Our system detected that your browser is blocking advertisements on our site. Please help support FoxesTalk by disabling any kind of ad blocker while browsing this site. Thank you.
Jump to content
Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo

Expand the stadium? The poll

  

1,304 members have voted

  1. 1. Expand the stadium?

    • Yes, asap!
      725
    • Maybe when we're established top flight. (Another 2 years+ survival)
      452
    • Not fussed.
      66
    • No.
      61


Recommended Posts

I think the timescales involved in any expansion are always going to make the owner cautious. The risk is that by the time the plans come to fruition, the “demand” may have changed.

A case in point, is Cardiff’s expansion. Their chairman announced in June 2012 (I think) that they were going to expand the stadium to 35,000 (from just under 27,000). In the event, it ended up with a capacity of 33,280 at a cost of around £ 12,000,000.That’s an additional 6,452 seats at a an expenditure or around £ 1860 per seat.

Work began on site around November of 2013 and construction took place pretty quickly once it got going with the new steel framework being constructed “behind” the existing stand. At the end of the season, the roof was removed and the project was then completed by the start of the 2014-2015 season, by which time of course, Cardiff had been relegated.

In terms of the architecture, I think the projects are comparable. Logistically then the framework could go up during the (next) season and work completed during the summer.

But as we know, no planning application has been made public so far and the problems with parking and traffic could yet prove to be significant obstacles to planning being granted.

Cardiffs expansion looks awful though, like a dodgy house extension.

One thing to remember though is Cardiff's ground was always ready for the extra seats as at the back of the stands there was a huge void before the external wall where we have that Perspex stuff. It looked weird and unfinished every time we went there but it was all to do with extending the capacity. The King power wasn't built exactly like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes and loads of tourists. More half n half scarfs as well

Some of the single match hospitality seats cost the same as an adult season ticket !

It's a balance of economics, a few more of those hospitality customers pays for us supporters to have some prices frozen years

30000 true supporters will always mean the KP will have the best atmosphere in the league

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the single match hospitality seats cost the same as an adult season ticket !

It's a balance of economics, a few more of those hospitality customers pays for us supporters to have some prices frozen years

30000 true supporters will always mean the KP will have the best atmosphere in the league

True
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A year or so ago I went to a tech conference at Stamford Bridge, a really good set up with halls for talks, meeting rooms, really good catering etc. I don't think we come close in this regard - worth investing in?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems a good idea at the moment but a bigger stadium will seem very empty when we are back struggling in the Championship.

 

Who knows when we will be back in the Football League? Could be a long time. In the here and now, many fans can't get a seat.

 

If we had another 10,000 seats on top of the East stand, they might still be full every home game at present, and it could be temporarily closed if there's fewer than 32,000 tickets sold in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems a good idea at the moment but a bigger stadium will seem very empty when we are back struggling in the Championship.

We should have just moved into a 21,500 seater stadium then when we left Filbert Street.

 

If the seats aren't there, you'll never have a chance of filling them, if they are they give you the chance to grow into them. As we have done with the new stadium.... it wasn't that long ago we'd be getting 12,000 people turn up to games in the second division. Now, in the same league we can average 24/25k quite easily. We grew with the stadium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The owners seem keen for us to be challenging for the top 6 every year, if we can increase the ground it could give us the edge over the many teams whose capacities are between 28 - 32K. At some point the likes of Leeds and possibly Sheff Weds will be back in the PL getting 35K plus. By doing it now , the cost should not have a detrimental hit on the club, unlike when the stadium was built, as the owners wealth mitigates against falling into financial problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm thinking that you don't have trouble getting a ticket every week!

No, it is difficult getting tickets at the moment - this is why I am saying at the moment it seems like a good idea. However I do not want the club lumbered with a stadium that is too big to run and can't be filled in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, it is difficult getting tickets at the moment - this is why I am saying at the moment it seems like a good idea. However I do not want the club lumbered with a stadium that is too big to run and can't be filled in the future.

 

I really don't think it would the cost of running an extra tier on one stand would be significant, especially if it's temporarily not being used in the future. As I mentioned, if we end up selling fewer than the current capacity at some point, we could close off the extension in order to keep all the empty seats in one place. The only real problem would be that the empty seats would look bad - if they're all together, in the area furthest from the pitch, it's not so bad.

 

A much bigger problem is that there are many people who want to go to games who can't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, it is difficult getting tickets at the moment - this is why I am saying at the moment it seems like a good idea. However I do not want the club lumbered with a stadium that is too big to run and can't be filled in the future.

That's so short term thinking it's untrue

Let's go for it for gods sake

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Increasing, hospitality and meeting space, also outside game time should be looked at.

Even wedding receptions, including tour.

Also Increase in seats , should now be taken serious, but no massive increase.

At present we would entice the midland floating fan, Fans who travel regular including mid-week,

to the successfull midland neighbours to support them or just as neutrals.

In the 70s, it was once calculated as upto 2000 fans, who change their allegance or show interest

as neutrals.

An increase between 5-8k , would be enough, our catchment area, does not compare to Manchesters,

Nor Tyne or wearside's.

Before we throw caution to the wind, it would be worth looking at local rivals capacities, plus other

premier league new stadiums, who play today with 98% -100% capacity.

We have a max of ca 32,200, IMO I cant see more than 41k on any regular PL basis, and that could

be a push.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the timescales involved in any expansion are always going to make the owner cautious. The risk is that by the time the plans come to fruition, the “demand” may have changed.

A case in point, is Cardiff’s expansion. Their chairman announced in June 2012 (I think) that they were going to expand the stadium to 35,000 (from just under 27,000). In the event, it ended up with a capacity of 33,280 at a cost of around £ 12,000,000.That’s an additional 6,452 seats at a an expenditure or around £ 1860 per seat.

Work began on site around November of 2013 and construction took place pretty quickly once it got going with the new steel framework being constructed “behind” the existing stand. At the end of the season, the roof was removed and the project was then completed by the start of the 2014-2015 season, by which time of course, Cardiff had been relegated.

In terms of the architecture, I think the projects are comparable. Logistically then the framework could go up during the (next) season and work completed during the summer.

But as we know, no planning application has been made public so far and the problems with parking and traffic could yet prove to be significant obstacles to planning being granted.

 

Cardiff's was poorly planned anyway. There was absolutely nothing to suggest they could sustain themselves in the Premier League. We definitely can from here and I think with a proper pricing structure (like what they do at Sunderland) we can maintain bigger crowds too.

 

We can't look at where other clubs have failed to put us off. Show ambition and make it happen. Expand for me now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems a good idea at the moment but a bigger stadium will seem very empty when we are back struggling in the Championship.

 

Why is it a "when"?

 

To be honest, is anyone even bothered? I bet Sheffield Wednesday fans can't stand it when Brighton fans brag about having a higher ground capacity filled then them on the Championship banter page on Facebook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cardiff's was poorly planned anyway. There was absolutely nothing to suggest they could sustain themselves in the Premier League. We definitely can from here and I think with a proper pricing structure (like what they do at Sunderland) we can maintain bigger crowds too.

We can't look at where other clubs have failed to put us off. Show ambition and make it happen. Expand for me now.

although I may not have made it clear, I was comparing the projects in terms of the actual construction costs and logistics rather than the justification for doing so.

I'd love to see an expansion happen, but I can also see why it may not. The proportion of revenue generated by ticket sales is shrinking at the TV money goes up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, it is difficult getting tickets at the moment - this is why I am saying at the moment it seems like a good idea. However I do not want the club lumbered with a stadium that is too big to run and can't be filled in the future.

All I'll say is West Ham and the Olympic stadium

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...