Expand the stadium? The poll

[promised land]

23 minutes ago, Great Boos Up said:

The KP is going to look tiny after todays trip. If we seriously want to compete on a long term basis we must expand next summer or risk losing a future foundation of supporters and eventually lose more players to the big boys and slowly but surely drop back down.

Where were those future supporters on Tuesday night?

 

29k in the ground so a couple of thousand seats empty at a tenner a go.

[Donut]

Have the club missed the boat on this?

 

The extra seats needed putting onto the ground at the end of the title winning season I think.

 

If we slip back to our "natural position" as it were, will there be a demand for 8,000 or so seats?

[Alan lcfc]

The demand is barely there for 32000 now, I think that's been proven this year, by games just scraping to sell out. We'd sell more for the big 6 teams and maybe a big European draw, but it's can't be justified for 7 or 8 games a year and a watered down atmosphere, if we could get 38000 for matches against minnows then maybe but I'd rather be in a full ground than be in one with 5or 6000 empty seats most of the season

[sdb]

FFS. it's gonna look tiny to the new fans who have now been to Old Trafford?! Go to Manchester every weekend then! Pretty sure that'll happen anyway in a few months when we're a million miles from top 4. 

[Izzy]

Thought I'd bump this thread and wondered what the latest thinking is based on our current predicament?

I recall all the enthusiasm, excitement and "build it and they will come" comments when we were good 

[WigstonWanderer]

12 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Thought I'd bump this thread and wondered what the latest thinking is based on our current predicament?

I recall all the enthusiasm, excitement and "build it and they will come" comments when we were good 

Well now we're shit again I suppose this is an issue that will disappear by itself.

[Costock_Fox]

It's a yes from me, we could have one of them Tescos banners they used to cover the thousands of empty s with at the Ricoh.

[FrankieADZ]

22 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Thought I'd bump this thread and wondered what the latest thinking is based on our current predicament?

I recall all the enthusiasm, excitement and "build it and they will come" comments when we were good 

But that was when we was doing well, and now we aren't and all the so called "fans"  have suddenly disappeared, so making the ground bigger is a waste of time 

[Izzy]

10 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Well now we're shit again I suppose this is an issue that will disappear by itself.

Yeah probably. Seems remarkable how we can go from talk of expansion to not being able to sell out in just a few short months.

[purpleronnie]

And that's why it would've been stupid to expand based on one season.

[Ted Maul]

Still think we should go for it whilst money is no issue, unless we go down. As long as we're in this league, there will be plenty of occasions when demand exceeds the current capacity.

[KrefelderFox666]

We are still selling out every home game, the away games are a different matter. It is definitely worth building towards 40,000 capacity, at least 50% of games would sell out completely and I don't think many of the others would be far off.

 

Would be a different story if we get relegated of course, but our aim should be to remain in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, on that basis we would be wise to expand. We're not talking moving from 32,000 to over 60,000, we are talking an extra 5-8,000 here.

[melrose]

Why should we not expand just because of one poor season!

 

Build it and they will come  (if we start winning again)

[Rob1742]

On 12/06/2015 at 12:24, Bagworthblue said:

Call me lazy but I so can't be arsed I've just copied and pasted my previous post below

 

In our long history, we have had long periods of success but have generally sat between the top and 2nd divisions. Widely known as a yoyo club. Middle of the road if you like. For the first time in our history, we have the backing of very wealthy owners who have a vision to move our club away from being middle of the road to establishing itself as one of the biggest clubs in the uk. It appears, they have a sensible plan to achieve this over a period of time to limit risk but there will always be a level of risk.

 

It's time, we as fans, open up our minds, buy into this and move away from the mentality we have been brought up with and accept that we can become one of the biggest , established clubs in the uk, living without fear of relegation but instead, with aspirations of europe our goal on a season by season basis and disappointment at finishing 11th. 

 

If you don't think big, you don't ever stop becoming what you've always been. Stadium expansion and quick but considered growth is key to taking this club away from being a 'Norwich, a Forest, a Derby, a West Brom or a Southampton to becoming an Everton or even a spurs etc.

