Babylon Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 I'm not comparing the 2 clubs. Darlington was obviously a very different club to Leicester. What I am suggesting is that at the time Darlington built their stadium most of the fans would have been happy about it as fans always want something that is bigger and better. I am not saying adding seats is definitely wrong but future consequences must be considered - it is easy for supporters to get carried away when they are on the crest of a wave. And what are the future consequences? We're relatively debt free, with billionaire owners and another £100m+ guaranteed next year, playing to a full house. The cost of development in relation to turnover is relatively small and could easily be paid for with money from TV rights from this season and last. Or funded by the owners who receive it back over time. These guys have bought the stadium and written off £100m, they aren't playing about. If they want us to be a big club, it will be a total no brainer for them so long as they can get the go ahead. People worried about us filling the ground we're in now, but we do. We get good crowds in the championship compared to what we did at filbo (I remember 13,000 and I doubt that was the worst), as a club we grew into the new stadium. The extra seats enabled us to have more free kids tickets to breed a whole new generation of city fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babylon Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 That's why I'm advocating the standing area idea. A lot of grounds on the continent look empty but there's always a hardcore section behind the goal in a full/mostly full end going for it, so a lack of fans in other areas doesn't affect the atmosphere. It's not going to happen, certainly not in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnaldo Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Fair enough if the supporters aren't bothered about 30,000 empty seats...but what about the money people? They can't be happy keeping a 55,000 seater running when they are only getting 25,000. Except the general consensus is that an extra 10k seats would be fitting and the most likely so it'll be a 42,000 seater, with the extension be shut when with lower attendances costing nothing extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babylon Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Lack of parking will perhaps be the biggest issue. Tigers are building a multi story car pack next to their ground. I'd imagine it will be in use for our games. Not sure how many it will hold, but there is extra parking on the horizon already. If we've bought the land near the stadium, we could always have the option to do something similar if we needed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
los dedos Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Fair enough if the supporters aren't bothered about 30,000 empty seats...but what about the money people? They can't be happy keeping a 55,000 seater running when they are only getting 25,000.Once the seats are payed for the cost to run is very low.We're losing more money by not having enough seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voll Blau Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Standing could take years to become 'legal' and LCFC haven't even expressed anything positive in favour of the idea of standing in spite of many other PL & Champ clubs doing so. It's not going to happen, certainly not in the near future. Rail seating areas have already been installed at Bristol City, pending any legal decision, and Celtic. I'm not naive enough to think this is how the club will proceed, given the government haven't made a decision on it, but it's closer to happening than most people think in England. Looking rationally, I think this would be the best mothod of stadium expansion in the long term, but obviously LCFC would want to capitalise on our current success as quickly as they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Tigers are building a multi story car pack next to their ground. I'd imagine it will be in use for our games. Not sure how many it will hold, but there is extra parking on the horizon already. If we've bought the land near the stadium, we could always have the option to do something similar if we needed to. Leicester Tigers NEWS: Work on new multi-storey car park for Welford Road ground to start in spring By TomPegden | Posted: February 22, 2016 The site where the car park will be built Leicester Tigers hope to start work on a 425 space multi-storey car park this spring. The rugby club want to spending £5 million building the car park, having just invested £8 million on a new 3,100 seater stand – taking the ground's capacity up to 26,000. Club chief executive Simon Cohen said the new stand – replacing the outdated West Stand – was in use and just a couple of weeks from completion. He said work on the multi-storey would hopefully get underway within two months on the existing ground level car park south of the ground. A spokeswoman for Leicester City Council said they were considering a revised planning application for the car park. The club is also one of three organisations waiting to hear if it has won a sealed bidding process to develop the city council-owned former Granby Halls site – also currently being used as a car park by NCP – directly to the north of the Welford Road ground. Mr Cohen said: "We had little choice than to go ahead with the multi-storey, because once the council launched a bidding process for the Granby Halls site there was a risk we would not get it. "Once the prospect was raised of somebody else getting it, we still had to ensure there was adequate parking on site. "We are looking to start work on it some time in April. We have used that land as a ground level car park, but there are only 70 spaces at the moment. "The new multi-storey will provide matchday parking and also conference and events parking outside of matchdays. "We hope to have it open by mid-October, just after the start of next season." A city council spokeswoman said the Tigers gained planning permission for a 450-space multi-storey car park on that land in 2008. She said: "We have recently submitted an application to modify their original plans slightly, changing the access and exit arrangements for the car park and dropping it to 425 spaces. "This application is currently being considered by our planning officers." Mr Cohen also said the club hoped to hear next month if it had won the bid to develop the 1.66-acre piece of land on the opposite side of the stadium that was once the site of Granby Halls. Previously the club has suggested it might want to put an outdoor gym, basketball courts, lawns and a hotel at the northern tip of the triangular site. The council has not said how much it hopes to sell the site for but city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said the decision will not be "about the bottom line" and stressed he is in no hurry to dispose of Granby Halls. The council makes about £180,000 a year by leasing the site to NCP. Mr Cohen said: "We are on the shortlist, but strictly speaking it's at the council's discretion if we get it. "I am absolutely positive that our bid is the best in terms of what it offers the city, and the council has to weight that up against capital receipts." Across the road, Leicester Royal Infirmary has just opened its own £4.3 million, five-storey, car park providing 438 spaces, and giving a total of 600 spaces in the Havelock Street car park. Sir Peter believed the Tigers multi-storey could benefit both the club and that end of the city. He said: "It would secure their ability to bring in conferences as well as much needed matchday parking." Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-Tigers-NEWS-Work-new-multi-storey-car/story-28779149-detail/story.html#ixzz410YZCCvm Follow us: @@leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CityFan 06 Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 I've often thought a double decker Kop would look superb at the stadium. It would really establish the Kop like it was at Filbert Street, potentially. Although it does not necessarily need establishing it would still look good in my opinion. Of course, I think this would only happen if the East Stand was expanded first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lowe Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 And what are the future consequences? We're relatively debt free, with billionaire owners and another £100m+ guaranteed next year, playing to a full house. The cost of development in relation to turnover is relatively small and could easily be paid for with money from TV rights from this season and last. Or funded by the owners who receive it back over time. These guys have bought the stadium and written off £100m, they aren't playing about. If they want us to be a big club, it will be a total no brainer for them so long as they can get the go ahead. And what are the future consequences? We're relatively debt free, with billionaire owners and another £100m+ guaranteed next year, playing to a full house. The cost of development in relation to turnover is relatively small and could easily be paid for with money from TV rights from this season and last. Or funded by the owners who receive it back over time. These guys have bought the stadium and written off £100m, they aren't playing about. If they want us to be a big club, it will be a total no brainer for them so long as they can get the go ahead. People worried about us filling the ground we're in now, but we do. We get good crowds in the championship compared to what we did at filbo (I remember 13,000 and I doubt that was the worst), as a club we grew into the new stadium. The extra seats enabled us to have more free kids tickets to breed a whole new generation of city fans. The possible consequences are that we will have a 40,000 seater stadium that will be half full with no atmosphere and the current owners may not be here to sort out the mess. I hope that never happens but I don't understand why people will not acknowledge that it could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babylon Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 The possible consequences are that we will have a 40,000 seater stadium that will be half full with no atmosphere and the current owners may not be here to sort out the mess. I hope that never happens but I don't understand why people will not acknowledge that it could happen. I'm sorry, but playing in a half full stadium means absolutely nothing. It's nothing more than people being worried that it looks bad. Close off the top of the stand and it would be no different to what we already had. Although it gives you a heck of a lot of seats to play with. So you could again, build for the future by admitted more children for free. What mess would they need to sort out exactly? If they stump up £17m to buy the old ground in the championship, I'm not sure they're going to put the stadium on some horrible long term mortgage. Especially when the cash will be there to pay for it quite easily from TV revenue and other incomes. Yeah we can worry about any horrible scenario, their plane might drop out of the sky. But the reality of it is, the situation we find ourselves in now and the owners we have, it's either now or never, because I honestly can't see when we'll be in a better position to do it. We'll never be 100% safe, so waiting another 3/4/5/10 years until we're "established" means nothing. When we moved to this ground it was a vastly more risky exercise than an extension would be. People said we wouldn't fill it, that it's too big etc etc.. but we do. We grew as a club and the financial side of it, well we're in a totally different position to then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol thewall Bamba Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 The possible consequences are that we will have a 40,000 seater stadium that will be half full with no atmosphere and the current owners may not be here to sort out the mess. I hope that never happens but I don't understand why people will not acknowledge that it could happen. Why wouldn't it have any atmosphere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stadt Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 im one of them fans who your calling fickle as you are my sons and daughter to, id love to be able to get a season ticket for us all but got no chance atm ur fickel mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime_Coatsworth Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Bottom line is Leicester NEED to expand their ground if they really want to become one of the leading Premiership clubs. Since that is key to what the owners are trying to achieve we can take it as read that it WILL happen - and quickly. I'm amazed that there are people here with so little ambition. It's the ambition that the club owners have shown so far that has allowed us to be in such a fantastic position. To fail to capitalise on such an opportunity would be a dreadful mistake - and one I'm sure they won't make. The relative costs of adding 10k more seats to the existing stadium pale into insignificance over the coming years when balanced against not just the increased gate receipts, merch sales etc. not only that but also the additional benefits of how the clubs perceived by others (players, managers and back room staff, prospective fans etc.). Even the most prudent 10 year business case will show this as a no-brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerard Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 The possible consequences are that we will have a 40,000 seater stadium that will be half full with no atmosphere and the current owners may not be here to sort out the mess. I hope that never happens but I don't understand why people will not acknowledge that it could happen. Such a pessimistic attitude with no ambition whatsoever. It's like moaning about paying a Vardy or Mahrez £80k a week in case the arse drops out of football. The alternative is I suppose is we enjoy our success whilst we can until our inevitable relegation at some point and nestle comfortably in the Championship until a similar sized club like Forest or Derby takes their chance to kick on to the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuchsntf Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 What I would really like to know. How many fans , are really missing out, who would come and follow city even if it