Stadium Expansion

[Barry the bird boggler]

Better not be that long.

[M Brook]

Plans already being discussed about starting stage 1 of the expansion next summer, whether we stay in the Premiership or not. East Stand will be first apparently. TSI know we sold out every week in the Premier League for the 2 seasons we were there and don't want to turn fans/money away

The original planning permission must have expired by now.

[ZacNaloen]

which it is why it was renewed before that happened...

[Dare to Dr£am]

Plans already being discussed about starting stage 1 of the expansion next summer, whether we stay in the Premiership or not. East Stand will be first apparently. TSI know we sold out every week in the Premier League for the 2 seasons we were there and don't want to turn fans/money away

The original planning permission must have expired by now.

It was renewed.

[Maguire]

I don't recall reading this thread before so lord knows how it's got to 69 pages, but i'd like to say i'm fully in favour of an expansion as we really need some asymmetry at the MadStad.

Brighton's ground looks skillz from the outside. We could so with something similar.

[SWLR]

I don't recall reading this thread before so lord knows how it's got to 69 pages....

Oi. This is the only thread I've ever started in 15+years that has got beyond a few pages - I'm very protective.

Lots of good debate early on, but degenerated in recent years into the occeasional "only 15k last night, glad we didn't" comments from the usual mongs who have fled the board in recent months.

Looking forward to your positive contributions going forward. Re Brighton: Their West stand created a great 'wall of sound' at times. Hopefully a better roof design to the extension will mean that us in the NS can hear chants from Y25/6.

[Maguire]

I don't recall reading this thread before so lord knows how it's got to 69 pages....

Oi. This is the only thread I've ever started in 15+years that has got beyond a few pages - I'm very protective.

Lots of good debate early on, but degenerated in recent years into the occeasional "only 15k last night, glad we didn't" comments from the usual mongs who have fled the board in recent months.

Looking forward to your positive contributions going forward. Re Brighton: Their West stand created a great 'wall of sound' at times. Hopefully a better roof design to the extension will mean that us in the NS can hear chants from Y25/6.

Only just noticed this thread is 6 years old

I'll certainly pile in should these plans come to fruition.

[Schards#2]

Have to say, I remain of the opinion that this is not a good idea.

Clearly, while we are not in the Premiership, we do not need a bigger stadium and, indeed, a bigger capacity would actually worsen the atmosphere.

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

The only advantage would be to give away fans the full South Stand which would have the effect of increasing gates by 2,000 odd for most games. Is it worth spending £10m odd just to accomodate more away fans, and only then whilst we are in the Premiership, which is quite probably going to be the exception rather than the rule going forward? IMHO No.

I also enjoy the atmosphere of a full/virtually full ground and a half empty tier would detract from that.

[melonhead]

not sure how an empty tier makes atmoshphere worse
it would look worse.but not sound worse.



for me its about taking advantage of the money and interest while we can to improve the infrastructure, and increase the potential earnings of teh club for future years

[Dare to Dr£am]

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

That is BS.
Every PL match we played was virtually sold out to 97% capacity AFAIK, so if you want people to believe this propaganda you have to back it up. (Which you can't.)
Several pages ago I posted a summary of that, so you can look at that post to see my side of the argument, then reconsider yours.

Wigan was the only team where unsold tickets were available in any large number, and that's because.. well.. they're wigan.

'greed. It was only ever away allocations that let us down (Wigan for example). Ours was almost always fully sold old.

You expand when the demand is there, and we've seen that the demand will be there! I do though agree that stage 1 to 30,000 is more than enough for us, and leave the North and South as they are until the demand is there for that.

[Schards#2]

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

That is BS.
Every PL match we played was virtually sold out to 97% capacity AFAIK, so if you want people to believe this propaganda you have to back it up. (Which you can't.)
Several pages ago I posted a summary of that, so you can look at that post to see my side of the argument, then reconsider yours.

Wigan was the only team where unsold tickets were available in any large number, and that's because.. well.. they're wigan.

You say it's BS but that don't appear to disagree with it. If you are not selling out, or are only just selling out, I don't see the need to expand. That's before we consider the issue of if we will be predominantly in the Premiership going forwards.

[Vision]

Have to say, I remain of the opinion that this is not a good idea.

Clearly, while we are not in the Premiership, we do not need a bigger stadium and, indeed, a bigger capacity would actually worsen the atmosphere.

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

The only advantage would be to give away fans the full South Stand which would have the effect of increasing gates by 2,000 odd for most games. Is it worth spending £10m odd just to accomodate more away fans, and only then whilst we are in the Premiership, which is quite probably going to be the exception rather than the rule going forward? IMHO No.

I also enjoy the atmosphere of a full/virtually full ground and a half empty tier would detract from that.

I think the talk of 38k is a bit much but there's no reason why around 30k couldn't be a sensible capacity for us.

Whilst they're will almost certainly be a handful of games that don't get near to capacity it's a bit short-sighted to go against it just because of this. Football attandance is still a communal thing and a lot of people are put off if there are only single seats available.They really want to be with people they know. I'd be willing to bet we'd be well over 25k in even the worst attended matches in the Premiership if we had a 30k capacity and a bit more choice for the more casual attender.

