The Sol plans, incase these got lost within the smb section...

[rey mysterio]

We could fill a 70,000 stadium if we charged £100 a season ticket as could most of the top 20 clubs in England if the price is right and the fan experience is improved.

I dream of a domed roof on a fully extended SOL though. Would be epic.

 

[GuestServices]

Does that not take us to 63000 if we do east and south uppers

Closer to 70K, estimated. Expanding the south stand up takes us to 56K'ish. Pretty sure the premier concourse holds 8k, so it kind of works out.
We went from 42500 to 49K with extending the north stand, with a few less rows.

Closer to 70K, estimated. Expanding the south stand up takes us to 56K'ish. Pretty sure the premier concourse holds 8k, so it kind of works out.
We went from 42500 to 49K with extending the north stand, with a few less rows.

How Sunderland 'future proofed' the Stadium of Light for future expansion - Rob Mason - Chronicle Live

 

[oddbod]

According to the statcat record it states 51,782. I was there that night and ended up on the cinder track on the CS paddock as being a similar age to you couldn't see a thing in the Roker End. Ironically it also states that their was over 53,000 at the Luton quater final, I was in the Fulwell End for that and whilst chocka it didn't seem as many as the Man City game, just how I remember it like.

I was twelve for the Luton game the crowd outside the fulwell end queuing to get in was as squashed as I have ever been..I was going to faint until a copper on a horse grabbed me by the scruff if the neck and made some room....that's my abiding memmory of that game.

 

[stevo]

You can sense the excitement and hope in almost all of our threads today.People remembering the great crowds we have had down the years.I cannot wait to get back to the SOL with a gutful of ale on board and the ground bouncing.That Man utd replay by the way,think it was the police who calculated it to be 100,000 that night.It was amazing really although i cant remember much about the game itself except how quickly the minutes passed.

 

[E Tenebris Lux]

I think a Roker End gate gave way and loads poured in to an already packed stadium (didn't someone die in the crush ?).

My Dad said he was working on a site at Rainton and left work early to go to the match. Bus after bus coming from Durham went past full. Eventually he got home (Ford Estate) for 5ish, quick change, no tea, and off he went, Got as far as the bridge he said there was more people coming back than going with loads telling him he was wasting his time because of the crowds already outside the ground. Eventually gave up and ended up having a drink in the town.

In March 64 FA Cup replay, there were more than twice the crowd that was inside Roker Park, jam packed outside,trying to get in. Huge masses all the way from Bridge Street to the ground, no queues , just a mass of slow movement down Roker Avenue and all streets leading to the ground we’re totally blocked by fans trying to get in from 4pm onwards. Unbelievable scenes which I can never see happening again.
In those days fans from outside the town mainly travelled by bus and coach, due to the scarcity of cars. Police stated the A690 and roads from west of Durham was at a standstill as was the road leading to Sunderland from Gateshead. I never got in , I was battered and bruised, crushed for four hours . The men who died suffered heart attacks in the crush. No way ambulances could get anywhere near the ground.
The day after the police inspector in charge of crowd behaviour stated that if ever the clubs were to meet in the future, it must be All Ticket !! The Echo showed a giant pyramid of shoes found the following morning and invited fans to try and claim their lost footwear.

You can sense the excitement and hope in almost all of our threads today.People remembering the great crowds we have had down the years.I cannot wait to get back to the SOL with a gutful of ale on board and the ground bouncing.That Man utd replay by the way,think it was the police who calculated it to be 100,000 that night.It was amazing really although i cant remember much about the game itself except how quickly the minutes passed.

Police estimated 80000+ in the ground( 44,000 officially paid through the turnstile) and over 50,000 locked out. I never got in.

 

[andysafc85]

When Bruce had a class side? I'm not sure that was ever the case...decent, yes - at times - and with potential, sure, but it was not a "class" side. Certainly nowhere near as good as Reid's 7/7 finish side.
The feelgood factor Reid enjoyed can certainly happen again, given the right personnel and a little success.
It would not be right to rule that out, even though it's a distant target right now.

I think it was a bit better than decent, we had goals, pace and a decent defence, but his recruitment cost him in his 3rd season.

It'll take some doing for any manager to top Reid's side, which I still think underachieved looking back. Its a crime we never got into Europe or to a major cup final.

