SOL expansion

[nowtgoodeverhappens]

Aye, this is the general thoughts of most of my Newcastle supporting mates. Those with tickets love SJP and reluctant to move.

The exception is those who used to buy match by match, and who are now priced out or in this stupid membership ballot thing they have. Pay £60 a season to be in with a chance of being able to buy a ticket nonsense. They want a bigger ground to be able to go again because of all the other plastic/tourist fans that have taken up the seats they normally accessed.

FWIW, I think we're a while away from that here, but can already see a decent chunk of people who are missing out on tickets this season. Continued success over the next few years (low bar here, I'm thinking establish in Prem, pushing to outskirts of European places) and a sensible extension will be a no brainier.

Fuck yeah.

No idea how or if it's possible, but creating more room would have a huge impact on matchday experience.

Will only go down there if I’m absolutely busting for a lag, and it ain’t pleasant. Horrific design for 40 odd thousand people.

 

[Julio Mackemo]

Just been reading comments from mags regarding their supposed new ground. Quite a few saying that if they ‘only’ build a 75k stadium, they need to make sure that it’ll be easily extendable in the future. Meanwhile we have people questioning whether we should increase the south stand with an extra 5k seats. I know mags are seriously deluded, but it does show just how over cautious some of our fans are.

What makes them think they’ll fill 75k ? 60k yes currently.

 

[oddbod]

The stadium needs improving, I'm happy to agree with you on that

i dont see why you dont get it mate! the stadium is going to need multi millions to bring the corporate parts up to spec and this will require huge structural changes and im sure they are aware of the not fit for purpose concourse's throughout the stadium andthey will require enlarging so after all that and all that money spent you would say dont add seats (which would be a fraction of the overall cost)because we might not fill it .....you would have us doing all this construction and not add seats cos some fans think other fans will take the piss and we should wait until the demand is there.well personally i think that is bonkers and im certain any major development of the ground for corporate facilities will involve extra seats!..mainly because our owners are not fools!

 

[Spaceturtle]

What makes them think they’ll fill 75k ? 60k yes currently.

I reckon Man U and Liverpool could fill 100000, Arsenal 80000. I would like to see it but Liverpool will struggle to expand to that size

 

[Eric gates hair]

Distance learning type private “universities/colleges”, there’s thousands of em out there who need the use of places occasionally. There’s office space everywhere it’s being at a football club that hooks companies in for conferences etc.

Spurs may be up for grabs now.

They’ll use that £400m to build the hotel, cinema, casino, shopping centre ower the road from WHL more like.

Spurs is a money making machine if handled properly.

Already have one of the best stadiums in the world .

 

[AndrewP]

Distance learning type private “universities/colleges”, there’s thousands of em out there who need the use of places occasionally. There’s office space everywhere it’s being at a football club that hooks companies in for conferences etc.

We've already got loads of unutilised space. You don't need an extension for the thousands of online colleges.

 

[Blyth]

We've already got loads of unutilised space. You don't need an extension for the thousands of online colleges.

That’s not really what he’s saying is it? No one is saying the extension is needed for 1 specific thing or event. The ultimate driver has to be for football reasons, but there’s a ton of reasons for it to be extended in addition to that.

 

[Mackemansj1]

Just been reading comments from mags regarding their supposed new ground. Quite a few saying that if they ‘only’ build a 75k stadium, they need to make sure that it’ll be easily extendable in the future. Meanwhile we have people questioning whether we should increase the south stand with an extra 5k seats. I know mags are seriously deluded, but it does show just how over cautious some of our fans are.

You had people bringing up will grigg at points not so long ago man. Some just can’t get over the past. Shouldn’t spend money as will grigg, should extend as we went down under Murray not long after etc.

 

[JackL]

i dont see why you dont get it mate! the stadium is going to need multi millions to bring the corporate parts up to spec and this will require huge structural changes and im sure they are aware of the not fit for purpose concourse's throughout the stadium andthey will require enlarging so after all that and all that money spent you would say dont add seats (which would be a fraction of the overall cost)because we might not fill it .....you would have us doing all this construction and not add seats cos some fans think other fans will take the piss and we should wait until the demand is there.well personally i think that is bonkers and im certain any major development of the ground for corporate facilities will involve extra seats!..mainly because our owners are not fools!

I get it but its just about timing. I honestly think if we consolidate construction will begin in the next two or three years. We'll see though

 

[riffraff]

Spurs is a money making machine if handled properly.

Already have one of the best stadiums in the world .

Too far out of Central London for repeat bookings. Arsenals is 5 mins from tube. Spurs stadium is getting loads of one off bookings on non match day events due to its novelty and newness but Arsenals gets the repeat events.

 

[Football Dinosaur]

Never said we were?

