AFC FYLDE MAKE THEIR PITCH
Easily accessible from Junction 3 of the M55, the site chosen for AFC Fylde's new stadium is
also within walking distance of Wesham and its public transport links. The Mill Farm complex has at its heart the first entirely new stadium to be designed by Preston based architectural practice the Frank Whittle Partnership (Scunthorpe United's proposed new stadium
will be the second). Most famous for their well-received rebuilding of Preston North End's
Deepdale ground, their work also includes the striking bow-shaped grandstand at Fleetwood Town's Highbury Stadium. If not an exact replica, the West Stand at Mill Farm is a
close cousin of that at Fleetwood, its low-slung tier of 2,000 seats covered by a high, semicircular roof. As seems to be the current fashion, with similarly configured stands at Leyton Orient, Northampton Town and Oldham Athletic (also a FWP design), instead of an
elevated seating tier, the upper portion of the stand has been given over to executive
boxes and a restaurant
with a viewing gallery.
Decked out in dark grey,
what would otherwise be
a plain wall of panelling
and glass is given an distinctive touch by a cleanly
executed AFC Fylde sign
in white lettering, accompanied by a clock.
Though undoubtedly, a
striking piece of modern
architecture, those who
prefer their grandstands
to be more traditional in
design, and less prone to
the vagaries of English
weather, might not be so
enamoured.
Views showing the architectural flourish of the West Stand
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