Expand the stadium? The poll

[Bayfox]

1 hour ago, Bunyip said:

Really ? --Sheffield--Bristol --Liverpool --Manchester-- Birmingham--- London-- etc  Rugby fans are rugby fans they would not come to us even if there were no Tigers in existence

 

Their support for the Tigers has never had any relevance or impact on the gates at Leicester city. Football is the number one sport in Leicester. If there were no Leicester city I doubt the gates at the Tigers would improve one iota.

How big is Sheffields biggest rugby club. Are they successful? Same for Manchester. Do Liverpool even have a rugby club.

 

Of course having a successful team in any sport is going to have some sort of impact.

 

As I say I know many who don't give to shits. But I know several who prefer the rugby partly as they grew up with success whilst the football team was mediocre at best.

 

For example in the part of the county I live in I'd be in the minority in my local as one of 3 or 4 who prefer football to rugby.

 

Despite the scenes at Vicky park and around the town on that day. We seem to be looking for an audience that doesn't exist. 

 

The reason I suggest this is. We like it or not have the biggest club rugby side in the country in our county.

 

Take Newcastle as an example. 1 club city. Population of Newcastle upon Tyne roughly 300000 so they draw about 1 in 6 people to the game. With a relatively new and unsuccessful rugby club. It it isn't a rugby town in the main.

 

Population of Leicestershire as a whole 600000 so we draw about 1 in 20 to the football. So yes you could argue there is scope to increase that. But take in the tigers and in theory that drops to 1 in 12.

 

Now let's allow for the huge Asian population yes many of the younger generation may have grown up. On football over traditional sports such as hockey and cricket. But is there loyalty towards Leicester or the traditional big clubs such as Utd etc.

 

And you only need to look at the crowds when Pakistan or India rock up at trent bridge to see where the appetite lies.

 

We have a hugely diverse population in Leicester, up there with the likes of Manchester, Birmingham and london, but with a fraction of the numbers.

 

You may not agree with my reasoning but I don't see us ever filling 45 or even 40k week in week out. We have never been successful enough to build a global fan Base which is what fills old Trafford most weeks now days. And we just don't have the appetite on our doorstep. 

 

And I know this offends the ones that want to casually choice the games they want to attend but I don't like or want to see us playing in a half empty stadium for Burnley or West Brom on a Tuesday night. 

 

As I have already mentioned I managed to get tickets on silvers for every game this season. Everton made Fox last week. Now I know it's Christmas and everything but come on that shows a lack of demand.

[Gerard]

22 hours ago, ithuriel said:

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

 

Ignore the quote above, no idea why I can't post without it.

 

Anyway, our ground is conducive in producing a closed shop. We have about 29,000 Leicester fans at an average PL game. 23,000 are ST holders and the other 6,000 are members, corporate and complimentary. I bet there are thousands of people who would love to take and sit with kids, friends, parents, etc but can't because Season Tickets can't be bought by anyone if they fancy it because we won't sell more than the 23,000 ST's allocated.By restricting the ground size to what it is now we're making the club a closed shop and people don't even bother trying to go.

 

I'm sure if we had a 50,000 stadium then we'd have at least 30,000 ST holders as new people want to come and current ST holders can sit with friends and family. Couple that with people getting a ticket easier then some people just get the bug of going every fortnight.

 

One day we'll be back in the Championship and I'd hate to be relegated without investing in our infrastructure and before you know it all this was a distant dream and we're a similar sized club again to Forest, Derby, etc.

[HighPeakFox]

This probably doesn't contribute much, but with tickets more freely available I'd probably turn up more frequently - I cannot imagine others wouldn't be in a similar position.

[Bunyip]

2 hours ago, Bayfox said:

How big is Sheffields biggest rugby club. Are they successful? Same for Manchester. Do Liverpool even have a rugby club.

 

Of course having a successful team in any sport is going to have some sort of impact.

 

As I say I know many who don't give to shits. But I know several who prefer the rugby partly as they grew up with success whilst the football team was mediocre at best.

 

For example in the part of the county I live in I'd be in the minority in my local as one of 3 or 4 who prefer football to rugby.

