SOL expansion

[Sgt Pepper]

More like 3,500 with 76 Yards being full hospitality and not available via normal ticketing.

So has 76 Yards added 1-1.5k on? And been filled obviously, which the Black Cats Bar wasn’t? Great news if so. The hospitality demand always quite surprises me considering we aren’t a Manchester, London, Leeds, Liverpool city.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

It would be interesting to see how they would do it.

Another row of boxes along the back of the East Stand should be under consideration but i wouldn't be in favour of losing regular seats on the back rows to make space.

A mirror image of the Monty stand/ Premier Concourse would solve the issue of limited hospitality but it would also leave us with thousands of extra seats we don't need currently.

If the South Stand is ever extended it should be a single tiered home end so I wouldn't like to see that split in two for corporate reasons.

You also need all the support infrastructure (bars/lounges/kitchens there as well) and easily accesssible from hospitality seats. If we don't want to displace exisiting East Stand supporters, that means extending the skeleton of the stadium in some way,

 

[Brixton]

The university is cutting courses and foreign student numbers are way down.

They still have far more foreign students and courses than they did 10-15 years ago. You don’t extend a stadium based on what you are going to do the following season, or what happened last season.

It’s where you plan to be in 15 years time - so why shouldn’t people have some ambition and pride in their city / club for a change?

 

[MadMackem10]

It's the hospitality aspect that needs increasing now but not so much regular seats at the moment.

Would they possibly mirror the Monty Stand/ Premier Concourse, install the padded seats required to offer more hospitality and leave the regular seats uninstalled until required in future.

why would you go to all that effort and not install the seatst?

They might not be needed for the football but concerts would likely sell out and would be needed to secure the bigger concerts.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

So has 76 Yards added 1-1.5k on? And been filled obviously, which the Black Cats Bar wasn’t? Great news if so. The hospitality demand always quite surprises me considering we aren’t a Manchester, London, Leeds, Liverpool city.

No, 750. It was more like 2,600 before. Then there's Founders, which is a nebulous thing.

 

[Blyth]

It's the hospitality aspect that needs increasing now but not so much regular seats at the moment.

Would they possibly mirror the Monty Stand/ Premier Concourse, install the padded seats required to offer more hospitality and leave the regular seats uninstalled until required in future.

uninstalled seats!

Why on earth would that be an option. It just doesn’t make any sense on any level. I agree with it being mainly aimed at hospitality padded seats.

why would you go to all that effort and not install the seatst?

They might not be needed for the football but concerts would likely sell out and would be needed to secure the bigger concerts.

Crazy isn’t it. The fear of the empty seat must keep people awake at night

 

[RedandWhiteRebel]

why would you go to all that effort and not install the seatst?

They might not be needed for the football but concerts would likely sell out and would be needed to secure the bigger concerts.

Because it's installing seats we don't need but we would still have the facilities to offer more hospitality.

People wouldn't be able to stress about empty seats if they are not installed but fair point about concerts.

 

[Julio Mackemo]

uninstalled seats!

Why on earth would that be an option. It just doesn’t make any sense on any level. I agree with it being mainly aimed at hospitality padded seats.

Crazy isn’t it. The fear of the empty seat must keep people awake at night

It's the fear of ridicule, especially by the mags. Who, if they built a 70k stadium wouldn't fill it for every game.

 

[RedandWhiteRebel]

uninstalled seats!

Why on earth would that be an option. It just doesn’t make any sense on any level. I agree with it being mainly aimed at hospitality padded seats.

Crazy isn’t it. The fear of the empty seat must keep people awake at night

Just floating ideas.

We can generally agree hospitality needs to increase but having thousands of regular seats empty wouldn't be ideal would it.

 

[Rogue Badger]

The way I see it the stadium is showing it's age. It's about a quarter way through it's expected natural life so it's due a substantial refit. More corporate facilities and improved concourses for us plebs are needed to increase match day revenue and attract events. Everyone seems to agree on that.

The upgrades to infrastructure required are a once in generation project. I'm sure the club will be looking into all options and not simply rehashing Bob Murray's plans from the mid 90s. Get the next step right and it could give the shot in the arm the SOL did back in the day. Get it wrong and we could be saddled with the new Reynolds Arena. Thankfully we're a season or three from having to make a decision. We probably can't afford to leave it much beyond that

 

[Brian Griffin]

The way I see it the stadium is showing it's age. It's about a quarter way through it's expected natural life so it's due a substantial refit. More corporate facilities and improved concourses for us plebs are needed to increase match day revenue and attract events. Everyone seems to agree on that.

