[Albion] Barber on extra seats

[Munkfish]

The one thing fans in Britain often don't realise is that capacity will not increase one jot from Safe Standing. Incredibly safety conscious as a nation, Safe Standing here results in simple 1:1 ratio on the old seats.

Personally I'm not against it, but on that 1:1 basis I don't know what it achieves. Most people in the NS seem to stand where they please anyway.

After having a saftey bar at Spurs, It saved me a lot on back issues post match having something to lean on and I imagine if we scored I wouldnt have bundled into the rows below which has happened several times following Brighton away, West Ham away last season being one. Personally if they already stand, I think a safty bar should be included.

My view is, if people are doing it already, then make sure they are at least safe doing so, Spurs have got around installing bars all round the stadium so not sure why everyone else isnt doing the same.

 

[Hometownglory]

If they redesigned the stadium now, I wonder if they would incorporate a kop style North Stand rather than it's current design?

I'm assuming the general feeling was the most demand would be for side view of the pitch hence the bigger stands. I for one, love the West Upper for the view, but understand the appeal of the North for the atmosphere. A kop style stand would be even more tempting.

A few hundred seats being squeezed around the ground will be unnoticeable I suspect. Maybe an area they are looking at is the wings of the East Upper.

I personally would rather a smaller ground with demand rather than empty seats!

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[Weststander]

After having a saftey bar at Spurs, It saved me a lot on back issues post match having something to lean on and I imagine if we scored I wouldnt have bundled into the rows below which has happened several times following Brighton away, West Ham away last season being one. Personally if they already stand, I think a safty bar should be included.

My view is, if people are doing it already, then make sure they are at least safe doing so, Spurs have got around installing bars all round the stadium so not sure why everyone else isnt doing the same.

Cost? The Spuds cost £1b as it escalated out of control from the £750m plan. In the end accommodating safe standing rails would've been trifling within that total. Plus it's the most recent new build of a home end ... it was so long ago that safe standing was completely off the agenda in England and Wales.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I personally would rather a smaller ground with demand rather than empty seats!

Same here. The current size is adequate.

As an aside I remember Ajax deliberately build their ground at a smaller capacity for this reason.

 

[Munkfish]

Cost? The Spuds cost £1b as it escalated out of control from the £750m plan. In the end accommodating safe standing rails would've been trifling within that total. Plus it's the most recent new build of a home end ... it was so long ago that safe standing was completely off the agenda in England and Wales.

I doubt the cost would be huge to put safe standing bars in the North Stand where it already happens every game.

 

[Weststander]

I doubt the cost would be huge to put safe standing bars in the North Stand where it already happens every game.

The only problem, TB/PB have made it clear The Amex won’t be getting safe standing.

Personally, I’d love them to concentrate on expanding the NS backwards to take up the office space and voids. 35 to 40 rows, would give our ‘Kop’ more presence than the current 27.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

The only problem, TB/PB have made it clear The Amex won’t be getting safe standing.

Personally, I’d love them to concentrate on expanding the NS backwards to take up the office space and voids. 35 to 40 rows, would give our ‘Kop’ more presence than the current 27.

Even 3 more rows would make it look impressive, how many extra seats would 3 rows create.??

 

[ac gull]

north east corner is only obvious place and ends of east upper - suspect whatever these changes are will be wrapped up in one planning application that also includes a future use of the empty "hotel land"

 

[symyjym]

I don't think Barber is talking thousands here, 500 tops......the absolute tops. This figure at a guess could be acomadated by more seats in the North East corner and reconfiguration of the disabled areas in the North and East.

About 1,200 I reckon

 

[Weststander]

Even 3 more rows would make it look impressive, how many extra seats would 3 rows create.??

140 seats across, but PC Darren Balkham’s security centre on the NW side, might restrict in that area.

 

[Hugo Rune]

About 1,200 I reckon

Extending the north by 10 rows would do this.

Other areas including a new North East 2nd tier would bring the total up to about 2k extra seats.

Then we’re done because they’ll only extend once more (due to cost and MP retirement) and in doing so, will wring our every extra seat possible IMHO.

 

[Wozza]

Other areas including a new North East 2nd tier would bring the total up to about 2k extra seats.

And how do those 2000 get to and from the stadium? Where do the 36 extra coaches park?

Not. Gonna. Happen.

 

[ac gull]

however many seats it is - the explanation as to why won't run to under 2,000 words - got to be 3,000 minimum

 

[Hugo Rune]

And how do those 2000 get to and from the stadium? Where do the 36 extra coaches park?

Not. Gonna. Happen.

If you’ve decided that all 2,000 will be travelling by coach rather than train, cycling, more P&R or walking; then I suppose you could be right.

 

[Weststander]

And how do those 2000 get to and from the stadium? Where do the 36 extra coaches park?

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Park n Ride use the same buses going back and forth from the car sites. Plus train, walking, Uni car parks, parking at mates in Coldean/Moulescombe, being dropped of near the stadium by family, Seagulls Travel apparently have empty seats.

So no need for more coach parking spots.

 

[symyjym]

Extending the north by 10 rows would do this.

Other areas including a new North East 2nd tier would bring the total up to about 2k extra seats.

Then we’re done because they’ll only extend once more (due to cost and MP retirement) and in doing so, will wring our every extra seat possible IMHO.

If there was enough room for 10 rows the pitch would have to go 10 rows deeper. I think the rows would have to be included equally around the stadium. Two or three rows is comfortable but at Loftus Road the fans can touch the players they are so close. We have got a bit more space around the pitch than most standard stadiums but how close to the pitch is reasonable?

 

[Wozza]

Park n Ride use the same buses going back and forth from the car sites. Plus train, walking, Uni car parks, parking at mates in Coldean/Moulescombe, being dropped of near the stadium by family, Seagulls Travel apparently have empty seats.

So no need for more coach parking spots.

I threw in coaches as an example to show the scale you're talking about.

2000 is a lot of extra people, given existing problems such as:

* Lengthy waits for trains (and no service at all on Boxing Days)
* Massive delays getting out of Bridge Car Park - and, presumably, Uni Car park too (both full, btw)
* Long queues on the A27 slip road to Falmer
* Dozens of cars parked illegally at Mill Road for park 'n ride, with drivers now threatened with ticketing (it's officially full by 13.30/13.45 on matchdays)
* Problems with idiots dropping off fans near stadium
etc etc.

It's why fans leave early.

The current setup is just on the right side of chaos.

 

[Is it PotG?]

The only seats that will be added, as someone else mentioned, will be a few cash cow corporate ones.

Dropped pitches, helicopters lifting arches, corner jacuzzis and deckchairs around the perimeter are, let's just say, quite a long way off.

 

[Wozza]

If you’ve decided that all 2,000 will be travelling by coach rather than train, cycling, more P&R or walking; then I suppose you could be right.

And if you thought there was some extra transport capacity magically available, you might ask yourself why it isn't utilised now to save fans parking illegally to utilise park 'n' rides, or hour-long waits to get out of dedicated car parks etc etc.

 

[Brovion]

The only seats that will be added, as someone else mentioned, will be a few cash cow corporate ones.

Dropped pitches, helicopters lifting arches, corner jacuzzis and deckchairs around the perimeter are, let's just say, quite a long way off.

My heli-stands proposal (post #79) is the future! Solves the problem of capacity whilst not impacting the current transport plan. I've been scratching my head and I can't find a serious flaw in it.