HawkTheSeagull
New member
Double post
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
a full amex 22500 or a larger ground with 5000 empty seats?
- Thread starter Return of the Rev
- Start date
Exactly my point, just want to get the stadium finished and then we can lose the gaps and the giant AMEX banner across the East Stand
Return of the Rev
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #23
We would get the newer fans picking and choosing a bit like they do at the moment,I CAN'T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE NOT PASSING TICKETS ON WHEN NOT GETTING USED,I THINK AS LONG AS PRICING IS SENSIBLE AND PROMOTIONAL PACKAGES FOR THE YOUTH OF SUSSEX IE FOOTIE TEAMS SCHOOLS WE COULD KEEP THE % OF UPTAKE AT AT AROUND 90% AND 95% FOR THE BIGGIES for the next 5 years
severnside gull
Well-known member
That's actually a good question RotR!
Brighton is currently the hardest ground to get a ticket for in the Championship for a home fan who isn't a season ticket holder. As the novelty wears off and things settle down (assuming we are not promoted in the next three years for argument's sake) STH's will presumably fall but new fans will already have been deterred because they cannot get tickets now - they won't necessarily try when seats do become available.
An increase in overall capacity automatically increases away allocation (10%) which for the vast majority of games will mean noticeably more empty seats unless we are clever and (for example) push the away fans into a corner offering the same number of seats as now except for big local derbies etc.
Instinctively I think there will be at least the same proportion of no-shows among STH's whatever we do and possibly even more if a proportion of the extra seats are corporately rather than individually sold so with a capacity of 30K a realistic ceiling for actual attendances might be 25,000 and that is certainly very visible. We would get the usual stick for certain along the lines of "build a new stadium and can't fill it" - hardly going to be bothered by that! Would it effect the atmosphere? Probably not a lot tbf. More spaces offset by the extra bodies and hopefully strategically better situated behind both goals.
Which means it's all down to the return - say 8000 seats at £3K each to install and maintain/steward over a three year period (I have no idea if that is near to the reality) offset by maybe sales revenue for 50% and catering/programme/kit etc sales? My guess is that after 3 years you would probably forecast a small margin, improving therafter and of course you have a not inconsiderable additional cashflow in that period.
All-in-all a good deal financially, depending on how it's funded; improved access to fans; reasonably buouyant usage forecast; and based on all of that - limited impact on atmosphere.
Count me in!
Brighton is currently the hardest ground to get a ticket for in the Championship for a home fan who isn't a season ticket holder. As the novelty wears off and things settle down (assuming we are not promoted in the next three years for argument's sake) STH's will presumably fall but new fans will already have been deterred because they cannot get tickets now - they won't necessarily try when seats do become available.
An increase in overall capacity automatically increases away allocation (10%) which for the vast majority of games will mean noticeably more empty seats unless we are clever and (for example) push the away fans into a corner offering the same number of seats as now except for big local derbies etc.
Instinctively I think there will be at least the same proportion of no-shows among STH's whatever we do and possibly even more if a proportion of the extra seats are corporately rather than individually sold so with a capacity of 30K a realistic ceiling for actual attendances might be 25,000 and that is certainly very visible. We would get the usual stick for certain along the lines of "build a new stadium and can't fill it" - hardly going to be bothered by that! Would it effect the atmosphere? Probably not a lot tbf. More spaces offset by the extra bodies and hopefully strategically better situated behind both goals.
Which means it's all down to the return - say 8000 seats at £3K each to install and maintain/steward over a three year period (I have no idea if that is near to the reality) offset by maybe sales revenue for 50% and catering/programme/kit etc sales? My guess is that after 3 years you would probably forecast a small margin, improving therafter and of course you have a not inconsiderable additional cashflow in that period.
All-in-all a good deal financially, depending on how it's funded; improved access to fans; reasonably buouyant usage forecast; and based on all of that - limited impact on atmosphere.
Count me in!
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 24,005
Small capacity grounds like our 22k Amex don't attract the cream of Association Football talent because it shows a lack of ambition and potential in that football club. The more seats the better and bollocks to giving a f*** about potential empty seats.
How come La Liga winner, former Champions League player and ex Spanish international, Vicente Rodriguez plays here then?
