We are mate. :-) Probably with another two years of it happening.
After sitting in ESL3 yesterday I know the difference in our fan base from fans who want to stand and sing (SSL1, where I stand), and fans who want to sit down and watch the match. The hospitality section at the front of NSL2 isn’t going to stand up and sing. And the fans behind them sitting in expensive seaskn ticket seats aren’t going to stand up and sing.
Come on mate, we all know what is going to happen and play out if the hospitality section remains at the front of NSL2. In two years time I’ll tell you I was sadly right, or I’ll be absolutely shocked and admit I was totally wrong about the hospitality section at the front of NSL2.
We are arguing a distant hypothetical from two set pre-concieved positions. Who ultimately turns out to be right, time will tell, and it may even vary match to match.
The things I am however fairly confident on.
- those 640 seats are not in a bubble, they are not isolated from the rest of the stand, the atmosphere, the noise etc.
- they are a small proportion, and it really would take every single one of them being a dud, to make a very small difference to a 12000 person stand.
- The layout as is, is that flexible that it allows for a number of ultimate possibilities for those seats, even when built. So who is in them or how they are priced and sold, might not be as black and white as it is currently made out.
- for your own experience of hospitality, which I neither doubt nor debate, there are multiple examples of contrasting experiences. It is a percentage and numbers game, and I myself think they are too big to broadbrush.
If none of the above gives you a bit of comfort, then it will just be a case of time will tell. We will no doubt revisit this conversation then, and as you say a few rounds inbetween too. Hopefully we won't get on each other's tits in the meantime ;)