Gary James
Well-Known Member
We should get on and build it. Design it in such a way that the top tier can be screened off for cup ties, so that no empty seats are seen. That way we make a statement that its open for League games but never designed for cup games so that no one can laugh. Then when a cup game demands the extra it gets opened up and is a positive - City have such high demand they've opened up an area designed exclusively for PL games!
We get hung up on empty seats. If we'd have been hung up about capacity in 1920s we'd have stayed at cramped Hyde Rd and never built the best club ground in England with a capacity of more than double our old capacity. In the 60s players like Lee had clauses/bonus payments listed in their contracts where they would be paid extra per 1,000 crowd above a set figure. Lee & co said that gave them a desire to entertain, not just win, so that fans would want to be there and see it in the flesh. Okay it might not be so easy now, but why not have bonus payments for all ticketing staff and playing staff for crowds above 60k, or for cup crowds of more than 50k?
For me the debate shouldn't be about building the stand, it should be about finding ways to fill it. Initiatives are needed that get people in and make them dedicated fans. People criticise the Family Stand, but the truth is that this is generating a new generation of fans that will, hopefully, help to fill the stadium with their own families in ten/twenty years. We suffered with our restricted capacity in 90s, and lost a generation. We can't let that happen again. Build the stand, give special deals to fans living within say 2 miles of the stadium (some of which is traditionally red territory), encourage new arrivals in the city, give enormous discounts to children and parents, and basically build the fan base. Colonise new areas - most of West Yorkshire is within 1 hour drive and also has good railway links to the Etihad area, so let's target that areas well as our Mancunian strongholds.
Every new housing estate/development in east Manchester should offer special deals. Major employers, special deals etc.
Build it, they will come, but only if we work hard in making it easy for them, then once they've got the habit the fan base will grow further and we'll be talking about building a 84,569plus capacity venue!
We get hung up on empty seats. If we'd have been hung up about capacity in 1920s we'd have stayed at cramped Hyde Rd and never built the best club ground in England with a capacity of more than double our old capacity. In the 60s players like Lee had clauses/bonus payments listed in their contracts where they would be paid extra per 1,000 crowd above a set figure. Lee & co said that gave them a desire to entertain, not just win, so that fans would want to be there and see it in the flesh. Okay it might not be so easy now, but why not have bonus payments for all ticketing staff and playing staff for crowds above 60k, or for cup crowds of more than 50k?
For me the debate shouldn't be about building the stand, it should be about finding ways to fill it. Initiatives are needed that get people in and make them dedicated fans. People criticise the Family Stand, but the truth is that this is generating a new generation of fans that will, hopefully, help to fill the stadium with their own families in ten/twenty years. We suffered with our restricted capacity in 90s, and lost a generation. We can't let that happen again. Build the stand, give special deals to fans living within say 2 miles of the stadium (some of which is traditionally red territory), encourage new arrivals in the city, give enormous discounts to children and parents, and basically build the fan base. Colonise new areas - most of West Yorkshire is within 1 hour drive and also has good railway links to the Etihad area, so let's target that areas well as our Mancunian strongholds.
Every new housing estate/development in east Manchester should offer special deals. Major employers, special deals etc.
Build it, they will come, but only if we work hard in making it easy for them, then once they've got the habit the fan base will grow further and we'll be talking about building a 84,569plus capacity venue!