Stadium Expansion

[Royal Lady]

I'm terribly sorry, but I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this, but for my own part, I don't think we should be thinking of expanding the stadium until we've had at least two seasons in the Prem and look like we'll be staying there for a bit. I think the club are rather jumping the gun if they plan to expand for next season onwards or whatever it is. Anyone who thinks that we will sell out 32,000 seats a week (or whatever the exact figure will be) week in, week out - is deluded. If the unthinkable happens and we go down either this year, or maybe next year, we'd never fill the stadium as it is now, let alone with extra seating. I'd rather see us spend a few million on some worthwhile players that we can attract, esp if we're in a good position by end of the season, than spend loads on an expansion plan that could blow up in our faces.

[M4 Junction 11]

I've just seen the roof at St. James Park on SS1. Can we have one of those please

[The 17 Bus]

I'm terribly sorry, but I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this, but for my own part, I don't think we should be thinking of expanding the stadium until we've had at least two seasons in the Prem and look like we'll be staying there for a bit. I think the club are rather jumping the gun if they plan to expand for next season onwards or whatever it is. Anyone who thinks that we will sell out 32,000 seats a week (or whatever the exact figure will be) week in, week out - is deluded. If the unthinkable happens and we go down either this year, or maybe next year, we'd never fill the stadium as it is now, let alone with extra seating. I'd rather see us spend a few million on some worthwhile players that we can attract, esp if we're in a good position by end of the season, than spend loads on an expansion plan that could blow up in our faces.

what a stupid idea it was to build a 24k stadium when we could not fill it, for once I go with Mr Mad, you need a stadium of 35k plus to really compete in the Prem, in general.

[Reading Abbey]

I'm terribly sorry, but I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this, but for my own part, I don't think we should be thinking of expanding the stadium until we've had at least two seasons in the Prem and look like we'll be staying there for a bit. I think the club are rather jumping the gun if they plan to expand for next season onwards or whatever it is. Anyone who thinks that we will sell out 32,000 seats a week (or whatever the exact figure will be) week in, week out - is deluded. If the unthinkable happens and we go down either this year, or maybe next year, we'd never fill the stadium as it is now, let alone with extra seating. I'd rather see us spend a few million on some worthwhile players that we can attract, esp if we're in a good position by end of the season, than spend loads on an expansion plan that could blow up in our faces.

As exciting as it is to see our ground be developed, you are spot on RL!

Just expanding the east Stand would be my preference, taking the capacity to 30,000 maybe.

At this level I think we can average 28,000, but 38,000? Not a chance, not yet anyway.

[ArfnipIsARoyal]

I understand your point RL, but there are a few positives which make the proposal a good idea. At the beginning of last season we were getting 16,000 gates, now tickets are selling out for every match. Our attendances are getting bigger every season and hopefully it will continue. An explansion is required IMO. If we establish ourselves at Premiership level, over the next couple of seasons I believe we could get 30,000+ for every game. There are still many people who try by any means to get hold of tickets and we could probably sell a couple of thousand extra tickets (including away supporters). I'd personally go for north and south expansion, see the demand once that is done, before starting the east.

[Reading Abbey]

Has Shades been challenged one too many I ask?

[Riseley]

RL talks a lot of sense... for a woman. I think any expansion that does not exceed the Emirates stadium capacity will show Mr Mad as a man of short term vision.

[Humanistic]

I echo the concerned sentiments about Mad Stad expansion. Personally, I think it would be a big mistake to expand now, especially to the proposed 38,000.

We've finally got a full stadium every week (which looks fantastic) and finally got a great atmosphere that everyone has wanted (that must partly be a result of having sell-outs). If you really want a ticket for a game, its entirely feasible to get your hands on one, even Chelsea and Man Utd tickets went on general sale.

At this moment in time I really cannot see the need for it. If we stay in the Premier League for say, two seasons, and we're still getting sell-outs for the majority of matches, then expansion would seem sensible. Even then, 30,000 to 32,000 would seem more than adequte for a club our size.

[savage 4 england]

I think that 38,000 is too much. We should just extend the north and south and then see.

[Reading Abbey]

BUT, Sunderland fans thought their chairman was a fruit loop for building the 40,000+ Stadium of Light when they were still in what is now The Championship, and they filled it week in week out the in the Premiership and still get far bigger attendances than they averaged towards the end of Roker Park's days.

[Royal Lady]

I'm terribly sorry, but I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this, but for my own part, I don't think we should be thinking of expanding the stadium until we've had at least two seasons in the Prem and look like we'll be staying there for a bit. I think the club are rather jumping the gun if they plan to expand for next season onwards or whatever it is. Anyone who thinks that we will sell out 32,000 seats a week (or whatever the exact figure will be) week in, week out - is deluded. If the unthinkable happens and we go down either this year, or maybe next year, we'd never fill the stadium as it is now, let alone with extra seating. I'd rather see us spend a few million on some worthwhile players that we can attract, esp if we're in a good position by end of the season, than spend loads on an expansion plan that could blow up in our faces.

what a stupid idea it was to build a 24k stadium when we could not fill it, for once I go with Mr Mad, you need a stadium of 35k plus to really compete in the Prem, in general.

We didn't fill the stadium when it was 24k until very recently though did we. The club had already paid out millions in building the stadium, which had to be built anyway, due to Elm Park not fulfilling safety criteria or whatever it was. We are competing in the Prem at the moment with crowds of 24K. What do you think is going to happen if we don't stay up this year or the next, as I have already mentioned?

[Ooo Trevor Morley]

I think it would be too costly and pointless to increase the stadium in stages, over a few years. Say we do go up to 30,000 and find we are selling out every game - we would be denying the right for new fans to come along, as well as losing the revenue that they would bring in. A club that aspires to be a Premiership big boy needs a big boy stadium.

[Royal Lady]

Well, I still say give it a couple more years to see where we are heading first. Some of you will be the first to moan if they go ahead with expansion, we drop down a league but tickets/Sts are sky high "to cover the cost of the expansion" as will surely happen.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I think it would be too costly and pointless to increase the stadium in stages, over a few years. .

we are doing it in stages, over a couple of years.

[Magnus]

Bring back terracing - problem solved.

[The whole year inn]

Bring back terracing - problem solved.

I agree. Tearing out all the seats would be a lot cheaper

[Dirk Gently]

Don't forget that if we don't sell out every game there is scope for promotions like kid for a quid to take up the slack - thus helping to further indoctrinate the next generation of Royals fans and furthr build up the demand to fill all the capacity all of the time.

[alad]

38,000 is just right IMO. Arsenal managed to win things and pay good wages when they were getting 38,000 at Highbury.

If Reading were challenging for Europe I see no reason why the ground wouldn't be full on a regular basis.

No doubt Madejski would still moan about wage structures though.

[The 17 Bus]

Expansion cost £12m, Premier premium £20m, players bought, less than £3m, it could just be that the money is there.

The brave do well in this world, Mr Mad is nothing but brave.

[Rawlie19]

I've been out of it for the past few days as I am waiting for Sky Broadband to be switched on (BT suck), and I don't have time to trawl through all this so appologies if this has been said.

Spoke to my dad about these pictures (he is a civil engineer and was highly involved in the building of the Emirates Stadium) and he says not to take much stock from them. For one they are very poor drawings generated with either a very old or a very cheap piece of CAD software. They are likely to be a work in progress and will no doubt change over the coming months. Also, the missing corners are most likely due to the fact that it makes it easier to see the inside design of the stadium without them on the drawing. Rest assured they will still be there, as backed up by the overhead shot showing the new stadium parts in red.

Hope this puts some minds at rest.