North Stand Expansion | Configuration plans revealed by club (p 1285)

[Alex - City Matters]

Now that the plans have been released by the Club, I wanted to share at least a brief update. We’d been expecting this for weeks and I am not sure why there was a delay, but they’ve managed to time it whilst I’m on holiday in the States!

I tend to agree that the plans are currently a missed opportunity for the best atmospheric end. As @Manchester33 will be able to attest to, I had argued for things like the Club undertaking an expression of interest for safestanding so that we had a much better understanding of demand months ago. That said, there are certainly positives to the plans and I hope to work with the Club to shape them further as we go forward.

But, I wanted to share something that wasn’t necessarily included yesterday. The Club’s policy at this moment in time is that all new season cards (and I don’t like using that term for these tickets) will be Flexi Gold only. That is to say that there will only be Flexi Gold tickets offered in the new North Stand expansion.

I think this is an absolute disaster. Whilst I recognise that the flexibility of this ticket may be attractive to some, there are well established concerns including the £150 premium to purchase a Flexi Gold ticket compared to a standard season ticket. Likewise, the lack of choice between a season card and Flexi Gold undermined arguments about flexibility, as it would mean that (even more) fans are forced to purchase the more expensive former in lieu of the latter. It is difficult to view this as anything other than a money-making exercise.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Out of interest, as our capacity will be increasing, does that mean we have to give away fans more tickets, or will it stay as it is?

It will remain @ 2930 for the well behaved....2600 for scroates.

Away fans should be relocated from SS2/3 to round the corner flag of ES1/SS1, the worst location in the ground for views and acoustics.

Capex will be low without compromising security,segregation, H&S, logistics or coach park. No more dangerous missiles raining down on City fans.

The club should be discussing and agreeing this beneficial change with the authorities to coincide with the opening of season 25/26.

When this is implemented the stadium will be set up to be one of the most atmospheric in Europe....then its up to us to deliver the noise, hostility and intensity.

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

It will remain @ 2930 for the well behaved....2600 for scroates.

Away fans should be relocated from SS2/3 to round the corner flag of ES1/SS1, the worst location in the ground for views and acoustics.

Capex will be low without compromising security,segregation, H&S, logistics or coach park. No more dangerous missiles raining down on City fans.

The club should be discussing and agreeing this beneficial change with the authorities to coincide with the opening of season 25/26.

When this is implemented the stadium will be set up to be one of the most atmospheric in Europe....then its up to us to deliver the noise, hostility and intensity.

I’ve read on here that there’s no chance of the away fans being moved due to the proximity to the coach park?

 

[M23 Citizen]

I’ve not been following her progress at all since the early announcements but I thought we were going to have a proper home end to Match the likes of spurs and Dortmund?
This release shows nothing of the sort and is just going to be a normal expansion with a mixed bag of supporters and tourists and if the club don’t get it right could have a negative affect on atmosphere as there will be apathy from singers to commit to the move and the vocal support will become even more fragmented.
I was going to move into it from east stand and get stuck in but I’m not sure atm.

That’s what every single person I’ve ever spoken to about this was under the impression of as well.

What on Earth is the point in building something that looks the epitome of a proper atmosphere stand with a big deep tier to group a large chunk of fans together as one:



…and it not being a dedicated atmosphere stand?

This really could be a fucking massive a wasted opportunity!

And this is the last ever opportunity we’ll have at this stadium to have a proper atmosphere home stand. Everywhere else, the tiers are too small and break up too many fans. There’s no sense of belonging to anything substantial in any other area of the stadium because everyone is just in little chunks of stands here and there.

But that big NSL2 tier looks special and should be special. I really bloody hope it ends up being special!

The level of detail in yesterday’s announcement was sparse as fuck. Their opening line was, ‘We are delighted to reveal the seating configuration for the expansion of the North Stand’, yet revealed very little really. No seating configuration was given any detail, it was just vague.

City need to be giving everyone as much detail as possible and driving this stand like it’s going to be something special to be part of, I don’t feel like I really know anymore than I already did. I don’t know if it’s aimed at me or fans of the visiting team who’ve got tickets through the club’s ticket tout partner.

All seems rather diluted from what we’ve been driving at the club for over a decade about having an atmosphere stand, well before it was announced that NSL2 would be expanded.

Where will the standing section be? Because it doesn’t say whether the rail seats will even be in NSL2, the pictures suggest they might be in NSL1. So where are they?
How many seats here will be season tickets?
How many will be for just City membership fans?
What will the ticket prices be (not just for when it opens, but for the next three or so years)?
How are you going to go about getting people to move there?
Will you allow friends and family to move together who don’t already sit together?

