Even if there was an ability to expand who would pay for it? Would it be the Swans – No. Any money will be used on building the team. Swansea City Council? – No, no spare cash. The Ospreys? No, they have no incentive to do so. Even if either of the three interested parties wanted to raise the cash, the bank manager would show them the door as he would take a look at the odds in Paddy Power, realise the Swans are favourites for relegation thus ensuring he would never get his money back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- With all due respect that is garbage.
"Statistically there will be no lengthy stay - although we can dream." Eh?... Statistically, we were meant to be relegated last season... But we lived the dream and exited the league the opposite way. You seem to dodge the point that it was a mistake not to have the ability to increase the stadium's capacity if needed. Even if the increase was never implemented, it would still have been worth it to cover all bases. It was a short sighted mistake, but it's been made now so nothing anyone can do about it. 20,500 was big enough, even too big, when we built it. It was big enough last year. It's not big enough this year, so it's only right that the debate is brought to light. We'll have to see over the next 5-10 years whether a structural expansion is worth the money. Because I do agree that spending a lot of money on expanding the stadium before the on field activity merits it could be as much an own goal as not planning for expansion in the first place.
Well Bangkok I haven't missed a home game since the Liberty was opened, and it is of course only my view and observation of how things have developed and how I see them continuing, but it's interesting that our old chairman feels the very same thing, only time will tell, but we are improving our gates year on year, and obviously this year, we could have easily filled a 25,000 seater, if we had had one, and you are always going to hook a percentage of that increase as long term, it is my earnest desire to see us stay up, and defy the odds, so that we can build, and advance further!............. please log in to view this image
Bank managers don't look at the odds at a bookies on whether to loan a company money, it goes on projections of money to be earned , how the companies books look like, and what profit margin they have! Most large businesses don't actually own the buildings they occupy, classic case is the hsbc building in London, they sold it for over a billion and leased it back ! On the renovation of a building, it's the leaseholder who funds changes on business properties for the most part, for example you lease a building that is a shop, now you get in do you keep it all like an mfi or do you change it into a halfords? So the point is that the swans would fund it! But then the next argument would be why invest millions without buying the stadia, which is a different discussion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They would look at probability - as do bookies. It is exactly the same.
The problem as all ready mentioned that during the planning and consultation period, that expansion SHOULD have been built into the structure. We see buildings for 2012 being constructed on a grand scale, then to be reduced at a later stage. This foresight that The Swans progress onto The Premier League the design was all ready there for expansion. I agree that all though we will be a sell out this season, and I'll miss out not being a ST holder. But it will be more crucial that if we do stay up the amount of lost revenue for the club as I'm sure more people will then want to become a ST holder. Hence the board need to take a long hard look at, how we can increase capacity to a sustainable level for the club.
No, as the legacy of the stadium was not known, the legacy was that a 25k stadium design was that the could hold European Athletic Championships there. Then then LOCOG decided it would put the stadium out to tender for legacy use, and poor old Leyton Orient got screwed as this would have been a more viable option than West Ham and Spurs, who were thinking knocking a brand new stadium down and rebuilding it!!!!
So you think spending £30m on a building only 6 years ago is a good investment with practically no ability to expand is sound long term financial sense then ? Do you happen to work for the government in some function ? I mean if you don't there are plenty of spaces for someone with the ability to overspend without consequences?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you expand when there is no long term business plan to support it then that is economic madness. With the Swans favourites to get relegated you cannot make a businress case to support expansion. NB: If you want to go down the line of personal insults I can dish them out for fun so there is no need to go there.
Jager, my point being is that before a stadium expansion, the club has to have a stable fan base. If this increase then we have to investigate means and ways of increasing the stadium capacity. I know this is the wrong example but look at Old Trafford the ground has had is capacity drastically increased over the last decade. And on 2012 I have first hand knowledge of the ways and means of LOCOG, it's no wonder why the games will cost billions with the amount of money they waste. Cost our company over 100k!!! just to tender for work,thank god we never got any as it's a nightmare working for them.
PGF I don't think any reasonable person would disagree with the fact that it was a monumental error not to build in for expansion, the cost at construction, would have been an acceptable expense, given the issue's we will now clearly face, if we do stay up. It's one thing to lose £4 Million in one season, but quite another to continue to lose such revenue year on year due to stadium limitations, no business ignores such potential revenue increases, and a way will have to be found to increase seating capacity. By the way don't put too much reliance on paddy power, they have been wrong too many times. Brendan Rodgers by the way PGF is not planning on coming down, so this issue might well not go away, hence why Huw Jenkins has stated the club will look at doing something next may!................. please log in to view this image
Pgf White, can you tell me where I personally insulted you? Is the fact that overspending by councils particularly ours is a long tradition of incompetence is hitting home ? Really the business model is there, the swans ambitions is to get to the premier league by doing it in an orderally fashion, they would actually have to have a few plans to cover all eventualities , if promoted plan A, if staying in the same league plan B, and relegation plan C and so on. Whoever agreed the plans for the liberty knew there was no option on expansion, so they spend £30m on a stadium with a limited life span before it comes obslete , that came after 6 years , yes it must be good to be a civil servant who has no accountability like people in the private sector !
Firstly I do not work for the Council. Secondly it should be noted that the Council (public sector) were actually helping out two totally inept private sector organisations when they built the Liberty, the Swans having come out of liquidation and Swansea RFC and Neath RFC facing their own difficulties. So the good times are here and we get people looking to give the Council a good pasting. Frankly that pi**es me off. One swallow doesn't make a summer. One season in the Premiership doesn't mean we should build a white elephant - because one day we will be back in The Championship, League 1 or League 2 - FACT.
