the new stadium effect

[ehsecons]

Hi there this is my first thread so please go easy on me

I have been interested over the last few years to see how news stadiums have effected the attendances of clubs. Obviously the Amex has had a pretty huge one on Brighton's gates this year.

Here is my blog I started a while ago on the new stadium effect and hopefully you will find the piece on Brighton interesting.

http://newstadiumeffect.blogspot.com/

Reading about the plans to increase the capacity already shows the club has ambitious but also must know there is demand. How much of this depends on premier league football will be interesting to see. I for one would say seeing a southern team established in the PL would be great, as would seeing wales have a strong team there too.

 

[clippedgull]

Amex stadium is in Brighton (just!), not near to Brighton ;-)

 

[Seagull Steve]

Amex stadium is in Brighton (just!), not near to Brighton ;-)

It's incredible the amount of people who think that is outside Brighton isn't it? It has a BN1 postcode FFS. It is inside the Brighton and Hove border.

 

[ehsecons]

Apologies for the error, it has been changed. Media I have seen has often referred to the stadium as being in Falmer so maybe that explains the confusion. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[ehsecons]

Any thoughts one whether the attendances the club has enjoyed will continue in tough economic times and through the colder periods of the season?

 

[clippedgull]

Apologies for the error, it has been changed. Media I have seen has often referred to the stadium as being in Falmer so maybe that explains the confusion. Thanks for letting me know.

That's understandable!

The higher attendances will at least continue for the rest of this season with circa 18,000 season ticket holders paying by 12 monthly interest free direct debits. The acid test will be on next seasons renewals especially if the club withdraw the interest free option. If it stays then I will predict the same take up next season.

 

[algie]

That's understandable!

The higher attendances will at least continue for the rest of this season with circa 18,000 season ticket holders paying by 12 monthly interest free direct debits. The acid test will be on next seasons renewals especially if the club withdraw the interest free option. If it stays then I will predict the same take up next season.

Why would the club withdraw DD ? Is this scheme only trial then ?

 

[ehsecons]

Yeah I agree, interest free certainly was a big incentive. I suppose the new stadium was also an attraction. What I really don't understand is where did the 10,000 extra fans come from? Surely the Withdean should have been a sellout every week with 18,000 fans+

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Brighton's case is different in that the club has had historically large crowds that could never have fitted in Withdean, so it was a fair bet that the interest would be there. Also I presume a fair number will continue to attend for longer because of what they've put up with for 14 years and the efforts so many put in to making the new place happen ...

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Yeah I agree, interest free certainly was a big incentive. I suppose the new stadium was also an attraction. What I really don't understand is where did the 10,000 extra fans come from? Surely the Withdean should have been a sellout every week with 18,000 fans+

I think the perceived difficulty in getting tickets was a problem. Plenty of people still thought you couldn't get tickets last season, and of course, there was no pay-on-the-gate facility.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Why would the club withdraw DD ? Is this scheme only trial then ?

Indeed, it's proved vital to selling so many tickets this year.

 

[cyanide-sid]

Yeah I agree, interest free certainly was a big incentive. I suppose the new stadium was also an attraction. What I really don't understand is where did the 10,000 extra fans come from? Surely the Withdean should have been a sellout every week with 18,000 fans+

Christ you`ve done some research here.

 

[algie]

Yeah I agree, interest free certainly was a big incentive. I suppose the new stadium was also an attraction. What I really don't understand is where did the 10,000 extra fans come from? Surely the Withdean should have been a sellout every week with 18,000 fans+

Have you ever been to Withdean ? We were there for a decade.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Yeah I agree, interest free certainly was a big incentive. I suppose the new stadium was also an attraction. What I really don't understand is where did the 10,000 extra fans come from? Surely the Withdean should have been a sellout every week with 18,000 fans+

Where to start, rubbish "stadium", terrible view miles from the pitch, no roof, expensive ticket prices for the leagues we were in, no decent facilities, completely open to the elements, the list goes on

 

[ehsecons]

So historically were attendances really big? Board seem to think so if expansion plans are already being looked at.

 

[algie]

So historically were attendances really big? Board seem to think so if expansion plans are already being looked at.

There's a waiting list of over a 1000 people waiting to buy season tickets.

 

[Shuggie]

Stats = great work. If you want to do some more work, it would be good to find a way of representing the effect of new grounds on finishing positions / promotions. Perhaps you coud start by sticking up/down indicators on the lines for each promotion/relegation in the seven year span. Then show the totals on the consolidated picture.

And if you've really got nothing better to do ... show the same seven year trend for all the clubs that haven't got new grounds.

Do remember to exclude any other teams adjacent to A23 as they're not proper football clubs and would pollute the purity of your excellent research.

 

[ehsecons]

There's a waiting list of over a 1000 people waiting to buy season tickets.

Fair enough, that's pretty amazing, but I guess Brighton is a big place.

Stats = great work. If you want to do some more work, it would be good to find a way of representing the effect of new grounds on finishing positions / promotions. Perhaps you coud start by sticking up/down indicators on the lines for each promotion/relegation in the seven year span. Then show the totals on the consolidated picture.

And if you've really got nothing better to do ... show the same seven year trend for all the clubs that haven't got new grounds.

Great shouts, I'll definitely give it a go at some stage in the future. Thanks.

So was the ground built with expansion in mind like Derby's and Leceister's?

 

[clippedgull]

Why would the club withdraw DD ? Is this scheme only trial then ?

Naughty!

I have no idea if it's a trial run or if they intend to carry it on next year. Commercially they are losing money by not having the money up front, but at the same time more people have probably purchased season tickets by having the interest free option so they may be in front. Although I still think they would have sold out if the option wasn't given. Will be interesting to see if it is continued next season, hopefully it will be!

 

[cheeseroll]

Where to start, rubbish "stadium", terrible view miles from the pitch, no roof, expensive ticket prices for the leagues we were in, no decent facilities, completely open to the elements, the list goes on

Why not start with the fact that Withdean only held 8,000....