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The myth of the 60.000 seater

dimiSpur

There's always next year...
Aug 9, 2008
5,844
6,750
I've been thinking this for some time.

Do we need a 60.000 seater stadium? Yes we have a number of people on the ST waiting list, but there's no guarantees those people will buy those available ST's when their turn at the front of the queue comes around. Further to that, if we supposedly have thousands of fans desperate to get to the Lane, where are they on FA Cup matchdays or in Quarter finals of European competition?!

I'm not suggesting we can't fill such a stadium, I'm suggesting we won't. Yes for games against the top clubs we could probably fill Wembley on our own. Demand for the Real Madrid match was incredible. However look at the mediocre games. There are always loads of tickets available on the ticket exchange and there's also a good chance tickets go on general sale.

I do think we should have a higher capacity stadium, but I don't think its as urgent as we tend to think it is. I think its more about keeping up with the Scum and not having a lesser facility of a stadium. Is it really worth sacrificing transfer budget chests to have a stadium that will fill up for Tottenham v Man United? I'm not sure. It's also a massive debt burden that could backfire.

I think it's a debate worth having and definitely not a foregone conclusion that we need a stadium desperately.
 

foxilator

Active Member
Jan 31, 2013
138
169
There's a huge sense of entitlement around the Lane these days. A lot of fans have the impression that we are better than the Europa League/ domestic cups and therefore can't be bothered to go. I think that, and the £60 a ticket to sit in the West/ East Uppers will have put people off. If we make it to the semi the ground will be rocking, especially if we get Chelsea.

If we get the pricing right for the new stadium it will be full. I am very worried about how that will go though, expecting a big hike on my current season ticket to sit in an equivalent seat in the new stadium. No idea how they will allocate exisitng season ticket holders to new seats, hope i'll be able to reduce my package (oo-er).
 

Buster18

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2005
1,079
2,288
There's a huge sense of entitlement around the Lane these days. A lot of fans have the impression that we are better than the Europa League/ domestic cups and therefore can't be bothered to go. I think that, and the £60 a ticket to sit in the West/ East Uppers will have put people off. If we make it to the semi the ground will be rocking, especially if we get Chelsea.

If we get the pricing right for the new stadium it will be full. I am very worried about how that will go though, expecting a big hike on my current season ticket to sit in an equivalent seat in the new stadium. No idea how they will allocate exisitng season ticket holders to new seats, hope i'll be able to reduce my package (oo-er).

Will it? last night was the qtr's and we were well short of capacity
 

Lufti

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2013
7,994
16,635
Got to be honest, the atmosphere isn't great at WHL these days. If it increased to 60,000 I think it would probably get worse (see Highburg to Emirates move). I know we're not Arsenal but still...
 

playboypaul

EverTheOptimist
Jun 22, 2012
1,677
1,865
I am number 40 something thousand on the waiting list and know that I am not even the last name on it as I have been on it for about a year and a bit. That's a hell of a lot of demand. Also we will be able to sell more tickets to away fans. I would imagine that there would be enough interest in away fans coming to the New Lane to fill up an extra thousand or even two per match day. Its not like the demand 'aint there. We will be able to fill it.

Also, not trying to be nit-picky, but I think the stadium is going to be 56'000, not 60'000.
 

foxilator

Active Member
Jan 31, 2013
138
169
Will it? last night was the qtr's and we were well short of capacity
It fooking should be! It's a (hypothetical) cup semi-final against another London club. The game against Sevilla in the Europa League a few years back was one of the loudest games i've been to at WHL, that was before we were spoilt with Champions' League though.
 

Shanks

Kinda not anymore....
May 11, 2005
31,159
18,914
It will fill up.

Mid week games always more difficult, but it simply means more people could buy for games, rather than just go out to ST holders.
 

DiscoD1882

SC Supporter
Mar 27, 2006
6,934
14,669
im 16,000 odd on the waiting list had my membership for 10 years. I cant wait for the oppotunity to go to games. I have been sharing a season ticket this year and although good isnt the same as owning your own. We arent going to seel out every game. but we will increase on the 36000 we currently have most weeks. some games just arent that enjoyable, and therefore wont sell out. going back to the point about atmosphere. This season it has been directly affected by the type of football we are playing. It is very subdued and hence the ground is the same. the only time last night it cranked up was when we started to chase the game. Players have to be aware of this as they play just as big a part in creating atmosphere as the fans themselves, we are not totally to blame for the lack of atmosphere.
 

