North Stand Expansion

[Manchester33]

Just going to leave this here, for a sense of perspective/proportion.


View attachment 124248

The new single tier stand will have 9518 seats (circa 8000 'additional').

Of that, 648 'premium' seats, (shown in yellow) with access to a joe's style bar. Padding or not, the seats are the same size and spacing as all the rest. They are not boxed off, grouped or isolated from the rest. That's 7% of the tier, once you exclude the dedicated hospitality above (shown in green). This area is a 'true' hospitality offering. On the sense it is separated from the rest, has its own access and lifts, its own booths and bars and vip zones. But this is only 5% of the new stand.

And that's excluding the 3000 odd seats of tier 1.

Sorry guys, but I'm not buying it that the club investing into such a big new stand, with only a 5% hospitality offering and a further 7% premium offering (12% total) are after pure revenue at the expense of the atmosphere. It just doesn't compute. Various assumptions about the premium seating, but even if they are utterly silent posh folk with arms folded all 78 minutes of a match, circa 9000 fans all around those 648 seats (12000 including tier 1) should easily 'out-noise' them and create a great atmosphere.

To counter this. Here are some examples of issues we have in the South Stand currently:



Notice the 'posh' seats above the Definitely Manchester banner - not participating.



Here is another. Seats above the Power and the Glory banner - empty (because they are overpriced.

We often see away fans or neutral fans in those sections. We find that they do not sing or generate noise at the same level as other blocks.

These seats are in a very important location to link up the upper/lower tier. If fans on those rows are not singing/contributing to the atmosphere, our job as 'SUPPORTERS' will be more difficult.

The GA+ seats can go anywhere else in the stadium. If we truly want an 'Atmospheric Home End', then premium seats shouldn't really be included.

We have put some ideas forward to the club:

1 - Move those seats elsewhere in the stadium.
2 - Do not group seats together. Allow any individual in NSL2 to pay premium prices for access to the bars/amenities - but once you're in the stand, you're the same as everyone else and you should sing/contribute to the atmosphere.

 

[wolfie1988]

Just going to leave this here, for a sense of perspective/proportion.


View attachment 124248

The new single tier stand will have 9518 seats (circa 8000 'additional').

Of that, 648 'premium' seats, (shown in yellow) with access to a joe's style bar. Padding or not, the seats are the same size and spacing as all the rest. They are not boxed off, grouped or isolated from the rest. That's 7% of the tier, once you exclude the dedicated hospitality above (shown in green). This area is a 'true' hospitality offering. In the sense it is separated from the rest, has its own access and lifts, its own booths and bars and vip zones. But this is only 5% of the new stand, and way up away from the main portion.

And that's excluding the 3000 odd seats of tier 1.

Sorry guys, but I'm not buying it that the club investing into such a big new stand, with only a 5% hospitality offering and a further 7% premium offering (12% total) are after pure revenue at the expense of the atmosphere. It just doesn't compute.

Various assumptions about the premium seating, but even if they are utterly silent posh folk with arms folded all 78 minutes of a match, circa 9000 fans all around those 648 seats (12000 including tier 1) should easily 'out-noise' them and create a great atmosphere.

With all the uproar regarding the small hospitality-lite section, people seem to have forgotten the major issue in terms of how the stand comes across and works and that is what they do with the Family Stand and it's location. If they keep it where it is, yes the noise will still come from above, but there will still be the issue of empty seats at night games and a lack of noise from that section.

 

[Manchester33]

That's not true. The space is the same, for the stands themselves. Excluding the bolt-on hotel and office.

It is down to a different structural engineer and design team, and probably the club learning from the south stand and being determined to do a single tier stand no matter the cost and complexity. And there is nothing simple about doing a single tier stand, to this stadium's structure, something for years argued impossible.

I've literally sat in a meeting with the head designer and discussed the project.

 

[Coatigan]

To counter this. Here are some examples of issues we have in the South Stand currently:

View attachment 124250

Notice the 'posh' seats above the Definitely Manchester banner - not participating.

