[Albion] Yet another club to increase ground capacity….

[Zeberdi]

see post #92

Plus I opened with a comment about us, to preempt any reply wrongly assuming that I was ungrateful to TB in settling at 31,800 or 32,500 with the NS Shelf. We’ll only be able to cater for far bigger crowds who stay until final whistle with a radical improvement in public transport to/from Falmer. Decades away?

I hope you didn’t take my reply as ‘wrongly assuming you were ‘ungrateful’ to TB - that’s the last thing I would suggest!

I was replying in the context of the OP’s opening post and specifically responding to your suggestion that poor train links were responsible for any glass ceiling or an extra few thousand seats would make much difference to our overall ‘size’ as a Club.

I was just pointing out that ticket sales are a fraction of the club’s revenue and most of the time there are not enough empty seats at matches to stop us being competitive financially ergo, the poor train link or even our average Stadium size is not responsible for any cap on how high we can compete on a regular basis. (IMO!)

The financial challenge for us is competing in a league where a growing number of clubs are backed by oil-State sponsored consortiums and international conglomerates and spending that money on some of the best football players in the world.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

Bournemouth managing ok

Although they recently announced they have bought the stadium off the previous owner and announced plans to increase capacity to 20,000.

 

[Weststander]

I‘m lucky that I don’t have to worry about getting there or home quickly so don’t need to compromise/rush.

Not hugely….all clubs have early leavers, obviously the number mostly depends on the state of the game…….all those you mention take at least as long to get away from as the Amex. Can’t think of many that stay full/nearly full until the final whistle.

The media might suggest Newcastle, Leeds and Forest … best supporters in England.

Deliberately didn’t include the faux story about CP … losing and outplayed, only the drum can be heard as the awful stands steadily empty.

 

[Barham's tash]

Won’t ever happen. Not worth the investment for 20 or so days a year. Even if it did the mentality of those who leave early wouldn’t change anyway. A ‘significant investment’ might mean someone getting home an hour after the game ends instead of 90 mins ? They’ll still leave on 85 mins to get home in 45 mins as BGT or Catchphrase is more important to them than a Baleba match-winning screamer.

THIS with spades on.

Adding to this debate, and as I have said before, we are an affluent middle class area where the GDP per capita is significantly higher than the national average and so unfortunately we have a higher % than most who can afford to write off the cost of their ticket in favour of another holiday, or one of the plethora of activities requiring disposable income so that football often comes off second best.

This is also, I believe responsible, partially for the relative paucity of the atmosphere too. Us Southern softies just don't 'care' as much about football as other areas of our country where life is perhaps a little tougher than it is in Brighton.

 

[Weststander]

THIS with spades on.

Adding to this debate, and as I have said before, we are an affluent middle class area where the GDP per capita is significantly higher than the national average and so unfortunately we have a higher % than most who can afford to write off the cost of their ticket in favour of another holiday, or one of the plethora of activities requiring disposable income so that football often comes off second best.

This is also, I believe responsible, partially for the relative paucity of the atmosphere too. Us Southern softies just don't 'care' as much about football as other areas of our country where life is perhaps a little tougher than it is in Brighton.

Was always the way, even in the 70’s Goldstone attendances dropped like a stone in a modest to poor season. People went back to their other interests. I’ve watched football in northern cities including Glasgow, it is really feels like a religion on any match-day.

 

[Zeberdi]

Was always the way, even in the 70’s Goldstone attendances dropped like a stone in a modest to poor season. People went back to their other interests

I think this is the hub of it.

When our performances drop off so does the support but it remains constant enough not to be a financial issue - maybe even less so with the increasing number of tourist supporters who aren’t that invested emotionally in needing to see a win (or see us not lose!).

The Goldstone couldn’t have been a more accessible ground but as you say, in a poor or modest season, attendances fell.

. I’ve watched football in northern cities including Glasgow, it is really feels like a religion on any match-day.

There really is a win or lose mentality in this kind of support - It happens in the States too.

 

[Bozza]

RFU opening the door for Chelsea to use Twickenham during Stamford Bridge redevelopment, although the local council may get in the way.

RFU opens door to hosting Chelsea if they need temporary home

The RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has said Twickenham could host Chelsea matches if the Premier League club is seeking a temporary home

www.theguardian.com

 

[AK74]

Timely article:

The stadium myth: new grounds won’t rescue your club – or your city

From the Premier League to MLS and the NFL, huge stadiums with gargantuan costs are a symptom of elite sport’s unrealistic promises

www.theguardian.com

 

[Zeberdi]

Timely article:

The stadium myth: new grounds won’t rescue your club – or your city

From the Premier League to MLS and the NFL, huge stadiums with gargantuan costs are a symptom of elite sport’s unrealistic promises

www.theguardian.com

Excellent article, thanks for posting.