 

[b1gals]

In March 64 FA Cup replay, there were more than twice the crowd that was inside Roker Park, jam packed outside,trying to get in. Huge masses all the way from Bridge Street to the ground, no queues , just a mass of slow movement down Roker Avenue and all streets leading to the ground we’re totally blocked by fans trying to get in from 4pm onwards. Unbelievable scenes which I can never see happening again.
In those days fans from outside the town mainly travelled by bus and coach, due to the scarcity of cars. Police stated the A690 and roads from west of Durham was at a standstill as was the road leading to Sunderland from Gateshead. I never got in , I was battered and bruised, crushed for four hours . The men who died suffered heart attacks in the crush. No way ambulances could get anywhere near the ground.
The day after the police inspector in charge of crowd behaviour stated that if ever the clubs were to meet in the future, it must be All Ticket !! The Echo showed a giant pyramid of shoes found the following morning and invited fans to try and claim their lost footwear.

Police estimated 80000+ in the ground( 44,000 officially paid through the turnstile) and over 50,000 locked out. I never got in.

Sounds fascinating and frightening. What time was KO in those days? How far did you get ?

 

[Flea Market Trader]

Club should leak a conversation about ground extension with the council on a slow news day.

It’s my opinion that when we built the stadium of light we should have built it as the full bowl with 60,000 or thereabouts. Right from the off built a proper team and we would be right up there now challenging,,,,,or am I deluded.

 

[GuestServices]

It’s my opinion that when we built the stadium of light we should have built it as the full bowl with 60,000 or thereabouts. Right from the off built a proper team and we would be right up there now challenging,,,,,or am I deluded.

We didnt have the money to do that, nor would we have attracted the players.

 

[stevo]

In March 64 FA Cup replay, there were more than twice the crowd that was inside Roker Park, jam packed outside,trying to get in. Huge masses all the way from Bridge Street to the ground, no queues , just a mass of slow movement down Roker Avenue and all streets leading to the ground we’re totally blocked by fans trying to get in from 4pm onwards. Unbelievable scenes which I can never see happening again.
In those days fans from outside the town mainly travelled by bus and coach, due to the scarcity of cars. Police stated the A690 and roads from west of Durham was at a standstill as was the road leading to Sunderland from Gateshead. I never got in , I was battered and bruised, crushed for four hours . The men who died suffered heart attacks in the crush. No way ambulances could get anywhere near the ground.
The day after the police inspector in charge of crowd behaviour stated that if ever the clubs were to meet in the future, it must be All Ticket !! The Echo showed a giant pyramid of shoes found the following morning and invited fans to try and claim their lost footwear.

Police estimated 80000+ in the ground( 44,000 officially paid through the turnstile) and over 50,000 locked out. I never got in.

I was in the fulwell end it was scary when the gates started to break

 

[Flea Market Trader]

We didnt have the money to do that, nor would we have attracted the players.

I’m deluded then

 

[beezer]

I don’t think we’d ever really have the demand to go bigger than 49k unless we really kicked on and the mags had a big slump that would push all the plastic fans towards us. I’m not sure I’d really want them either.

A couple of recent games that stick in my mind were FA Cup 5th round vs Arsenal and League Cup semi vs Man Utd. High level opposition and both were fairly big games for us but the crowds were surprisingly low.

 

[E Tenebris Lux]

Sounds fascinating and frightening. What time was KO in those days? How far did you get ?

7-30ko. I was aged 13 with two mates travelled from Houghton. At about 4 pm crossing the bridge we met men coming the other way saying you’ll never get in.
It took ages to get as far as the British Ropes.
From the Miners Hall on Roker Ave, right down passed the Navy Club and Zetland Street it was just one mass right across the road.
I lost my mates in the mayhem outside the clock stand. The only way we got that far was by going into the gate of the terraced bungalows and going down passed each house and jumping over the railing in between the houses, to get down the streets.The streets were jam packed. I was behind the clock stand at about 5 pm but swaying all over and my feet weren’t on the ground. I was forced into a mans back and struggled to breath. One minute about 3 yards from the clock stand wall and the next 12 yards away. It was agony, struggling to breath and hoping the gates would open but I couldn’t see as I was a kid and unable to see a turnstile. At 7 pm it was dark and a man had collapsed near me, he was lifted overhead by others and carried into a back yard, I was forced into the yard behind the clock stand and that was how I escaped the mayhem. I must have been 200 yards from the Roker End where the gates had collapsed but I never knew anything about this until the next day. No way could people where I was packed in, have known about the collapse as the streets were crammed and you couldn’t move. I was just pleased to be out of the crowd and the lady let us rest and go through the house and escape from the front door. It was a nightmare.