 

Despite the scenes at Vicky park and around the town on that day. We seem to be looking for an audience that doesn't exist. 

 

The reason I suggest this is. We like it or not have the biggest club rugby side in the country in our county.

 

Take Newcastle as an example. 1 club city. Population of Newcastle upon Tyne roughly 300000 so they draw about 1 in 6 people to the game. With a relatively new and unsuccessful rugby club. It it isn't a rugby town in the main.

 

Population of Leicestershire as a whole 600000 so we draw about 1 in 20 to the football. So yes you could argue there is scope to increase that. But take in the tigers and in theory that drops to 1 in 12.

 

Now let's allow for the huge Asian population yes many of the younger generation may have grown up. On football over traditional sports such as hockey and cricket. But is there loyalty towards Leicester or the traditional big clubs such as Utd etc.

 

And you only need to look at the crowds when Pakistan or India rock up at trent bridge to see where the appetite lies.

 

We have a hugely diverse population in Leicester, up there with the likes of Manchester, Birmingham and london, but with a fraction of the numbers.

 

You may not agree with my reasoning but I don't see us ever filling 45 or even 40k week in week out. We have never been successful enough to build a global fan Base which is what fills old Trafford most weeks now days. And we just don't have the appetite on our doorstep. 

 

And I know this offends the ones that want to casually choice the games they want to attend but I don't like or want to see us playing in a half empty stadium for Burnley or West Brom on a Tuesday night. 

 

As I have already mentioned I managed to get tickets on silvers for every game this season. Everton made Fox last week. Now I know it's Christmas and everything but come on that shows a lack of demand.

My point was that all those cities have two or more football clubs within them , nothing to do with Rugby. Take nottingham for instance  Forest and county. When forest were successful you could not get tickets to their games  ( and I know plenty of people from Leicester who went to support them in their Clough years) , and it's the same with us only instead of Notts County it's the Tigers.

 

Success breeds success. If we can become a top six side then we will fill the ground even with the extension.  I don't think anyone not even the club would be looking at making the ground a 40 0r even 50k  Stadium . I don't even know where that has come from ?  I would suggest another 5 k  making it up to 37k would be the most logical.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

18 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

This probably doesn't contribute much, but with tickets more freely available I'd probably turn up more frequently - I cannot imagine others wouldn't be in a similar position.

Totally agree bud

 

i haven't even tried recently to get to a game

 

a bit like the team recently it's pointless 

 

 

[Bayfox]

2 hours ago, Bunyip said:

My point was that all those cities have two or more football clubs within them , nothing to do with Rugby. Take nottingham for instance  Forest and county. When forest were successful you could not get tickets to their games  ( and I know plenty of people from Leicester who went to support them in their Clough years) , and it's the same with us only instead of Notts County it's the Tigers.

 

Success breeds success. If we can become a top six side then we will fill the ground even with the extension.  I don't think anyone not even the club would be looking at making the ground a 40 0r even 50k  Stadium . I don't even know where that has come from ?  I would suggest another 5 k  making it up to 37k would be the most logical.

And look at forest now.

 

As for becoming a top 6 club do you really deep down believe that? We a a club comparable in size to forest, wolves, Sheffield weds at a push. There's loads of clubs our size who all believe the same thing. Newcastle and Leeds would class themselves as bigger.

 

Be honest. Trying to crack the below list is hard enough.

 

Man Utd.  Huge club global appeal.

Man city. Money money money

Chelsea. Money and a bit more money. London based.

Arsenal. Well ran regular top 4. London based.

 

Then add Liverpool and spurs in the mix. One with huge tradition and world appeal one with London as a perk.

 

So anyone who finishes 7th has had a decent season and that can be anyone from Everton or Stoke to Newcastle.

 

I agree on and off the pitch we missed a trick this summer. But despite holding on to nearly all our players we are showing how difficult it is too repeat such a level of success. Fergie was a master at rebuilding teams. But even he got it wrong on occasions. But he had the benefit of money and the brand.

 

Like it or not we are just Leicester city look how hard we found it to do business in the summer even as champions. 

