[Albion] Amex expansion.

[Perkino]

They really should have found a new place for the police box, and made that new shelf above the north stand wrap around to meet the middle tier of the west stand.

That would've been my preference too. Place it in the North East above the disabled platform and create a middle tier that joins together

If we were building the Amex in 2020 rather than 2010 there would be plenty of adaptations which would make it look better, increase capacity and make it more efficient a use of space

 

[Saunders]

They really should have found a new place for the police box, and made that new shelf above the north stand wrap around to meet the middle tier of the west stand.

why do they need that, they can use 100 cameras for visibility if they needed more.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

That would've been my preference too. Place it in the North East above the disabled platform and create a middle tier that joins together

If we were building the Amex in 2020 rather than 2010 there would be plenty of adaptations which would make it look better, increase capacity and make it more efficient a use of space

Nice to see the old stadium evolving though as time progresses.

 

[BeHereNow]

I will be under that. Not overly happy that people who bought some of the more sought-after seats in the ground off the back of being long-term season ticket holders at Withdean could have their view altered quite significantly to squeeze in a few more corporates (which I'm guessing these seats are).

Someone mentioned the back of the stand at Arsenal - I was in that spot a couple of years ago and it was fine for one away day but was a bit shit otherwise.

As it's just a few rows it may only have a really limited impact, but unfortunately we won't know that until it's too late either way.

I’ll be under it as well, which I why I wanted to see what it might be like and so I did the mock up and said that it might be similar to Arsenal. Not sure how low it will be though, so it’s difficult to judge. I always wanted a bigger singled tier North Stand, but I guess that’s not possible.

 

[BeHereNow]

The crowd over there is not like the back of the North stand, so it's hard to make a comparison.

Yes, I know, I meant does it make a difference to the away fans that are also under it? I suppose it’s hard to tell. You would think having away fans under a low ‘stand’ would make quite a noise.

 

[BeHereNow]

I like.

I've always felt the back wall of the North makes the ground look 'emptier' than it is; this helps give the sense of "fans everywhere you look".

Apologies for not trawling back through the thread, but do we know how much this new shelf will raise capacity by?

I feel the same way. It’s not the option I would’ve picked, but it will look a lot better than it does.

If it’s going to be 3 blocks of 5 rows of 28 seats (like the design suggests) then it could be about 420..

Style wise, it might look similar to this:


Or if it’s a bit lower, could look more like this:

 

[El Presidente]

I doubt Covid has affected Bloom's bank balance.

The gambling industry will have been hammered over the last three months and the Albion’s losses potentially up £20-25m so he will have suffered significantly.

 

[BeHereNow]

The gambling industry will have been hammered over the last three months and the Albion’s losses potentially up £20-25m so he will have suffered significantly.

Bloody hell! So, that could be about a £50 million loss altogether this season? Thank god we are staying up.

 

[jamie the seagull]

Never understood why the Police Box is over the Home fans.
They should be next to the away fans where the issues occur.

 

[Barham's tash]

The betting companies absolutely love Covid. People locked up with nothing to do but gambling. People losing their jobs and desperate to make some "quick money".

Not so much when there were no markets or sports to bet on. That and his company is more akin to a hedge fund than standard bookies this doesn’t really ring true.

But given majority of wealth is in CRE I’d be more concerned about a lack of return from rent, downward rent renewals and insolvencies leading to rent void and ultimately write downs on valuations and possibly having to realise huge losses on disposals.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Never understood why the Police Box is over the Home fans.
They should be next to the away fans where the issues occur.

I think we've installed technology ie. cameras in the away end which monitors any naughtiness. These images are probably transmitted to the Police Box.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nice to see the old stadium evolving though as time progresses.

Looking back to the first season the stadium is hardly recognizable.
They don't even look like siblings let alone twins.


I guess palace feel much the same way now they have their new stand.
("work due to commence late 2018")

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Never understood why the Police Box is over the Home fans.
They should be next to the away fans where the issues occur.

It is not a police box. I know the lady who runs it and she is very much not police. It is stadium security.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It is not a police box. I know the lady who runs it and she is very much not police. It is stadium security.

Given advances in CCTV, does it need to have such an expansive view of the stadium? What is it they need to see that CCTV can’t provide?

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Given advances in CCTV, does it need to have such an expansive view of the stadium? What is it they need to see that CCTV can’t provide?

I am guessing with the layout of the stadium at construction, it was put in the most accessible place as that is the end with all the offices. Probably useful to have an overview of the whole stadium to get the overall picture as well as the CCTV. Especially as there is a mix of people in there - the stewards are controlled from there, for example.

 

[ewe2]

Is the north east corner being redesigned?

 

[stewart_weir]

Covid has changed any need for expansion. I predict seats will be covered in green material to create a fake crowd 'green screen' experience and that next season will be an armchair experience rather than a visit to any stadium.

 

[burrish-gull]

And the TV companies and Premier League will lap it up....technology will put to rest the traditional match day experience. Apart from those traditional supporters in the UK, who of those armchair fans are realistically going to give a shit in the UK and rest of the world, where the TV and streaming rights to show the Premier League are worth billions? To be honest with the fake crowd noise, once the games started I've not noticed a single change in the viewing experience (and I was a skeptic). It will be a mix of a virtual crowd and a bunch of people who have the funds to sit in the stadiums and can afford it. It's been going this way for years, I can't understand how anyone can't see it, but then I'm just a "conspiracy theorist" I suppose ! We've all been hoodwinked, always follow the money....

Covid has changed any need for expansion. I predict seats will be covered in green material to create a fake crowd 'green screen' experience and that next season will be an armchair experience rather than a visit to any stadium.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

And the TV companies and Premier League will lap it up....technology will put to rest the traditional match day experience. Apart from those traditional supporters in the UK, who of those armchair fans are realistically going to give a shit in the UK and rest of the world, where the TV and streaming rights to show the Premier League are worth billions? It will be a mix of a virtual crowd and a bunch of people who have the funds to sit in the stadiums and can afford it. It's been going this way for years, I can't understand how anyone can't see it, but then I'm just a "conspiracy theorist" I suppose !

Maybe clubs will reduce admission prices to encourage live audiences. Additional Supporter atmosphere may now become the norm though. How can any governing football authority regulate the decibels of 'canned' fan noise as an addition to live atmosphere? While this may be the case for broadcasting purposes it makes you wonder if additional atmosphere may be added at the venue itself to enhance and encourage the live fan
noise, even harder to regulate. Strange times indeed.

 

[burrish-gull]

Maybe clubs will reduce admission prices to encourage live audiences. Additional Supporter atmosphere may now become the norm though. How can any governing football authority regulate the decibels of 'canned' fan noise as an addition to live atmosphere? Strange times indeed.

The genie is out of the bottle now, the horse has bolted, there is no turning back. I'm sure the Albion board are in theory "anti" this, but let's be realistic, they are a money driven business in this new world order and I can't see things ever going back to the way they were. Someone please prove me wrong, I'm willing to sensibly debate.