United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match away to MK Dons, Hall first talking about the excellent stadium the home side play at:
JP
Let's face it, we were just once again admiring stadium:mk, it is something to behold isn't it?
AH
Yeah, I like it, I think it is one of the new builds that has gone right, the Liberty Stadium for me is better down at Swansea, but this one is not far off. When they finish it off, if they ever get round to it, I think it was the World Cup bid they were in for wasn't it, if they had got that then they would have done it. So, whenever they do it it will be a great place.
JP
I have said before, the top tier which is all just concrete, no seats put into that one, that is the finished off bit, or to be finished off, I think that will take them up to 33,000 here, 22,000 with the seats that we have got in here. It is kind of a nice blueprint if they took off a good half of it for what Carlisle United might want to do. One of the things that I really like about it, the concourse, you have concourses in all stadiums where sometimes they have the toilets, sometimes they have the outlets, it actually faces out onto the pitch so you can go up, get yourself a drink, get yourself a pie, even go and put a bet on and still be watching the game if it has started?
AH
Absolutely that, and I think that is one of the things that they thought about and it works for the concerts they have here as well, when you look at (Pete) Winkelman and some of the bands that he gets here during the summer months. It drives the groundsman wild by the way, but when they run the concerts it means that the fans in the stands can go up and get their drinks and still watch the band that is on. So, they have thought about it, they have got it right, and certainly if we ever get to the point where we can push forward it is places like this, Swansea, Rotherham, that we need to look at and see if we can cherry-pick the best bits.
JP
And we are talking about this because we are now is it less than a week now to the meeting that you are having with Carlisle City Council where hopefully the club and the fans will maybe get a bit more of a steer on where it is all going?
AH
Yeah, I think since the announcement which feels like five years ago, but it was last November wasn't it, we have had to be very quiet and that is because there was so much that people have to consider. We don't want to be badgering County Councils, City Councils, people like that, because you have got to appreciate the job that they have got is immensely difficult.
They have got to take everything into consideration and make sure that it is not just for the good of one organisation, it is for the good of everybody. I am sure that if they do that and we can do that, present our case and everybody can start to talk about the real plans. Because, the fans have gone from being 100% positive if we are going to be honest to having all of these questions that need to be answered, and we can't because there are no plans in place.
So, we need to do that just so that we can start to debate it properly again, so that everybody knows where we are coming from if we do decide to move, and we know where people's worries and problems and qualms are. Because, we need to do it properly, we need to talk to everybody and explain what we are doing and whether it will work or not.
JP
Yeah, and we are very excited about that still and we look forward to hearing more as it develops. It was a transfer day of activity for Carlisle, but you did it nice and early so there is no sort of deadline day busting as Michael O'Halloran came in from Bolton?
AH
There was a bit going on but I will let Greg (Abbott) talk to you about that. It is always one of those days where phones don't stop and certainly the chairman (Andrew Jenkins) and Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and Greg were huddled away in one corner of the hotel for long periods, and you have got John Nixon doing his business over in other areas of the country making phone calls trying to make things happen. What you can't do when it doesn't come off is get frustrated, but that is Greg's domain and I wouldn't like to step on his toes by talking about it.
JP
And of course the loan window opens now and he has talked already, Greg Abbott, about how that might be the option for him with players who the club basically couldn't afford to take on full-time?
AH
Well, we have done well with it in the past haven't we, some wonderful loan players, think of the likes of (Ben) Marshall and (Adam) Clayton and where they are moving on to and James Chester, we could go on forever. You could then list these lads and on they go, but if you get them for that period of time it pushes you on as a club and the relationships that you build up doing loans properly means that they start coming to you with suggestions. So, I think that is where that one lies and we will just have to see now which direction we take.
JP
In the build-up to the game I talked about the disparity in wealth being exemplified by Carlisle bringing in a youngster on loan from a Championship club and MK Dons signing Jimmy Bullard, who has gone for over £8 million in his career, I mean that just sums it up really doesn't it?
AH
It does, we were just talking about the fact that they have only got five substitutes, but what a bench. Then you look at the team as well, so MK Dons are always an outfit that you think why haven't they pushed on? Whatever it is that is stopping them I think this has got to be their year, because Mr Winkelman has put his money where his mouth is.
JP
He certainly has, look we could go on more about the teams etc. Nice to see United with the kids still on the bench, you know, there for the opportunity again today should it come. Fantastic news on Tottenham as well and best of luck today.
AH
Thank you very much, yeah, it is all positive isn't it going forward.