The upgrades to infrastructure required are a once in generation project. I'm sure the club will be looking into all options and not simply rehashing Bob Murray's plans from the mid 90s. Get the next step right and it could give the shot in the arm the SOL did back in the day. Get it wrong and we could be saddled with the new Reynolds Arena. Thankfully we're a season or three from having to make a decision. We probably can't afford to leave it much beyond that

It should be as simple as creating outdoor fanzones - people can smoke, they can booze and the room would be welcomed.

Plenty of room by the Stoke Statue area IMO and around the carpark on the East STand to have real impact.

 

[Blyth]

Just floating ideas.

We can generally agree hospitality needs to increase but having thousands of regular seats empty wouldn't be ideal would it.

But if the plan is to be successful it’s a good plan. That is the clubs thinking.

 

[andysafc85]

Are we back to this ridiculous suggestion once again?

Once we can actually sell the stadium out pretty regularly and not just 1 PL season, then consider it.

I was arguing with a few posters last year about the size of the SOL.

48k is just right, if not slightly too big considering our history since the 40’s.

Adding anything more to what we have now is just ridiculous.

 

[dancingradio]

Going round in circles here. The east stand extension for more premium experiences is already agreed. I think its well known the crap hospitality has put off promoters putting concerts on. Wouldnt be surprised if its next summer, theyve already confirmed they are giving all the current exec boxes a full refurb summer 2026 so it would go in line with that.

Lots of logistics to be sorted, mep design etc plus the workforce -currently the e sports arena is waiting the completion of the hicsa and that workforce will move across. By next summer the sheepfold housing will be kicking off so they will be liasing with that work to have joined up thinking on the workforce to complete the project.

One things for sure our current leadership have 5 year plans and stick to it. Theyve improved everything on a rolling basis starting at academy working through stadium and this project is logical next step.

 

[KathyBatesHammer]

Sunderland consistently fighting at the top end of the Premier League would need the South Stand and East Stand extending. Could probably add a third tier all the way round tbh

Tbf we could fill a fully extended SOL for the odd game in the Championship, never mind the Prem.

But aye i do reckon to consistently fill it wed need to be up there like.

 

[Rogue Badger]

It should be as simple as creating outdoor fanzones - people can smoke, they can booze and the room would be welcomed.

Plenty of room by the Stoke Statue area IMO and around the carpark on the East STand to have real impact.

They should have done that years ago to help solve the concourse problems. The money spinner is the corporate side of things though. If you extend the corporate sections within the existing stadium you'll be looking at a serious reduction in capacity. I've faith the club will get it right but there will be some big calls ahead.

 

[KathyBatesHammer]

We need to get Sunderland Durham and Newcastle linked up properly and start selling some weekend packages to tourists.

God forbid we could even work with the mags and have a 2 match package, flights hotels etc.

 

[Julio Mackemo]

Going round in circles here. The east stand extension for more premium experiences is already agreed. I think its well known the crap hospitality has put off promoters putting concerts on. Wouldnt be surprised if its next summer, theyve already confirmed they are giving all the current exec boxes a full refurb summer 2026 so it would go in line with that.

Lots of logistics to be sorted, mep design etc plus the workforce -currently the e sports arena is waiting the completion of the hicsa and that workforce will move across. By next summer the sheepfold housing will be kicking off so they will be liasing with that work to have joined up thinking on the workforce to complete the project.

One things for sure our current leadership have 5 year plans and stick to it. Theyve improved everything on a rolling basis starting at academy working through stadium and this project is logical next step.

Agreed internally ? there is no planning around it though and if so, you'd have thought that would need to be in place sharpish.

 

[North Yorks Mackem]

Going round in circles here. The east stand extension for more premium experiences is already agreed. I think its well known the crap hospitality has put off promoters putting concerts on. Wouldnt be surprised if its next summer, theyve already confirmed they are giving all the current exec boxes a full refurb summer 2026 so it would go in line with that.

Lots of logistics to be sorted, mep design etc plus the workforce -currently the e sports arena is waiting the completion of the hicsa and that workforce will move across. By next summer the sheepfold housing will be kicking off so they will be liasing with that work to have joined up thinking on the workforce to complete the project.

One things for sure our current leadership have 5 year plans and stick to it. Theyve improved everything on a rolling basis starting at academy working through stadium and this project is logical next step.

Pretty impressive the stuff you've just made up there and spouting as fact.

 

[AndrewP]

They still have far more foreign students and courses than they did 10-15 years ago. You don’t extend a stadium based on what you are going to do the following season, or what happened last season.

It’s where you plan to be in 15 years time - so why shouldn’t people have some ambition and pride in their city / club for a change?

They have less courses now and are cutting staff and budget.