Without knowing this and more, how is anyone going to know whether they’re going to make the decision to move there? This should be a huge drive with the club and fans in constant consultation with each other and loads of marketing to get people really excited.
Yet I’ve not had a single thing from the club to ask my opinion. Nobody from City Matters or the OSC seemed to be canvassing for fans’ opinions… 1894 were the only ones who bothered and they weren’t even at every meeting that took place.

I too was going to move into NSL2 from ESL1 and get stuck right in with the atmosphere in NSL2, but i too am not sure whether this is going to be worth it at the moment so how can I make a decision on whether I’ll move there?

 

[M23 Citizen]

Now that the plans have been released by the Club, I wanted to share at least a brief update. We’d been expecting this for weeks and I am not sure why there was a delay, but they’ve managed to time it whilst I’m on holiday in the States!

I tend to agree that the plans are currently a missed opportunity for the best atmospheric end. As @Manchester33 will be able to attest to, I had argued for things like the Club undertaking an expression of interest for safestanding so that we had a much better understanding of demand months ago. That said, there are certainly positives to the plans and I hope to work with the Club to shape them further as we go forward.

But, I wanted to share something that wasn’t necessarily included yesterday. The Club’s policy at this moment in time is that all new season cards (and I don’t like using that term for these tickets) will be Flexi Gold only. That is to say that there will only be Flexi Gold tickets offered in the new North Stand expansion.

I think this is an absolute disaster. Whilst I recognise that the flexibility of this ticket may be attractive to some, there are well established concerns including the £150 premium to purchase a Flexi Gold ticket compared to a standard season ticket. Likewise, the lack of choice between a season card and Flexi Gold undermined arguments about flexibility, as it would mean that (even more) fans are forced to purchase the more expensive former in lieu of the latter. It is difficult to view this as anything other than a money-making exercise.

Woah, Flexi Gold only? That seems ridiculous!

Do you know whether fans on standard season tickets who want to move there will be able to keep their standard season ticket, or does ‘Flexi Gold only’ mean for everyone?

 

[Goatmeal]

Now that the plans have been released by the Club, I wanted to share at least a brief update. We’d been expecting this for weeks and I am not sure why there was a delay, but they’ve managed to time it whilst I’m on holiday in the States!

I tend to agree that the plans are currently a missed opportunity for the best atmospheric end. As @Manchester33 will be able to attest to, I had argued for things like the Club undertaking an expression of interest for safestanding so that we had a much better understanding of demand months ago. That said, there are certainly positives to the plans and I hope to work with the Club to shape them further as we go forward.

But, I wanted to share something that wasn’t necessarily included yesterday. The Club’s policy at this moment in time is that all new season cards (and I don’t like using that term for these tickets) will be Flexi Gold only. That is to say that there will only be Flexi Gold tickets offered in the new North Stand expansion.

I think this is an absolute disaster. Whilst I recognise that the flexibility of this ticket may be attractive to some, there are well established concerns including the £150 premium to purchase a Flexi Gold ticket compared to a standard season ticket. Likewise, the lack of choice between a season card and Flexi Gold undermined arguments about flexibility, as it would mean that (even more) fans are forced to purchase the more expensive former in lieu of the latter. It is difficult to view this as anything other than a money-making exercise.

How do our ticket pricing compare to other clubs? Given we have some world class players in our team.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

I’ve read on here that there’s no chance of the away fans being moved due to the proximity to the coach park?

They will still have Direct access to the CP without any weakening of segregation etc !!

Petty beauracracy must not be allowed to stand in the way of a beneficial move that will set the stadium up long term.

City fans have been relocated at St James, Villa, West Ham, Ragland,Leeds and others, following ground changes without issues....it no big thing if planned early.

Get on with it Danny we're watching !!

 

[BertM19]

Yawn.

Why would you respond like that?

 

[Gray]

I too was going to move into NSL2 from ESL1 and get stuck right in with the atmosphere in NSL2, but i too am not sure whether this is going to be worth it at the moment so how can I make a decision on whether I’ll move there?

I am in SSL2 in the corner block 211. Absolutely love it there but it is an absolute ball ache to get to from the Metrolink.

I am seriously considering moving to the new stand, for that reason alone.

 

[M23 Citizen]

How do our ticket pricing compare to other clubs? Given we have some world class players in our team.

Compared to two close neighbours in Liverpool and United:









All of us are pitiful with our cheaper end tickets than at clubs like Bayern though. They have 16,000 (yes, SIXTEEN THOUSAND) season tickets prices at €250. I don’t even think we’ve got 1,600 of our cheaper end tickets.

To be fair to both Liverpool and United, though; it’s £9 for every junior in every stand for every Prem game at Anfield and £13 for every junior in every stand for every Prem game at Old Trafford.
It’s much more expensive than that for juniors at City (£25 for juniors at the Fulham game next week, and they’re usually about £35 for juniors for the games against the so-called ‘Big Six’).