[Albion] How to improve NS and Amex atmosphere?

[Moshe Gariani]

Somewhere between none and f**k all I believe, based on previous club statements. The limit on capacity at the moment is transport, toilets, exits and all those annoying H&S things, not the physical number of seats. While a few additional seats here and there can be squeezed out, any significant increase with impact all the safety certificates, transport contracts, etc.
So a significant uplift will require a disproportionate investment that would probably never be recouped.

Gaining, say, 1000 seats from moving office space (to where? Lancing?) won't be cost effective unless it's part of a major redesign/rebuild (like adding another tier to the North) with changes to approach roads and paths/parking/Southern & Bus contracts/etc.

Plus there is also the knock on impact to the Away allocation and the moveable barriers on the South concourse... Not sure we can easily add 15% of whatever the new capacity would be to the away end without changes to the configuration there.

Some people have a very simplified view of things, but fortunately PB is on top of this and has made it clear why we can add lots of seats without TB putting his hand quite deeply into his pockets (again).

Likewise, I believe PB said pretty much the same thing about safe standing. Although it could be done at the Amex (at a cost) it wouldn't be a way to increase capacity, so the capacity ratio will be 1:1 between now and any future configuration.

Agree about no real scope to increase capacity even with Safe Standing.

Safe Standing (1:1) in most of the North Stand - allowing a natural gathering together there of the real atmosphere makers - would be a brilliant thing. I wonder if it will ever happen...?

 

[Billy the Fish]

Likewise, I believe PB said pretty much the same thing about safe standing. Although it could be done at the Amex (at a cost) it wouldn't be a way to increase capacity, so the capacity ratio will be 1:1 between now and any future configuration.

Looking at how Sprus have done it appears that they've got the same seating as us and the hand rails attach to the bar that the seats are on.

Obviously there's a degree of speculation here as I'm not an installer, but there's a good chance that it can be added to the existing infrastructure which will keep costs to a minimum.

 

[BeHereNow]

Allright lads

AFCB in peace

Incidentally I flew over your ground on a long haul into Gatwick this morning when the frost was on the ground and early morning fog was laying in a few valleys. It was a lovely sight but I love footie grounds. At the same time if the planners had looked at it from my altitude it would never have happened, all that green belt and all

Seriously though the design of your ground should have been questioned. Even an oppo fan like me from the days of visiting the Goldstone quickly realised your ground design pics , although lovely were all wrong.Two overly large side stands full of prawn sandwich (joke) and kids with a decent away end but no semblance of your old North Stand down behind the other goal. As away fans we never hear it unless the songs catch on amongst the side stands and that rarely happens...unlike your NS back in the day

I know we live in a shed, we may never have what you do but when I look back at all the consultation on here your club did something got lost in translation. The home 'end' should have been much larger (spurs style) even if it meant twisting things 90 degrees in some regard but hey ho I guess that ground has been covered and it probably wasn't possible from what I recall.

Best of luck but unless you stick a load of lads / singers next to the oppo in the East or West Stand and your NS feeds off it you're going to struggle.

Obviously plenty will tell me to do one and fair play...but like many I like a decent atmosphere at any ground. Hope it gets sorted.

The two stands aren’t overly large, they are a very good size for the Premier League (unlike yours). The North Stand does need to be bigger and the away fans should be next to it, you’d be surprised by the noise when you’re actually in it.

I’ve sat next to away fans at The Amex quite a few times when the North Stand are audible and have out sang them.

The current North Stand is about the same size as the old one, but further from the pitch like the other stands. We barely ever hear the away fans from there.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

The two stands aren’t overly large, they are a very good size for the Premier League (unlike yours). The North Stand does need to be bigger and the away fans should be next to it, you’d be surprised by the noise when you’re actually in it.

I’ve sat next to away fans at The Amex quite a few times when the North Stand are audible and have out sang them.

The current North Stand is about the same size as the old one, but further from the pitch like the other stands. We barely ever hear the away fans from there.

This is right. And just to add, we would not have been granted planning permission if the design had not complimented the terrain. That is why the ends seem so small.

 

[BeHereNow]

With regards to extending the NS up into the office areas, is that an actual possibility? I’ve seen it mentioned many times.

There is room for maybe an extra 8 rows, which works out about 800 seats. I don’t see how this would have much impact on the transport as we hardly ever get 30,000 at the ground anyway.

The main obstacles are if the roof can be held up without the back wall and if we would need extra exits and another concourse. I think there is room for those further back.

Also, I spoke to someone who had worked there during the building and he said the North Stand could be expanded. He might’ve been humouring me, who knows?

If we could add 8 rows, it might look a bit like this:

 

[Bodian]

But you're talking about old fashioned terracing. Safe standing gives you an allocated spot. As I understand it, you can't just wander around to where you would rather be.

With seating, unless it is clearly never going to sell out, you will always get an allocated seat. You still get muppets at away games claiming it's sit where you like even when the whole area is sold out!!

But this is the point I'm making isn't it. Do away with 'allocating' spots / seats - and people can congregate with other like minded folk. Doesn't matter if it's sold out - if you sell 3,000 tickets for 3,000 seats, everyone will get a seat somewhere.

 

[oneillco]

How to improve NS and Amex atmosphere?

Just a thought: how about the other 3 home stands have a serious word with themselves? 25k home fans casting judgement on the singing of 2.5k home fans is WAY beyond pathetic

Why? Name a single club which doesn't rely on it's home end to be the catalyst for atmosphere in the ground? When the NS get their act together the other stands join in.

