Of course they wouldn't. They wouldn't fill a 75,000 stadium if the were a mid table Premier League side, let alone a League 1 team.
Effort? - I do as little as I can get away with. Sacrifice? - Not part of my makeup. I'm a selfish bugger. Passion? - I've got loads. Just ask the very lovely Mrs Godders.
We are not talking about a Chelsea who were getting 20,000 crowds 20 years ago. United have always sold out Old Trafford for probably 60 years or more, including when they dropped down a division in the 70's.
And Man City had some bumper crowds in League One (though I don't think they sold out). Old Trafford would be filled with some of CBK's favourite type of football 'fan'
I think there is also an element of rivalry here. If you lived and worked beside rival fans, you are less likely to abandon your club and have the opposition crowing over you.
Talking of Man City, isn't it about time Nicola fixed it so that Southampton was selected to hold the Commonwealth Games? That would be a relatively cheap way to get a new stadium!
overlooked by me. Nice "quickie" quiz question on that: who scored the last competitive goal at Maine Road?
I like the stadium at St. Marys and will always feel that a city centre stadium is better than a ring road/motorway site. Maybe I am biased as I grew up in St.Marys (St.Marys & Deanery old boy). If it made the most of the railway line next to it I think it could cope with the increased crowd. I do believe the expansion should be a one-off, going from 32k to 50k if possible. If this was tied into redevelopment of the area between Shamrock Quay and Cross House that would be great, but obviously over much longer timescale, also the Britania Rd adjacent units to the south of the stadium could be replaced as well together would completly transform that area.
Maybe these pictures have been posted before.... http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=98230993 Tried posting them but the forum won't let me
Yes it will... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image The images above are those comissioned by Saints from AFL architects, the same architects that designed the Staplewood training ground redevelopment.
So it's a strong possibility the final stadium designs will be very similar to these? Who owns the land around St Mary's?
City Council own the industrial estate to the south and those units are not on long leases either. Clearly the railway track isn't moving anywhere so no further land is available to the west behind the Kingsland. British Gas (or whatever they call their distribution/transmission arm) own the gasometers behind the Northam. I understand those gasometers are in a long term plan and key to gas storage for the city. They won't be disappearing anytime soon. The Cement, Sand & Aggregates companies alongside the wharf. Not sure if they own that land or long term lease it from the council. The long term plan was if Dibden Bay container port was to get built, it would also house a new aggregate facility where they would move to. Again, nothing likely to happen in the next 10 years at least, unless the club just make an offer to buy that land that is greater than the money they make by using it etc. The triangle of land outside the ticket office housing the flats & garages, I believe the club used to own those when St Mary's was built, but it might have been one of Lowe's "enterprises" to sell it/lease it. Not sure.
They have also made a mistake with the colour! Shouldn't the new buildings and stadium be all in red?
Just realized that they appear to be envisioning a weathered steel facade...hope that doesn't come to pass, as that stuff can be a nightmare.
Talking of stadia, glad we are not Coventry...they have to travel over 60 miles round trip to share a stadium that has 20K fewer seats than the Ricoh. I know some fans travel quite a distance to watch Saints, but the hard core of fans are local.
