What is the optiumum size for an Albion stadium?

[The Large One]

Hull is not much bigger then Brighton and they built a decent sized ground and managed to get 22,000 for a Tuesday night game against Oxford Utd.

Kingston-upon-Hull is MUCH bigger than Brighton. However, they have to compete with rugby league, so you are right, Richie, but for the wrong reasons.

The point of 22,000 was all about realisitic expectations. This club will not attain full houses at Falmer even if we are at the top of this division, and we will not get to the top of this division until we have full houses...

There will be large crowds in the first few months, even if just to see what all the fuss is about. There will be the added relief of being able to buy your tickets when you want - on the door (fackin' ell!) - and hopefully at a nicer price.

But the club quite rightly a walking before they can run, and indeed are still crawling before they can walk.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Kingston-upon-Hull is MUCH bigger than Brighton. However, they have to compete with rugby league, so you are right, Richie, but for the wrong reasons.

The Government Cencus of 2001 estimates the populations of Kingston Upon Hull and Brighton and Hove as:

Brighton: 247,817

Hull: 243,595

So ACTUALLY Brighton is bigger.

 

[Jameson]

Shall we start the enquiry over again then?

I thought we were?

 

[The Large One]

Not from scratch. Do keep up.

 

[Simster]

15K top whack. Youll average 8k.

I see your current capacity is down to 4,900 or so which seems very sensible now that we'll never play you again, although it's obvious to me that your little club should have sold more of the ground to those property developers for optimum efficiency for all parties.

 

[Simster]

I always thought 28,000 seemed about right.

 

[ditchy]

At the end of the day we have to cut our cloth to what suits ...given Falmer is that only option then we have to go with it and as we all know it will be light years ahead of withdean.

What does annoy me though is what i read about all the planning applications for a new conference centre ,a new ice rink etc ..Surely if this cities council had a bit of forsight it would want to put Brighton and hove on the map by providing a state of the art sports facility combining sports and conference facilities under one roof... Instead it prefers to take a back seat and let the parties involved run with it rather than lead by example . It prefers to punish the motorist in the city with silly traffic management schemes rather than actually provide something that the city actually wants !!

 

[3gulls]

The Government Cencus of 2001 estimates the populations of Kingston Upon Hull and Brighton and Hove as:

Brighton: 247,817

Hull: 243,595

So ACTUALLY Brighton is bigger.

And Brighton is well, if not better, supported by the rest of Sussex!

Although it will take time to regain an active fanbase, there can be little doubt that the 22000 stadium proposed will become too small if we are successful.

IHMO it shows a total lack of ambition to be building a ground of that size with no realistic hope of significantly increasing its capacity in future. One of our major limitations when we were in the old First Division (now The Premiership) was The Goldstone. Even then, the club were desperate to find a new and more suitable ground.

 

[perseus]

I am inclined to think that Falmer is going over budget. Does anybody know how much grants we are getting towards the stadium, compared to the money left over to find from other sources, e g. sponsors, mortgages etc. Roughly? (The figures are secret.)

I can second guess at the increased income through the turnstiles;

Extra supporters say 8,000 X 24 x £25 = £4.8 million.
10,000 x 24 x £20 = £4.8 million
9,000 x 24 x £22.50 = £4.86 million

Are there any accountants out there who know much it costs to borrow large amounts of money.

Say the shortfall is £12 million. I think that could be handled (even though Burnley have sold their ground and leased it back for £3 million debts and Bournemouth were thinking the same over £5 million.)

What if all the extra road costs and payments to Brighton University have upped the shortfall to £20 million?

At £20 million the repayment and interest costs could work out at £2 million a year?

I do not have much idea of business finance. I am still inclined to think that the main danger to Falmer is the cost of the project rather than Planning Permission.

In ten years time, it will probably be OK, if the income goes up and the repayments remain the same. Not an instant panacea, just a start.

If I thought Falmer was the best bet in a ten year time frame, I would go for it with 100% enthusiasm. Pende was originally thought of as an alternative because I never thought a deal was going to be made with Brighton University. Now I would be inclined to cost out the relative costs of both sites and go for the one which makes most sense financially.

I am not really worried about the Planning Permission as much as how much it is going to cost? Do the figures stack up?

Brighton University has always been the key? Do they agree (yes, now apparently) and how much is it going to cost to meet their demands?

This is a just a cost that Hull City did not have to pay for their £43.5 million 25,400 seater stadium. £14 to £18 admission. In 34 acres of parkland.

(Income in Hull is probable 20% below Brighton so the equivalent minimum would be about £17.)

http://www.hullcityafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Stadium/0,,10338,00.html

The stadium is owned by Hull City Council and leased to the club.

PS: In Brighton Council had the forethought they could have agreed Village Way South and put it in a downs parkland and improved the environment for everybody.

 

[Titanic]

A chicken tikka salad baguette, packet of Honet Roast Ham and Colemans Mustard McCoys and a bottle of Diet Coke.

 

[b.w.2.]

33,000 a la the well-maintained Goldstone RIP...

