Still a few questions I have about this change: Which way will the away end extend for FA Cup games, into the chapel or kingsland? For high risk games what's the planned route for escorting away fans to and from game? Will away fans being kept in become a more common occurrence? Will home fans still have access through the industrial estate or will that be blocked off? Intrigued to hear more detail about it all tbh. I'm far from convinced it's gonna lead to huge improvement in atmosphere as well.
This was in the FAQ's as well: For all other areas of the stadium, full pricing will be released once the '23/24 season ends and the division we’re playing in is confirmed. Pricing will be going up with an average increase of around 10% in the Championship and 15% in the Premier League against 2023/24 prices. This will vary up and down from the average in different areas.
Furthermore if people don’t actively move into the Northam safe standing it is going to be difficult for people from the cheap section to find seats elsewhere. Really valid question where the away section extends for cup games. I can’t really see any other way they get away fans in without blocking home fans from moving through the industrial estate. I think whether or not this works is totally reliant on promotion imo. Although I admire the willingness to try something fairly radical. I think people got hooked on the idea St Mary’s has a **** atmosphere, which I never personally agreed with. Sure it’s average, but not bad by any means. Similar to most mid sized upper Championship lower Premier League sides.
Cheers I'm out so not had chance to read through properly. Just saw this thread when checked in while sitting down for lunch.
Away coaches will now be parking on Melbourne Road meaning home fans will be directed away from using Melbourne Road or accessing the stadium on the Kingsland/Chapel corner.
I think, in contrary to this, a lot of the people against the change have just accepted the current system because "it's what we've always done". If we had moved into St Marys with this new system in place, it would seem mad to propose cutting our main home end in half to accommodate away fans - yet people still think that is a good idea for some reason. The atmosphere is poor, not the worst in the country granted, but I don't see not being the worst at something as an excuse not to try and improve. I'm really pleased the club has the conviction and belief to make a big change like this and can't wait for matchday standing in a packed Northam.
This is probably a bit of a stupid observation but assuming I choose to move to the Safe Standing area then I guess this means that I can expect to be stood up at every game. I know that you can still sit down in that area if you want to but realistically everyone else around me is probably going to be stood up so I won't be able to see f*** all unless I stand up as well. Not sure I am up for that to be honest.
I think we just need to wait for an email for the club explaining what the options are as we sit in seats that will be directly affected.
I know I’m probably an oddity here but I really don’t think the atmosphere at St Mary’s is that poor at the moment? Northam isn’t as active but there is more going on in the rest of the stadium, which isn’t inherently bad. Last couple of seasons before this one it wasn’t great, but that’s surely down to just how bad Saints were at home, it’s hard to have a decent atmosphere at home when you win about 1 in every 10 games and lose over half. This season it seems pretty reasonable to me, sure it’s not the yellow wall at the Westfalonstadion, but it’s a perfectly decent upper Championship home atmosphere. We can be a pretty self hating fan base sometimes, I don’t think we are as bad as we seem to think we are.
I will give the club/ownership credit for actually having a bit of a can-do attitude about things and trying to improve the fan experience. They've definitely done that with some of the changes around the concourses and the exterior, the bars etc. I'd imagine as more of those contracts expire, they will do more. We have heard the stadium re-configuration chat many times over the years (I'm sure it was brought up in the Kruger and then Gao years) but then it just seemed to disappear or 'oh yeah, it's a bit difficult with the authorities' and then never came back again.
Agree with this, it's obviously not great but I don't think the atmosphere is as bad as made out sometimes. I also quite like having the different areas and think it's worked well at times this season. I'm too young to know really but wasn't the Dell similar in it had little pockets rather than one 'end'? I've had older mates say that but as I say I can't say for sure.
Yeah definitely, they deserve huge credit for pushing it through even if I don't particularly agree with it. Goes to show that there was always a way and that previous owners hid behind the old bill not wanting it. The biggest positive of this for me is that it shows commitment from the owners and that they're in it for the long haul.
Not sure I understand this question? If you move to a standing area then yes you'll be standing for every game. Same as if you buy a ticket in block 42 now you can expect to stand.
If you get safe standing do you get allocated a specific area to be in or do you just go anywhere in the block?
I believe, whilst there will be seats, these will all be locked and not able to actually be used. Pretty sure this is a condition of "safe" standing. The ticket is essentially for a block of space in front of a closed seat. Which also addresses the people wondering whether a standing ticket means they will have to... stand