 

[b1gals]

7-30ko. I was aged 13 with two mates travelled from Houghton. At about 4 pm crossing the bridge we met men coming the other way saying you’ll never get in.
It took ages to get as far as the British Ropes.
From the Miners Hall on Roker Ave, right down passed the Navy Club and Zetland Street it was just one mass right across the road.
I lost my mates in the mayhem outside the clock stand. The only way we got that far was by going into the gate of the terraced bungalows and going down passed each house and jumping over the railing in between the houses, to get down the streets.The streets were jam packed. I was behind the clock stand at about 5 pm but swaying all over and my feet weren’t on the ground. I was forced into a mans back and struggled to breath. One minute about 3 yards from the clock stand wall and the next 12 yards away. It was agony, struggling to breath and hoping the gates would open but I couldn’t see as I was a kid and unable to see a turnstile. At 7 pm it was dark and a man had collapsed near me, he was lifted overhead by others and carried into a back yard, I was forced into the yard behind the clock stand and that was how I escaped the mayhem. I must have been 200 yards from the Roker End where the gates had collapsed but I never knew anything about this until the next day. No way could people where I was packed in, have known about the collapse as the streets were crammed and you couldn’t move. I was just pleased to be out of the crowd and the lady let us rest and go through the house and escape from the front door. It was a nightmare.

Thanks for that recollection Mate. I'm generally okay with crowds but that would terrify me.

 

[Sandboy]

7-30ko. I was aged 13 with two mates travelled from Houghton. At about 4 pm crossing the bridge we met men coming the other way saying you’ll never get in.
It took ages to get as far as the British Ropes.
From the Miners Hall on Roker Ave, right down passed the Navy Club and Zetland Street it was just one mass right across the road.
I lost my mates in the mayhem outside the clock stand. The only way we got that far was by going into the gate of the terraced bungalows and going down passed each house and jumping over the railing in between the houses, to get down the streets.The streets were jam packed. I was behind the clock stand at about 5 pm but swaying all over and my feet weren’t on the ground. I was forced into a mans back and struggled to breath. One minute about 3 yards from the clock stand wall and the next 12 yards away. It was agony, struggling to breath and hoping the gates would open but I couldn’t see as I was a kid and unable to see a turnstile. At 7 pm it was dark and a man had collapsed near me, he was lifted overhead by others and carried into a back yard, I was forced into the yard behind the clock stand and that was how I escaped the mayhem. I must have been 200 yards from the Roker End where the gates had collapsed but I never knew anything about this until the next day. No way could people where I was packed in, have known about the collapse as the streets were crammed and you couldn’t move. I was just pleased to be out of the crowd and the lady let us rest and go through the house and escape from the front door. It was a nightmare.

so many people will struggle with the concept of such a big match not being all ticket and not knowing if you were going to get in or not. Nearest I can relate to is the West Ham promotion match and although I've heard tales of crowds outside I don't recall any problem getting in, was probably a couple of hours before kick off and all the blokes were in the pub. Do remember being in a traffic jam near where Nissan is now alongside Claudio and his very attractive wife

 

[E Tenebris Lux]

so many people will struggle with the concept of such a big match not being all ticket and not knowing if you were going to get in or not. Nearest I can relate to is the West Ham promotion match and although I've heard tales of crowds outside I don't recall any problem getting in, was probably a couple of hours before kick off and all the blokes were in the pub. Do remember being in a traffic jam near where Nissan is now alongside Claudio and his very attractive wife

I was at both games and the WHU match was like a normal big crowd.I had no problems getting in. The WHU game was nothing like the Cup game in 64 for the amount of people. To put it into perspective, the day after Matt Busby said he’d never seen a crowd like it and it took his team over an hour to get from the Roker Hotel into the ground and that was with a police escort. It was impossible to drive down the streets as all the roads were packed with people.There players could see people squashed against their coach as it struggled to get through. It featured in a documentary about George Best and he said it was the most frightening time of his life.

 

[Sandboy]

I was at both games and the WHU match was like a normal big crowd.I had no problems getting in. The WHU game was nothing like the Cup game in 64 for the amount of people. To put it into perspective, the day after Matt Busby said he’d never seen a crowd like it and it took his team over an hour to get from the Roker Hotel into the ground and that was with a police escort. It was impossible to drive down the streets as all the roads were packed with people.There players could see people squashed against their coach as it struggled to get through. It featured in a documentary about George Best and he said it was the most frightening time of his life.

yeah, a fraction of the total numbers, so few pics of it anywhere