 

Our income is based around the TV not matchday attendances. The only reasons arsenal and spurs and maybe Chelsea one day are expanding is because they can make millions from 1 matchday. We will never get close to being able to do that.

 

Look at man city. Always well supported at maine road. And yes average gates maybe up. But they can't sell out week in week out and they hardly need the matchday income with the backing they have.

 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree but I hated out ground with 22k in I'd hate a 37k with 15k of empty seats.

 

What we have now is sustainable thanks to the owners. But we nearly lost it all once upon a time. Wasn't that long ago either.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

We would be beyond daft if we didn't expand the stadium 

 

the sooner the better for me

[Ted Maul]

Out of interest- does anyone know exactly where the site was for the proposed Bede Island Stadium? The central location of the KP is one of my favourite things about it, but that would have been something else.

[davieG]

3 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

Out of interest- does anyone know exactly where the site was for the proposed Bede Island Stadium? The central location of the KP is one of my favourite things about it, but that would have been something else.

Where the new houses are at the back of Western Rd who were the main opposition to it would have incudes a hotel and some retail  on the site.

[Ted Maul]

4 minutes ago, davieG said:

Where the new houses are at the back of Western Rd who were the main opposition to it would have incudes a hotel and some retail  on the site.

Ah, not too far from where we are now then. Shame they didn't put a hotel in the ground when they built it- missed a trick there. Also glad we missed out the retail though, grounds in those sort of areas have a really diluted feel about them.

[sylofox]

2 hours ago, Bunyip said:

My point was that all those cities have two or more football clubs within them , nothing to do with Rugby. Take nottingham for instance  Forest and county. When forest were successful you could not get tickets to their games  ( and I know plenty of people from Leicester who went to support them in their Clough years) , and it's the same with us only instead of Notts County it's the Tigers.

 

Success breeds success. If we can become a top six side then we will fill the ground even with the extension.  I don't think anyone not even the club would be looking at making the ground a 40 0r even 50k  Stadium . I don't even know where that has come from ?  I would suggest another 5 k  making it up to 37k would be the most logical.

The 42k capacity iirc comes from the original plans. The ground was developed so 10k can be added to the kop and east stand.

 

Not only is it the cheapest option it requires the least amount of work and disruption.

[sylofox]

1 minute ago, Ted Maul said:

Ah, not too far from where we are now then. Shame they didn't put a hotel in the ground when they built it- missed a trick there. Also glad we missed out the retail though, grounds in those sort of areas have a really diluted feel about them.

Tho opposite bank of the river150yards from where it is now.

[Bayfox]

7 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

Ah, not too far from where we are now then. Shame they didn't put a hotel in the ground when they built it- missed a trick there. Also glad we missed out the retail though, grounds in those sort of areas have a really diluted feel about them.

I don't get this hotels in grounds thing. Boltons must be one of the worst.

 

Wasn't there talk of the owners wanting the lease once it runs out with holiday Inn. However long that is. And adding a casino to the complex. Now that's a way to fund a club. Never know a broke casino and all cash. Not that I'm suggesting they cook the books  

[sylofox]

1 minute ago, Bayfox said:

I don't get this hotels in grounds thing. Boltons must be one of the worst.

 

Wasn't there talk of the owners wanting the lease once it runs out with holiday Inn. However long that is. And adding a casino to the complex. Now that's a way to fund a club. Never know a broke casino and all cash. Not that I'm suggesting they cook the books  

Savings on wages forward the players wage into there casino account.

 

 

If our owners feck up running the club at least the hotel will be run right

[davieG]

24 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

Ah, not too far from where we are now then. Shame they didn't put a hotel in the ground when they built it- missed a trick there. Also glad we missed out the retail though, grounds in those sort of areas have a really diluted feel about them.

The stafium wasn't going to include a hotel and retail they were just part of the over all development  of the plot I guess they were included to help fund it.

[Ted Maul]

23 minutes ago, Bayfox said:

I don't get this hotels in grounds thing. Boltons must be one of the worst.