 

We need to stop thinking in terms of what we have always been and get worried about having a ground that we can't fill, or debts we may get stuck with and embrace the vision our owners have which is to take our club to the next level, to the level where our shirts are on sale in sports direct, our badge is on kids lunchboxes in shops outside Leicester and fake kits are on sale at the bazaars in Turkey!

 

The older of us remember Man C and Chelsea as much smaller clubs - look at them now they have been taken over my wealthy people with Vision who aim for the stars!

 

The Thais have a business growth plan for our club, they have a proven track record in building brands, have invested soundly and bravely and have showed no sign of walking away in the few years they have been here despite things not always going to plan.

 

Also -Fair plays regs - More revenue = greater spending ability on new players. The extension cost is outside of the fair play criteria so simply put, every extra penny in income it generates gives us a penny extra potential to sign better players.

 

We finished top 10 for 4 years in the O'Neill era. Were we established? Obviously not! To establish, we need better players and top management over time. To keep / attract these managers / players, we need to convince them we are an attractive proposition. We need to be percieved as BIG, as having a chance at titles or trophies otherwise we will win some and lose some against the Swansea's Southamptons Stokes and Broms. We will never be established, it could all go tits up at any time. 

 

ok so far

 

1] Training facilities top notch - TICK

2] Stadium beats our rivals X

3] Revenue enables us to purchase the top players and stay within fair play regs X

 

sort 2 and number 3 is more within our reach!

 

embrace it!! Don't fight it!

But we can't even sell out when we have just won the PL. We can't even sell out in CL matches. 

 

You can have a massive stadium stadium but we haven't the fan base to fill it.

 

Why would expanding the stadium takes us to the next level if we don't have the fan base to fill it?

 

Just shows how many plastics turned up last season and disappeared this season. 

[Dan LCFC]

Still wouldn't be against it if we stay up.

[Gerard]

My opinion hasn't changed one iota, build it and they will come.

 

We were selling out when we won twice in six months in 2014/15

We were selling out in our title winning season of 2015/16

And we're selling out now when we're crap again in 2016/17

 

I've been trying to buy a season ticket for all those seasons but I can't as we're sold out of season tickets so I have to settle for my Gold membership. If there was another 10,000 -15,000 seats people would snap up a lot more season tickets. A lot of people don't even try to go anymore because they just assume every game is a sell out and with memberships and season tickets restricted you're forcing people to jump through hoops to get to a game. The more hoops you make them jump through the more they don't bother trying.

 

If we had a 50,000 stadium then a lot of people would buy season tickets, get into a routine of going and still watch us when we're crap. If we don't build a bigger stadium we've really missed a trick as this is our chance to separate ourselves from the other biggish mediocre clubs. Football is cyclical and we'll be Championship again before we know it, I'd be gutted to think we let this chance to pass us by.

 

£50m spent on infrastructure could last for 100 years, that's a Slimani and Musa who will be gone soon enough. Leicester is the 8th biggest city in England and we have a lot of support from the county and we're miles away from the nearest clubs, we certainly have the fanbase to attract 50,000.

[ealingfox]

May as well downsize now.

[ithuriel]

We do need a bigger ground if we want to realise ambitions and stay in the Prem, even as poor as we are at present we are getting near full capacity, the question is will we add on to this ground or move?

[Gerard]

2 minutes ago, ithuriel said:

We do need a bigger ground if we want to realise ambitions and stay in the Prem, even as poor as we are at present we are getting near full capacity, the question is will we add on to this ground or move?

 

We weren't filling Filbert Street regularly but now we get 32,000 sell out's every game. Sunderland weren't selling out Roker Park and getting crowds of 16,000 and now they're crap and still getting 40,000+.

 

Every club who has built a bigger stadium has seen a dramatic upturn in gates and we would be no different, we have the fanbase to get 50,000 if we can make it more attractive, there are one million people who live in Leicestershire. We're not like Darlington who built a 25,000 stadium for a town not much bigger than Loughborough and wouldn't attract a more localised fan base outside the town because most people supported the big three in the North East.

