North Stand expansion - seating, ticketing etc

[jrb]

It might not be the case, but It would be pretty disappointing if the food hall was for premium seats only. It’s looking like if I did move there I won’t be using the food hall, premium bars, sky bar or the hotel.

Maybe it’ll mean cheaper tickets for most of the people in there who aren’t classed as GA/premium. It kind of feels like these ‘amazing’ add ons won’t be affordable for most people.

I was on a recent tour of the ground and about 80% was about the tunnel club and corporate, so it’s not a shock to see this is where the club are focused.

Perhaps I’m wrong. The food hall has to be another hospitality offering as it’s limited to 500 people. As a rule, hospitality comes with a central hospitality location and seating on the terraces.

Off to the Etihad.

I’ll post the pictures later on this Afternoon.

 

[Coatigan]

We all know about the 300 GA+ seats at the front of NSL2 and the attached bar under the stand.

It’s this mysterious match day 500 (limited) capacity food hall that is mentioned in the configuration press release. Which if I’m correct nobody, knew about until the press release. The seating, 500 seats, that I assume go with it, are also a mystery. Is there going to be a block of 500 seats put aside for City fans who have paid extra and booked the food hall? If there is, which I’m not saying there will be as l/we don’t know, that will be 300 GA+ seats, and 500 food hall seats. Maybe the additional food hall cost only includes GA seats in the centre of NSL2? Who knows?

Just so we don’t end up discussing two separate things.

GA+ in the PA is 648 seats, with an attached bar below, that as a space can hold 600ish. But now in that statement that bar seems to be at a capacity of 300ish.

Re the food hall, as I read it, I don't think the 500 is additional, limited, or necessarily a mystery, myself. Food halls are mentioned in the PA, as part of the main space and concourse. Those bars can hold like 3k, from memory. So 500 of that being food hall offering with the rest just normal bars sounds a typical-ish proportion offering.

That's presuming this is on the Level 1 concourse, around the GA+ bar. It could be on the main level below where the City Hall is, that from memory has a capacity of 1.5k, of which a third could be the 500 food hall.

Purely by their own statement though, I don't read the 500 as additional, premium, or exclusive. But I also wouldn't argue that is 'clear' either.

 

[Coatigan]

I thought we knew about the roughly 700 GA+ seats at the front, so maybe up to 300 in the bar area and up to 500 in the foodhall area.

That's what makes the 300 number intriguing. And potentially in the long run a good thing if it 'forces' more than half the GA+ to mingle with the rest on the concourse. There is another interesting angle here, that has stuck with me from a discussion from some time ago. But that aside, there is a definite 'halving' of the GA+ bar capacity, from what it was in the PA, of that I am sure.

 

[Coatigan]

It might not be the case, but It would be pretty disappointing if the food hall was for premium seats only. It’s looking like if I did move there I won’t be using the food hall, premium bars, sky bar or the hotel.

Maybe it’ll mean cheaper tickets for most of the people in there who aren’t classed as GA/premium. It kind of feels like these ‘amazing’ add ons won’t be affordable for most people.

I was on a recent tour of the ground and about 80% was about the tunnel club and corporate, so it’s not a shock to see this is where the club are focused.

It would be disappointing. I don't read it that way, I read it as 'part of' a wider concourse that absorbs it. Based more on how the numbers work out than the wording. But just my own take. It will come out in the wash as the club reveal more.

 

[Coatigan]

I was under the impression, like most of us are, that the GA+ seats at the front of NSL2 were the only hospitality seats and area on NSL2, and the remaining seats on NSL2 were all GA and rail seating. Until the press release there was no mention of another match day hospitality (food hall) area.(and seating)

The vague configuration press release by the club further plays into the general confusion about the new North stand.

Bear in mind it doesn't actually say that it is hospitality. It is vague as fuck, yeah. But open to both interpretations.

 

[blueparrot]

I was under the impression, like most of us are, that the GA+ seats at the front of NSL2 were the only hospitality seats and area on NSL2, and the remaining seats on NSL2 were all GA and rail seating. Until the press release there was no mention of another match day hospitality (food hall) area.(and seating)

The vague configuration press release by the club further plays into the general confusion about the new North stand.

