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SOL expansion


Let’s all calm down, we have 1 of the country’s biggest stadiums, and when we are doing well we fill it (give or take) when reasonably priced. However we have a fan base that is busy / working class so has to pick their games …. See tonight where people had a chance to see lads but had commitments/ better things to spend hard earned cash on. It’s apparent we have a sizeable % who are there only to see the big teams or big games only………maybe better model is charge more and get more corporate…. Makes more money than another 8K cheap seats only sold when big teams come.
 
Sgt Pepper said:
Nowt to do with being scared. Being inside a packed ground is miles better than being inside a sparse one for feel, atmosphere.
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It’s not gonna be sparse tho is it. It’s not like there’ll be masses of empty seats.

Atmosphere was class just after covid with 10k in the ground.

I’ve seen shit atmospheres with full houses.

End of the day the club need to get people off their feet.

I get it we’ve been battered for the best part of 25 year by false dawns.

Using words like I dread empty seats kinda alludes to the fact you’re scared of empty seats.
horselover said:
2k in Keel Square anarl
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10k in the rabbit
 
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Mackemansj1 said:
You do know that’s a picture of anfield right?.
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Hoying that image of Anfield up was only to show the size of the biggest stand. At the SOL, the other 3 would be the same level, South stand also extended like North stand but the East stand could be 3 tier like Anfield's main stand. Unlike Anfield, the NE & SE corners would be seats also up to 2nd tier just like the NW corner is now. Not that it can be done, but it's basically a 3rd tier extending out the back of the Premier Concourse and a higher roof line along the west stand would be the same thing.

It's not going to happen anyway but it was the mention of the 66,000 that got me wondering given we lost rows in the North Stand and now losing seats in the latest South Stand numbers.

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oddbod said:
I thought the original max capacity was 63500...but that did not include the shorter north stand because of the road /baths plans (thus fewer seats )and the 1900 less in the south stand proposed development (im guessing to fit in more corporate )so unless in the future they are going to make the east stand bigger than the monty stand i would guess the max the stadium seat numbers would be around the 60,500 mark!
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That's why I was wondering where the 66,000 came from as I always thought it was 63,000.
 
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ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK said:
Hoying that image of Anfield up was only to show the size of the biggest stand. At the SOL, the other 3 would be the same level, South stand also extended like North stand but the East stand could be 3 tier like Anfield's main stand. Unlike Anfield, the NE & SE corners would be seats also up to 2nd tier just like the NW corner is now. Not that it can be done, but it's basically a 3rd tier extending out the back of the Premier Concourse and a higher roof line along the west stand would be the same thing.

It's not going to happen anyway but it was the mention of the 66,000 that got me wondering given we lost rows in the North Stand and now losing seats in the latest South Stand numbers.

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That's why I was wondering where the 66,000 came from as I always thought it was 63,000.
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It will be a lazy journo's typo,turned into reality with the passage of time!
 
oddbod said:
It will be a lazy journo's typo,turned into reality with the passage of time!
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It's not though is it given it's in the August 13th Sunderland Objection on the council website, strange as I said but even so it's good to see they're looking at it all.

In this regard, on 25 July 2025 the Club submitted a pre-application enquiry to the Council in respect of new, updated proposals to redevelop an extended South Stand. This proposal represents a further step towards the Club’s vision of a 66,000 seat stadium (which will ultimately be achieved by extending the East Stand
 
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Blyth said:
It’s not gonna be sparse tho is it. It’s not like there’ll be masses of empty seats.

Atmosphere was class just after covid with 10k in the ground.

I’ve seen shit atmospheres with full houses.

End of the day the club need to get people off their feet.

I get it we’ve been battered for the best part of 25 year by false dawns.

Using words like I dread empty seats kinda alludes to the fact you’re scared of empty seats.

10k in the rabbit
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Why would I be scared of a plastic seat? I simply think the discussion is premature at this stage when, if we were to be relegated this season, we’d be back to around 40k - which is still a tremendous second tier crowd especially for a club that’s been through the mill as much as we have with nothing to show for it. But as good as that crowd is, the stadium would feel a bit crap if it held 55k. Ask anyone who stuck around throughout all the League One and Championship years and they’ll say how much better the ground felt against Coventry at home and West Ham the other week.
 
ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK said:
It's not though is it given it's in the August 13th Sunderland Objection on the council website, strange as I said but even so it's good to see they're looking at it all.

In this regard, on 25 July 2025 the Club submitted a pre-application enquiry to the Council in respect of new, updated proposals to redevelop an extended South Stand. This proposal represents a further step towards the Club’s vision of a 66,000 seat stadium (which will ultimately be achieved by extending the East Stand
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Probably quoted by someone not knowing the facts an sometimes folk dont look into the detail enough (also that statement contradicts itself)and accept stuff on face value or this could be a new vision? ..it was clear that bob wanted to extend the sol all the way round so it was symmetrical and i read the 63500 figure years ago but if the upper goal end tiers were going to hold 7500 each plus the original 42000 (possibly extra 300)that makes 5700 so the east stand would have to be 9000 to get it to 66000....

