That wasnât disputed. Where are you going to put this fabled arena - thatâs the question?
You also appear to be ignoring the socioeconomic factors involved and the actual demand. The North-West is served by the Echo Arena and MEN, yes. Thereâs enough demand in that area to sustain them because thereâs no other mega-venues in the region. Down here, youâre competing with the several very large London venues and the aforementioned MK Bowl. Bands big enough to play those venues donât tour the whole UK. Most will do a flyover (on their way to Europe) of Glasgow, Birmingham, London and thatâs your lot. They wouldnât add a Southampton date to that list. So youâre not only competing with those venues for footfall but also to book the acts in the first place.
Why would you need a metro when it takes about 30 minutes to walk from one end of Southampton to the other? And as I said, National Rail trains serve the districts well enough. I have actually touted the idea of a tram system (having been impressed with the likes of Manchesterâs) but refer back to the point that Southampton doesnât currently have the infrastructure in place - and these things take time. Plus everybody just jets about in an Uber these days, donât they?
The waterfront has traditionally been a working area, as you well know. Then I post about the plans to create a focal point down there and you poo-poo them. Southampton canât win, in your eyes - and thatâs all there is to it.
No ice rink, no large music venue, no cathedral or large ancient church, no real high street, no centre, no bus station, no trams.
Bollocks, why would a tourist go and stay?
The war bombing thing is a total and utter red herring as many many other Cities had more ordnance upon them and recovered and did a better job than our slack wasters.
Now I know youâre taking the piss. All footballing rivalry aside, Portsmouth is a complete and utter shithole from end to end. Slightly redeemed by Southsea, if you include that (and many donât).
Being realistic and saying when things are shite and wrong beats the shit out of blind false optimism everytime, give me a grumpy realist over a head in the cloud dreamer anyday.
Well one thing I am sure of is that thereâs neither grumpy realists nor head-in-the-cloud dreamers present in this thread.
You debate like a politician, Bazza. Never answer the fecking question, no matter how logical (or grounded in reality) it was. Non sequiturs all over the bloody show.
If you canât see what we have (or it isnât for you) then fair doos. But if thatâs the case then speaking as an authority on the matter is a bit rich.
Where has all that money thats spent in Southampton gone?
How are the joiners and the hobbit coming along?
I know a couple of people in the pub trade in town and its shite, on the outskirts strangely its pretty good, why? The council are shit and sit back on your poll tax money, ever wonder why they want to incorporate Hedge end Botley into that and Eastleigh are so against it? What do you get for your poll tax and general tax? Shit roads, shite public transport, a ghost town of a City and well fuck all, all the while Liverpool on far far lower tax returns is booming, why? Lowering rents for a start.
Seriously Bazza, I live just outside Bournemouth, I work in Bournemouth, I drink regularly in Bournemouth, I fail to see why you think itâs nightlife is better than Southamptonâs