The last Rugby World Cup in 2011 had games at stadiums with 15,000 and 18,000 seater capacities. There simply isn't the money or interest in the Rugby World Cup for it to influence stadium expansion or new stadium decisions. The World Cup in 2015 is irrelevant to any decision Cortese makes, apart from they won't be able to build that summer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/9269293.stm Premier League by 2014 they said
Think we have a better chance of ours happening than poor old Pompey did. Nicola isn't full of hot air...he carries his plans through.
It can be accommodated. There's enough land, and the only squeeze, is the railway line behind, which the ground could actually sit over the top of, and allow trains to stop and let off away supporters, if the desire was there. I knew Cortese wouldn't stop at second best, and if he says something will happen, it'll happen. Frankly though, all I can say is WOW..! We've been waiting all our Saints supporting lives for something like this to happen, and it is about to start. Hold on to your supporters scarves folks, we're about to hit the big time, big style.
Before we get too carried away, contrary to the thread title, this hasn't been 'announced', nor are we sure that these are concrete plans. "Our future?" suggests a certain amount of uncertainty, and it could just be nothing more than an artists' impression. I think it would be sensible to expand asap, and I hope there are plans to do so, but a few pictures on a DVD don't make it so.
Not set in stone, but I don't think it would be included on DVD if there was no possibility of any stadium improvements.
No, indeed. What you write is absolutely true. But it is all about intention. Whether the plans are as they appear in the picture, or whether they are more or less so, it is all about intention. Cortese intends that Saints are to become the biggest club south of London. Actually, I've just realised that's not too difficult, because we already are. So just let your imagination wander when thinking about where Cortese intends the club to go. Remember that he has done every single thing he has promised he would see done, bar expand the stadium yet. All the talk in this forum about relegation is irrelevant, as he isn't planning for it. He isn't even planning against it, because in his head it simply isn't going to happen. And like PSF says, it would almost certainly be sensible to expand as soon as feasible/possible. Anything else is just treading water, and we know Cortese doesn't do that.
I went on the Stadium Tour on Saturday and our guide Herbie was saying that the Don is talking to the council about increasing the capacity of St Marys to 48-50k. He also said that if the council dont agree the Don has said we will be moving. I took it with a pinch of salt on Saturday but having seen this I know believe it to be true. Also St Marys is having a load of work done to it, home changing room to be done up as is the megastore the benches and 3/4 of the conference/corporate rooms. In the kingsland concourse all the tills and catering equipment had been taken out so it looks like good old St Mary's is getting a spruce up for the forthcoming season. By the way Stadium tour is very good , I took my dear old Dad and he loved it.
Yeah I know I was surprised , the difference between the home and away dressing rooms is laughable now .....god knows how plush the home one is going to be soon
Got most things right, except the Oxo move, but that wasn't one of the controlables. Still don't know what forces were trying to undermine the Club, hopefully they have given up, but there was no doubt they existed.
Just reread about Ivan's stadium tour. Benches are being updated? Suppose we're going to have those vulgar aircraft seats.
I love the combination of Cortese/Adkins, because they're madmen both. Nicola scheming behind the scenes to expand the stadium to that of a CL-sized club, while an exorbitantly-tanned (and slightly more crazy-eyed than usual) Nigel goes before the cameras talking about tipping over both Manchester clubs and Arsenal.
"Nicola Cortese is a former banker, and friend of Silvio Berlusconi..." Nicola, I forgive you. You've proved that bankers can be saints as well as sinners.
What a friend to have eh?I wonder if Nicola Cortese has ever partaken in one of Silvio's infamous "Bunga Bunga" parties