 

Wasn't there talk of the owners wanting the lease once it runs out with holiday Inn. However long that is. And adding a casino to the complex. Now that's a way to fund a club. Never know a broke casino and all cash. Not that I'm suggesting they cook the books  

The hotel would have brought in extra revenue within the stadium itself- never a bad thing, although these days the amounts would have been pretty irrelevant 

 

As for the casino- I would imagine there are rules preventing a club from owning and being directly funded by a casino? If not, we definitely missed a trick there!!

[Ted Maul]

8 minutes ago, davieG said:

The stafium wasn't going to include a hotel and retail they were just part of the over all development  of the plot I guess they were included to help fund it.

Potentially included as a bit of a sweetener in the planning as well- 'development of the surrounding area', jobs, etc.

[Guest CityFan 06]

It isn't what you'd expect from a traditional English football ground, but the idea of staying in a hotel at the ground sounds quite appealing - especially on a Friday night before a Saturday matchday. 

[Spiritwalker]

4 hours ago, Gerard said:

 

Ignore the quote above, no idea why I can't post without it.

 

Anyway, our ground is conducive in producing a closed shop. We have about 29,000 Leicester fans at an average PL game. 23,000 are ST holders and the other 6,000 are members, corporate and complimentary. I bet there are thousands of people who would love to take and sit with kids, friends, parents, etc but can't because Season Tickets can't be bought by anyone if they fancy it because we won't sell more than the 23,000 ST's allocated.By restricting the ground size to what it is now we're making the club a closed shop and people don't even bother trying to go.

 

I'm sure if we had a 50,000 stadium then we'd have at least 30,000 ST holders as new people want to come and current ST holders can sit with friends and family. Couple that with people getting a ticket easier then some people just get the bug of going every fortnight.

 

One day we'll be back in the Championship and I'd hate to be relegated without investing in our infrastructure and before you know it all this was a distant dream and we're a similar sized club again to Forest, Derby, etc.

Good post.

Apart from a couple of years as a ST holder I've always been a 10/12 games a season fan.

Despite being a gold member this season and a silver member the 2 before, I've been less 

games in each of the last 3yrs than I have in 30yrs. The reason for this is because now if I

want a ticket I have to buy it several weeks in advance whereas before I would quite often

wake up on the day of a game and decide to go.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are many reasons why people who either

don't go often or don't go at all now would go if we had a bigger ground.

[Spudulike]

Seems to have gone very quiet on the plans for the land off Raw Dykes Road. Continuing negotiations with British Gas

[sylofox]

31 minutes ago, CityFan 06 said:

It isn't what you'd expect from a traditional English football ground, but the idea of staying in a hotel at the ground sounds quite appealing - especially on a Friday night before a Saturday matchday. 

Your right back in the early 80's your night in the hotel would have been the start of a murder mystery weekend.

[Guest CityFan 06]

42 minutes ago, sylofox said:

Your right back in the early 80's your night in the hotel would have been the start of a murder mystery weekend.

 

[dayday]

We need to make a statement of intent.

 

Increase the capacity to around 40/45,000 and we would lose that little Leicester tag, with a population of nearly a million people it's not like we can't attract new fans.

 

Plus on the brightside Forest and Derby would be jealous as f**k.

[Bayfox]

3 hours ago, Ted Maul said:

The hotel would have brought in extra revenue within the stadium itself- never a bad thing, although these days the amounts would have been pretty irrelevant 

 

As for the casino- I would imagine there are rules preventing a club from owning and being directly funded by a casino? If not, we definitely missed a trick there!!

In what way? I'm not saying Lcfc would own the casino directly. It would be with the king power group which as a guess as more that just a few duty frees in Thailand to have amassed the sort of wedge our owners have. Many fingers many pies. 

 

If the owners of paddy power or ladbrokes/coral or gala casino etc came along and wanted to own a club. Why couldn't they. That money is the same as some of the randoms that own UK clubs now.

 

At a guess a few of the above are probably stake holders in some of the UK biggest clubs.

 

As for the hotel i just don't get it. We had one built next to the ground. Maybe had we not gone tits up financially it may have been part of the clubs portfolio.

 

But within the ground I just find odd. I'd rather have a view of the outside of the ground than a view of some grass. But maybe that's just me.

[Voll Blau]

Coventry had a casino put in their new ground. It's clearly done wonders for them.