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East Stand or South Stand Expansion

poolie

poolie

Winger
Anyone know what the capacities would be if we expanded either?

Obviously expanding the east stand (& NE Corner) would add more seats than expanding behind the goal.

If the current success continues, would we be able to fill the ground if we increased to the side of the pitch? Or is the South Stand a better alternative.
 

I don’t want an expansion yet. We’ve seen that in the Championship we’ll only get around 38-43k, and we could very easily find ourselves back there before any expansion work is completed - even if we started today.

I’d rather the club get settled in the PL first, maybe even qualify for Europe again, consistently sell out, before we expand.

We could fill that expansion but we could also be left with 20,000 empty seats every week.
 

SOL expansion

What’s the story with it ? There were a few rumours last year regarding this. I’m assuming that with all the work going on with sheepfolds then it could be a case of now or never in the next year or two regarding expanding the South Stand.
www.readytogo.net www.readytogo.net
 
Frijj said:
I don’t want an expansion yet. We’ve seen that in the Championship we’ll only get around 38-43k, and we could very easily find ourselves back there before any expansion work is completed - even if we started today.

I’d rather the club get settled in the PL first, maybe even qualify for Europe again, consistently sell out, before we expand.

We could fill that expansion but we could also be left with 20,000 empty seats every week.
Click to expand...
Only natural to be cautious after what we've been through as a fanbase, but I don't think the ownership has that same mindset. Once it's deemed economically viable to do, they'll do it imo.
 
Julio Mackemo said:
nah,

NE corner + E stand = 10k
SE corner + S stand + SW corner = 7k

will be about 65k
Click to expand...

ChatGPT estimates

Upper SectionApproximate Capacity
Upper West7,000 - 8,000
Upper North5,500 - 6,500
Upper North-West Corner1,000 - 1,500

Based on that we have 3 corners still to expand upon, plus a side and a goal-line. Going off that (yes its an estimate) thats a maximum of upto 19k additional seats thats could be put into the ground.
 
poolie said:
Anyone know what the capacities would be if we expanded either?

Obviously expanding the east stand (& NE Corner) would add more seats than expanding behind the goal.

If the current success continues, would we be able to fill the ground if we increased to the side of the pitch? Or is the South Stand a better alternative.
Click to expand...
taken from SAFC objection letter re:sheepfolds development

This is for South stand & South/west corner expansion only..The current SOL capacity is circa 47.5K, adding the below that would take it to 52.5k - 53k

The Application certainly has not considered any future expansion plans of the Club. The Club has recently lodged a pre-application submission with the Council for the redevelopment of the South Stand to increase the Stadium seating capacity by c.5,300 seats (smaller than that which was previously granted permission at 7,200 extra seats)
 
Frijj said:
I don’t want an expansion yet. We’ve seen that in the Championship we’ll only get around 38-43k, and we could very easily find ourselves back there before any expansion work is completed - even if we started today.

I’d rather the club get settled in the PL first, maybe even qualify for Europe again, consistently sell out, before we expand.

We could fill that expansion but we could also be left with 20,000 empty seats every week.
Click to expand...
At last common sense and perspective
Too many obsessed with big crowd numbers (more people leaving early?)
Any available money ( pursuant to financial regulations ) needs to go into team strengthening first and ego projects take a back seat
 
Frijj said:
I don’t want an expansion yet. We’ve seen that in the Championship we’ll only get around 38-43k, and we could very easily find ourselves back there before any expansion work is completed - even if we started today.

I’d rather the club get settled in the PL first, maybe even qualify for Europe again, consistently sell out, before we expand.

We could fill that expansion but we could also be left with 20,000 empty seats every week.
Click to expand...
Every sell out is lost revenue compared to what it would be if we had another 10k seats sold. And now we have an issue that very few people can get new season tickets meaning young fans cannot get into the ground. We have people complaining that ticket prices are going up but one way of dealing with that is having more supply than demand.

There's also the added complications of reducing capacity while development is on going. Doing it now would be like closing the stable door once the horse has bolted.

Hopefully any work could be done during a summer one year or at least enough of the work that the capacity isnt reduced much.
 
We should be extending the East Stand. More seats, and far greater hospitality potential. Plus it would allow loads more in for concerts potentially.

The downstairs should be built anyway with minimum disruption to fans, with the foundations in place for an upper tier.
 
Local Lad said:
Every sell out is lost revenue compared to what it would be if we had another 10k seats sold. And now we have an issue that very few people can get new season tickets meaning young fans cannot get into the ground. We have people complaining that ticket prices are going up but one way of dealing with that is having more supply than demand.

There's also the added complications of reducing capacity while development is on going. Doing it now would be like closing the stable door once the horse has bolted.

Hopefully any work could be done during a summer one year or at least enough of the work that the capacity isnt reduced much.
Click to expand...
Stadium cost about £20m initially. Now talking up to £250m for an extension.😳

Never get that money back.
 
poolie said:
ChatGPT estimates

Upper SectionApproximate Capacity
Upper West7,000 - 8,000
Upper North5,500 - 6,500
Upper North-West Corner1,000 - 1,500

Based on that we have 3 corners still to expand upon, plus a side and a goal-line. Going off that (yes its an estimate) thats a maximum of upto 19k additional seats thats could be put into the ground.
Click to expand...
You'd lose a lot of seats in terms east stand with more rows of exec boxes...

The lower bowl is what, 36k ? so the premier concourse took us to 42500..... figures make sense.
 
Last edited:
rey mysterio said:
We should be extending the East Stand. More seats, and far greater hospitality potential. Plus it would allow loads more in for concerts potentially.

The downstairs should be built anyway with minimum disruption to fans, with the foundations in place for an upper tier.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I also believe that how fast we have got to the point we are at will have surprised everyone at the club.

If we maintain it the fans will come and naturally more fans will want tickets.

If thats the case the east stand rather than the south has to be looked at.
Julio Mackemo said:
You'd lose a lot of seats in terms east stand with more rows of exec boxes...
Click to expand...

Yeah. We’d never achieve the maximum due to this. It wouldn’t make sense to just have a new stand with nothing but spectator seats for the everyday fan.
 
Last edited:
poolie said:
I agree with this. I also believe that how fast we have got to the point we are at will have surprised everyone at the club.

If we maintain it the fans will come and naturally more fans will want tickets.

If thats the case the east stand rather than the south has to be looked at.


Yeah. We’d never achieve the maximum due to this. It wouldn’t make sense to just have a new stand with nothing but spectator seats for the everyday fan.
Click to expand...
would end up between 63-65k I imagine
 
poolie said:
ChatGPT estimates

Upper SectionApproximate Capacity
Upper West7,000 - 8,000
Upper North5,500 - 6,500
Upper North-West Corner1,000 - 1,500

Based on that we have 3 corners still to expand upon, plus a side and a goal-line. Going off that (yes its an estimate) thats a maximum of upto 19k additional seats thats could be put into the ground.
Click to expand...
i think the numbers will go out of the window as to how many seats. If there’s an extension there will be more corporate areas and some of the lower bowl areas need looking at in terms of catering facilities and toilets versus the number of seats.
 
No more than 61,500 and probably a tad fewer due to more corporate stuff! They dropped 2000 seats from the original south stand plans so my estimate would be 60,000 and change.What a magnificent sight a completed bowl would be but im still not convinced kld will spend that coin anytime soon unless (like a house extension) it will increase the value of the sol above the cost of the build expense.
 
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