[ithuriel]

2 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

We weren't filling Filbert Street regularly but now we get 32,000 sell out's every game. Sunderland weren't selling out Roker Park and getting crowds of 16,000 and now they're crap and still getting 40,000+.

 

Every club who has built a bigger stadium has seen a dramatic upturn in gates and we would be no different, we have the fanbase to get 50,000 if we can make it more attractive, there are one million people who live in Leicestershire. We're not like Darlington who built a 25,000 stadium for a town not much bigger than Loughborough and wouldn't attract a more localised fan base outside the town because most people supported the big three in the North East.

Bit baffled as to why you quote me to say we need more capacity when that is what I have basically said?

[Gerard]

1 minute ago, ithuriel said:

Bit baffled as to why you quote me to say we need more capacity when that is what I have basically said?

 

I was agreeing with you but my post went off at a tangent. 

[ithuriel]

Just now, Gerard said:

 

I was agreeing with you but my post went off at a tangent. 

K, you can never tell on this site, it is a bit like the Mos Eisley cantina 

[Bayfox]

But are we actually selling out?

 

We didn't sell out v West Brom or boro. West ham tickets are to my knowledge still available online as I brought 1 yesterday. OK it maybe a handful for certain games but it's been hundreds for a few as well.

 

And if we allow for 23k season ticket holders. 3k away 1.5k gold and 500 silvers we are talking about 4k or so below capacity which shows how many are corporate or being given to sponsors etc from the club and owners and we all know they will die off if we continue the way we are going.

 

I've managed to buy extras for basically every game this season. I get the logic that expansion brings more as the move from filbert st did average crowds went up yes. But I really can't see us selling anymore tickets for the likes of Sunderland and Boro. Unless we offered bigger away allocations. 

 

And all this talk of the need for the bigger games. It just gives more chance for those armchair supporters of clubs like United the chance to get tickets in the home stands as such.

 

What I think people forget is that expansion looks good on paper but will it benefit the masses, no it will mean more corporate and won't reduce prices that's for sure. Financially it makes sense long term yes at box holders etc spend a lot more but I don't see it will benefit us on the pitch or the majority of normal fans. 

[KrefelderFox666]

1 minute ago, Bayfox said:

But are we actually selling out?

 

We didn't sell out v West Brom or boro. West ham tickets are to my knowledge still available online as I brought 1 yesterday. OK it maybe a handful for certain games but it's been hundreds for a few as well.

 

And if we allow for 23k season ticket holders. 3k away 1.5k gold and 500 silvers we are talking about 4k or so below capacity which shows how many are corporate or being given to sponsors etc from the club and owners and we all know they will die off if we continue the way we are going.

 

I've managed to buy extras for basically every game this season. I get the logic that expansion brings more as the move from filbert st did average crowds went up yes. But I really can't see us selling anymore tickets for the likes of Sunderland and Boro. Unless we offered bigger away allocations. 

 

And all this talk of the need for the bigger games. It just gives more chance for those armchair supporters of clubs like United the chance to get tickets in the home stands as such.

 

What I think people forget is that expansion looks good on paper but will it benefit the masses, no it will mean more corporate and won't reduce prices that's for sure. Financially it makes sense long term yes at box holders etc spend a lot more but I don't see it will benefit us on the pitch or the majority of normal fans. 

Every game so far has sold out (home games). The only reason there were tickets available/spare seats was because there were returns (sponsors or whatever) and these were put back on sale days before each match, sometimes 1-2 weeks.

 

If all of these were made available from the start then we would have sold them out. As someone else said, sometimes people see sold out and never bother checking again or don't even think they stand a chance. If every home game made general sale we would sell a lot more.

 

Also, if we expand, we could sell an additional 3-4,000 season tickets which would easily be sold. I think there are many people waiting for an opportunity to buy one.

 

Yes, we will not sell every game out but our average attendance would be around 38,000 if not more in a 40,000 capacity ground.

[EGBFitness]

Still a yes for me. 

 

Although gate revenue doesn't contribute much financially now towards football clubs, I think there will become a lot more pros than cons no matter what division we are in next season.