North Stand extension

[MickeyV]

When you were mid table in prem you didnt sell out.

Plenty of 37k crowds.

Only way you sell 49k now every home game is if you are challenging for top 6 European places in prem.

You aren't selling 49k mid table in prem.

You, may friend are talking what we up here call 'shite'.
When the capacity of the SoL was 42,000, in 99-00, our AVERAGE gate was 41,375.
After the extension, in 00-01, the average was 46,700. Thanks StatCat!

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I have been in a 'sold out' crowd of over 48,000 several times, although I understand the capacity is slightly lower now.
From recollection, Bob had to get the North Stand done before the Swimming pool could be started, which the City was committed to as part of the Olympic bid (admittedly it was required some years later; it was to be a training facility for some foreign teams; that probably sourced the finance for that).

 

[Mr B]

Money should have gone into the team at the time.

Considering the money that was wasted on players at that time, I don’t think another £6-7m would have made that much difference to the team. At least the extension has paid for itself since it was built and we can still make use of it, unlike some of the garbage we bought back then.

 

[AndrewP]

Been in the Premier League 3 seasons out of the last 17.
Top half of Premier 8 times in 30 years.

Had fewer Premier league seasons than Sunderland.

I'm talking about Newcastle. Agreed regarding Leeds.

Good post. I'm probably unique in thinking we do charge too low a price and we could increase to a degree. No one can tell me people in Middlesbrough are wealthier. No, not saying we should do away with concessions. Maybe we have the West and East stands more limited for concessions, e.g. 18 plus pay full adult price. Or more generally make the 18 to 21 concession a lot less. Keep the u16 as is because crucial to get them hooked.

They will charge more if we do ok. They put prices up this year. We've been so rubbish for years before that though so they had no choice but to keep prices down.

 

[JaFlan86]

Just been watching premier pressures and they are talking about extending the north stand to what it is now.

I can't remember at the time (was too young to be bothered about it at the time) but were we selling out regularly? Did this extension make sense because in the fullness of time the ground would probably be the right size without it.

Go and read Sir Bob Murrays book marra.

There is a reason why it was extended and it payed for itself.

Alot on here saying it should have been squad before extention must forget that Peter Reid squandered millions on the wrong players. Players on big contracts that never kicked a ball.

 

[ir35]

Good post. I had a ST for 20+ years but don’t anymore, however I like the fact that if I want to go I can still get a ticket, even last minute. Based on current attendances most games at the original capacity would be close to selling out.

Exactly mate, it would be a season ticket sell out at the old capacity.

 

[garyeaststand]

Good post. I'm probably unique in thinking we do charge too low a price and we could increase to a degree. No one can tell me people in Middlesbrough are wealthier. No, not saying we should do away with concessions. Maybe we have the West and East stands more limited for concessions, e.g. 18 plus pay full adult price. Or more generally make the 18 to 21 concession a lot less. Keep the u16 as is because crucial to get them hooked.

It is cheap for centre seats in east stand my dad gets his season ticket for £260 right on half way line, I’m all for affordable football but at same time club should be maximising the best seats in the house….mad they miss obvious things like this and focus on cost cutting ok essential stuff for min gain

 

[Northumberland Rocks]

The north stand extension has more than paid for itself and generated income for the club for 20 years.

What a daft thread.

 

[Wrenthorpe Mackem]

It is cheap for centre seats in east stand my dad gets his season ticket for £260 right on half way line, I’m all for affordable football but at same time club should be maximising the best seats in the house….mad they miss obvious things like this and focus on cost cutting ok essential stuff for min gain

Yeah. I think the club could look at this really. I think we can change pricing. Although given the current self inflicted PR mess from club, now is not the time!

 

[Blyth]

Population of city and surrounding areas.

So they’re a massive club cos they’ve got a huge population that don’t and never have tuned up in big numbers to support them. Reeto

You'd certainly put Sunderland in the top 15 biggest English clubs.

If I was a mega rich investor I would choose Leeds over Sunderland though.

Sunderland are very appealing, of course, but probably have a ceiling of 50,000 (which is class still), no.matter their success. Sunderland are a big club too.

