor 1993 ish opened it - the facilities are not that bad to be fair
 

BackRoomRummermill

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I can remember what it was like in the 70 ‘a it was one up from a park pavilion - then they built the connexion - and all amazing the players area etc and then after that all went they built the lodge and Graham Taylor 1993 ish opened it - the facilities are not that bad to be fair
By the way the lodge has not been there since the mid sixties either
 

skybluetony176

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Doug has a 15 year plan by the sounds of it, which is novel on its own after the last owners.
 

chiefdave

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Can we get Ryton up to Prem standard? Looks very small compared to other clubs.
Think people are getting a bit carried away. The article doesn't really say anything about a long term plan or commitment to Ryton, just that improvements are being made.

Obviously that's great news but if we want to have top level facilities there really isn't the space at Ryton, certainly not if we want to have the academy there as well.

Telegraph seems to have decided it's a 15 year plan based on Robins saying the new pitches "should be here for the best part of 15 years if they are maintained properly". Then when it comes to further work he says "who knows, we haven’t got to that sort of detail yet". Improvements are welcome and needed but not really seeing signs of a training complex masterplan or long term commitment to Ryton.
 

Hobo

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To grow the club properly investment is needed across its whole infrastucture. Not just plough money into the first team squad.
 

Skybluecov1

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Although ryton is small, I like the fact the academy train at Higgs.
It gives something to work for. Not saying it’s a good thing it’s separate, but as a youth player coming through, that should be your goal to train with the 1st team. A drive to go to ryton and train with the 1st
 
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Sky_Blue_Dreamer

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You get the feeling that they believe it to be a factor
I think that this work is largely due to the club trying to work out what is causing so many injuries. Probably loads of factors, but this may well be one of them. It was shocking to see how poor under the pitches were. Almost like a modern garden - largely filled with rubble and covered with a small amount of topsoil.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

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Although ryton is small, I like the fact the academy train at Higgs.
It gives something to work for. Not saying it’s a good thing it’s separate, but as a youth player coming through, that should be your goal to train with the 1st team. A drive to go to ryton and train with the 1st
I sort of get that, but IMO it makes sense economically to have everything together, so they can share certain facilities. Also if the youngsters can have access to the top equipment used by the pro's (different groups could use it at different times) chances are you'll be able to make better decisions on their progress and training and thus produce better players for the team.

I'm sure they'd still feel pride if they got to train with the first team and would be motivated by it. If anything it would help them already being familiar with the facilities.

As to where such a facility might be. Ryton would need starting from scratch I think, knocking down the connexion. Higgs has a bit of space around it, but it is also a public centre. Woodlands is a decent size too. Near Warwick Uni would make a lot of sense being able to partner with them and use facilities. Plenty of potential options, but nothing that will even be thought about unless we got promoted IMO.
 
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slowpoke

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I suspect academy will stay at the Higgs and U/18s & perhaps U/16s go to Ryton, U/18s are first year scholars and above. Makes sense and the Higgs is a good facility for the youngsters
 

JonesBob

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Back in the day city were going to purchase the police training complex but that fell through. At that time, before the connexion, we had 4 or 5 pitches and we often used to go and watch the team train. It was one of the most advanced training grounds in the country and the envy of many. You can actually see how little owner since those days have invested. It's easy to talk, but few do it.
 

COVKIDSNEVERQUIT

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I sort of get that, but IMO it makes sense economically to have everything together, so they can share certain facilities. Also if the youngsters can have access to the top equipment used by the pro's (different groups could use it at different times) chances are you'll be able to make better decisions on their progress and training and thus produce better players for the team.

I'm sure they'd still feel pride if they got to train with the first team and would be motivated by it. If anything it would help them already being familiar with the facilities.

As to where such a facility might be. Ryton would need starting from scratch I think, knocking down the connexion. Higgs has a bit of space around it, but it is also a public centre. Woodlands is a decent size too. Near Warwick Uni would make a lot of sense being able to partner with them and use facilities. Plenty of potential options, but nothing that will even be thought about unless we got promoted IMO.


That's what I think, the training ground and Academy will eventually be under one roof at Warwick Uni.

Work going on at Ryton is just a Quick makeover.
 
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Alan Dugdales Moustache

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Can we get Ryton up to Prem standard? Looks very small compared to other clubs.
I saw a documentary recently about Southampton FC. They're a club I always think we should be similar to. However, their training facilities are light years ahead of ours. I think their academy alone have facilities better than Ryton.
Ultimately if we were to be promoted we'd need to leave Ryton and invest millions in new facilities to compete with other clubs. Ryton is too small with no room to expand .
 

cstring82

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I wonder if Brandon Golf Course has ever been considered, considering it’s closed.
Big enough to create a state of the art training and still close enough to the City
 

Nick

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I wonder if Brandon Golf Course has ever been considered, considering it’s closed.
Big enough to create a state of the art training and still close enough to the City
Needs millions spent on drainage alone
 

GaryPendrysEyes

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Poor facilities might have contributed to the string of injuries to key playes.
Maybe. But maybe it’s not a coincidence that O'Hare got his injury in the first few minutes of the Sheff Utd game and Palmer the first few minutes of the 2nd half against Sunderland.
Something wrong with the warm up routines??
 

slowpoke

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I wonder if Brandon Golf Course has ever been considered, considering it’s closed.
Big enough to create a state of the art training and still close enough to the City
That’s what Leicester did, they bought an old golf course and have created a world class facility, would cost a lot of money though
 

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