This also applies to potential new supporters.If the place is full to capacity every week, where do we expand our fanbase if its pretty much a closed shop in all but single seated areas of the ground most weeks.?

Equally the handful of games that may dip below 25k would be more than offset by the marquee games against the glamour clubs which we could easily get 30k plus for.

I take your concerns about atmosphere and the potential White Elephant aspect of it and as i say I personally think 38k is a bit too far. However I think you're very much looking at the Worse Case Scenario rather than whta's more than likely to happen should this go ahead.

[Dare to Dr£am]

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

That is BS.
Every PL match we played was virtually sold out to 97% capacity AFAIK, so if you want people to believe this propaganda you have to back it up. (Which you can't.)
Several pages ago I posted a summary of that, so you can look at that post to see my side of the argument, then reconsider yours.

Wigan was the only team where unsold tickets were available in any large number, and that's because.. well.. they're wigan.

You say it's BS but that don't appear to disagree with it. If you are not selling out, or are only just selling out, I don't see the need to expand. That's before we consider the issue of if we will be predominantly in the Premiership going forwards.

But next season we will be selling out, so the demand will be there, and they're not planning to start stage 1 until NEXT summer.

So your point is flawed.

[Schards#2]

Have to say, I remain of the opinion that this is not a good idea.

Clearly, while we are not in the Premiership, we do not need a bigger stadium and, indeed, a bigger capacity would actually worsen the atmosphere.

In the Premiership, I think 24,000 is just about fine. In the first Premiership season, we sold out most games quickly but I think this was largely due to the novelty factor. By the second, pretty much all games went on open sale and many didn't fully sell out. I can see this trend continuing were we to stay in the Premiership for a prolonged period.

The only advantage would be to give away fans the full South Stand which would have the effect of increasing gates by 2,000 odd for most games. Is it worth spending £10m odd just to accomodate more away fans, and only then whilst we are in the Premiership, which is quite probably going to be the exception rather than the rule going forward? IMHO No.

I also enjoy the atmosphere of a full/virtually full ground and a half empty tier would detract from that.

I think the talk of 38k is a bit much but there's no reason why around 30k couldn't be a sensible capacity for us.

Whilst they're will almost certainly be a handful of games that don't get near to capacity it's a bit short-sighted to go against it just because of this. Football attandance is still a communal thing and a lot of people are put off if there are only single seats available.They really want to be with people they know. I'd be willing to bet we'd be well over 25k in even the worst attended matches in the Premiership if we had a 30k capacity and a bit more choice for the more casual attender.

This also applies to potential new supporters.If the place is full to capacity every week, where do we expand our fanbase if its pretty much a closed shop in all but single seated areas of the ground most weeks.?

Equally the handful of games that may dip below 25k would be more than offset by the marquee games against the glamour clubs which we could easily get 30k plus for.

I take your concerns about atmosphere and the potential White Elephant aspect of it and as i say I personally think 38k is a bit too far. However I think you're very much looking at the Worse Case Scenario rather than whta's more than likely to happen should this go ahead.

The point about expanding the fan base is valid, I guess it's hard to gauge how much potential new fans there are out there without having the facility to test it. I don't know if any market research may help. I guess my concern is that these decisions may be taken on the basis of gates at a historical high for the club that may not be sustainable going forward. I have the memories of trips to Elland Road where they don't even bother opening the upper tier etched in my mind.

I suppose a lot comes down to the ambition of the owners, whoever they are, going forward. If we are going to stay as we are and cut our cloth, 'd say relegation within 2-3 seasons is an inevitability as is a lifetime predominantly outside of the Premiership with sub 20,000 gates. If we are intending to stay in the Prem and invest accordingly, the expansion becomes a lot more viable. Either way, can't afford the time to have another 60+ page argument on the subject!

[Cobi]

Expanding to 30,000 makes sense. Beyond that doesn't, not until we've done a few seasons in the top flight and are turning people away again!

This starts next summer? Sounds sensible to me!

[Platypuss]

Don't care if we actually fill the extra capacity or not, I'd just be IN! for concourses you could actually swing a cat around in.

[Schards#2]

Don't care if we actually fill the extra capacity or not, I'd just be IN! for concourses you could actually swing a cat around in.

[Deadlock]

Anton Zingarevich confirmed during his interview with BBC Berks last night that the stadium will be extended if we stay up next season.

[FiNeRaIn]

Wolves did this and look what happened. Not sure how to feel about it, wouldn't go beyond 30,000 as has been said.

[Dare to Dr£am]

Wolves did this and look what happened. Not sure how to feel about it, wouldn't go beyond 30,000 as has been said.

Wolves haven't done anything they shouldn't have! They know in the PL they sell 28,000 without much effort. So an expansion makes sense. They also planned it in stages, as we are. When they go back up the stadium will be ready for 32000 or whatever the new stand makes it, so it's worth doing. They plan to take it to 50,000 which I do find laughable.

Reading will do the same. All three extensions wont go up together, they'll be one every summer we stay up, or maybe every two years even. Judge the demand etc. I agree though that 30,000 is enough for us, certainly for a few years.