It probably couldn't be 30k - what is the capacity of the other 3 sides I wonder? 12k to 15k? The new grandstand would have to be massive. I still think: a) I'll be a cold day in hell before we need more than 17k - sad but true b) there's no point in paying rent for 25 or 30k if you don't use it and c) if you did have 25 or 30k, it would be 2/3 empty most of the time & that's depressing for fans & players. I do think though that the club should take a good look at the Barn Park end - we've got 20% of the ground set aside there for a few hundred away fans at best. And I still think the whole thing will be a big asset for Plymouth once it's built...
Argyle could pull 30k in the premiership it has never struggled to attract fans when there is even a hint of success bear in mind we took 35k to a play-off final and tickets for the FA cup semi final were like trying to find rocking horse sh!t. Add to this the travelling support that a lot of Prem clubs have plus the plastic content in Plymouth and 30K is not a crazy figure by any means. Most teams pull 30K, or stadium capacity, in the Prem week in week out, Wigan are probably one of the few who regularly failed to do so. One of the major factors attributed to teams failing to progress or survive in the Prem is lack of ground capacity. That said we would have to get there first.
Remember back in the 80's in the old 2nd div. we drew 30K against Pompey and 28K against Blackburn when we had a good team and were consistent at the time....people will turn up again in numbers but we need to build a good squad eagerly. Shame the horseshoe development never had another 8-10 rows of seats when designed but I'm sure modern stadia today it's very easy to build upwards at a reasonable cost.
If we ever reach the promised Land we will pull the crowds? 30k will be the least in my view. But then again we can't tell is only guessing... 17k is to low, its ok for now but what of the future.. We can't add any more seats once Mr bent has built the stand for Free! and all his shops, ice rink, hotel and cinema.. He acquired all this for Nothing, with some help from the Councillors!!!!
I really have not looked into the design etc but from what I can gather the main issue with the design is that it does not leave any easy expansion options, I thought the original, pre-Brent, design concept had an option to add an additional tier at low cost. This design does not, as far as I have gathered, have that option. This does not mean that we could not expand in the future per se but that the costs would/could be exorbitant. As for what Plymouth needs....another attraction to pull more investment out of a declining city centre, not so sure myself. Every time I go home it seems another business has left the city centre without new business coming in. Plymouth used to have a good city centre but it is pretty dismal now. The city/council has a pretty outstanding record of screwing up everything it does swimming pools just too short, Pavillons (underwhelming), airport and so on and I have full faith in them to maintain this dismal record when considering the new HP proposals. As for the bully boy tactics of Brent with the this is the only option line, no Mr Brent it maybe the only option that you are willing to offer but that does not make it the only option. For someone who openly admits he has little or no knowledge of running a football club who is he to say that this is the best way forward for the club. Record to date since take-over no improvement on the pitch, no improved fan interaction (fan base not a couple of sycophants) finances we believe have improved but we do not really know so for me a C+, could do better. Once the development is done there is really nothing else the club has to offer to potential investors at the moment, to give this away to the first offer that comes along despite the numerous concerns does not seem wise. IMHO sod the stand, get the team back on track and evaluate in a year or 2. It may look ugly but as stated we have more than enough capacity for current level and it matches the stuff going on on the pitch which is pretty ugly too.
Nice to be talking about something positive for a change eh, even the bookies are giving us fair odds for promotion...beats the same time last season that's for sure!
You can get good odds on us at the moment.. between 20- 40/1 its worth a punt... My bet is Bristol rovers .. we will be play offs at the least!!! need some players tho!!
Does the current structure apart from the old grandstand have the scope to extra capacity? can we go upwards with this in the future or is that it? We know once the new stand has been built we cannot extend, so how about the other 3 sides?
That was 30 years ago bedoboy! Pigsbladder and a referee wearing plus-fours and a cap with a tassle! [relatively speaking]
Looking back at it only seems like yesterday notDistant...even Tommy himself guaranteed Argyle could pull at least 30K in the top flight!
That was the good days in Football! I think we will still get the 30k if we were there. may be only a season but we would do it easy... As in the championship the first season we had good crowds, not 30k i admit.. but it tailed off.. the rest is history!!!
Here's a picture of that very game from Ye Western Morning Newes Sensible is in the 3rd row, 2nd from left.
