It was THE worst period in our 146 year history but we still averaged at least 30k.
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SOL expansion
- Thread starter Father Larry Duff
- Start date
RedandWhiteRebel
Midfield
We could wait 3 years and then get relegated the year after.
If the worst was to happen close the upper tier and cover the seats with sponsor banners. Then it is all in place for the next time we bounce back.
We cannot continue to kick the can down the road if we are serious about extending.
Wrenthorpe Mackem
Striker
I think we'll see them tweak and experiment with ticket prices too in next couple of seasons. Not that they're looking to shaft us but they may reduce some of the more generous concessions in popular parts of ground to maximise match day revenue.
I don't get the problem with "empty seats". I have money in the bank which I do not need to use at the minute. It is there in case the need arises. The club are actually missing out on income at the minute because the ground is full and lots and lots of people who would love to pay to go can't give that money to the club. I have being going to football for 50 yrs now and only a handful of clubs, usually the successful ones, had "full" grounds every week. Either that or the likes of Southampton whose ground was too small for them. Extra seats means potential extra income. Especially important now with psr.
RedandWhiteRebel
Midfield
The East Stand would make sense for more hospitality and concerts.
I know the club released plans for the South Stand in response to the council & Sheepfolds but i have not seen any for the East Stand. So I'm still not sure how they will approach any expansion.
MadMackem10
Winger
Will depend on what is being said within the club, if it appears they are happy with those finishes long term then maybe. But if they start talking very ambitious and start aiming for 7th/8th combined with a couple of big money singings a season and I think the fans will be all over it.
Julio Mackemo
Winger
I still think if we stay up this year, we'll formally release plans and get started. We (as supporters) seem obsessed with having empty seats and how it'll look. Not many other clubs give a sh!t. We should be thinking that we'll stay up for 10, 20, 30 years minimum, though I know recent history suggests the opposite.
interesting info regarding West Ham below;
interesting info regarding West Ham below;
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Hulkster
Striker
Every single club eventually gets bored of mid table finishes and/or relegation battles each year eventually.
Every one, no exceptions.
This includes clubs for whom finishing mid table in the premier league would have seemed like an absolute fantasy just a few years earlier.
The demand for tickets *will* fall back unless we keep moving forward- and there's a limit to how far forward we can realistically go.
4 seasons in a row of finishing sort of 8th to 16th, which seems like a dream now, and demand would start to fall back a little and the stadium would seem like just the right size, mostly full but selling out only for the biggest games.
It's at this point most clubs have to either accept where they are, but more likely try something different or spend beyond their means to try to kick on and end up falling backwards.
Unless anyone thinks we can establish ourselves as a regular champions league team then our stadium is already big enough for us.
Money would be better spent on increasing the size of the concourses, putting in place measures allowing the seats at the front of the north stand upper to be sold, reducing the number of seats lost to segregation and an increase in corporate facilities, rather than simply extra seats for the sake of it.
Every one, no exceptions.
This includes clubs for whom finishing mid table in the premier league would have seemed like an absolute fantasy just a few years earlier.
The demand for tickets *will* fall back unless we keep moving forward- and there's a limit to how far forward we can realistically go.
4 seasons in a row of finishing sort of 8th to 16th, which seems like a dream now, and demand would start to fall back a little and the stadium would seem like just the right size, mostly full but selling out only for the biggest games.
It's at this point most clubs have to either accept where they are, but more likely try something different or spend beyond their means to try to kick on and end up falling backwards.
Unless anyone thinks we can establish ourselves as a regular champions league team then our stadium is already big enough for us.
Money would be better spent on increasing the size of the concourses, putting in place measures allowing the seats at the front of the north stand upper to be sold, reducing the number of seats lost to segregation and an increase in corporate facilities, rather than simply extra seats for the sake of it.
Brett
Striker
The only really way to do extend concourses on the east and south would be to build out, and if you do that you may well extend the stadium at the same time with the extra seats
RedandWhiteRebel
Midfield
The only realistic way of increasing corporate and concourse space is to extend the stadium.
keithmoon66
Winger
HITC podcast did a documentary on the evolution of the "top 6" and the established "big" clubs in this country.
The conclusion was that they (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc) always built for capacity before they had those to fill it.
Having the space to accommodate more fans have led to more success.
What teams have built too big for themselves?
West ham doesn't count cos thats not even a football stadium.
The conclusion was that they (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc) always built for capacity before they had those to fill it.
Having the space to accommodate more fans have led to more success.
What teams have built too big for themselves?
West ham doesn't count cos thats not even a football stadium.
Nobody publishes the real attendance figure, just tickets sold.
The Beautiful Game
Striker
We would right now, but we've shown that, even with sustained premier league football and midtable finishes, we don't fill the ground regularly. If we extended it would satisfy some short-term demand, and lead to empty seats galore a year or two down the line. Maybe if we are selling out in two or three years time, I'd eat my words and the extension would be a legitimate option, but our history suggests its a bad idea.
We had 5-10,000 too many seats under drumaville / short and it took us to league one. Not sure that tracks
We were stinking the premier league out then. The plan is to be much, much better on the pitch and off it, in all areas. With a bit of luck, we will be, and we will fill the ground no bother because it's going to be great going to support a topflight team that is competing rather than merely surviving.
Julio Mackemo
Winger
Agree, we'd fill mid fifties but I think thats our level unless we get loads of tourists.
Sustained Mid- table finishes? - in ten years we finished 10th once, a complete fluke on the last day we jumped about 4 places. The other 9 seasons we finished bottom half, struggled and had numerous miraculous escapes. Also, football has become much more popular over that time.
The Beautiful Game
Striker
Separate things. I didn’t says sustained midtable finishes
Sustained premier league football - Ten years
Midtable finishes - 13th, 10th and 13th
Unlucky Black Cat
Winger
Darlo.
MK Dons.
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True.
The obvious (to me) solution is to extend the Roker End and make it all-standing. It will do wonders for the atmosphere and our magnificent fans can claim the title The Red Wall, while benefiting from reasonably priced tickets. It would be good if they kept some for match-day sales so exiles like me could get a look in!
Regarding the East stand, it has great possibilities for greatly increasing corporate, to help securing concert gigs and freeing up 76Yards to become away hospitality when away fans are (inevitably) moved downstairs. That will inconvenience some SC holders, but they do not own those seats- they rent them. Alternative accommodation will be made available.
An idea for inclusion in the hospitality offer might be the building of a prime venue a bit like 'Under The Bridge' at Chelsea. Abramovic was a Blues fan and built a magnificent venue under their east stand. It was a copy of a Chicago club, based on the idea of old Blues players practicing under a bridge to get good acoustics. The club was the best I've ever been in, with superb sound and lighting, intimate atmosphere with great sightlines. I saw Dr. John, Mick Taylor and many more, but it's been unused for gigs since he was booted out. See here...
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An up-and-coming place like Sunderland needs some top-end venues and hotels.
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