Darlington's new ground!

[Freddie Goodwin.]

In relation to darlo, I doubt if they have often exceeded a 5k avewrage so building a 25k stadium, when historically the local support went to the NE 'big 3' was poor planning.

Our gates were always healthy compared to others in our league (apart from Div 1) when you caopare like with like, ie when we were not at Gills or subject to Withers. Our crowds compared well with the likes of Reading, bolton, Blackburn, Middlesborough, hull, Sunderland, when compared with what they would get at our level.

Somebody mentioned Hull. Hull had a long history of being a well supported club in the 2nd tier, so the fanbase was always there.

MK Dons are an interesting case though, a new fanbase built from nothing but with a new stadium.

We will get the crowds (unlike Colchester) when the stadium opens. Then it's up to the club & the team to keep them.

 

[Zesh Rehman]

We will never fill Falmer

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

We will never fill Falmer

What NEVER?

I reckon we will on at least the 1st game, any game that clinches promotion and any big cup game will sell out.

Also, in regards to crowds, loads of away fans used to love coming down here. Just think if it was on our 'away' calender, we'd all be going to it, . Those London & South East teams will fill their allocations whereas now, many will not come to Withers.

 

[Zesh Rehman]

oh yeh obviously for the first few games sure and maybe the odd big game, but, for your average game we will never come close to even half filling

 

[Strike]

What NEVER?

I reckon we will on at least the 1st game, any game that clinches promotion and any big cup game will sell out.

Also, in regards to crowds, loads of away fans used to love coming down here. Just think if it was on our 'away' calender, we'd all be going to it, . Those London & South East teams will fill their allocations whereas now, many will not come to Withers.

Agreed Millwall got a 20,000 modern all seater stadium and crowds tend to be up and down, they tend to have a good following but tend to get about 9,000-11,000 on average you don't hear them calling for The New Den to be downscaled. Though advantage for us we are not near about 5 Premiership clubs and a few other league clubs within 15 miles like Millwall. Hull City are a fair distance from other large clubs as well.

 

[Spearritt of the Albion]

Last 25 years at the Goldstone attendances

1997 5.878 (last goldstone season)
1996 5.593(relegated)
1995 7.560
1994 7.728
1993 6.702
1992 7.991 (relegated)
1991 8.422
1990 8.535
1989 9.059
1988 8.934 (promoted)
1987 8.282(relegation)
1986 9.722
1985 11.789 (last over 10k)
1984 12.286
1983 14.662(last in top flight)
1982 18.244
1981 18.984
1980 24.745(first season in top flight)
1979 22.074 (promoted)
1978 25.264
1977 20.183 (promoted)
1976 15.317
1975 11.755
1974 10.848
1973 14.188
1972 17.679

In '72 we were promoted and the last home game had an attendance of around 36,000 (if my memory serves me right).

In '73 we were relegated after a very poor season.

I always thought that towards the end of the Goldstone years there was lot of creative guesswork going on with regards to the attendances. We used to have a little wager, between our mates, on the attendance and in the last few seasons we were often 2-3,000 out (in a gate of 5000 that was a lot!). In the end we just guessed a lot lower and regarded the 'official' figures as a bit of a joke. Could not prove anything though so have to assume they were telling us the truth

Having said all that, I seem to remember that, whilst in the top flight, our capacity was reduced to around 28,000 for safety reasons(hence no 30,000 gates) and that, in the final years, the capacity was decreased to around 15,000 as the place was being run down rather rapidly. No, of course that wasn't on purpose. Why would they have wanted to do that?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

As I've said before ...

With a new stadium, is there any reason why the Albion shouldn't be attracting the same size crowds that Leicester City have been getting this season?

Peterborough               23,390
MK Dons		         23,351
Hereford                   22,920
Northampton		22,795
Millwall		         19,591
Bristol Rovers		18,941
Hartlepool		18,578
Tranmere		         17,798
Walsall		         17,178
Crewe                      16,991
Southend                   16,836
Yeovil Town		16,528

Leicester has a population of 280,000. Brighton & Hove's population is 249,000 - more if you count the urban areas that are attached.

Ticket prices aren't an issue:-

The cheapest adult tickets for home games at Leicester are £23.
Over-60s tickets start at £21.
Under-22s & Students from £15.
Under-16s are £10.
Under-12s are £5.
Under-8s are £3.

