• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

SOL expansion

No idea why we can’t just get the east stand to mirror the west stand in the immediate future, especially if we survive this year and next, then at least we can extend the concourse areas a bit downstairs and increase our corporate offering.

Move the away fans back downstairs, make the north stand the home end, would be epic and wouldn’t cost too much considering the basic infrastructure is already there.
I’m as ambitious as the next SAFC fan but the idea of extended the ground is mental at this stage to be honest. If we’re selling it out over a say 2-3 year period then fair enough but not now. Appreciate that’s what you’re getting at. I just wouldn’t have it high up on list of priorities. Playing squad first at the moment undoubtedly.
 

I’m as ambitious as the next SAFC fan but the idea of extended the ground is mental at this stage to be honest. If we’re selling it out over a say 2-3 year period then fair enough but not now. Appreciate that’s what you’re getting at. I just wouldn’t have it high up on list of priorities. Playing squad first at the moment undoubtedly.
It's virtually sold out as of now. 37.0k season cards + 3.5k corporate + 3.0k aways + 2.0k segregation = 45.5k. Leaves only 2.5k paying match per match.
 
It's virtually sold out as of now. 37.0k season cards + 3.5k corporate + 3.0k aways + 2.0k segregation = 45.5k. Leaves only 2.5k paying match per match.
2k segregation? Capacity is also 46.5k as that's what we got against Coventry but aye it's sold out apart from the few corporate that are left
 
2k segregation? Capacity is also 46.5k as that's what we got against Coventry but aye it's sold out apart from the few corporate that are left
Yes 46.5k because of nearly 2.0k segregation which is first five rows of north stand upper and a section of north west upper corner.

Upshot is we've virtually already sold out next season. Anyone wanting matchday tickets will have to be quick!
 
Last edited:
Yes 46.5k because of nearly 2.0k segregation which is first five rows of north stand and section of north west corner.

Upshot is we've already sold out next season. Anyone wanting matchday tickets will have to be quick!
Don’t want to play devil’s advocate but we could (hope not) be dire and the match day tickets aren’t in as much demand/some season card holders become indifferent. Don’t want to be pessimistic just feel we’ve been here before and it wasn’t prolonged. Hopefully things are different.
 
Yes 46.5k because of nearly 2.0k segregation which is first five rows of north stand and section of north west corner.

Upshot is we've already sold out next season. Anyone wanting matchday tickets will have to be quick!
How come The Mags dont have a 2k segregation? Away fans at the "shit tip" are virtually located in the same position as The Sol.
 
How come The Mags dont have a 2k segregation? Away fans at the "shit tip" are virtually located in the same position as The Sol.
I don't know, but it's a fact - we do, they don't - maybe because of arsehole Coventry / Portsmouth so called fans throwing shit ?
Don’t want to play devil’s advocate but we could (hope not) be dire and the match day tickets aren’t in as much demand/some season card holders become indifferent. Don’t want to be pessimistic just feel we’ve been here before and it wasn’t prolonged. Hopefully things are different.
Maybe we'll sell those tickets to tourists? Lots of demand to see premier league football and not many opportunities due to virtual sell outs everywhere else?
 
Last edited:
So how come I missed a recent rugby game that hasn't yet taken place, or was there another?


Do you have a source for that? I knew there wasn't any this year, but I didn't realise it was because the stadium is in a poor state.

No doubt, but even if we get concerts it's not going to be a 24/7 entertainment venue like someone said. It'll be a football stadium with a few concerts a year. It'll always primarily be a football stadium.
Other grounds are primarily football grounds but used for other things. Old Trafford and spurs spring to mind. I get you don't think it's am appealing idea but yiur likely going to see it happen. Villa and Liverpool have improved recently not just for football but for the concerts they've got and we didn't.
 
Yes 46.5k because of nearly 2.0k segregation which is first five rows of north stand upper and a section of north west upper corner.

Upshot is we've virtually already sold out next season. Anyone wanting matchday tickets will have to be quick!
Go back to your original numbers as they add up to 45.5k but you said 2.5k match day which is a total 48k. The capacity is now around 46.5k and I think the 3,000 away is including the segregation as there's just under 4,000 seats sections P21 to P38 so that means segregation costs us about 1k fans doesn't it? Sections P21 & P22 have 411 seats

Logon or register to see this image
 
Last edited:
Go back to your original numbers as they add up to 45.5k but you said 2.5k match day which is a total 48k. The capacity is now around 46.5k and I think the 3,000 away is including the segregation as there's just under 4,000 seats sections P21 to P38 so that means segregation costs us about 1k fans.

Logon or register to see this image
We can argue about the precise numbers - I think there are about 2k seats lost through segregation through reports I've heard - but the substantive point is we've virtually already sold out this season.

Depending on your point of view that's either a good thing because there will be few / no empty seats, or the club should think about an expansion because we need the extra capacity to hook in the future supporters, ie kids, who want to watch premier league football.

We are almost unique in the Premier League with the ability to raise our capacity both dramatically and efficiently, and this - in my view - represents a massive opportunity for us to increase our fan base for the future.

This is the bigger picture which the club should grasp.
 
Last edited:
Maybe we'll sell those tickets to tourists? Lots of demand to see premier league football and not many opportunities due to virtual sell outs everywhere else?
Fair point mate. I’m more thinking if we don’t stay up.
We can argue about the precise numbers - I think there are about 2k seats lost through segregation through reports I've heard - but the substantive point is we've virtually already sold out this season.

Depending on your point of view that's either a good thing because there will be few / no empty seats, or the club should think about an expansion because we need the extra capacity to hook in the future supporters, ie kids, who want to watch premier league football.

