North Stand Construction Discussion

[supercity88]

City Matters and the 1894 Group have the next meeting with the club on the North Stand a week on Monday.

It’s my understanding that the club will be bringing some more concrete plans on things like seating and hospitality.

Based on the research I have seen (both produced by the club and elsewhere) and my own opinion, I’m quite clear that I want the North Stand to be a vocal, atmospheric end, complete with additional new season tickets. That said, if people do have strong opinions that it should be something else, then I will get that across.

Happy for people to leave comments here, or equally send me an email at: alex.howell@citymatters.co.uk

The majority of people on here want the North Stand to become a new home end.

So the questions will have to be - what is the likely pricing for the GA and GA+ tickets in the new stand?

Can they provide safe standing to significant parts of it to incentivise it as a home end?

Can they offer a priority relocation window to existing season ticket holders in singing sections to relocate to the new stand to form a home end?

Can they work with 1894 in order to get the home end marketed and priced correctly so it works?

Any new season tickets they look to sell should be after fans have relocated rather than in all together in one section. Let existing season ticket holders move first.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

The majority of people on here want the North Stand to become a new home end.

So the questions will have to be - what is the likely pricing for the GA and GA+ tickets in the new stand?

Can they provide safe standing to significant parts of it to incentivise it as a home end?

Can they offer a priority relocation window to existing season ticket holders in singing sections to relocate to the new stand to form a home end?

Can they work with 1894 in order to get the home end marketed and priced correctly so it works?

Any new season tickets they look to sell should be after fans have relocated rather than in all together in one section. Let existing season ticket holders move first.

Let all 'vacated' seats by the relocators be offered to the priority waiting list first.

'Shuffle' seats around to enable multiples together, they'll be more convenient and in demand.

Shift the away fans round the corner of SS1 & ES1 & market SS3 as the second home end.

Restrict all 'tourist' tickets to agencies, hotels etc and Uber price them for the privilege.

This is probably the last chance to give us the set up that's been missing since the stadium opened.

 

[Coatigan]

The majority of people on here want the North Stand to become a new home end.

So the questions will have to be - what is the likely pricing for the GA and GA+ tickets in the new stand?

Can they provide safe standing to significant parts of it to incentivise it as a home end?

Can they offer a priority relocation window to existing season ticket holders in singing sections to relocate to the new stand to form a home end?

Can they work with 1894 in order to get the home end marketed and priced correctly so it works?

Any new season tickets they look to sell should be after fans have relocated rather than in all together in one section. Let existing season ticket holders move first.

Regarding that GA+ section, personally I think people need to be a little bit open minded that the explanation the club give (if they do) just may not align with their own conclusions on that area.

I.e I doubt the club are thinking of the padding on the seats as 'tunnel club in the middle of the yellow wall' or that it is the complete opposite of a proper home end and atmosphere.

I can imagine them thinking they are simpy catering for a variety of blues with an offering in a prime location that will be popular with people more ready to spend a bit. I could be wrong. What I don't see happening is the club removing that section, and maybe people need to prepare themselves for that.

I thought all other questions listed by jrb were spot on and fair, for what it's worth.

 

[Coatigan]

Distraction.

If any of the drone flyers are reading this thread, next time you are out it would be good if you could zoom in on the item below. I doubt step ladders will see over the fencing.

Hard to say from this far, but wouldn't put it past being the mock-up panel. Right height and from the side looks like it is supported on a triangle frame, so makes me think it could be the panel. Also means it is away from the main working site where they can bring in people to see it without going through the real grit.

 

[Gingers Dad]

Let all 'vacated' seats by the relocators be offered to the priority waiting list first.

'Shuffle' seats around to enable multiples together, they'll be more convenient and in demand.

Shift the away fans round the corner of SS1 & ES1 & market SS3 as the second home end.

Restrict all 'tourist' tickets to agencies, hotels etc and Uber price them for the privilege.

This is probably the last chance to give us the set up that's been missing since the stadium opened.

Can't see many moving from SS1. It's a good atmosphere in there and a lot of it is generated from the banter with the away fans

 

[supercity88]

Regarding that GA+ section, personally I think people need to be a little bit open minded that the explanation the club give (if they do) just may not align with their own conclusions on that area.

