SOL expansion

[AndrewP]

Having empty boxes surely would be more costly? Unless you rely on casual staff and responsive catering then having empty boxes would cost a small fortune

Probably a whoosh, but why would they be empty?

 

[JackL]

I’m not saying extend fully now but If Sir Bob had taken your view we would still be at roker park with a capacity of 18,000.

Attendances weren't 18k for that long though we're they? The only way was up. It could go either way atm as recent history over the past 20-30 years suggests

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Build boxes on the back on the north east corner and east stand.

Where does the suppport infrastructure go? You can't be walking meals, etc round half the ground and through the middle of 76 Yards. Needing to expand is all to do with ancillary stuff as well. On top of that, the demand is likely to be for more Monty's/Riverside stuff than boxes at £40k a pop.

 

[dancingradio]

Probably a whoosh, but why would they be empty?

Cos sunluns working class, nee money aboot, gerrin relegated soon etcetc

 

[North Yorks Mackem]

Hes spoke to the council planning department. Thats that then, nothing happening in the background at all. Close the thread

Why does he keep using mate

You said the east stand extension had already been agreed, which aside from being totally made up, is different to things happening in the back ground. But you likely havent a Scooby do what discussions have or havent taken place on this.

 

[dancingradio]

Where does the suppport infrastructure go? You can't be walking meals, etc round half the ground and through the middle of 76 Yards. Needing to expand is all to do with ancillary stuff as well. On top of that, the demand is likely to be for more Monty's/Riverside stuff than boxes at £40k a pop.

Why nor man Andrews gona buy some trolleys in for the lasses to wheel the bait through

 

[Blyth]

Existing lifts, stairs and catering. it looks possible and others have suggested it the past. It would reduce capacity though.

So you’d expect people to pay top whack, go up the stairs or lifts and walk all the way around to the north east and east stand. Then for their food to be cold and their drinks to take ages to get through and then go for a piss back in the west stand.

Where would the corridor go? It can’t go through where BCB is, it can’t go through the south stand.

You really haven’t through this through.

All because you don’t want any empty seats. We’ve got some corkers on here

 

[AndrewP]

Cos sunluns working class, nee money aboot, gerrin relegated soon etcetc

I thought boxes had been sold out most games, even in the championship, mate?

 

[Blyth]

Where does the suppport infrastructure go? You can't be walking meals, etc round half the ground and through the middle of 76 Yards. Needing to expand is all to do with ancillary stuff as well. On top of that, the demand is likely to be for more Monty's/Riverside stuff than boxes at £40k a pop.

Desperate not to have empty seats, he thinks this is a better idea. Bizarre

 

[AndrewP]

Where does the suppport infrastructure go? You can't be walking meals, etc round half the ground and through the middle of 76 Yards. Needing to expand is all to do with ancillary stuff as well. On top of that, the demand is likely to be for more Monty's/Riverside stuff than boxes at £40k a pop.

You can add extra hospitality without adding a stand though. They could hire the hotel next to the stadium and run Monty's style hospitality out of there.

I'm not saying we don't need more as it seems clear that we do *redacted*. I just don't think mirroring the West Stand and adding 10k to the capacity is a great idea.

Desperate not to have empty seats, he thinks this is a better idea. Bizarre

I'm not desperate, I just don't think it's good for atmosphere. It was pretty rubbish when the PC was closed and empty. Seems a bit pointless and expensive.
*redacted*

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

You can add extra hospitality without adding a stand though. They could hire the hotel next to the stadium and run Monty's style hospitality out of there.

I'm not saying we don't need more as it seems clear that we do (despite what billy liar and Blyth say). I just don't think mirroring the West Stand and adding 10k to the capacity is a great idea.

They already use the Hilton for away fan packages (and even then only if there isn't a wedding on). There's only one funnction room, and the Karbon Grll is rammed every matchday.

 

[Blyth]

You can add extra hospitality without adding a stand though. They could hire the hotel next to the stadium and run Monty's style hospitality out of there.

I'm not saying we don't need more as it seems clear that we do (despite what billy liar and Blyth say). I just don't think mirroring the West Stand and adding 10k to the capacity is a great idea.

again. Nobody is saying they should just add 10k seats. That won’t be the driver. But adding a stand with more premium seating hospitality areas, exec boxes is far more realistic and sensible than any of your suggestions.

