premiere football at the amex!

[Mileoakman]

I believe Brighton have planning permission for up to 35000

Sorry but thats not right.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

No, no ploy. As I've said, my firm understanding from a discussion with someone inside the club is the capacity can be increased to around 30500-31000 and that's it.

Not what i have heard from a source within the club, i was told that the stadium has been designed in such a way that they can add capacity by filling in the corners and added the second tier in the East stand (phase 1 expansion) and if further seats were still required they could move the existing seats closer together (phase 2 expansion) however it doesn't mean that they are planning on doing that any time soon (if at all), its just an option they have instead of having to dismantle the roof and build up the other stands to increase capacity if the demand was so great.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I believe Brighton have planning permission for up to 35000

They only had permission to build a stadium holding 22,500 atm, (official capacity is 22,374 but i believe there are a few empty seats for emergencies such as if they have to relocate any 1901 members who don't meet the dresscode)

They are talking about / starting the process of applying for permission (possibly submitting it around December / January) to add the corners and 2nd tier over the East stand taking capacity to about 30k

 

[DumLum]

I Know about the 2nd tier on the East Stand and filling in the corners increasing capacity to 30K.

Is it impossible to put a second tier on the North/South stands? Looks like there is room under each roof?

I know nothing about building though!

 

[Samej]

What the biggest capacity we would need on a regular basis if we were to reach and stay in the prem? first 5 seasons 40k would not be to big in my opinion!

The Amex can be extended beyond 30,000 by removing community areas and offices and extending the stands further back,the prawn sarnie stand can also be extended when the moaning barstads stop attending, the restaraunts can be removed and this stand can also be extended.

 

[itszamora]

I Know about the 2nd tier on the East Stand and filling in the corners increasing capacity to 30K.

Is it impossible to put a second tier on the North/South stands? Looks like there is room under each roof?

I know nothing about building though!

I think, as someone else has said, you need to build further backwards in order to add an additional tier, which looks like it would be pretty difficult unless there's loads of extra space behind the two stands.

 

[Samej]

I think, as someone else has said, you need to build further backwards in order to add an additional tier, which looks like it would be pretty difficult unless there's loads of extra space behind the two stands.

It can and will be done at the cost of the community areas and office space, and also by removing restaraunts

 

[16bha]

I'm no Norman Foster but why cant we add a tier to the North and South stands. Seems to be a fair bit of headroom above them (without raising the roof) although appreciate would need to build out back a bit.

(already mentioned as I typed!)

 

[kingcole]

Would be great if the south and north could somehow have the same 2 tiers as the east will eventually have.

I love my east stand seat, but would dearly love for the north to be a terrace. This would probably add an extra 1000 right away. I know, I know.... One day maybe

 

[Samej]

I Know about the 2nd tier on the East Stand and filling in the corners increasing capacity to 30K.

Is it impossible to put a second tier on the North/South stands? Looks like there is room under each roof?

I know nothing about building though!

This is an option

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I'm no Norman Foster but why cant we add a tier to the North and South stands. Seems to be a fair bit of headroom above them (without raising the roof) although appreciate would need to build out back a bit.

(already mentioned as I typed!)

It's a matter of public record that the way the stadium has been designed, with its special interconnecting roof, means it cannot built upon at either end. I'll say it once more: the stadium's capacity can be raised to around 30-31000 by adding seats to the corners and another tier on the East stand. That's it. I have no idea about where this notion of making the seats closer together thing comes from but would think that's extremely unlikely as the club rightly promoted the comfort and space of the existing seats when selling the season tickets. And in any case, a 30-31000 capacity for us would be fine. There are plenty of Premiership clubs with similar capacities...Wigan, Stoke City, Blackburn, Fulham, Bolton etc.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

surely it CAN be expanded beyond 30,000 or whatever, just not cheaply or easily

so not impossible, just unrealistic

 

[brightonrock]

Am I the only Brighton fan who DOESN'T want it expanded?

All is great and rosy and exciting now, and two seasons of winning seems to have gone to some people's heads. Look at Wigan, or Hull, Middlesbrough, Coventry, MK Dons. All new-build stadiums, all with huge f***-off gaps of empty seats where they can't sell out. I still think expanding after one season is premature. Play 3 seasons in the 22.5k and see if we consistently sell it out (or near-to sell out). Make sure the 'plastics' are confirmed as hardcore fans. Because all it needs is one average or shit season and the 30k Amex would suddenly look very average with 12k rattling around in it.

I'd rather go for slow and steady progress and be modest in our ambitions (i.e. Blackpool) than blow millions and millions (i.e.Portsmouth) and end up financially f***ed.

Also, Rev, you reckon we could sell 35-40k in the third tier? I dunno if that's a joke I'm not following, but that is f***ing ludicrous. Very few teams come close to touching 20k in the third tier. 40k is either a not-so-hilarious 'joke' or you just actually are simple. I really can't tell.

 

[Bob!]

It's a matter of public record that the way the stadium has been designed, with its special interconnecting roof, means it cannot built upon at either end. I'll say it once more: the stadium's capacity can be raised to around 30-31000 by adding seats to the corners and another tier on the East stand. That's it. I have no idea about where this notion of making the seats closer together thing comes from but would think that's extremely unlikely as the club rightly promoted the comfort and space of the existing seats when selling the season tickets. And in any case, a 30-31000 capacity for us would be fine. There are plenty of Premiership clubs with similar capacities...Wigan, Stoke City, Blackburn, Fulham, Bolton etc.

IF, and it's a big IF, we have a few succesful seasons in the Prem regularly filling a 30k stadium, I can see us moving the seats closer together to enable another 3,4k fans to jump aboard the Gus Bus

 

[Hot Gossiper]

Firstly 30k would be enough to sustain a team in the premier league.
Secondly the footprint of the stadium can not be changed. Adding a second tier to the north or south stands would require the stand being moved further away from the pitch or the people on the second tier would not be able to see the goal line. This is what happened at Upton park when the new Dr Martins stand was built (please see wiki page, half way down Boleyn Ground - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) I'm guessing this would alter the footprint or we would lose all catering areas, which will not be happening.
Thirdly moving the seats closer together would not gain us an extra 10k and would piss off more people than it would please.

 

[AMEXican Wave]

surely it CAN be expanded beyond 30,000 or whatever, just not cheaply or easily

so not impossible, just unrealistic

This just has to be true. I'm sure a talented architect with a big enough pot of money would be able to put forward some workable proposals. The transport issues would be the major problem, and would probably need some serious cash to resolve.

30K is a good first phase though.

 

[Working class pride]

I'd like to see the Albion maximise its potential. With Brighton to Worthing being the 10th biggest urban conurbation in the country (population half a million) and an entire county to call support from (that includes big towns like Hastings), then the potential goes way beyond 30,000. In fact the Albion got crowds in the 1960s and 1970s of over 30,000 for lower league football, never mind what it could get if they get top flight football back down the Albion. The potential if you think about it is very, very big. So the challenge for those running the club is how to convert that potential into a reality and I think Tony Bloom will give it a good go.