 

[doogie004]

There is room for maybe an extra 8 rows, which works out about 800 seats. I don’t see how this would have much impact on the transport as we hardly ever get 30,000 at the ground anyway.

The main obstacles are if the roof can be held up without the back wall and if we would need extra exits and another concourse. I think there is room for those further back.

Also, I spoke to someone who had worked there during the building and he said the North Stand could be expanded. He might’ve been humouring me, who knows?

If we could add 8 rows, it might look a bit like this:
View attachment 119969

That looks more than 8rows more like 20 but it’s a yes from me . North stand to low down not intimidating enough much better view WSU where a lot of us old north stand boys reside


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[father_and_son]

Agree about no real scope to increase capacity even with Safe Standing.

Safe Standing (1:1) in most of the North Stand - allowing a natural gathering together there of the real atmosphere makers - would be a brilliant thing. I wonder if it will ever happen...?

Here's hoping. I'm in row Z so not really an issue, we stand and don't get hassled because we don't block anyone's view but always conscious that the League, Police, Stewards or Club could all kick up a stink about standing and have it enforced.
Being 'legal' would be better.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Looking at how Sprus have done it appears that they've got the same seating as us and the hand rails attach to the bar that the seats are on.

Obviously there's a degree of speculation here as I'm not an installer, but there's a good chance that it can be added to the existing infrastructure which will keep costs to a minimum.

View attachment 119967

The Spurs Library, shows how standing makes sod all difference to singing.

 

[drew]

But this is the point I'm making isn't it. Do away with 'allocating' spots / seats - and people can congregate with other like minded folk. Doesn't matter if it's sold out - if you sell 3,000 tickets for 3,000 seats, everyone will get a seat somewhere.

At the moment, clubs can easily identify trouble and trace them back to whom the seat was sold. Take that away and then it is easy for the dregs to hide in the crowd. There are increasing number of cases of racism, homophobia etc and you aren't going to get clubs to agree to making it harder to track people down.

Everyone will get a seat somewhere but not necessarily with the the people you actually go with!!! That'll go down well. No doubt you will reply saying get there earlier so when everyone keeps doing that, they'll end up opening the ground at 6am!!

 

[BeHereNow]

At the moment, clubs can easily identify trouble and trace them back to whom the seat was sold. Take that away and then it is easy for the dregs to hide in the crowd. There are increasing number of cases of racism, homophobia etc and you aren't going to get clubs to agree to making it harder to track people down.

Everyone will get a seat somewhere but not necessarily with the the people you actually go with!!! That'll go down well. No doubt you will reply saying get there earlier so when everyone keeps doing that, they'll end up opening the ground at 6am!!

It’s a football match, not the ****ing opera.

Think you’ll find we are subjected to far less homophobic abuse than before.

 

[BeHereNow]

That looks more than 8rows more like 20 but it’s a yes from me . North stand to low down not intimidating enough much better view WSU where a lot of us old north stand boys reside


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Ahh yes, sorry, that picture has more like 12 extra rows in it. Probably is room for them, but might be pretty tight for those at the back.

 

[Is it PotG?]

There is room for maybe an extra 8 rows, which works out about 800 seats. I don’t see how this would have much impact on the transport as we hardly ever get 30,000 at the ground anyway.

The main obstacles are if the roof can be held up without the back wall and if we would need extra exits and another concourse. I think there is room for those further back.

Also, I spoke to someone who had worked there during the building and he said the North Stand could be expanded. He might’ve been humouring me, who knows?

If we could add 8 rows, it might look a bit like this:
View attachment 119969

You know what, with what TB has said before and the cost involved to add merely 800 seats, it ain't gonna happen.

Our biggest game for some time tomorrow, yet there will be spaces.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

You know what, with what TB has said before and the cost involved to add merely 800 seats, it ain't gonna happen.

Our biggest game for some time tomorrow, yet there will be spaces.

You have to admit though the stand looks far more impressive with the extra seats.

 

[Is it PotG?]

You have to admit though the stand looks far more impressive with the extra seats.

Yet ironically any aesthetic majesty that the addition might bring would be wasted on the punters frequenting said area, they wouldn't be able to see it.

 

[BeHereNow]

Need the whole of the North Stand to be safe standing.

Make the North Stand a bit bigger, if it can be done.

And the most crucial part, move the away area to blocks N1G, N1H, N1I, E1A, E1B and half of E1C. This totals about 3,046. The interaction between home and away fans is severely missing.

 

[Is it PotG?]

And the most crucial part, move the away area to blocks N1G, N1H, N1I, E1A, E1B and half of E1C. This totals about 3,046. The interaction between home and away fans is severely missing.

Barbs has mentioned this numerous times, it ain't gonna happen.

 

[BeHereNow]

You know what, with what TB has said before and the cost involved to add merely 800 seats, it ain't gonna happen.

Our biggest game for some time tomorrow, yet there will be spaces.

Well, we have no idea how much it could cost. If it was all about cost we wouldn’t have built the stadium in the first place. The North Stand does look a bit shit compared to the other 2 stands.

The Watford game sold out about a couple of weeks ago, just like nearly every game we’ve ever had in the PL. If Watford didn’t take a full allocation, we would’ve sold out S1F which is about 600 seats.

 

[BeHereNow]

Barbs has mentioned this numerous times, it ain't gonna happen.

Well, we need to change his mind. It’s all getting a bit boring atm.

We’d also have the added benefits of not having the family stand moaning about being near the away fans and they won’t be able to ‘suck the ball in the net’. No doubt the away players get a massive boost from shooting towards their own fans in the second half.