It could even be a club Wembley style, bigger, plusher seats with more room and much larger nicer concourses which wouldn’t go anywhere near the 10k you’re talking about.

 

[RedandWhiteRebel]

Indeed. Nothing wrong either trying to be ambitious and hopefully the owners have a little bit more ambition and vision than some of our fans.

SAFC is probably in a unique position in the premier league as the SOL, thanks to Sir Bobs vision, can relitively be easily and cheaply extended.

As football is only going to get bigger and with the planned development of sheepfolds I think the south stand extension does need to be looked at in the first instance. Obviously the east stand extension will probably be for another time.

The problem with extending the South first is it won't solve the issue of extra space for hospitality and that's what needs addressing first.

Generally if people are paying big money for an executive box they will want to be alongside the pitch rather than behind a goal.

Plus my hope is the South would become a single tier home end rather than it being used for corporate.

 

[AndrewP]

They already use the Hilton for away fan packages (and even then only if there isn't a wedding on). There's only one funnction room, and the Karbon Grll is rammed every matchday.

They could build a purpose built hospitality area close to the west strand. There's usually plenty of seats left on the padded seats at the front of the PC. They could include one of those and a posh meal.

 

[Northumberland Rocks]

Attendances weren't 18k for that long though we're they? The only way was up. It could go either way atm as recent history over the past 20-30 years suggests

They were when Sir Bob was planning the SOL. Bob got a lot of stick but he was proven right.

We can’t have a scenario where kids are locked out. We need to make it as easy as possible for kids to support SAFC otherwise with the blood money in the area we could loose a generation of support.

 

[Zidane]

We do not need a bigger stadium overall.

Theres no waiting list and our history over decades suggests we are out of the top division as much as we are in it and its very possible next season is going to be a short stay too given our historic ability to stay up and the recent trend for promoted teams.

What they do need to do for this season is allow away fans back at the front of the North Stand upper, therefore compressing the allocation into the end making more room for home fans on the corner and along.

There's a good argument for more corporate facilities especially when comparing to the latest stadiums but we really don't need many if any more normal seats.

 

[Blyth]

Billy liar reckons it's already agreed and happening anyway.

The plans are definitely there. The club has plans of what things will look like in the future. It’s not a thing to worry about. Whether it comes to fruition is another thing.

The problem with extending the South first is it won't solve the issue of extra space for hospitality and that's what needs addressing first.

You’ll be surprised

 

[Northumberland Rocks]

The problem with extending the South first is it won't solve the issue of extra space for hospitality and that's what needs addressing first.

Generally if people are paying big money for an executive box they will want to be alongside the pitch rather than behind a goal.

Plus my hope is the South would become a single tier home end rather than it being used for corporate.

Fair points and I possibly agree re single tier south stand extension.

 

[AndrewP]

What they do need to do for this season is allow away fans back at the front of the North Stand upper, therefore compressing the allocation into the end making more room for home fans on the corner and along.

That seems like a no-brainer to me.

I agree at this stage. Who knows in future

You just never know. Mental at the moment though.

So you’d expect people to pay top whack, go up the stairs or lifts and walk all the way around to the north east and east stand. Then for their food to be cold and their drinks to take ages to get through and then go for a piss back in the west stand.

I don't expect anything. I was just pointing out that it's possible.

There's lifts and stairs on the eastern edge of the North Stand by the way though, mate.

Where would the corridor go? It can’t go through where BCB is, it can’t go through the south stand

Customers could enter via the black cats bar and turn left to the new corridor leading to the boxes.

As someone else has pointed out, catering might be an issue. They could maybe build a small kitchen to cater?

 

[Leake Makem]

Last decent season in the Premier (ie pre-2016) we averaged well over 43K (ie pre-2016) and had 5 matches over 45K ( and another 5 over the 44K mark ) with large losses in capacity due to segregation. That's pretty close to the capacity.

In the championship not long after that, Sunderland has an average of just over 29K, last season in the same division we averaged well over 40K.

It wouldn't surprise me if the home-ends are either sold out or just have a few tickets available here or there for most games next season.

If we ever achieve any consistency or start competing in the mid-table areas, new supporters won't be able to get tickets for love nor money without extra capacity.

aye mate thats great but to expand the stadium? You need to be replicating that for a good number of years consistently to surely even have the convo