It's about time that the stadium was expanded. The stadium size was relevant at the time it was made when we where in league two but in hindsight it was maybe a little short sighted. We are now at this most impressive point in our history and we need a capacity that reflects the club. Even when we where in lower leagues, expansion of the stadium was always mentioned season after season. Obviously Allam has fallen out with the council over the stadium and they are now currently or where at loggerheads. Problem is whilst these two argue, there is plenty of revenue being missed out on and potential not been tapped into to expand the club. I'm pretty sure one of the main reasons Allam wanted to buy the stadium is because he wanted to expand the stadium. Considering most games we play at home are sell outs and we are now in the top league in English football, an expansion is desperately needed. Especially if we sustain premiership football and the reputation of the club grows and picks up new football fans around the local area. Man Utd have teams of workers in marketing week after week ensuring that there is a sell out crowd. Giving away a lot of tickets to local teams, schools and businesses. I think the Hull Tigers debacle has come about as Allam has been forced to look elsewhere for more extreme revenue sources. (If only the council sold the family silver)
Maybe AA should try Strategy B with the Council? (Offer an olive branch, try and be conciliatory, show humility , dignity and respect etc Don't hold your breath)
Expansion is the last thing we need has we will find out soon Only increase the capacity if safe standing becomes possible
Stadium expansion is absolutely fundamental to capitalising on our recent success and building a sustainable club for the future. Not pissing off fans who could fill the extra seats would also be a half decent idea.
Expansion of the ground it vital, and they have to encourage school kids to start coming, with cheap rates and offers. They are the future of the club, and that is one way to start increasing attendances.
A stadium expansion would also bring down the ticket prices. How big would you expand though? Make the whole stadium two tiered? A two tiered east stand to mirror the west? Time is a big thing also. When would it be done? It is vital we expand, if we stay up this season I think Allam needs to come to a deal with the council if possible.
I was a livid voice in the Wilderness after Relegation. I felt, the backroom staff had led the club to Suffering. With Allem in place & SB & a clearout of the Dross Staff from before. Top level management, seems to be fine. We seem to have a load of Internal Issues at my notice. PR & marketing, Community links, prices, merchandise., website, Dr Allams side interests (sporting) & the spat with Cllr Brady & Co. I hope all the above cracks are fixed , that will allow stadium expansion. TWT. U.T.T.
The maximum possible seated capacity based on the original plans would add up to 10000 seats, mainly by mirroring the West stand over on the East, however I'm sure I read somewhere that there was an issue with the foundations on which it is built which would increase the cost of a potential expansion. I think we also need to see how many empty seats there are this season if pass sales are as poor as has been suggested, no point of 20000 fans in a 35000 seater stadium, seats are fine but only if you can fill them. Allam has always implied that he does not see why he should invest money in a building he does not own & I doubt the council has a pot to piss in to spend money on something it gets no return on
We need to start selling out the one we've got before we get to spending money expanding it. Having a bigger stadium doesn't suddenly make you a bigger team*. Queens Park in Scottish League 2 will testify to that. *I am of course aware that as soon as we moved into the KC, we were in the PL in 6 years, but I'm sure that's a one off.
Only in the very long term as the cost of expansion would first have to be repaid (estimate around £15 million for 10000 seats) & then only if they could sell them all !! Even at our peak we have struggled to get 25000 gates, where are we going to magically create 10000 new fans ?
Its the place in the star wars movies where the clone troopers were made. Allam is dressed up like Obi-Wan for some reason. [video=youtube;4HjCohgVuyE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HjCohgVuyE[/video]
I believe that this is because of poor marketing and community links. There is a catchment area of millions if you go from Lincoln up to Whitby with no top flight clubs within that catchment area. It's a case of spending money to make money. They need to be doing what teams like man utd do and give away and do cheap tickets for kids. Do this now and instantly to 10 years time you will feel a massive effect. Don't do that and we will continue to see more Liverpool and Man Urptd shirts in Hull and low attendances.
St Kilda Football club in Aussie rules shares a somewhat similar background to Hull, team based on the coast, traditionally **** results, working class area. I've linked through a video that they recently made to promote themselves as the "Bayside" club. It is a really good example of how a sports team can pro-actively get involved with the local community up and down a coastal region in order to generate fans of the future (the vid is only a minute long, so won't take much of your life). It includes simple things like having an open training session take place in various locations each week, getting players to kids events throughout the region and working with local charities. http://www.saints.com.au/video/2014-03-13/road-to-2018-the-bayside-club
All the time the present owner is in change of HULL CITY expansion will not happen. He has said he wont be told by anyone how to run his business and also said he will never talk to the council again about the stadium. But he will continue with this lunacy about a name change and continue to piss off supporters who undermine his ideas about the name.