Now they have dropped over 2000 seats to the south stand the proposed so east stand will have to be 11000 and i dont think that can be done given the extra corporate and keep the design symmetrical.... speaking as a fan and someone who loves symmetry i hope any future expansions are in keeping with the overall aesthetics and that when crossing the keel bridge to approach to the south stand it looks magnificent and befitting our great club!
 
oddbod said:
Probably quoted by someone not knowing the facts an sometimes folk dont look into the detail enough (also that statement contradicts itself)and accept stuff on face value or this could be a new vision? ..it was clear that bob wanted to extend the sol all the way round so it was symmetrical and i read the 63500 figure years ago but if the upper goal end tiers were going to hold 7500 each plus the original 42000 (possibly extra 300)that makes 5700 so the east stand would have to be 9000 to get it to 66000....

Now they have dropped over 2000 seats to the south stand the proposed so east stand will have to be 11000 and i dont think that can be done given the extra corporate and keep the design symmetrical.... speaking as a fan and someone who loves symmetry i hope any future expansions are in keeping with the overall aesthetics and that when crossing the keel bridge to approach to the south stand it looks magnificent and befitting our great club!
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63,000 would be big enough. That’s bigger than spurs, arsenal and Liverpool. Spurs and arsenal will struggle to extend it further as well. I think Liverpool will put another tier on the kop and maybe extend the other side of the really big stand. They could fill it easy
 
Spaceturtle said:
63,000 would be big enough. That’s bigger than spurs, arsenal and Liverpool. Spurs and arsenal will struggle to extend it further as well. I think Liverpool will put another tier on the kop and maybe extend the other side of the really big stand. They could fill it easy
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Close the airport and train station and Liverpool couldn't fill a bus stop.
To fill a 60k plus stadium we'd need to be in a simular situation as Newcastle currently are and competing or regulars in Europe, competitive on the pitch and winning the odd cup, yeah I know they've only won one mickey mouse cup but they'll be targeting more in the years to come. We need some sustained kind of success for four or five seasons to attract that many regularly.

I wonder how big our fanbase is. Our actual catchment. My pals are Boro fans and they claim they only have 100k catchment and I explain no teesside is well over 400k to themselves then they have south Durham amd north Yorkshire. They then say Sunderland has well over two million shared with newcastle. But its not an equal share is it and they are eating into our more fairweather support lately and split historical areas. Them having waiting lists could work in our favour tho if we have some ambition.
 
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MutantParvoParmo said:
Close the airport and train station and Liverpool couldn't fill a bus stop.
To fill a 60k plus stadium we'd need to be in a simular situation as Newcastle currently are and competing or regulars in Europe, competitive on the pitch and winning the odd cup, yeah I know they've only won one mickey mouse cup but they'll be targeting more in the years to come. We need some sustained kind of success for four or five seasons to attract that many regularly.

I wonder how big our fanbase is. Our actual catchment. My pals are Boro fans and they claim they only have 100k catchment and I explain no teesside is well over 400k to themselves then they have south Durham amd north Yorkshire. They then say Sunderland has well over two million shared with newcastle. But its not an equal share is it and they are eating into our more fairweather support lately and split historical areas. Them having waiting lists could work in our favour tho if we have some ambition.
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Yes and the fact that it will take the mags ages to add more seats. People from the County Durham heartland will want to watch premier league football. An expansion now would enable the kids to come and watch us instead of them. It’s a whole new generation of fans. Who cares if we don’t fill it every week but we would have the capacity to get large crowds when we have big games and we will have big games. Any sniff of success and it’s 50000 plus just like the 70s before the roker was chopped. I might add that Roker park was never the same after being chopped. Expansion needs to get down and it will
 
Spaceturtle said:
Yes and the fact that it will take the mags ages to add more seats. People from the County Durham heartland will want to watch premier league football. An expansion now would enable the kids to come and watch us instead of them. It’s a whole new generation of fans. Who cares if we don’t fill it every week but we would have the capacity to get large crowds when we have big games and we will have big games. Any sniff of success and it’s 50000 plus just like the 70s before the roker was chopped. I might add that Roker park was never the same after being chopped. Expansion needs to get down and it will
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I hope we do. I really do hope KLD does have the ambition and the 5 or 10 year plan. Like he had a 5 year plan for prem football delivered in 4 I think. I'd love to know his ambitions for another as I say 5 or 10 years. The region is big enough to sustain two ambitious clubs with big crowds. It would be amazing actually.
 
Football Dinosaur said:
And we said earlier what if we stay up. The plans are there. If we stay up the roof should be coming off as soon as its mathematically confirmed.
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I thought the planning permission for the south stand had lapsed?so they will need to apply again ..so we will know well in advance that they intend to build ...as if you say its the option if we stay up they wont want to delay the build from the end of the season waiting for approval!
 
MutantParvoParmo said:
I hope we do. I really do hope KLD does have the ambition and the 5 or 10 year plan. Like he had a 5 year plan for prem football delivered in 4 I think. I'd love to know his ambitions for another as I say 5 or 10 years. The region is big enough to sustain two ambitious clubs with big crowds. It would be amazing actually.
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He said from the very start he wanted to expand the stadium. There is too much noise for it not to be happening. They know we could sell at least another 5000 seats for floating fans. I would love to be in a really big crowd at Sunderland. Like my dad witnessed in the 50s and 60s
 
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