Just building extensions when we could easily get relegated, is just stupid, as if we don't get back up straight away all the good stuff we've done with finances are well out the window. That should be top priority, not hypothetical extensions for a crowd that might not exist.

The way some are going on here you'd think we were already safe.

Any team can be relegated at any time.

 

[The Great Soprendo]

Any English football fan other than man utd who thinks they need a ground that size should have their opinion instantly dismissed. The reason a few of us are cautious is because we know how quickly things can change. There needs to be evidence of long term demand, although I understand the argument for improved corporate facilities and generally modernising the stadium

Football crowds have been growing across the board since the mid 80s and we have seen the same at SAFC. Of course we might still go down but we'll still be back at some point to reap the rewards from it.

For the club's long term sustainability I would argue we need to expand, and soon.

 

[riffraff]

Any team can be relegated at any time.

Not now they can’t. It’s not the 70s of Spurs and Utd nightmares.

 

[AndrewP]

That’s not really what he’s saying is it? No one is saying the extension is needed for 1 specific thing or event. The ultimate driver has to be for football reasons, but there’s a ton of reasons for it to be extended in addition to that.

It sounded like that's what someone was saying. The ultimate driver, as you say, will be footballing reason.

A South Stand extension won't help with concerts and I can't think of anything else we need extra capacity for other than football and potentially concerts.

Not now they can’t. It’s not the 70s of Spurs and Utd nightmares.

If Spurs only match their points total from last season then there's a decent chance they go down. They'll probably do a lot better, but it could happen to them or someone else. The mags would be nice

 

[cornish cat]

Stadiums of the past were pretty basic - watching the game, drinking and pissing mainly. The future stadium will be more about entertainment beyond the football, involving corporate events, bars, clubs, social drinking and eating spaces, music, shows, performances etc. We will be planning to draw people in to the stadium to go bowling, eat from one of the multitude of pop-up food stalls, watch highlights of the games on massive screens, have a wedding reception, eat at a fine-dining restaurant as a special treat, play pool with mates, do a bit of shopping at one of the many outlets, go to the museum, stay in one of the hotels etc. I know some of these are already options, but it'll be done with more style, better integration of facilities and planning.
I'm pretty sure the club will be already fine-tuning the plan to turn the SOL into something pretty special. Once they know that the on-pitch stuff is a success, the stadium development will quickly follow. I'll be shocked if we just extend the capacity by adding an additional tier. I think it'll be way more than that.

 

[riffraff]

It sounded like that's what someone was saying. The ultimate driver, as you say, will be footballing reason.

A South Stand extension won't help with concerts and I can't think of anything else we need extra capacity for other than football and potentially concerts.


If Spurs only match their points total from last season then there's a decent chance they go down. They'll probably do a lot better, but it could happen to them or someone else. The mags would be nice

Since the late 70s/early 80s redivision of home gate money every change in football financing has been to take the big clubs further away from Utd and Spurs style seventies fuck ups and the smaller clubs further away from the top. None of it has been to give all clubs an equal chance. It’s the big clubs world and the rest simply live in it.

 

[generalsmut]

One of the reasons that I think we need to extend is to stop the ground becoming a closed shop to the next generation. I've got a season ticket but in a few years time I'm hoping my son (currently aged 1) will want to start going and get a season ticket. At current levels of demand and without an extension, I am not sure he will be able to get one

 

[Mackemansj1]

If they can afford to build it i dont see any reason not to tbh as it will be a sign of ambition and i couldnt give a shit whether we fail to fill it as our magnificent stadium will be improved! Think small time you stay small time !

Depending on costs I agree. This isn’t like when we built the extension when it was money for players had to be cut back a bit to pay for it or so people say. These days with psr etc loans and the like it should t have much effect on the playing side. It’s definitely something they will be looking at in the near future should we stay up. They know we have a ceiling as things stand. We need to look to other income streams to boost psr etc should we progress. As much as it sucks corporate is where it’s at and if we do well on the pitch it’s gonna attract more of those types. Then the stuff like concerts, we need to keep up and we’ve missed out in the past because of the lack of premium boxes and seats. It all means nowt us arguing on here at the end of the day it isn’t our money and isn’t our club. They will have plans in place to extend as it’s gonna be the easiest way to expand our income.

 

[AndrewP]

Since the late 70s/early 80s redivision of home gate money every change in football financing has been to take the big clubs further away from Utd and Spurs style seventies fuck ups and the smaller clubs further away from the top. None of it has been to give all clubs an equal chance. It’s the big clubs world and the rest simply live in it.

Spurs and Man City got canny close last year as far as league position goes.

We will be planning to draw people in to the stadium to go bowling

No we won't.

 

[Fletch]

South stand would , I assume, be less cost/risk than extending east stand