is only the home games. Whats the total of fans available on a consistent basis. Is there a real potential of an extra 10k fans.?? Just visitors..?? Home fans..?? Away fans..?? Extra hospitality..?? If the build leaves no debt, its a no brainer.If city have anything from 3-10 yr PL football, its paid for. If football doesnt shoot itself in the foot, ( eg: wild cards for e.Qualification). Then it is viable, to top up the stadium potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudulike Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Would be nice to hear something regarding ground expansion from someone at the club at least then if they rant thinking of doing it we can put this too bed(me personally we need to expand while there is demand) The club may be keeping it in-house for now so as not to have any distractions as we approach the sharp end of the campaign. Everything needs to be concentrated on the pitch, this can wait until the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 When Darlington built a wonderful new stadium 13 years ago most of the fans would have been thinking how good it was to have a massive new stadium with great facilities. They would have been dreaming about the club progressing to a new level and attracting record crowds. It wasn't long before that club had gone out of existence at which point the fans wished they had never bothered. Darlington's is quite clearly an extreme example. Their owner behind that move is in jail which kind of sums that one up. Ours would be more comparable to someone like Wolves if we went down, and whilst it hasn't really come in too handy for them yet, they've not been in the position we're in now for god knows how long. Importantly though, whilst it hasn't come in too handy, I wouldn't say it's been a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_Loyal Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 An extra 4-5k seats would do for now. Not sure if that's possible or its only possible just to add the whole 10k together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudulike Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Lack of parking will perhaps be the biggest issue. This is already an issue and will not get any worse. The immediate area is already at capacity on match days so increased parking demand will be diluted further afield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lowe Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Such a pessimistic attitude with no ambition whatsoever. It's like moaning about paying a Vardy or Mahrez £80k a week in case the arse drops out of football. The alternative is I suppose is we enjoy our success whilst we can until our inevitable relegation at some point and nestle comfortably in the Championship until a similar sized club like Forest or Derby takes their chance to kick on to the next level. I would hope that the player contracts enable the club to cut wages when relegated. It is a bit different with a stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Yes, as other posters had said (when this post/poll first kicked off in June), it can generally be a depressing sight seeing stadia with entire empty stands, which must negatively affect the overall match day atmosphere at these grounds - especially when that particular team is in indifferent form - classic examples being times at Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday to name a few. However what has happened this season to date since this poll was started (on the back of last season's amazing survival) has been absolutely astounding - so therefore a stadium expansion is a must now IMO if we're to be hosting Champions League football for starters next season - as looks to be increasingly likely now! We're now producing sell out crowds every league game and although it is still at "the thrill of the chase" stage for now (re the title), even so I think these sort of attendances are now set to continue long into the future, all being well - seeing the success story that is now hopefully being set in place by Ranieri and co, with the players we're now attracting (and managing to keep....!), along with the Thai owners' continual backing. I live in SW Devon these days but getting a singular ticket was relatively straightforward as just a basic member not so long ago on the handful of occasions I could attend home games (and even last season as a 'stepped up' Silver Fox member I didn't have any trouble obtaining any ticket). However because of our unprecedented success this season to date then I have really struggled to get even a singular ticket for one or two of the games by comparison to last season - didn't get one for the Bournemouth game, nor have had any joy with Norwich so far... and I have had to rely on STHs not being able to attend a certain game late on to make those short clutch of tickets become suddenly available. I got lucky in the Man City game while West Brom in a week's time will be the same scenario thankfully! Scenarios such as mine are starting to emphasise the need for stadium expansion and therefore more readily available tickets in the seasons ahead. I'm sure I'm not alone in this scenario! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rain King Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 I would love an extension purely for selfish reasons. I've had a season ticket for years but I now have two young children who are massively into football. I can never get a ticket for either of them, the only way one of them can go is if my nephew who also has a season ticket doesn't go. This is where we could be missing out. I know there are plenty of kids asking their parents to go to matches but almost impossible to get tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Boos Up Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Hundreds of Foxes Talk members just entered a competition to get tickets because they can't go......because there's not enough seats! A lot of them will never see a match this season or next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raw Dykes Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Did anyone find out whether it was the club who bought the land behind the East stand recently? How much time before expansion happening would plans become public knowledge? Does anyone know? The pros to expanding far outweigh the cons. Hopefully it happens in the next season or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 23 February 2016 Share Posted 23 February 2016 Did anyone find out whether it was the club who bought the land behind the East stand recently? How much time before expansion happening would plans become public knowledge? Does anyone know? The pros to expanding far outweigh the cons. Hopefully it happens in the next season or two. When it gets listed here http://rcweb.leicester.gov.uk/planning/onlinequery/ResultSet.aspx?AppNo=&Address=Filbert%20Way&UPRN=&Wrd=&AppType=&DateRecFrm=&DateRecTo=&DateDecfrm=&DateDecTo=&Proposal=&DecisionType= These are the only apps near by http://rcweb.leicester.gov.uk/planning/onlinequery/Details.aspx?AppNo=20160105 http://rcweb.leicester.gov.uk/planning/onlinequery/Details.aspx?AppNo=20142108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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