Was just looking at Huddersfield's ground on SSN after they've won promotion. Its a two-tiered affair with a Capacity of around 25k. It looks quite impressive. Would this be something like what we should be building? Anyone ever been to this ground?
Is 25k big enough surely we want bigger than that, TF was saying somewhere that we could get to about that at LR(not sure how myself) We should be going for 35K at least if not bigger
Possibly. I would say around 30K with the option of add-on's. But the nature of their ground looks good in that its not just a steep single tier that you get with most modern Stadia. It makes for a better atmosphere I think.
TF has said they're looking at 40K capacity. http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/147156-Fernandes-still-looking-at-new-stadium-options
Indeed Tel. He said that at City in ref to their facilities. I wonder would he go for that size outright or was he just saying its possible? Its definitely possible to eventually fill a ground of that size. What would you think of a bigger version of Huddersfield's ground?
If I understand you correct Swords it's not the capacity of the Galpharm but the two tiers that attracted you to it, right? If so, I completely agree with you, we can't go from our special place to a new one with only steep on tier stands. I've said it before re stadiums, the FC Basel model is absolutely perfect in terms of tiers. They have two tiers all round except for one side were they have THREE tiers, looks absolutely awesome and threatening. And the positive is they've done it with a capacity of 38.500 for league games and it can take 60.000 for concerts. Tony and Phil's dream I would think.
That's correct Norway. I just looked at St Jakobs Park and it looks stunning. That's exactly the type of Stadium we should be looking at. Looks far better than Huddersfield's too. Any good-looking Stadia in Norway.....Norway?
I think he's saying we'll go for it outright. As others have said Phil Beard has a successful track record in promoting venues and I'd be surprised if it were solely used as a football stadium. I can't remember who posted it, but there was a thread on here a month or so back regarding the finances of the club. It was quite a long read but worth the effort. One of the stats that really hit me was that on match day receipts alone Man. Utd. make more in two games than we do over an entire season. We'll obviously never catch them in this regard but a larger stadium will close the gap and is an absolute must for sustainability. I've never been to the Galpharm, but it's certainly a good looking place. I'd love to think, wherever we end up, that the intimacy and atmosphere of LR when it's rocking can be replicated.
Believe it or not there's a webcam charting the progress of the redevelopment which updates every ten minutes.
That would be really good.. 35-40,000 capacity for the footy. Threatening atmosphere...because we the happy 18,000 can do threatening....and money from a concert venue. BBC site would be great....more central than Wembley. Smaller capacity than the stadium larger than the arena. The future's so bright I gotta wear shades
That's a startling stat. Imagine the amount of match-day money they make on all the extras (food, programmes etc). Also their Corporate facilities with the prawn-sandwich brigade must make a packet too. Its a delicate balance we'll have to get right between ambition and realism.
Very much so. I don't know if you've been to OT but the amount of commercial activity in and around the ground on a match day is astonishing. It is about managing expectations I guess. A few seasons of mid-table safety while all the infrastructure gets put into place will do me. Then, x years down the line, with some on and off-field stability, our academy hopefully producing fresh talent and a new stadium rocking to the rafters who knows where we'll end up? What a great time for our club!
Well said Tel. Yes I was in OT a few years ago for a game they played v Leicester and the amount of commercial activity truly is amazing. I wandered up there again the following day just to nose about and it was unbelievable how busy the place was when it wasn't even a match day! The most important thing to remember is the key to all this is success on the pitch. United weren't anything like they are today when Fergie took over. If we continue on our upward curve, playing attractive, entertaining footie, we'll attract the youngsters so that when the gates are flung open on our new ground, we'll be well able to fill it.
When I was back in the UK I went to stay with friends who live near Brighton. Their stadium from the outside is very impressive and from a distance seems in the middle of the countryside. Their fans are local and dont have to travel far. We need a multiuse stadium in the Bush area probably 40,000 cap. Our catchment area is greater than Brightons and we are a PL club and will be for years to come. I agreed Swords (cant believe I said that). It's all about getting the balance right.
Couldn't agree more. Success in our case atm is survival in the Prem. Just doing this on our gates would be punching above our weight. We really did fall on hard times at the wrong time, just as football really began to boom. Fulham are a good case in point. They were only averaging 4,000 or so going back to 1996. In 16 years - our wilderness years if you like - their gates have increased six-fold mirroring their success on the pitch. Or, to put it another way, they've gone from being 66th in overall attendances to 17th. Good luck to 'em I say and more than proves your point. http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/fulh.htm
I and many others have said that Fulham are a great example of how to come up and stabilize in the top flight. And, as you say, have punched above their weight. Getting to the UEFA Cup final was a major triumph for them, dispatching Juventus and other giants along the way. I had also earmarked Stoke as a template to follow at the start of the season but looking at their style of play, I now think otherwise. I wonder why Fayed decided to increase capacity on that dilapidated old ground instead of building new? Cost perhaps? Was that what Hughes meant when he spoke of a "lack of ambition"?
I'm not sure tbh. I seem to remember something about Craven Cottage being a listed building and maybe that has something to do with it. It's prime real estate and I'd have thought that any kind of residential development on that site would generate enough cash for a brand new stadium. I think the "lack of ambition" thing was an excuse for an out from Sparky with a view to Villa maybe.
Brighton can and will sell 50,000 week in week out. Brighton is and has always been a borough of London... People travel from all parts to watch them play. From one approach I agree it is stunning. BUT all my mates think no atmosphere yet ... QPR move into an inert stadium then we lose a lot of what QPR is all about ... it has to be tight and unique like wolfsburg IMO