Posh seats go up to £30 for adults.

And Leicester City have a lot more league clubs within easy striking distance of the city than we do.

 

[fatbadger]

In relation to darlo, I doubt if they have often exceeded a 5k avewrage so building a 25k stadium, when historically the local support went to the NE 'big 3' was poor planning.

'Poor planning' isn't quite the phrase - something like 'a case of Reynolds's stupid fat ego nearly bankrupting the club'.

Once again, an example of a club nearly being brought down by one man's stupidity. So, no, to the first post, I can't laugh. It's sad. The Darlo fans nearly lost their club, and now the club, post-Reynolds, is trying to put it right.

 

[Icy Gull]

25k stadium built for 20 million, sounds a bargain to me even if it was 5 years ago....remind me again how much 22k Falmer is expected to cost and why the absolutely massive disparity in costs?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Can I share this link with you and just ask...

What the f*** goes on in that media room, they got a softcore porn company going to get some extra cash??

have a look for yourselves...

http://www.dfcarena.com/virtualtour.asp

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

25k stadium built for 20 million, sounds a bargain to me even if it was 5 years ago....remind me again how much 22k Falmer is expected to cost and why the absolutely massive disparity in costs?

Just look at the differing designs, Falmer is a thing of beauty... that thing is a square box built on an already flat, accessible site. simple really.

 

[Taybha]

some would say falmer WAS a thing of beauty until they decided to tear up the earth and build a home produce shop and a pub there

 

[Icy Gull]

Just look at the differing designs, Falmer is a thing of beauty... that thing is a square box built on an already flat, accessible site. simple really.

Over 3 times the price still seems excessive to me

 

[dougdeep]

Over 3 times the price still seems excessive to me

I doubt they had to shift thousands of tons of soil either.

 

[Notters]

In graph form... Don't know why I felt the need to do this!

 

[Man of Harveys]

That Darlington situation is in NO WAY comparable to ours, not for a second. That safecracking crook built a ground MILES too big for them, and everyone could see that and was saying so at the time. I actually think the biggest tragedy of that lunatic's actions is the loss of Feethams, a lovely old ground.

I reckon 22,000 capacity at Falmer is about dead RIGHT: any less shows a lack of ambition, much more and we could be in Darlo territory.

 

[Taybha]

That graph looks remarkably similar to my dates to shags ratio of that era,how one does miss the 70s

 

[Albion Rob]

Conboy is right. The club need to get the maximum number of season tickets sold as possible.

I can see the first few games being close to full. Although I do not expect anyone who wants to go having trouble getting tickets.

Anyone who seriously thinks though that, at present or increased prices and same tier of football, we will be getting more than 10,000regularly is living in a dream land.

I think I'd pretty much settle for that.

Decent ground, no hssle getting tickets, most games peppering the 10,000 mark with the occasional 18-19,000 game and a few less appealing ones dropping below 8,000.

Stoke were getting about 10,000 when they were in this division and it doesn't seem to have harmed them much long term. If we were in the Championship I'd expect us to average 13,000 and hopefully recapture a generation of lost support.

 

[Simster]

Have to agree with that. Reading were only averaging about 5,000 at Elm Park in the final years until the move to Madejski, but ended up averaging over 10,000 with no league club near them for about 30 miles as well.

Reading are as close to a real Albion type model as you can get. Historically, we've had slightly bigger gates and slightly more success, both clubs have a huge potential fan base but notoriously fickle support. When success arrives here, expect Falmer to be bursting at the seams with tickets on ebay for stupid money. 27,000 applications were made for that glorious day back in Brighton when we slaughtered Mansfield apparently. However, as always, you can expect to rattle around with 7,000 others when the tide turns and the club is perceived negatively by the local public.

We're not alone - I'd say Hull and Plymouth both also fit a similar model. Big potential catchment, no real footballing history, most people locally following bigger clubs.

I'd say 25-28,000 would be the perfect size for a club like ours.

 

[Simster]

Over 3 times the price still seems excessive to me

I doubt they had to shift thousands of tons of soil either.

dougdeep is dead right icy. It costs an absolute fortune to move the amount of earth we're having to. It's not just the time and labour, but the cost of redistributing the unwanted soil! Falmer is absolutely not a cheap option.