Legacy

SC Supporter
Mar 29, 2007
2,878
6,280
If they're more flexible with the pricing of Cat B and C games, there won't be much problem selling tickets. If the men in charge think they can sell 60,000 tickets at £50+ for Spurs vs Wigan/Stoke/Villa etc, then they're off their rockers. 60,000 tickets at £30 for those matches, not so crazy.
 

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
I wonder how many people on the waiting list will be prepared to pay the inevitable enormous cost for a season ticket in the new stadium when their time finally comes round?

Ten years on the waiting list – wonder what the price of a season ticket was in 2003? I know in 2000, the most expensive season ticket at Spurs was £795, and at Arsenal it was £800, so nothing in it. By comparison, the most expensive at Arsenal now, post-new stadium and with inflation, is £1,955, and the absolute cheapest £985.

People who think we're going to be handing them out for peanuts are in dreamland. Prices will go up, even with the increased capacity. They always do
 

Spurger King

can't smile without glue
Jul 22, 2008
43,881
95,147
I thought it was going to be around 56,000.

I'd imagine that with improved transportation more people would go to games like the one last night.
 

leffe186

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2004
5,322
1,695
Pricing is the key (along with a good team, of course). I do agree that we're not going to fill it very often, but if we offer excellent rates to younger fans it will pay back in the long term.
 

Pedro

Blue & Yellow
Jan 4, 2005
2,039
1,355
We will fill it most prem games I'm sure. And it will make a huge difference to the club financially in the future. We definitely need a bigger stadium if we have any serious ambitions to compete at the top in a sustainable way, ie without becoming a multi billionaires play thing.
 

Lufti

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2013
7,994
16,635
I am number 40 something thousand on the waiting list and know that I am not even the last name on it as I have been on it for about a year and a bit. That's a hell of a lot of demand. Also we will be able to sell more tickets to away fans. I would imagine that there would be enough interest in away fans coming to the New Lane to fill up an extra thousand or even two per match day. Its not like the demand 'aint there. We will be able to fill it.

Also, not trying to be nit-picky, but I think the stadium is going to be 56'000, not 60'000.

To be fair, I don't know if away fans are better than empty seats :D
 

RichSpur58

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2011
2,169
1,931
I've been thinking this for some time.

Do we need a 60.000 seater stadium? Yes we have a number of people on the ST waiting list, but there's no guarantees those people will buy those available ST's when their turn at the front of the queue comes around. Further to that, if we supposedly have thousands of fans desperate to get to the Lane, where are they on FA Cup matchdays or in Quarter finals of European competition?!

I'm not suggesting we can't fill such a stadium, I'm suggesting we won't. Yes for games against the top clubs we could probably fill Wembley on our own. Demand for the Real Madrid match was incredible. However look at the mediocre games. There are always loads of tickets available on the ticket exchange and there's also a good chance tickets go on general sale.

I do think we should have a higher capacity stadium, but I don't think its as urgent as we tend to think it is. I think its more about keeping up with the Scum and not having a lesser facility of a stadium. Is it really worth sacrificing transfer budget chests to have a stadium that will fill up for Tottenham v Man United? I'm not sure. It's also a massive debt burden that could backfire.

I think it's a debate worth having and definitely not a foregone conclusion that we need a stadium desperately.

its urgent and its needed. Next...
 

Buster18

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2005
1,079
2,288
It fooking should be! It's a (hypothetical) cup semi-final against another London club. The game against Sevilla in the Europa League a few years back was one of the loudest games i've been to at WHL, that was before we were spoilt with Champions' League though.

Against Chelsea maybe. v Lazio, Fener or Benfica? Not so sure.

The year of the Sevilla game i think was our 1st euro qualification in years so therefore meant more at the time.

Since we have progressed significantly since the tournament has less appeal, as shown last night
 

littlemandefoe

Conte's Blue and White Army!
May 22, 2005
4,245
4,540
Got to be honest, the atmosphere isn't great at WHL these days. If it increased to 60,000 I think it would probably get worse (see Highburg to Emirates move). I know we're not Arsenal but still...

Thats really sad to hear... I like to tell everyone we have one of the loudest grounds in England! Somebody give me some hope!!! :-(
 
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