However, if someone got Leeds to like Man City, Leeds would be getting 70,000 to 100,000 every week.

My point is Leeds have much more potential to grow than Sunderland.

I don't think Sunderland could ever get more than 50k, whereas Leeds could get 70k to 100k every week with Man City type success.

100,000

 

[HoxtonMackem]

Those slating the extension off haven't a clue and don't know the facts.

Extending it at the time on the cheap was bang on the correct decision, has paid for itself.

 

[Morse]

The club sold out in December 2023...

 

[Northumberland Rocks]

You'd certainly put Sunderland in the top 15 biggest English clubs.

If I was a mega rich investor I would choose Leeds over Sunderland though.

Sunderland are very appealing, of course, but probably have a ceiling of 50,000 (which is class still), no.matter their success. Sunderland are a big club too.

However, if someone got Leeds to like Man City, Leeds would be getting 70,000 to 100,000 every week.

My point is Leeds have much more potential to grow than Sunderland.

I don't think Sunderland could ever get more than 50k, whereas Leeds could get 70k to 100k every week with Man City type success.

Kids don’t do drugs.

Those slating the extension off haven't a clue and don't know the facts.

Extending it at the time on the cheap was bang on the correct decision, has paid for itself.

All day long

 

[PhilY]

The extension cost about £6m for c.6,000 extra seats.

Those extra seats will have more than paid for themselves in the 20+ years since. Not only in terms of actual £ generated through extra ticket sales, but also in terms of providing additional capacity which attracted things like England v Turkey in 2003, the concerts over the years and and England Women v Scotland last year.

 

[only one rade prica]

Leeds!? In what capacity?!

Only Skyboys would say the Mags

Murray refused to spend when we needed to, predicting the whole big spending Prem structure thing to come crashing down, then spent a load a couple of years later, when some clubs were crashing badly.

Yes, frustrating.

But under Murray he built the stadium, the extension, and the training ground. Fair play to him. This lot now wouldn't pay for a paper bag.

 

[tynevalleyblackcat]

It's not a published book it's my own list.

Derby aren't as big as Sunderland.

Take forests European cups away and Sunderland are bigger than them, certainly support wise.

But European cups add weight.

Leeds have more potential than Sunderland in my view, but Sunderland have had better crowds and more trophies so on reflection you could argue Sunderland are bigger than leeds. West ham have a massive fanbase but haven't won much.

I mean Sunderland being bigger than forest/leeds and even west ham has some credibility.

The others on the list are slam dunks though, in my view. Though sunderland have 2 more league titles than Newcastle.

If Forest have 2 European cup from their single league title, how many could Sunderland have won had there been a European cup when we won our 6 titles?

 

[CaptainRed]

My understanding has always been that we sit 10th in the overall average attendances.

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European football Stats has Leeds in 11th place on with an average of 26,056 and us in 12th with 26,017. West Ham in 10th with 26,700.

 

[Wrenthorpe Mackem]

The extension cost about £6m for c.6,000 extra seats.

Those extra seats will have more than paid for themselves in the 20+ years since. Not only in terms of actual £ generated through extra ticket sales, but also in terms of providing additional capacity which attracted things like England v Turkey in 2003, the concerts over the years and and England Women v Scotland last year.

Yes. I think that argument is settled. There's another argument about whether ite better to have a 42K stadium full 95% of time of 47K 5%....

 

[PhilY]

Yes. I think that argument is settled. There's another argument about whether ite better to have a 42K stadium full 95% of time of 47K 5%....

Fair enough, but I was trying to make the point that a larger capacity has advantages of access to different categories of games and events even if the full capacity isn’t used much.

With some smarter management of any extra capacity (essentially using the extra only as overflow as required) any detrimental impact on standard match experience could be minimised/ negligible. (The extra space could even generate a modest income while not being used as advertising space).

 

[Parsoncross]

It is cheap for centre seats in east stand my dad gets his season ticket for £260 right on half way line, I’m all for affordable football but at same time club should be maximising the best seats in the house….mad they miss obvious things like this and focus on cost cutting ok essential stuff for min gain

£260 is the price I pay for south east corner.

 

[garyeaststand]

£260 is the price I pay for south east corner.

Over 65 ?