View attachment 124251

Here is another. Seats above the Power and the Glory banner - empty (because they are overpriced.

We often see away fans or neutral fans in those sections. We find that they do not sing or generate noise at the same level as other blocks.

These seats are in a very important location to link up the upper/lower tier. If fans on those rows are not singing/contributing to the atmosphere, our job as 'SUPPORTERS' will be more difficult.

The GA+ seats can go anywhere else in the stadium. If we truly want an 'Atmospheric Home End', then premium seats shouldn't really be included.

We have put some ideas forward to the club:

1 - Move those seats elsewhere in the stadium.
2 - Do not group seats together. Allow any individual in NSL2 to pay premium prices for access to the bars/amenities - but once you're in the stand, you're the same as everyone else and you should sing/contribute to the atmosphere.

Yeah tbf, I am not going to argue the GA+ seats should be there, I agree with you. But even without padding, they are the best seats on the stand and a location, and would likely cost more, just where they are.

Don't know the context or timing of those empty seats innthe second picture, but in the first one they seem to be participating, as most are clapping and look animated.

If anything, those photos only reiterate my point though, that a few rows in a single tier stand should be easily absorbed. Which isn't the case in a 2 tier stand. It shouldn't 'need' those important seats to provide a link between the tiers, because the link is there by default, being one tier. It is night and day, the visual and those photos, and having it as one tier is almost incomparable.

 

[Coatigan]

With all the uproar regarding the small hospitality-lite section, people seem to have forgotten the major issue in terms of how the stand comes across and works and that is what they do with the Family Stand and it's location. If they keep it where it is, yes the noise will still come from above, but there will still be the issue of empty seats at night games and a lack of noise from that section.

That is probably a bigger issue in fairness.

 

[Coatigan]

I've literally sat in a meeting with the head designer and discussed the project.

Maybe so, but they can't argue there was no space when there clearly is. Don't even go down this rabbit hole, it is just incorrect.

 

[HelloCity]

I've literally sat in a meeting with the head designer and discussed the project.

Tbf, the removal of the roof supports and transfer of the cables to the towers at the north stand end is much more complex and costly than anything involved with the south stand.

 

[Manchester33]

Maybe so, but they can't argue there was no space when there clearly is. Don't even go down this rabbit hole, it is just incorrect.

There is significantly less space between the South Stand and Ashton New Road. That is a fact. If you disagree, just take a look at Google Maps. My point is that had there been more space, the club most likely would have build the extension in the South Stand from tier two back.

The North Stand is two tiers anyway. That's not going to change. I personally prefer two tiers.

 

[Centurions]

There is significantly less space between the South Stand and Ashton New Road. That is a fact. If you disagree, just take a look at Google Maps. My point is that had there been more space, the club most likely would have build the extension in the South Stand from tier two back.

The North Stand is two tiers anyway. That's not going to change. I personally prefer two tiers.

There's an overlay somewhere which shows the south stand overlaid on the plans for the north stand. They pretty much go back the same exact distance if just taking the top of the new north stand 2nd tier into consideration.

 

[Man-chester copperpot]

With all the uproar regarding the small hospitality-lite section, people seem to have forgotten the major issue in terms of how the stand comes across and works and that is what they do with the Family Stand and it's location. If they keep it where it is, yes the noise will still come from above, but there will still be the issue of empty seats at night games and a lack of noise from that section.

Get rid of the Family stand altogether.
All this hard work to increase the capacity then for the Family Stand to be half empty on Tuesday night game which will look shite.
Poor Timothy can’t have a late night and be tired for School the next day.

I take my 7 year old daughter in 115 and now she’s hard as fuck.
She’s just got a Stone Island top for this season and i’m trying to get her on Asahi lager but she doesn’t like it due to “the shit plastic pint pots which make it flat” her words not mine.
She’s just happy with 2 halfs of San Miguel before the game

City agro ;-)