It is vague but it's more likely to be just the original GA+ seats we've always known about than another seperate area.

 

[M18CTID]

It might not be the case, but It would be pretty disappointing if the food hall was for premium seats only. It’s looking like if I did move there I won’t be using the food hall, premium bars, sky bar or the hotel.

Maybe it’ll mean cheaper tickets for most of the people in there who aren’t classed as GA/premium. It kind of feels like these ‘amazing’ add ons won’t be affordable for most people.

I was on a recent tour of the ground and about 80% was about the tunnel club and corporate, so it’s not a shock to see this is where the club are focused.

How about the 3000 capacity City Hall/Square? Surely all fans would have access to that? I'm getting confused with what's what now!

 

[Coatigan]

How about the 3000 capacity City Hall/Square? Surely all fans would have access to that? I'm getting confused with what's what now!

- City Square is outside the stand, the covered bit between the two claw buildings. Capacity of 2.5 - 3k

- City Hall is inside the stand on the ground floor, through the main entrance, capacity of 1.8k

- The Main Concourse is on Level 1, under the start of the single tier stand, has a capacity of 3.2k plus a private bar of 600 (now 300 in the latest club statement).

-The Upper concourse is halfway up the tier, capacity of 6.3k, general admission free for all pretty much

- above that is the 12 hotel bedrooms incl. two VIP rooms that look out onto the pitch, but are accessed through the hotel and vip lift

- the sky bar at the top, capacity of 500ish. Vip and premium.


Where the 'food hall' is, open to interpretation, I read it as part of the main concourse on L1 amongst the other GA bars but outwith the 600 (now 300) GA+ bar. More, because it has kitchens, that would cater for that number, where as the other concourse does not. I am putting that and the vague wording of the starement together. I could be wrong.

 

[51Chappie]

- City Square is outside the stand, the covered bit between the two claw buildings. Capacity of 2.5 - 3k

- City Hall is inside the stand on the ground floor, through the main entrance, capacity of 1.8k

- The Main Concourse is on Level 1, under the start of the single tier stand, has a capacity of 3.2k plus a private bar of 600 (now 300 it seems).

-The Upper concourse is halfway up the tier, capacity of 6.3k, general admission pretty much

- above that is the 12 hotel bedrooms that look out onto the pitch, but are.accessed through the hotel and vip lift

- the sky bar at the top, capacity of 500ish. Vip and premium.


Where the 'food hall' is, open to interpretation, I read it as part of the main concourse on L1 amongst the other GA bars but outwith the 600 (now 300) GA+ bar. More, because it has kitchens, that would cater for that number, where as the other concourse does not. I am putting that and the vague wording of the starement together. I could be wrong.

Is this is the area of the ‘food hall’? You can see hospitality in the centre and the concourse access on the sides.

 

[Coatigan]

Is this is the area of the ‘food hall’? You can see hospitality in the centre and the concourse access on the sides.

That's what I am assuming, yeah.

The way I see that level working is, the first 10-20 rows of the new stand, including the GA+ would use that concourse. Obviously rows 15-20 have the choice of the bigger concourse above too.

If you are a GA regular punter, you get drinks in one of the 4 huge bars there. If you want food, you get it from the two that serve it. If you are one of the 648 GA+ posh folk, you can get your drink from the GA+ bar which would presumably be quicker, OR any other bar if you want to enjoy the crowds. The GA+ bar is up to 600 so could in theory take that whole group of seats, but the recent statement suggests it will be restricted ro 300. If you are GA+ and you want food during the match, you can get it with the rest of the concourse from the two that serve it. All of you will piss in the same toilets, the GA+ don't have dedicated loos, they juat have a dedicated bar.


The other 35 rows, would use the concourse above, which is only GA, and only drinks from how it looks. And toilets. If they want food, they need to go to L1 below, or the ground floor city hall. The 25 rows of tier 1, would use the ground floor city hall. The skybar and 'true' hospitality areas take care if themselves, with their own kitchens and toilets, they don't need to mingle.

All just how I myself read that.