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[Albion] Barber on extra seats



Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,497
Sussex by the Sea
More likely to sing as one as the extra seats could be a designated singing section, so the signing groups could move together. It’s a win win.

So if you find yourself seated on the border of 2 such groups, which song do you join in with?

Are you allowed to sing outside of these designated areas?

What happens if you have a sore throat whilst in this region, and are unable to join in? Are you moved along?
 






Garage_Doors

Originally the Swankers
Jun 28, 2008
11,790
Brighton
That whole thing was a farce and everyone knows it. They asked fans who never had any intention of standing anyway. It was just a crappy survey that not a lot of fans completed. The whole stadium was never going to be in favour of it because most of them don’t stand. The way they did it made me think it was to kill the safe standing debate. Very clever from Barber.

Do you think the survey should have only gone to those that want to stand then?
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
PB made it clear at the Fans Forum that the Amex won't get safe standing, because supported heavily rejected it.
Was that the most recent forum ? - I missed some of it. The latest that I had heard on that was that the door to it was still left a crack open - and no final decision until after a change in the regs.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,372
Withdean area
That whole thing was a farce and everyone knows it. They asked fans who never had any intention of standing anyway. It was just a crappy survey that not a lot of fans completed. The whole stadium was never going to be in favour of it because most of them don’t stand. The way they did it made me think it was to kill the safe standing debate. Very clever from Barber.

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.
 




Driver8

On the road...
NSC Patron
Jul 31, 2005
16,219
North Wales
That whole thing was a farce and everyone knows it. They asked fans who never had any intention of standing anyway. It was just a crappy survey that not a lot of fans completed. The whole stadium was never going to be in favour of it because most of them don’t stand. The way they did it made me think it was to kill the safe standing debate. Very clever from Barber.

It wasn’t just a survey CV it was also a well publicised invitation to those interested in standing to turn up to a forum to discuss it. Hardly anyone turned up hence the perceived apathy.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,372
Withdean area
Whose limitations are these? There are plenty of larger stadia in the country which are neither adjacent to a railway station nor with two junctions of a dual carriageway
very close by.

BHCC, Sussex Police and the train operator/Network Rail, all seem to have a real and constant negative concern that the current transport infrastructure at Falmer, cannot take more. Often referring back to original planning application with the appended Transport Policy.

Unfortunately they call the shots on this, not the club.

Barber hinted at BHCC's overriding influence, when he made a remark at the Fans Forum that even increasing the capacity slightly (1,000 seats??) would face the barrier of BHCC.
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
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.
My point is more that they won't do anything at all with the north stand while the safe-standing issue is still unresolved.

No point in adding seats there and then finding out it could have been done differently if they had waited a couple of years.
 




Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,372
Withdean area
My point is more that they won't do anything at all with the north stand while the safe-standing issue is still unresolved.

No point in adding seats there and then finding out it could have been done differently if they had waited a couple of years.

We'll have to wait and see on that. Barber intimated that the plans for a small increase in capacity are afoot. If (neither of us know anything), that entailed adding rows of seats the back of the NS, they'll just get on with it.

Barber makes it plain every year that Safe Standing is a dead issue.
 


dejavuatbtn

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
7,580
Henfield
So if you find yourself seated on the border of 2 such groups, which song do you join in with?

Are you allowed to sing outside of these designated areas?

What happens if you have a sore throat whilst in this region, and are unable to join in? Are you moved along?

Two sickies and you’re out.
 


BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,461
WeHo
That whole thing was a farce and everyone knows it. They asked fans who never had any intention of standing anyway. It was just a crappy survey that not a lot of fans completed. The whole stadium was never going to be in favour of it because most of them don’t stand. The way they did it made me think it was to kill the safe standing debate. Very clever from Barber.

Yep, didn't the survey ask if people were willing to pay extra for a safe standing place (to cover the costs of removing the seats apparently) and obviously no one was keen to pay more to stand.
 




BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,461
WeHo
Also I'm convinced the majority of any extra seats are going to be premium seating in 1901 type spaces. Maximise any profits and all that.
 


Palacefinder General

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2019
2,594
Taking of 'border seats,' in the very last north and south WSU end seats before the price drops you're getting effectively the same view as your opposite number across the steps in the cheaper seats. Who buys those seats?
 








symyjym

Banned
Nov 2, 2009
13,138
Brighton / Hove actually
I reckon if they did what you suggest they would lose three stands for the best part of a season and a half. Those tubular frames support the whole structure. It aint gonna happen

I said if they seriously wanted to increase the capacity of the stadium the tubular structure could be jacked up to the height of the West Stand. This is the only way they could increase the stadium capacity significantly. If the club are only looking at a couple of thousand with two extra rows at the front pitch side it is hardly worth a mention of the 8,000 queue for a season ticket . A structural engineer could find a good solution and the jacks could be put in during the season and then raised during the summer break so it wouldn't disrupt the beginning of the season. An extra 8,000 seats is about an extra £250k a game and that is worth the capacity increase. If Bloom wants a 40,000 capacity stadium he will look into every possibility, and jacking up the tubular frame would be put on the table.
 


Yep, didn't the survey ask if people were willing to pay extra for a safe standing place (to cover the costs of removing the seats apparently) and obviously no one was keen to pay more to stand.
As the club are looking to put extra seats in around the stadium, these costs would not arise. Looks like they are not interested unless fans pay a premium to stand - which would be a bizarre development for us fans of the 1970s!
 


*Gullsworth*

My Hair is like his hair
Jan 20, 2006
9,351
West...West.......WEST SUSSEX
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.
 








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