A slightly depressing read though for this old Goldstone faithful.

 

[Giraffe]

In the future there will be one core revenue, pay per view run by the premier league. International markets are therefore far more critical than bums on seats.

BUT what big stadiums do is show you’re a big club which in turn leads to more international fans and more pay per view. It’s coming.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Has Fulham's new, exorbitant swanky stand been full this season? I would guess its' very unlikely to ever
fill.

Yes, it's been full for the last few games. The fitting out behind is apparently finished. The idea that as well as being able to sell expensive corporate packages, the bars, restaurants, hotel and health club (including rooftop swimming pool next to the away end) will generate non-matchday income. I'm planning a visit after one of our remaining home games to hobnob with the tourists, WAGs and parents of players who fill the stand now.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Excellent article, thanks for posting.

A slightly depressing read though for this old Goldstone faithful.

Tremendous article, especially in the context of the Amex which only got planning permission because the perceived regeneration effects on Moulsecoomb were judged (by John Prescott) to constitute a nationally significant benefit and carry more weight than the landscape impact on the AONB.

I'm pretty sure that Moulsecoomb is still in the highest 10th percent of deprived areas in the country.

 

[andy46]

No

Yes it can be done -----its just expensive !
Currently the club have been digging up large sections of the north stand concourse floor ready for expansion .

You obviously havent been to Anfield or Eithad
The north and south can be extended by travelling further back and cantilever out !
East and west a more costly venture

 

[RandyWanger]

When I watched that West Ham fans meltdown on our 3rd, the first thing I notice was how small the North Stand looks. It really does need extending.

 

[Pavilionaire]

When I watched that West Ham fans meltdown on our 3rd, the first thing I notice was how small the North Stand looks. It really does need extending.

It's not just the size of the North Stand, it's also the acoustics. The fact the stand is basically a spread-out strip, rather than a dense rectangle, means you can't generate that synchronised block of noise that can intimidate the opposition and help the team when it needs support.

In an ideal world the North and South Stands would have double the capacity and so we'd have another 5,000 seats.

Obviously, there are space and travel constraints, but by improving the facilities - like with The Terrace - the club has increased it's matchday income potential.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Tremendous article, especially in the context of the Amex which only got planning permission because the perceived regeneration effects on Moulsecoomb were judged (by John Prescott) to constitute a nationally significant benefit and carry more weight than the landscape impact on the AONB.

I'm pretty sure that Moulsecoomb is still in the highest 10th percent of deprived areas in the country.

I checked, and Moulsecoomb is still in 10% of most deprived areas (smaller than wards) in 2019, albeit slightly higher in the rankings than in 2015. Maps are here.

 

[BN41Albion]

Man City to 60k and Birmingham City moving to a new 62k ground as well.

But these are all big city clubs. We are a provincial club like Stoke, Plymouth Hull, Southampton, and Portsmouth. I don't think there is much wrong with a capacity of 32,000 for clubs our size.

Birmingham City to 62k?! Wtf. They were barely scraping 16k for years and loads of empty seats when down the bottom of the Prem when they were last in it

 

[portlock seagull]

Birmingham City to 62k?! Wtf. They were barely scraping 16k for years and loads of empty seats when down the bottom of the Prem when they were last in it

Said same, but it’s true. On a consistent basis, they’d need a decade or more of domination like Citeh to even get close to filling that though. All very well talking about potential, but the history isn’t there. So they need to make some - 5 European Cups, 10 league titles and a dozen FA cup wins should do it. By 2040…

 

[Weststander]

@Redinpeace is the new main stand likely to happen anytime soon?

 

[PeterT]

Birmingham City to 62k?! Wtf. They were barely scraping 16k for years and loads of empty seats when down the bottom of the Prem when they were last in it

It’s an ambitious plan by the current owners to regenerate a whole part of the city, an area that which would currently make Moulescoomb look prosperous, which has opened up by the availability of a near 80 acre site ripe for development a stone’s throw from the current ground. 62k is to get the NFL franchise in c/o co-owner Tom Brady. They also have their eye on those other events, concerts etc that Villa Park currently get, mainly because they have had no competion for years.

The 16k gates might have had something to do with 2 stands being closed and having to be rebuilt but they have had mainly sell outs this season and now a 10k waiting list for season tickets. Build it and they will come….maybe, they’d need continued success and to be realistic with the pricing but no reason why they couldn’t get much bigger gates and capacity gates for bigger matches. Let’s see, it’s going well so far anyway, lots of pictures of the owner meeting MPs this week to try and secure investment for the transport links that are crucial to the whole project.