Stadium expansion. Have we goofed up?

[Blackadder]

Sorry, can't answer what I don't understand..

First line was your comment.

 

[16bha]

What a load of rubbish. Firstly Southampton haven't bolted on another tier at all. Where did you get this from? In theory they could but can't see it happening. 31,000 will be fine for BHA, lets wait a while and see where we go and in a few years you can talk about adding more seats if 10,000 people per game can't get a seat.

Please note the first point " ...lets just fantasise it's 5 years time from now..." I'm not talking about now but possible future, and working in Southampton, I hear this is a possibility!

 

[16bha]

First line was your comment.

Ok, I don't want to get in a tit for tat argument, bit it's your second comment I questioned..

My point is please drop the condescending response and treat the thread in the spirit it was typed.

 

[TottonSeagull]

Please note the first point " ...lets just fantasise it's 5 years time from now..." I'm not talking about now but possible future, and working in Southampton, I hear this is a possibility!

Apologies didn't really read the fantasise bit!

Living in Southampton I can tell you it was a possibility when they were 6th in the Prem under Strachen 10 years ago and St Mary's was full every game but they didn't do it because they knew if they weren't in the Prem the crowds would be well below £30k. To expand they would need to raise the roof all round and add a complete tier.........won't happen! As for us wait see where we are 5 years and what the demand is!

 

[severnside gull]

What was well put?

how old are you exactly?

 

[Blackadder]

Ok, I don't want to get in a tit for tat argument, bit it's your second comment I questioned..

Nor me. Cheers

 

[16bha]

how old are you exactly?

Good answer...well done. I give up!

 

[Diego Napier]

Getting ahead of myself a bit, but lets just fantasise about 5 years time from now. We are an established Premier League team, on the up with a growing support.

in he meantime fellow south coast club Southampton, have bolted on another tier onto the Ikea flat pack that is St Marys, increasing to 40k.

we on the other hand still have our wonderfully designed stadium, but suddenly find we cannot increase capacity further and meet the demand from our new JCLs. What do we do? How have we catered for this inevitable growth in support?

This subject has been covered a number of times over the last year or so.

Your emphasis on fantasy is appropriate, particularly about St. Mary's expansion.

It's easy with hindsight to say we should've built a stadium to cater for continued expansion but it's cost enough to create a superb stadium that could expand to 30k. Who knows whether we could've got a flat pack stadium with greater capacity potential past the planners and anyway who'd want an identikit home?

We could also fantasise that in 5 years we'll be playing in Europe every year and need a 50k stadium but equally we could be back in or still in the Championship with disillusioned 20 -25k crowds.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If we'd have planned for a 40,000 capacity stadium, we'd still be playing at Withdean in front of 6,500 spectators, wondering whether we could keep up with Crawley Town.

 

[severnside gull]

If we'd have planned for a 40,000 capacity stadium, we'd still be playing at Withdean in front of 6,500 spectators, wondering whether we could keep up with Crawley Town.

precisely

 

[Titus]

No. 22,500 was the most we coud get, remembering the club had to fight many entities and various enemies of football.
It was just a foot in the door, but the architects and the board sneakily under the radar made it easily expandable to 30,750, getting that bit past Falmer PC et seq.

If the club did establish itself as a PL team and demand outstripped supply for tickets year after year, hopefully something could be done, but road and rail links would have to be vastly improved first.

This man knows what he's talking about, unlike most people on this thread. If we'd applied for anything bigger we'd have got the thumbs down and because of financial problems we'd probably have given up and decided to just enlarge Withdean a bit more.

 

[The Birdman]

Norwich are selling out every game for home fans they want to expand ground but they want to establish themselves in the Premiership first for a a few seasons as they would lose capacity while being built. It is a balancing act. I always thought Brighton has the potential to grow our surport but the trick is keeping the floating surport. If we can get to The play off final we will take over 40,000 to Wembley many of these extra fans who follow Brighton but probably work or play football on Saturdays or familey and Friends and expats making the effort. The club have plans to keep promoting the club. Well done all those fans at Yesterday's game.lets get behind the team for the run in.

 

[Rugrat]

We might want to get in the Prem first!

 

[Weststander]

We might want to get in the Prem first!

and truly establish ourselves there for a few seasons.

 

[timco]

This may be my dodgy memory or just wild fantasy but I remember the maximum capacity of the Amex being said to be 36,000 when it was first past its planning process, this work to be completed when there is a demand for it.

Failing that we could build an extension with big screens put the away fans in that, I see nothing in the rules where they actually have to see the pitch (Liverpool got away with it!) just a % of the capacity.

 

[Cheshire]

. Oh well if we get to the promised land then we will have to compulsary purchase the Goldstone retail park.

Strange as it may seem it would be impossible to get planning permission to build a football stadium nowadays on that site. Lets just enjoy the ride - the Amex is perfect for our purposes be we successful and sell out every match, or not and see the numbers drop dramatically - it's ours - enjoy!

 

[bristolseagull]

Thing is, our attendance figures a skewed for a number of reasons, including the novelty factor, our performances and our current league position. When we're in a relegation battle with Nigel Adkins at the helm we'll do we'll to hit 20K.

 

[beorhthelm]

sorry if this is goingto sound harsh, but how can any Brigthon fan raise this question, in this way? did you miss the entire history of the planning fight? we're bloody fortunate to have a stadium at all, and the fact we had some clever people with forsight involved meant that we sneaked the current extra capacity under the radar. hardly a goof up.

 

[Weststander]

This may be my dodgy memory or just wild fantasy but I remember the maximum capacity of the Amex being said to be 36,000 when it was first past its planning process, this work to be completed when there is a demand for it.

Failing that we could build an extension with big screens put the away fans in that, I see nothing in the rules where they actually have to see the pitch (Liverpool got away with it!) just a % of the capacity.

That could be a dodgy memory? All the plans were for 22,500-ish.

Anything above that would have been seized upon by anti Albion stirrers and their lawyers.

 

[HenryC]

Getting ahead of myself a bit, but lets just fantasise about 5 years time from now.

OK, here's an alternative 5 year fantasy:

"Albion have just 4 games to save their season after a crushing 4-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Mansfield town. Following last years take over of Portsmouth by Tony Bloom and the recent resignation of Mickey Adams after 8 consecutive defeats The Amex seems like an echoing white elephant with just 7,000 turning up for the latest debacle. It looks like league 2 for Albion next year, but will they still be in business?"

I suggest we all stop moaning and enjoy the moment! 30,000 seems Ok to me...