We are almost unique in the Premier League with the ability to raise our capacity both dramatically and efficiently, and this - in my view - represents a massive opportunity for us to increase our fan base for the future.

This is the bigger picture which the club should grasp.
Make a good case for it there. As I’ve said in other posts it’s predicated on us staying in the PL or if the worst happens and we do go next season we come back up relatively quickly and stay there.
 
Last edited:
Fair point mate. I’m more thinking if we don’t stay up.

Make a good case for it there. As I’ve said in other posts it’s predicated on us staying in the PL or if the worst happens and we do go next season we come back up relatively quickly and stay there.
Just need to think positively - always. The opportunity in front of us is, if not once in a lifetime, then once in a decade.
 
We saw similar in L1. 40k+ (46k maybe?) high and lows in the 20s.
It was just 2 games over 40k, the first being the 46k Boxing Day push against Bradford, the 2nd was 41k in the last home game.

The next highest was 37k in January as this was possibly due to the part season tickets as presents for Xmas. Prior to Xmas, even though we'd climbed to 2nd for all November, the crowds were all between 28.5k and just over 32k. Also be aware the variations of sub 37k could be fluctuations in away fans.


We can argue about the precise numbers - I think there are about 2k seats lost through segregation through reports I've heard - but the substantive point is we've virtually already sold out this season.

Depending on your point of view that's either a good thing because there will be few / no empty seats, or the club should think about an expansion because we need the extra capacity to hook in the future supporters, ie kids, who want to watch premier league football.

We are almost unique in the Premier League with the ability to raise our capacity bot dramatically and efficiently and this - in my view- represents a massive opportunity for is to increase our fan base for the future.

This is the bigger picture which the club should grasp.
I've said we've sold out as there's just over 200 left in the 3 Premium areas. It's a good thing it's sold out but to expand straight away isn't something they will do. They've got plenty of wiggle room with prices yet to ease demand yet drive up revenue.

This would be what happens next season if we stay in the PL as the new prices now will become the renewal. That alone will increase revenue considerably given 34k or so renewed at early bird prices before the considerable increase for the new ST fans.

The increase has already had some commenting on the price, especially those with bairns as it's a canny increase so we'd also lose some fans sadly. The club won't spend money on an extension when they can still sell out at higher prices. It's only when it sells out at high prices and there's demand that we end up with a membership scheme like other clubs that we'd extend. If the worst happens and we get relegated the club can easily drop prices to fill the ground but it couldn't dismantle an extension.

All this is in my opinion of course as I'd love to see it extended this season and all the way around and who cares what the empty seat haters think as long as any SAFC can go to the game if they want to without being priced out or not able to get tickets due to selling out 😎 The daft thing is even if it was 63k in the Championship the club could let fans in for less yet possibly still generate more revenue than they would at current capacity
 
Last edited:
If it’s march day revenue then it’s corporate we continue to need to improve.

Standard ticket sales don’t raise that much money especially in the PL where other revenue streams are so much more important.

We should want a ground the right size to allow everyone in at a fair price. The trouble is you can’t just add 5k here, take of 8k there, etc, depending on what league you are in.
 
I think Sunderland as a whole needs better transport links for SAFC to have higher crowds on a long term basis. Mags have the metro for the T & W area but then any County Durham mags just need to get to Durham or darlo and they have the option of a direct train right into the city centre. It’s so easy especially when they’re doing well. Conversely Sunderland is trickier to get to. No decent direct rail links and the buses go all over so take ages. Even parking near the ground has become harder in recent years due to permit areas. As soon as we start to struggle it becomes a chore and attendances drop off. SAFC have a large % of match goers from all over the region but not the infrastructure to back it up. I think its a shame because that will always hold us back crowd wise and money will never be spent to make Sunderland an easier place to get to.
Said it in other threads. Any kind of direct link Durham <> Sunderland would be huge. IMO that would add thousands to the attendances eventually
 
I think Sunderland as a whole needs better transport links for SAFC to have higher crowds on a long term basis. Mags have the metro for the T & W area but then any County Durham mags just need to get to Durham or darlo and they have the option of a direct train right into the city centre. It’s so easy especially when they’re doing well. Conversely Sunderland is trickier to get to. No decent direct rail links and the buses go all over so take ages. Even parking near the ground has become harder in recent years due to permit areas. As soon as we start to struggle it becomes a chore and attendances drop off. SAFC have a large % of match goers from all over the region but not the infrastructure to back it up. I think its a shame because that will always hold us back crowd wise and money will never be spent to make Sunderland an easier place to get to.

Well said.

The various SAFC branches around Co.Durham and beyond do a great job of bringing supporters into Sunderland by coach but the lack of direct public transport from Durham City into Sunderland cannot be overlooked.

10 - 15 mins From Durham to Newcastle by train is far more convenient than anything heading to Sunderland and that is a problem.
 
It's virtually sold out as of now. 37.0k season cards + 3.5k corporate + 3.0k aways + 2.0k segregation = 45.5k. Leaves only 2.5k paying match per match.
For one season, but we shouldn’t be basing extending the stadium on one season when it’s going to be fully sold out for the first time since 2001/02. Everyone knows why that is the case, because we’ve been through some brutal times in that period and plenty times we’ve just not been very good and we’ve had nowt to cheer in that time either, but nobody knows how the next 12 months+ will go yet. If the new 3,000ish season card holders continue to stick it out and the demand for match by match tickets still remains high after the next couple of seasons, maybe then is the time to discuss it.
 
Back
Top