And come to think of it, why isn't CMS at Leicester or West Ham?
Disagree with that. If the £££ is right and the player believes in the team/manager then the capacity makes no odds to them. The facilities are top notch too so I doubt there would be one single player who would turn down a move to Brighton based solely on the ground being 22k
TheJasperCo
Well-known member
I'd rather the extra seats, that way you're guaranteed a larger capacity for the big games of the season. Brighton has a large catchment area; I'm not sure if 22,000 seats in the Amex fully does the club justice.
Tricky Dicky
New member
If I was to just play devils advocate for a sec - at the moment everything is still new and novel, people have had years in the wilderness and the idea of a super, local home to go to is a big draw. We're playing well, doing well in the league and everything (except the burgers apparently) is rosy. Presumably a little of that is going to wear off - possibly countered with attracting some new fans over time, but I don't see us selling out 30k every week, but I'd love it if we did. Even if we got promoted, if we weren't winning most weeks, I think attendance is bound to sip a little.
As far as numbers are concerned, I've always thought it better to be at the top of a lower division and winning every week than in a higher league and losing mostly, but I could be worng.
I wish the ground had been built to be finished with 25k. I do worry in a few years that we will have a half empty stadium with no atmosphere. I remember Hull used to sell out all the time (and is apparently a similar stadium). The other night on 5Live they were saying how little atmosphere there was amongst the empty seats. The Goldstone only occasionally hit 30,000. I'm loving this season, but think most on here are blindly heading towards an atmosphere that will be very like the Reebok or St Mary's on an empty day. I'd rather it was full and buzzing.
FootballFan7
New member
- Feb 7, 2012
- 29
i'm sure the empty seats would be easily sellable on match days, meaning the fans for the club will increase! People will pay to watch a game as and when they can, people appreciate being able to just turn up on match days and get a ticket! Tickets being available to the general public is always a good promotion for a wider fan base!
I would like to see more seats,but I do remember us having bigger crowds on our way to the old 1st Division than when we actually got there!
Return of the Rev
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #34
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 24,005
The crux of it. It's all been said before (and many times at that), but this club is worth a lot more than a paltry 22k seats imho. A top six Premiership club coming here with us in the Premier League and I'd expect us to hit 35k if we had the capacity, especially if you factor in away support/BHA plastics coming out of the woodwork/visiting Premiership club plastics in the south etc. etc.
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 24,005
never had a 30k in the old div1
No comparison between then and now. Old statistics count for jack. It's 2012 not the late 70s/early 80s.
Return of the Rev
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #37
78/79 the amex would have been too small for 8 fixtures!
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 24,005
Sorry? Is that a sub 7k average crowd difference between us and that massive club Arsenal I see there?
Division One 1981-1982 Club Average vs '81
1 Manchester United 44.571 - 1,1%
2 Tottenham Hotpsur 35.100 14,2%
3 Liverpool 35.061 - 6,6%
4 Manchester City 34.063 1,4%
5 Aston Villa 26.780 -21,5%
6 West Ham United 26.585 NEW
7 Arsenal 25.589 -21,2%
8 Everton 24.674 - 5,5%
9 Leeds United 22.109 3,4%
10 Ipswich Town 21.925 -10,9%
11 Southampton 21.835 1,6%
12 Nottingham Forest 19.937 -18,6%
13 Sunderland 19.608 -25,9%
14 Brighton & Hove Albion 18.244 - 3,9%
15 Swansea City 18.226 NEW
16 Birmingham City 17.117 -11,1%
17 West Bromwich Albion 16.786 -17,4%
18 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15.242 -29,3%
19 Stoke City 14.635 - 6,1%
20 Middlesbrough 13.413 -18,4%
21 Coventry City 13.100 -22,5%
22 Notts County 11.613 NEW
sir albion
New member
You would have to have no ambition as a fan to want to keep it at 22500,as the club moves forward its vital we have a 30k capacity for many reasons,you have to think ahead and if tough times do appear then cut price tickets will be available and much much more.Even though its a 22500 stadium you still lose many seats for various reasons and we seem to have 2k empty every game even though its sold out.The stadium is very restricted at the moment and these extra seats are a MUST