Ideal Stadium Size

[Loderingo]

Was just watching MOTD2 and there was a very interesting bit on Everton's proposed new ground. Anyway that got me thinking and I found a very interesting list on Wikipedia showing stadia in this country in order of capacity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Engli...dia_by_capacity

As you can see we are 45th behind the likes of Huddersfield, Port Vale and Darlington. What's interesting as well is to see how many clubs are planning to expand or move to new grounds. Lot's of ambitious clubs out there like Birmingham expanding to 55K, Derby to 44K, even Grimsby to 20K!

How ambitious are we and how ambitious should we be? Wikipedia lists the proposed redevelopment of AG to 30K but apart from the on/off rebuild of the East End, we never seem to hear any more now about the rest of the redevlopment plans for the Williams and the Dolman. Remember the round media centre they were going to build where the family area is now?

The danger is that if we don't redevelop soon that the club facilities will lag and eventually even hinder any progress on the pitch. Should we make it to the promised land we would have the smallest stadium and probably the tattiest too if we are being completely honest.

On the other hand there is the danger of overstretching ourselves. With empty seats for Wigan and Blackburn last season you wonder if the football boom (in this country at least) is finally reaching its peak and if we may now start to see declining attendances. As we saw at Cov last season, there's nothing more sorry and soulless as one of these new stadium's when they are half empty!

Thoughts?

[Pewsham]

I guess it's all a question of timing. A 30,000 stadium (with the possibility of being able to rebuild for a bigger capacity) would be ideal, but there is no point in running before you can walk. Here's a question guaranteed to split the fans. If we get into the Premier League next Season do we (a) keep the East End as it is, take the money and run knowing we'll be bombed out by the end of Season 08/09. We'll be guaranteed £millions and we'll have ample cash to rebuild the East End and the Williams Stand in 09/10, along with a queue of sponsors ready to take Exec Boxes in order for us to have another go in the Premier League in 10/11. Or do we go for (b). Try to consolidate in the Premier League, but put up with a reduced capacity from 08/09 (if that's when the East etc gets rebuilt).

If we don't get promoted, we ought to immediately take on the work of rebuilding the EE and start to prepare the way for the Williams Stand to be rebuilt

[bh_red]

agree with others, personally speaking think around 27k-30k is going to be most we will need for a VERY long time, should be enough for at least the next 10-15 years at least, if at that point we need to grow bigger the chances are it will because we are an established premiership club, at which point you can be the council will then have no problems finding and approving land for us to build a bigger stadium on.

on a side note, I'm loving the name for the new Colchester ground, Cuckoo Farm!

[leepeacock's50phead]

On the other hand there is the danger of overstretching ourselves. With empty seats for Wigan and Blackburn last season you wonder if the football boom (in this country at least) is finally reaching its peak and if we may now start to see declining attendances. As we saw at Cov last season, there's nothing more sorry and soulless as one of these new stadium's when they are half empty!

Thoughts?

agreed, German football has been far more sensible in recent years, good crowds, good German youngsters, newly built terracing, how they did it without Murdoch's investment is beyond me!

[Frome Valley]

27-28 thousand would be large enough. Although i would redevelop the Williams first and seriously rethink the design with fans for the new East End.

[bh_red]

agreed, German football has been far more sensible in recent years, good crowds, good German youngsters, newly built terracing, how they did it without Murdoch's investment is beyond me!

rumour has it Hannibal had a really good plan, and BA was happy as long as he didn't have to get on a plane.

I'll get me coat........

[RedM]

I didn't think I would be but i was completely blown away by Coventry's Ricoh arena, it was fantastic. It had everthing, the facillities there were brilliant. I think it is about 32,000 capacity, not huge but every seat i can imagine had an excellent view.

I think they said Bon Jovi were going there, or had been there. it would be perfect for concerts and other events. it had loads of parking, out of the town centre and had other facillities attached, a indoor concert hall, casino and hotel.

Compared to Wolves, well it was no comparison.

I'm all for club history and tradition but honestly if it were a choice between something like the Ricoh, or redevelop the Gate as poorly as Wolves have (God it's a dump) then I really would go for a fresh start. Like I said, I never thought i would say this.

The only thing against the Ricoh was didn't it look sad and embarrassing when it was so empty, no atmosphere. For this wolves win hands down.

So in short, carry on the good progress we have made and perhaps fill the stadium week in week out, and have good quality facillities that can be used on the all too many non match days, then build me a Ricoh! Stay mid table championship or lower the Gate will do us with a few careful alterations, if we attract the odd concert and function now and again.

[mozo]

agreed, German football has been far more sensible in recent years, good crowds, good German youngsters, newly built terracing, how they did it without Murdoch's investment is beyond me!

They had their own version of Murdoch who owned Premiere TV. You're right, the German model is much better for fans: safe standing, beer from your seat, smoking, and...wait for it...atmosphere. They still have some crowd troule here and there though.

[East End Lad]

30,000 would be fine at the moment. Even at the moment though I don't think we need something like that as our average attendance is something around 15,000. If we were to go up though I see no reason why we couldnt fill a 30,000 seater stadium 80% of the time. No-one wants a really nice stadium but it looking half full. though, so at the moment I see development something like this.

