North Stand Expansion

[jrb]

So what incentivises people in SSL1 to move? It's purely on the price of a ticket you'd imagine.

The incentive for me is a proper and vocal home end. Safe standing would be another incentive. I would pay what I'm paying now for a season ticket. A cheaper season ticket would be great, but it wouldn't temp me if NSL2 had hospitality at front, if it was it seated, if it was stewarded strictly, etc. I wouldn't move to NSL1 even if it was made safe standing as it would be like SSL1, bar not being next to the away fans.

 

[Gordyola]

I remain cynical about what we'll see. What's this covered City square going to provide? Is it going to be a beer hall style area to bring in the singers and get them buying loads of pints before making a racket? Or will the club think, they spend a limited amount and actually what we want is family and tourist oriented entertainment with lots of merchandise and to make a fortune capturing that revenue each matchday. Market to the Cityzen members a unique matchday experience with access to City square and all the entertainment plus seats in a single tier "home end" (they'll still call it that).

Those who come for a couple of beers and a sing song spend relatively little and they're already going to come and watch City sat where they currently are. The atmosphere is clearly good enough for us to perform as a club - unbeaten at home in 2023 - so why change it? Why not design it to capture as much revenue as possible which will come from those with kids, tourists and cityzen members who will undoubtedly spend more money.

The club are trying and succeeding in my view to improve the "match day experience" long gone are the days when you arrived watch the match bought a pint and pie and left. If you want to do that you can, there is no compulsion to do more, but they are still trying to improve that with better bars etc.

City were the first to introduce a permanent "fan-zone" City square, to provide pre-match entertainment, and a range of foods and drinks and let's be honest it was very successful, I for one miss it. The one major factor though was the Manchester weather, so they have taken the opportunity to introduce a covered square in the new development. Will this increase revenue? Of course it's essential to help the club maintain the club's status revenue will help meet FSR.

Access to the square will be open to all City fans regardless of where they will be sitting, its capacity is 3000 looking at the images of the development there will be outlets around the square selling merchandise, in fact it adjacent to the new store. I'm guessing it will be as the old City Square but improved and certainly more weather proof

 

[Gordyola]

So it will definitely open none match days ?

It's going to be a multiple use facility, including IIRC from the planning application an ice rink five-a-side court . The idea is to offer a facility for conferencing that includes the hotel and all the other facilities onsite unrivalled in the area and only a few miles from the city centre of the fastest growing city in Europe with easily accessible metro station. Be left in doubt that the club has a vision for this development that goes way beyond any other club's

 

[Dunne's own goal]

So what incentivises people in SSL1 to move? It's purely on the price of a ticket you'd imagine.

I’d say one of the main incentives is to move to a proper home end. If it’s got safe standing, I think it will look really impressive and I think that alone will tempt a lot of people.

Price is a big factor as well. Lots of people moved out of ss1 into ss3 because of pricing. I don’t think being stood near away fans is the deciding factor either.

Mostly disagree. first of all I can't see anyone moving because of that. and I think being stood near away fans is a lot bigger factor than you think.


Ticket prices - and option to get adjacent seats with your mates - will be the biggest driver to get people to move.
At least for me. What I'll do is look if 1894 group makes a statement about organised moving to NS2 - if not, I'll do my best to get ST in SS/kippax corner. and only if that doesn't happen i'll look at the new NS2.


oh, and safe standing is a must or the new stand will be quiet as anfield

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Mostly disagree. first of all I can't see anyone moving because of that. and I think being stood near away fans is a lot bigger factor than you think.

Fair enough. I don’t agree though. An 8,000 all standing second tier will be an impressive sight and I think that alone will tempt people to move over. You would want to be a part of something special - a proper home end.

Some people do like standing near the away fans, but the majority of ss3 and ss1 don’t stand right next to them. Most people didn’t originally move into block 115, they instead moved into ss3 - all because of the pricing. Standing near away fans didn’t come into it for most.

I’d rather have a proper home end rather than a few blocks separated by away fans.Often it’s just those two small sections either side that are bothered by the away fans anyway.

 

[Danny Hoekman]

The incentive for me is a proper and vocal home end. Safe standing would be another incentive. I would pay what I'm paying now for a season ticket. A cheaper season ticket would be great, but it wouldn't temp me if NSL2 had hospitality at front, if it was it seated, if it was stewarded strictly, etc. I wouldn't move to NSL1 even if it was made safe standing as it would be like SSL1, bar not being next to the away fans.

Not been too involved in this thread since its inception, but what do you propose to do with the people who currently reside in NSL2, and have done since 2003?

 

[jrb]

Not been too involved in this thread since its inception, but what do you propose to do with the people who currently reside in NSL2, and have done since 2003?

I don’t propose anything. The club will decide. Nobody can 2nd guess the club on this. We haven’t been told anything official by the club as regards the final seating plans and arrangements for the new North stand. All we currently know is the club are still looking at all seating arrangements with another 2 years to go until the stand is open.

It’s a brand new stand. With brand new seating arrangements. With a possible/probable 700 hospitality seats at the front of L2. Will the club offer those hospitality seats to the fans who currently reside at the front of NSL2 first, at a reduced rate for the 1st season, or will the club tell the fans currently residing at the front of NSL2 they will have to move to make way for the 700 hospitality seats, unless they want to pay the full price to stay there?

One thing is for sure, there are always winners and losers amongst the fans when a new stand or tier opens.(SSL3) Some fans will be happy. Some fans will be pissed off. Some fans won’t care either way.

 

[HelloCity]

Not been too involved in this thread since its inception, but what do you propose to do with the people who currently reside in NSL2, and have done since 2003?

Have they?

The old North Stand lot got moved for a giant family stand just under 10 years after that.

The seats at the front of NSL2 are also earmarked as being premium seats by the club as part of the expansion.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Not been too involved in this thread since its inception, but what do you propose to do with the people who currently reside in NSL2, and have done since 2003?

kick them out perm for leaving all the time on 70 or 80 mins

 

[blueparrot]

Have they?

The old North Stand lot got moved for a giant family stand just under 10 years after that.

The seats at the front of NSL2 are also earmarked as being premium seats by the club as part of the expansion.

Didn’t somebody at a supporters club meeting say somebody from the club said,’ a lot of confusion has been caused by people looking at the plans and making assumptions on those premium seats because of how the bar area appears on the plans’.Or am I mis remembering.
I think a lot of guessing is happening and none of us really know what the final decision on the make up of the NS will look like.