• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

SOL expansion

A fanciful rumour I heard this week is that the Saudis have sounded us out about sharing of SoL for two seasons. They’re looking to do a Spurs and a build a new 80k stadium on the site of SJP. Apparently it’ll cost 500k to up the current ground to 63k, or 1bn to build a new stadium, which they’d prefer to do if they can find a temporary home. I suggested Riyadh to the lad that told me.
 

It's proven time and time again that unless you have a season ticket you will pick and choose games.

Until there is a point where we have around 40k season card holders do not expand the stadium.

Minor adjustments yes, I still think away fans should be in South East corner .

These days a sell out is well under the official capacity, thid needs addressing as I don't know any other stadium that has this issue .

Scum around 52k capacity and 52k crowds most weeks .
 
This ^

The club know they need to sort the SOL out and hopefully we will start to see some improvements - starting with hospitality offerings in the NS.


The BCB doesn’t generate much income though bud. Closing it and opening new boxes - alongside a new higher end hospitality suite - will generate significantly more.

The entry level bar will be the new one in the old club shop.

I must admit, I don’t know what the plans are for the JH suite. I believe though the WS main offerings will be the Riverside, Monty Suite and Business Lounge (plus boxes).
A lot of clubs now have posh lounges/restaurants that look onto the pitch, they might decide to split the space in the BCB into a smaller more premium hospitality lounge plus a few boxes? Like you say have another smaller bar in the old club shop.

The James Herriot suite would probably reopen when we get back to the prem just more cost effective to operate solely the river view
 
This ^

The club know they need to sort the SOL out and hopefully we will start to see some improvements - starting with hospitality offerings in the NS.


The BCB doesn’t generate much income though bud. Closing it and opening new boxes - alongside a new higher end hospitality suite - will generate significantly more.

The entry level bar will be the new one in the old club shop.

I must admit, I don’t know what the plans are for the JH suite. I believe though the WS main offerings will be the Riverside, Monty Suite and Business Lounge (plus boxes).
Yep, completely understand that.

If we're looking at taking advantage of hospitality more which is entirely sensible, I'd be thinking about how we include away fans in that (not on the scale/takeover similar to the Newcastle game). They'll be more and more hospitality fans in the Premier League that are now supporters wanting to travel to 'closed book' away games. Might be something to consider for the BCB, especially if the front row seats of the NSU were then used for the people in there.

The club also have to look at a way of getting 4500-5000 away fans in, in my opinion. Most PL fans can't get to away games and us giving them access immediately means the ground is at near capacity every week, even without the additional home fans that are likely to want to attend in the PL. It's not just the extra income to the club, but an extra 3000 people spending money in the city on a fortnightly basis. Every PL club restricts away fans to max 3000, don't see a reason why we wouldn't want to be more inclusive than that - the complete opposite to how we are now!

A simple factor of promotion and increased demand for home and away tickets, plus the increase in football interest across the board means that extending isn't as outlandish as simply declaring we have a few thousand empty seats just now.

I'd definitely be interested in the WS hospitality and what is and isn't being used currently to understand if there is a need for more elsewhere in the ground. Either way, it absolutely needs updating.
 
Maybe we can expand without increasing capacity? More hospiality at the backs of South & East Stands would bring in loads more income
As i have said before this would cost millions and not adding extra seats in the process would be a missed opportunity as it would only be a small part of the overall cost. Folk tend to think adding boxes is a simple affair but with the structural changes required to support the boxes ,the stairs,fire exits, kitchens corridors and the like its a huge undertaking and cost, one that KLD will not be doing anytime soon !leopards do not change their spots and KLD is not one for massive investment and if there is to be any changes to the sol it will be in drips and drabs over many years and will probably result in a reduced capacity by several thousands.
 
Club giving the illusion that we had ambition and distracting the fans !
Love a conspiracy theory. More proof some fans would be happy for us just to spend and spend.
Maybe we can expand without increasing capacity? More hospiality at the backs of South & East Stands would bring in loads more income
:lol: :lol:
As i have said before this would cost millions and not adding extra seats in the process would be a missed opportunity as it would only be a small part of the overall cost. Folk tend to think adding boxes is a simple affair but with the structural changes required to support the boxes ,the stairs,fire exits, kitchens corridors and the like its a huge undertaking and cost, one that KLD will not be doing anytime soon !leopards do not change their spots and KLD is not one for massive investment and if there is to be any changes to the sol it will be in drips and drabs over many years and will probably result in a reduced capacity by several thousands.
He’s spent the most amount ever on the SOL after 25 years of neglect
 
Last edited:
Love a conspiracy theory. More proof some fans would be happy for us just to spend and spend.