- Within the next 2 years have a new East End with unreaserved seating to encourage better atmosphere and all the facilitys that we would need to become a top-class venue in the local area. I think this would take the cappicity up to something like 21,000 after segregation?

-Within the next 6 years have plans to rebuild the Williams stand into a luxery main stand with top-class facilitys as well as luxery boxes and dining facilitys etc. After this I see no reason as to why Ashton Gate would not be a 30,000 seater stadium which hopefully by this time we could sell out every match.

[Mike]

Well i don't think we should increase the capcity to anything we couldn't fill. As our largest attendence at home, correct me if i'm wrong was against Forest last season. I'm talking the last 3 or 4 seasons here, and that's still short of our capcity of 21k roughly. So i think an extensio would be nice but wouldn't it be a waste of money?

Basically if we invest heavily in a new stadium, or new stand, that will set us back quite a sum of moeny and for me that money might better be used for progression on the pitch. For me we need to get to the prem, stay there and maybe then extend our ground if we sell out week in, week out. But 30k would be a realistic size as we could always extend if we sold that out at a later stage.

[Luke_Ciderhead]

Southampton, Derby, Leicester etc have grounds that hold 32,000. That would be adequate for us should we ever reach the Premiership imho....and it will also boost our attendances at this level too.

[cidersam]

I think people forget a lot of clubs choose to build new stands or stadium purely for financial reasons.New stadiums/stands brings new facilities which can also be used for events not connected to the football club corporate functions etc.... also a lot of the stands being redeveloped probably currently cost an awful lot in maintenance due to aging of stand so in long run new stands/stadium will more than pay for them self as this wont be anywhere near as high with a new stand, especially with increased revenue it will generate from stand/stadium sponsors along with new catering contracts etc....

[Barrs Court Red]

Id say 30k is enough, but 35k would be ideal as it would give it that little bt extra for the big games. The way to go would be to have it so that it can be easily expanded, one thing that most new grounds are capable of these days

[bh_red]

Id say 30k is enough, but 35k would be ideal as it would give it that little bt extra for the big games. The way to go would be to have it so that it can be easily expanded, one thing that most new grounds are capable of these days

is it actually worth spending the possible £7-£10m for 5000 extra seats that more often than not stay empty

30k is MORE than enough for a club like us,

the extra money it would cost to build it is better worth spending on improving the team

[Frome Valley]

I didn't think I would be but i was completely blown away by Coventry's Ricoh arena, it was fantastic. It had everthing, the facillities there were brilliant. I think it is about 32,000 capacity, not huge but every seat i can imagine had an excellent view.

I think they said Bon Jovi were going there, or had been there. it would be perfect for concerts and other events. it had loads of parking, out of the town centre and had other facillities attached, a indoor concert hall, casino and hotel.

Compared to Wolves, well it was no comparison.

I'm all for club history and tradition but honestly if it were a choice between something like the Ricoh, or redevelop the Gate as poorly as Wolves have (God it's a dump) then I really would go for a fresh start. Like I said, I never thought i would say this.

The only thing against the Ricoh was didn't it look sad and embarrassing when it was so empty, no atmosphere. For this wolves win hands down.

So in short, carry on the good progress we have made and perhaps fill the stadium week in week out, and have good quality facillities that can be used on the all too many non match days, then build me a Ricoh! Stay mid table championship or lower the Gate will do us with a few careful alterations, if we attract the odd concert and function now and again.

The Ricoh was not built primarily as a footbal stadium, it is multi use and not owned by the club. The lack of atmosphere is no coincidence as it was built with concerts in mind not football.

Molineux would win hands down for me althogh the opportunity is there to do something better than either the Stan Cullis Stand or Jack Harris Stands.

[Barrs Court Red]

All depends though doesnt it, on the design of the stadium ect.

Bandying flat figures about is all well and good, but unlikely to be a reality. May as well round up to a higher figure.

[Guest Eamer]

Anything less than 94,547 is unnacceptable.

[Frome Valley]

All depends though doesnt it, on the design of the stadium ect.

Bandying flat figures about is all well and good, but unlikely to be a reality. May as well round up to a higher figure.

Sort of see what you are saying but 30 thousand plus would could be a project ten years down the line. Redevolping the East End and Williams could take ten years plus to pay for.

[Redhyde]

If you build it, they will come.

30k with options to increase if/when we're in the Prem. I don't think changing or revamping the stadium needs to be connected to league position. The better facilities we have increases the chance that people would want to come back.

If you didn't "love" the club and went to the toilet at half time or went to buy poor food that usually isn't in stock anyway would you come back? No, and they don't tend to now.

[redad]

Hi

1st post on here so hello all.

I was thinking about stadium size and the impending world cup bid 2018. If we get the world cup I would like to think Bristol could become one of the venues and bring international football to our part of the world, as one of the largest cities in England we should be able to compete with the likes of Sunderland and Middlesborough as a venue. We should be looking to develop a stadium with a minimum 40k capacity, to be a host city would surely generate an increased ineterest in BCFC up to and beyond the world cup. I know this is a long way off but it should be worth consideration. I'm also thinking the FA would provide additional funding for host city stadium construction or redevelopment??

Cheers