I.e I doubt the club are thinking of the padding on the seats as 'tunnel club in the middle of the yellow wall' or that it is the complete opposite of a proper home end and atmosphere.

I can imagine them thinking they are simpy catering for a variety of blues with an offering in a prime location that will be popular with people more ready to spend a bit. I could be wrong. What I don't see happening is the club removing that section, and maybe people need to prepare themselves for that.

I thought all other questions listed by jrb were spot on and fair, for what it's worth.

The GA+ isn't going anywhere so it's just about finding out roughly what the cost is going to be to understand what impact it will have. The design suggests it will be seats in a great location and a pay as you go bar and nothing more so it shouldn't be an issue - but it would be good to know how much more they're likely to cost and just put across the fact that it should be a budget "premium" seat to ensure it doesn't compromise the stand.

I still stand by the fact that pricing the rest of the stand, getting safe standing and getting the price and marketing/relocation right is the key and if the club do that it doesn't matter about a small section of "premium" seating, we'll still have 8,000+ blues together making a racket in a stand designed for noise.

The club has to make more money. More seats help, but we're still way down on our rivals and whilst it's small fry compared to commercial revenue, the club don't want to be losing money every season to our rivals. The hotel, skybar and improved City Square/museum/shop will all help. And I'm hoping they can be used to offset some early incentives to get this as a new home end price wise. Even if tickets then gradually increase over time.

Financially incentivise singers to move into it, and others to relocate and then new season ticket prices can be expensive on the basis of the football on offer. New season ticket buyers should be charged for the privilege of watching City.

 

[I'm not really here]

Would it make sense to relocated the GA+ to under the sky bar at the back of the new stand, allow the safe standing at the front (where the current north stand is?) and allow us to put flags along the front, not over the advertising, but on the first set of rails like the SS3 away end?)

 

[pride in battle]

Can't see many moving from SS1. It's a good atmosphere in there and a lot of it is generated from the banter with the away fans

I'm in 119, it's good, three of us (singers) are looking into moving to it.

 

[bluesmith]

It should all be safe standing including the GA+ area.

 

[Coatigan]

It should all be safe standing including the GA+ area.

Maybe one day, they will be. It lends itself to it. Who knows why the club are not going straight into safe standing, and why they are doing seats first that can relatively easily change to it. Maybe they think it is too much of a jump and filling it is their first priority and then seeing after that whether there is appetite for safe standing. Maybe they think it is an easier ride through planning, or the build. Agree though, that would be great to see.

The GA+ isn't going anywhere so it's just about finding out roughly what the cost is going to be to understand what impact it will have. The design suggests it will be seats in a great location and a pay as you go bar and nothing more so it shouldn't be an issue - but it would be good to know how much more they're likely to cost and just put across the fact that it should be a budget "premium" seat to ensure it doesn't compromise the stand.

I still stand by the fact that pricing the rest of the stand, getting safe standing and getting the price and marketing/relocation right is the key and if the club do that it doesn't matter about a small section of "premium" seating, we'll still have 8,000+ blues together making a racket in a stand designed for noise.

The club has to make more money. More seats help, but we're still way down on our rivals and whilst it's small fry compared to commercial revenue, the club don't want to be losing money every season to our rivals. The hotel, skybar and improved City Square/museum/shop will all help. And I'm hoping they can be used to offset some early incentives to get this as a new home end price wise. Even if tickets then gradually increase over time.

Financially incentivise singers to move into it, and others to relocate and then new season ticket prices can be expensive on the basis of the football on offer. New season ticket buyers should be charged for the privilege of watching City.

I can't imagine it being about money. Not primarily. Just how much extra money can that 8% of new seats really bring in as a blick itself, what maybe an exta 5-10% income to the whole? Hardly that noticeable in the grand scheme of things, there will be far more profitable areas of the stand than that, including the hotel suites and vip offerings. I would imagine it is more about making it seem more attractive to a large group of varied fans they can sell it to, or help decide to relocate there. Maybe there is a bit of planning apeasement in it too. Again, just my own guesswork.