:lol: :lol:

He’s spent the most amount ever on the SOL after 25 years of neglect
Very true but hes protecting his investment from crumbling following the years of neglect..the lights the sound system all needed replacing even just to get a safety certificate lets not conflate much needed maintenance of the ground and a spankink new light show as some sort of pointer to the desire to make the sol one of the better grounds in the land......im guessing the next step will be to make the sol as attractive to concerts as its competition within their small budget remit ....i wouldn't be surprised if the entrance tunnel in the south stand will be made bigger (losing seats ) to allow better access for setting up and dismantling concerts ..nothing that KLD has done here since he took over (the second time) makes me think there will be significant structural changes to the sol anytime soon. oh and no conspiracy theory mate just observation !and how you get that to spend spend spend is beyond me!
 
Last edited:
Very true but hes protecting his investment from crumbling following the years of neglect..the lights the sound system all needed replacing even just to get a safety certificate lets not conflate much needed maintenance of the ground and a spankink new light show as some sort of pointer to the desire to make the sol one of the better grounds in the land......im guessing the next step will be to make the sol as attractive to concerts as its competition within their small budget remit ....i wouldn't be surprised if the entrance tunnel in the south stand will be made bigger (losing seats ) to allow better access for setting up and dismantling concerts ..nothing that KLD has done here since he took over (the second time) makes me think there will be significant structural changes to the sol anytime soon. oh and no conspiracy theory mate just observation !and how you get that to spend spend spend is beyond me!
Why would he make the access tunnel bigger? it’s already bigger than the majority of stadium access tunnels in the UK
 
A fanciful rumour I heard this week is that the Saudis have sounded us out about sharing of SoL for two seasons. They’re looking to do a Spurs and a build a new 80k stadium on the site of SJP. Apparently it’ll cost 500k to up the current ground to 63k, or 1bn to build a new stadium, which they’d prefer to do if they can find a temporary home. I suggested Riyadh to the lad that told me.
Hope they were told to fuck off given the mess we made of the cup last year
 
I don't think it's fully to do with with more seats .

A lot of people just want better facilities, concourses that have room and easy to get food and drink

We don't want to fall behind on modern stadiums.

Its going to get even tougher to get concerts if Newcastle move stadiums and build a new one, so we need to be prepared

Yes that’s true. Expansion for larger concourses, modern facilities etc definitely would be beneficial assuming the money is there
 
Why would he make the access tunnel bigger? it’s already bigger than the majority of stadium access tunnels in the UK
Its cheap and it would make acces better!I gave up comparing size when my ball dropped mate (I was 55 & 3/4)....... lets just bookmark this and wait and see!
 
Sadly not mate. Sounds like the four games are just being split between the Aviva, Hampden and Wembley


The work you will see first is in the north stand mate. A new hospitality offering will be going in.

The East Stand stuff is still a good few years away
Assuming it will replace the black cats bar? Old club shop becomes some kind of low level bcb type hospitality?
 
Assuming it will replace the black cats bar? Old club shop becomes some kind of low level bcb type hospitality?

Yeah mate. A while ago I heard the new bar was going to be a “top up” to your season card but that might have changed. It will however be an entry level package
 
Yeah mate. A while ago I heard the new bar was going to be a “top up” to your season card but that might have changed. It will however be an entry level package
Be an upgrade to black cats bar though with west stand seats I’d imagine
It’s cheap and it would make acces better!I gave up comparing size when my ball dropped mate (I was 55 & 3/4)....... let’s just bookmark this and wait and see!
Mate you can drive an ambulance through the access tunnels :lol: If they we’re big enough for Ed Sheerans stage and the Take That circus concerts I think they’ll big enough for anything
 
Last edited:
Hope they were told to fuck off given the mess we made of the cup last year
Yep, a figure of £20 million was quoted as what they’d pay. I’d want another 0 on the end before even sitting down with them. Even then the consequences would be too horrific to contemplate.

Interesting if it was framed that they were paying for to expand SoL. Certain things just aren’t worth it though no matter what.
 
Exhausting this thread, like...

Just a rinse and repeat of posters explaining its not likely to just be chucking extra seats at the ground but rather improving/adding to the hospitality/boxes/concourses, and the rest not grasping why this is important
 
Be an upgrade to black cats bar though with west stand seats I’d imagine

Mate you can drive an ambulance through the access tunnels :lol: If they we’re big enough for Ed Sheerans stage and the Take That circus concerts I think they’ll big enough for anything

I suspect any seats for the new bar will be in the PC mate
 
Exhausting this thread, like...

Just a rinse and repeat of posters explaining its not likely to just be chucking extra seats at the ground but rather improving/adding to the hospitality/boxes/concourses, and the rest not grasping why this is important
Mind boggling isn't it, someone suggests it's for improving hospitality and boxes, then someone responds straight back with a "but we don't need more seats?" for the 50th time. Are people's brains falling out between posts or something? :lol:
 
Back
Top