Stadium Expansion

[GXCity]

Ok let's do the Maths...

If it attracts only 3000 extras then assuming they spend an average of about £50 each (ticket plus beer, food, merch...) then that's an extra £150k per game.

But obviously I think you're being overly pessimistic, so instead I'll assume it attracts an average of 10k more, a reasonable assumption IMO as we sold out season cards on the first day and have sold out every home league game for over 12 months, then that's an extra £500k per game! That's half a million. Pounds. Per game. On average. WHEN it does sell out that's an extra Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds.

Now if you think that's to be sniffed at, and also taking into consideration that any money spent on the stadium is exempt from FFPR, then I'm afraid you're deluded if you can't see the economic point.

Your maths are based on assumption, where is the demand for an extra 1,000 tickets let alone 10,000. Typing 10,000 is simply pressing 6 buttons on a keyboard, sounds easy to fill, but try and get 10,000 to hand over £50 every two weeks and see if it is easy.

I know it's an assumption. That's why I used the word twice.

I disagree with your pessimistic assumptions. And apparently so do Sheik Mansour, Kaldoon et al...

Build it and they will come.

Surely we would make more ST's available. If you sold x extra ST then we would only need to sell another x match tickets.

IIRC ST's sold out in a day when they went to Blue members and didn't go to open sale. Plenty of demand there

 

[fy6blue]

May have been mentioned, but i seem to recall there were major difficulties getting the roof in place so doubt very much it would be structurally altered to any significant degree. Whatever is done would be a corner/end at a time to minimise disruption.

 

[Englisc]

this is second hand knowledge, but the lad who sits next to me in 201 was at the meeting before the game, and sounds like us, and the two blocks adjacent, are in for a move. going off what he said, they're looking at putting in an American style 'bar/pub section', apparently similar to something the company in charge of planning has done at the dallas cowboys. said they're talking of a price rise of £75 to £100 per game
if this is what's being planned, bit pissed off when I heard the news, but as long as they sort out the moving of those of us who haven't got a chance in hell of paying those prices properly, I don't have a problem

bluejon,the yank said different to us in the after match meet.He said fans wouldnt be moved,but would maybe have to pay extra on there season ticket if they wanted to use the shiny new bar.

 

[Marvin]

Are these plans finalised and just waiting an announcement, or is it all still at the planning and feasibility stage? Been very long in the offing so I'm hoping it all gets announced with the financial results which have been expected some time this month (based on last year)

 

[Rammy Blue]

Good effort from discosteve with the images although, in my humble opinion, Abu Dhabi doesn't "do" ramshackle.

As and when we get some clarity on the matter I expect it to be cutting edge.

 

[BlueAnorak]

In case you have all forgotten:
[1] The aim of the game is increasing revenue. We have to multiply our match day revenue by 5 to compete with the Rags.
[2] We now have an ST waiting list. There are somewhere around 10k on it I believe.
[3] The club could have sold DOUBLE the amount of exec boxes for this season. This makes the most money for the club per square foot.
[4] The torsion ring roof is very complex and very difficult to raise.
[5] There are two giant water shoots at the back off the North and South stand roofs that take rainwater from the roof via some very big pipes to the canal basin.
[6] It is only cost effective to keep the current stadium if we make changes once.
[7] The club wants to continue 'renting' so the City council get their current share of the cash. Buy the stadium and the money goes to Sport England and the council get nowt. (The club wants to continue investing in the community.)
[8] There is a small 3 month window between seasons to take the roof off / put a new one on.
[9] Changes to the Stadium are free in FFP terms.

For these reasons the whole roof WILL have to be replaced. You can't jack the back of the North/South stands up easily and still have the water draining away properly. It just isn't feasible.

The owner will want 80k crowds for big games within 25 years - with a good product - BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.

- The whole roof WILL have to some off and be replaced.
- The new roof will be able to cover a 4 tier arena all the way around the ground as well as a 3rd tier.
- It looks like the 2nd tier will gain a 2nd row of boxes at the back (possibly a 3rd row eventually) with the rest a new more expensive 'supporter' experience.

If we don't want to share with the rags, then the construction will tale place leaving us with an uncovered North or South stand for 2 seasons and take 4 years in total.

[1.a] First - North Stand roof off. Fence of the back of the stand - a construction site.
[1.b.1] Build - North stand 3rd tier.
[1.b.2] Assemble new roof on east car-park
[1.c] New North Stand roof on.
[2.a] South Stand roof off. Fence of the back of the stand - a construction site.
[2.b.1] Build - South stand 3rd tier.
[2.b.2] Assemble new roof on east car-park
[2.c] New South Stand roof on.
[3.a.1] Assemble new Colin Bell roof on east car-park
[3.a.2] Colin Bell Stand roof off.
[3.b] New Colin Bell Stand roof on.
[3.c] Colin Bell Tier 2 empty and rebuilt for extra boxed [building site behind]
[4.a.1] Assemble new Kippax roof on east car-park
[4.a.2] Kippax Stand roof off + remove what's left of torsion ring.
[4.b] New Kippax Stand roof on.
[4.c] Kippaxl Tier 2 empty and rebuilt for extra boxed [building site behind]

Subsequent 4th teirs can be added when need arises.

Note: pretty much the same applies if the ends are rebuilt to be one single tier - though I suspect it would take a bit longer.

 

[grim up north]

Our branch met with some execs from the club before the end of last season. It was stated that plans were in place and they were waiting for the right time

 

[LoveCity]

What sort of closures/reduced allocation would we be looking at, if any? Say they did add third tiers to the north and south stands, wouldn't the people in the upper second tier seats have to move or could it all be done in the off-season?

 

[jrb]

I bet those involved in the proposal are loving this thread. If they needed any feedback at all, they've got it right here. Taking nothing from the fans that were invited to the initial meetings by the club.

 

[Marvin]

So we're looking at 80k then :-)