Etihad Campus, Stadium and Collar Site Development Thread

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

The empty seat jibes from the rags are born out of fear. They desperately don't won't us to keep expanding. They know that we went 35 years without a trophy and yet 5 years later we are already averaging 54,000. They know that the majority of this match day support lives within a 15 mile radius of Piccadilly. They know that we're selling cheap season tickets to families, who can't attend every match, to attract the next generation, in the local area, to our club. They know we've barely scratched the surface in out of town and overseas tourist type support. They know we got 40,000 for the deadest of dead rubbers in the CL qualifier.They know that our cup schemes are optional. They know that this season we could sellout a 60,000 stadium on at least half a dozen occasions and could average 57-58,000 for PL fixtures if we had space. They know that we're growing rapidly from a high base level of support that stuck with us through the decades of dross. They are afraid, very afraid.

Two tiers? Three tiers? Who cares? Just get the bloody thing built.

Well said that man.

 

[scarty10]

The empty seat jibes from the rags are born out of fear. They desperately don't won't us to keep expanding. They know that we went 35 years without a trophy and yet 5 years later we are already averaging 54,000. They know that the majority of this match day support lives within a 15 mile radius of Piccadilly. They know that we're selling cheap season tickets to families, who can't attend every match, to attract the next generation, in the local area, to our club. They know we've barely scratched the surface in out of town and overseas tourist type support. They know we got 40,000 for the deadest of dead rubbers in the CL qualifier.They know that our cup schemes are optional. They know that this season we could sellout a 60,000 stadium on at least half a dozen occasions and could average 57-58,000 for PL fixtures if we had space. They know that we're growing rapidly from a high base level of support that stuck with us through the decades of dross. They are afraid, very afraid.

Two tiers? Three tiers? Who cares? Just get the bloody thing built.

Amen to that, brother!!

 

[Mike N]

Well said Wilf. The Rag coaches would have stopped years ago if they'd been through what we have.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[kev20971]

How many more day trippers but you think we would get with a bigger stadium ? Because the really big stadiums start becoming tourist attractions in their own right. Also if the extension does get the go a head, we could always make the away end bigger. I can see the away section being sold out for most games with this £30 limit now. For me, I would start on the extension as soon as possible, even look at making the East & West stand bigger too, go for the wow factor. Like people have said, Barca and Real Madrid don't always sell out ! ps what are the bridges built between the South stand and the East & West stands spirals for , and why don't they open them at the end of the matches to help the crowd to get out ?

 

[DiscoSteve]

Question...probably been answered previously as I know it's been discussed

What sort of capacity would the Etihad be if we redeveloped the CB and East Stand too?

Last year I worked it out to be a max of about 77,000 based on the simple small renders in the Planning App DAA and other planning app diagrams - this assumed the corners were filled in too - workings out below :-)

 

[Wilf Wild 1937]

How many more day trippers but you think we would get with a bigger stadium ? Because the really big stadiums start becoming tourist attractions in their own right ?

I couldn't put a figure on it but you are absolutely right that the largest stadiums do become tourist attractions in their own right. One of the main reasons the away following at the swamp is so big for domestic cup games is the sheer scale of the place.

You've got me thinking though ... I've posted in the past the one big obstacle we have in expanding over and above the North Stand additional tier (assuming it is three tiers) is the relatively poor transport infrastructure around the stadium. I think that the collar site development has to come next to provide the 7 day a week demand for additional trams / reopening railway stations that a 77,000 (?) seat stadium would require. The whole Etihad Campus development is planned in stages. I think I'm beginning to see the logic behind the timings of the various stages.

 

[Marvin]

Makes me think back to those bleak thoughts when were at Wembley 2-0 down against Gillingham wondering how we could muster up the courage to go on again for another season. For 20 years between 1978 and 1998 it was incredibly difficult. 4 weekends after 5 ruined. Despair of relegation. Habitual humiliation in the FA Cup. Very little hope, just sheer bloody mindedness and somehow it's morphed into all this.

There used to be a radio presenter, when radio did really mean something, who used to call Manchester City God's own club. I've always thought this club and its supporters were special. And I am still very proud of our supporters. One of my favourite memories was the first game in the old Division 3 at Maine Rd. I think we played Blackpool and won 3-2. We'd been relegated the season before. Kinkladze had gone. We were at our lowest ebb. We'd always had the fans behind us, but these were the days before the Internet when the Pink, a snatched glance at the Manchester Evening news hoardings outside the newsagent, from the bus was finger on the pulse. Later came the Clubcall headlines on Teletext. You had no idea about ticket sales and whether this was going to be too much for City fans, so it was with huge pride that I took my seat on the Kippax and looked around that day at a full house at Maine Rd in the old 3rd division. We had survived. We'd not quite reached the bottom, but it wasn't far away.

I wonder where we're going next.

 

[Irwell]

I couldn't put a figure on it but you are absolutely right that the largest stadiums do become tourist attractions in their own right. One of the main reasons the away following at the swamp is so big for domestic cup games is the sheer scale of the place.

You've got me thinking though ... I've posted in the past the one big obstacle we have in expanding over and above the North Stand additional tier (assuming it is three tiers) is the relatively poor transport infrastructure around the stadium. I think that the collar site development has to come next to provide the 7 day a week demand for additional trams / reopening railway stations that a 77,000 (?) seat stadium would require. The whole Etihad Campus development is planned in stages. I think I'm beginning to see the logic behind the timings of the various stages.

If Ashton Moss ends up hosting the 2025 Expo then I don't imagine transport links will be an issue for the Campus anymore.

 

[Wilf Wild 1937]

If Ashton Moss ends up hosting the 2025 Expo then I don't imagine transport links will be an issue for the Campus anymore.

Yes that would eclipse the collar site development if it happens!

On a side note it will be interesting to see if Theresa May favours Manchester, or Birmingham, who I believe are also interested in hosting it.

 

[Irwell]

Yes that would eclipse the collar site development if it happens!

On a side note it will be interesting to see if Theresa May favours Manchester, or Birmingham, who I believe are also interested in hosting it.

Apparently our bid has been discussed with the Government since before Gideon upped sticks and we waited until close to the time to make it public. It'll be very interesting to see how it pans out.

Expo 2015 in Milan had 22 million visitors, Expo 2010 in Shanghai had 73 million visitors, Expo 2005 in Nagoya had 22 million visitors... If it happens it will be the largest event the UK has ever hosted, so the transport network in East Manchester would need a decent transportation upgrade.