 

[Chicken Run]

A chicken tikka salad baguette, packet of Honet Roast Ham and Colemans Mustard McCoys and a bottle of Diet Coke.

 

[mr turd]

Try:-
30000 to Div 2 play-offs.
40000 to Old Div 2 play-offs.

If we get the team and ground, the fans will come.

Millwall fans can't/won't get their memberships so their client base is very limited. Watford have never enjoyed our fan base, Burnley are a yesterday club. Crewe, Gillingham and Rotherham are two-bit clubs.

Why not quote Leicester, Ipswich, Norwich, Saints, Palarse, etc. ?They are a similar sized club to us. Or how we used to be!

Thats pointless going on finals!
You will find that our last season in this division 2 year ago,we reguarly had applicants of 15k-28k and thats a fact.

Obviously fans have had it with withdean,but who can blame them its a disgrace full stop,and also poor crowds at withdean doesn't change a thing considering the amout of fans who are waiting.
People who whinge about not selling out the withdean need help,as thousands and thousands of fans tried for a few years to get tickets,and just gave up.It happens and the sooner we depart withdean the better.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

IHMO it shows a total lack of ambition to be building a ground of that size with no realistic hope of significantly increasing its capacity in future. One of our major limitations when we were in the old First Division (now The Premiership) was The Goldstone. Even then, the club were desperate to find a new and more suitable ground.

What I have always said, and as far as I understand it it cannot be increased beyond 22k because it has to fit in with the lie of the land so any upwards expansion is out, and as for 'filling in the corners' as mentioned somewhere above, what corners? And of course anyone on here who dares to suggest Falmer lacks ambition is immediately up for a public hanging and any debate, no matter hypothetical, is out of the question. Still I guess when Pompey get their 35k capacity Fratton completed they could always use us as a little feeder club, and maybe even hold their reserve games at Falmer.

 

[mr turd]

Great ambition from the chairman then
22k is peanuts

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Great ambition from the chairman then
22k is peanuts

At less than a third of the capacity of Old Trafford, Sir Alex would probably agree with you Mr T. Falmer is our only option and I support it, but would just appreciate an honest answer from the club as to whether there are any provisions for expansion (I think not). If the answer is a negative one then we are stuck with a capacity that greatly underestimates the potential of this football club and after the hassle of getting to Falmer (if we do) there is surely zero chance of ever relocating in the Brighton/Hove conurbation unless they blow up West Street and replace all the chav clubs with the Albion's post-Falmer home.

 

[mr turd]

Reckon beam backs at withdean every week aswell
You take away the awayend etc,and tickets for various other things it will leave about 17k for the public grrrrrrrr.

Only been waiting nearly a decade for a shiney stadium

 

[The Large One]

I am inclined to think that Falmer is going over budget. Does anybody know how much grants we are getting towards the stadium, compared to the money left over to find from other sources, e g. sponsors, mortgages etc. Roughly? (The figures are secret.)

I can second guess at the increased income through the turnstiles;

Extra supporters say 8,000 X 24 x £25 = £4.8 million.
10,000 x 24 x £20 = £4.8 million
9,000 x 24 x £22.50 = £4.86 million

Are there any accountants out there who know much it costs to borrow large amounts of money.

Say the shortfall is £12 million. I think that could be handled (even though Burnley have sold their ground and leased it back for £3 million debts and Bournemouth were thinking the same over £5 million.)

What if all the extra road costs and payments to Brighton University have upped the shortfall to £20 million?

At £20 million the repayment and interest costs could work out at £2 million a year?

I do not have much idea of business finance. I am still inclined to think that the main danger to Falmer is the cost of the project rather than Planning Permission.

In ten years time, it will probably be OK, if the income goes up and the repayments remain the same. Not an instant panacea, just a start.

If I thought Falmer was the best bet in a ten year time frame, I would go for it with 100% enthusiasm. Pende was originally thought of as an alternative because I never thought a deal was going to be made with Brighton University. Now I would be inclined to cost out the relative costs of both sites and go for the one which makes most sense financially.

I am not really worried about the Planning Permission as much as how much it is going to cost? Do the figures stack up?

Brighton University has always been the key? Do they agree (yes, now apparently) and how much is it going to cost to meet their demands?

This is a just a cost that Hull City did not have to pay for their £43.5 million 25,400 seater stadium. £14 to £18 admission. In 34 acres of parkland.

(Income in Hull is probable 20% below Brighton so the equivalent minimum would be about £17.)

http://www.hullcityafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Stadium/0,,10338,00.html

The stadium is owned by Hull City Council and leased to the club.

PS: In Brighton Council had the forethought they could have agreed Village Way South and put it in a downs parkland and improved the environment for everybody.

What it must be to have an imagination like yours, Percy. Personally, I'd dive under the first train if I did.

 

[dougdeep]

33,000 a la the well-maintained Goldstone RIP...

Sorry to be picky but the Goldstone held more than that!

 

[premierleaguesection]

Question: if we ever got to the Premiership,

thats an extremely large IF!!!!!!!!!!!!