[Albion] Hypothetical attendance potential

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Multiple factors determine average attendance. The PL clubs are nevertheless averaging close to their capacity. Growing it can be done by selling seats cheaply, but this may attract knobheads (Wet sham) although much less so at Newcastle where lower prices keeps the attendance buoyant with genuine proper supporters (same trick, different supporters demographic. history, expectations, yet similiar attendance). Success and global TV reach determines the volume of Japanese and other tourists happy to splash out, affecting demograpghic inside the stadium. The size of the city and number and size of local rivals is also important, but not as iportant as success.

But as [MENTION=28934]AmexRuislip[/MENTION] and others have said, we can't enlarge withot knocking down what we have and, anyway, all is lovely.

I like our support. I like things as they are. Attracting superstar players (even if we wanted them) won't requre a 60,000 stadium. Our strategy is different. And TV income FAR exceeds bums on seats income.

But to answer the OP's question I think we could retain the current demographic inside the stadium with a 40,000 capacity, filling the stadium most weeks.

However, this thread is USELESS without a poll.

 

[Knotty]

Even if TB/the Club were willing and able to fund a substantial rebuild of the stadium, surely the greater logistical problem would be the transport infrastructure?

 

[sir albion]

I guess right now we could get another 5-10k bums, but frankly the location and local infrastructure must be the limiting factor.

And 25k would be more than enough if we went down a rung.

We have about 7/8k apparently on the waiting list so yeah 10k no probs and also we could give more to away fans in a bigger capacity.
Not so attractive games doing ok 30/35 and big games we could actually get 50k I'm sure of that.If we added that waiting list it would be 32k st holders alone nevermind walk ups and away fans.

But saying that it won't be expanded anyway

 

[AmexRuislip]

I like our support. I like things as they are. Attracting superstar players (even if we wanted them) won't requre a 60,000 stadium. Our strategy is different. And TV income FAR exceeds bums on seats income

This all day

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The character and atmosphere is true but the attendance is up 20K. I'm sure there's a point there but not sure what it is.

Maybe I can help. I may have addressed this in my post above. Newcastle are used to low prices, and decent people are poorer up there, and theirs is a one club town, so St James' is filled with good proper support (by and large) each week.

Wet Sham did a massive give away to sell to a massively increased capacity, attracting any number of chavtastic knobheads, many of whom have lived into their 30s or beyond as armchair supporters, or are returning embittered old lads who stopped going some years ago when the scope for a punch up diminished as the game became gentrified (ring any bells wrt anyone who posts on here? - ha ha!).

The reasons for the size of the attendance at each club therefore varies from club to club, as does the make up of those attending. That was the point of my post.

 

[ac gull]

it's supply and demand

the trick is to make sure supply never exceeds the demand

32,000 maximum for me

 

[Change at Barnham]

I would be interested if our capacity was unlimited which team would get the biggest crowd assuming the date played and our league position was the same for each fixture.
My guess would be:

Manchester United
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea
Tottenham
Man City
Palace
West Ham
Newcastle
Southampton
Everton
Bournemouth
Leicester
Watford
Burnley
Huddersfield
Swansea
West Brom
Stoke

 

[Nixonator]

The answer would be the same at most clubs, due to the extra interest generated from abroad:

IF there were no limits on expansion
IF there were no transport limitations
IF we broke into the top 6

50k+ comfortably.

However, even in this staggeringly unlikely set of circumstances, I'd rather we kept our soul than turn into the circus act that is Arsenal and co.

That said, I would still love a bigger home end and push capacity up to 35k as I've said for a long time. Cue 100 ppl telling me how and why that isn't possible.

 

[Sorrel]

If we had 10,000 more each match people would start leaving at half time.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Hypothetically 49,999 as I probably couldn't be arsed getting out of bed, leaving a bevy of sexy young ladies, and getting my private jet to fly me from my yacht in the west indies for Albion v Stoke. Hypothetically speaking

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

The only thing that needs doing is the North imo. It’s far too weedy and, considering that’s “our” end it’s about 1/2 as big as it needs to be.

 

[Eeyore]

Brighton has always had massive potential. being the only professional club in Sussex, if you discount Crawley. Tourism of the city also plays a big part in our attendance potential.

If we stay in the Premier League for another 10 years, there is absolutely no reason why we can't match the attendances of the big London clubs.

40-50,000 if we carry on this upward momentum for another decade, particularly if we win a major trophy or compete in European football.

With Premier League wealth, I don't think it is beyond the realm of possibility to expand the Amex with clever and expensive architectural engineering.

History suggests they would drop.

 

[studio150]

I would be interested if our capacity was unlimited which team would get the biggest crowd assuming the date played and our league position was the same for each fixture.
My guess would be:

Manchester United
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea
Tottenham
Man City
Palace
West Ham
Newcastle
Southampton
Everton
Bournemouth
Leicester
Watford
Burnley
Huddersfield
Swansea
West Brom
Stoke

And Brighton?

 

[drew]

And Brighton?

I think he means which team would attract the biggest attendance at the Amex assuming it had unlimited capacity!

 

[Wardy's twin]

The character and atmosphere is true but the attendance is up 20K. I'm sure there's a point there but not sure what it is.

Money to the club increases to the detriment of the fans experience based on having to stand at the back row of the second tier ...

I still think an increase from safe standing of about 3k is a sensible option BUT would not fit the current governments view on such matters. It would also obviously impact the leaving time by a factor. Yes I know its done one for one on seats but I don't understand why that is necessary. As has been said though let's stay in this league first and see where we might be in a couple of years.

 

[maltaseagull]

Brighton has always had massive potential. being the only professional club in Sussex, if you discount Crawley. Tourism of the city also plays a big part in our attendance potential.

If we stay in the Premier League for another 10 years, there is absolutely no reason why we can't match the attendances of the big London clubs.

40-50,000 if we carry on this upward momentum for another decade, particularly if we win a major trophy or compete in European football.

With Premier League wealth, I don't think it is beyond the realm of possibility to expand the Amex with clever and expensive architectural engineering.

Agreed. We need to be a confirmed top 10 team first.
Just look at the bottom 3 at the moment.
Last season, all 3 looked like established premier league teams and their fans would have had every right to expect them to progress.Investing in an extension (even if it were possible) would be a huge financial risk.

 

[Nixonator]

Money to the club increases to the detriment of the fans experience based on having to stand at the back row of the second tier ...

I still think an increase from safe standing of about 3k is a sensible option BUT would not fit the current governments view on such matters. It would also obviously impact the leaving time by a factor. Yes I know its done one for one on seats but I don't understand why that is necessary. As has been said though let's stay in this league first and see where we might be in a couple of years.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/207040

 

[dazzer6666]

Chelsea Spurs Arsenal Man utd or Liverpool visiting as a top 6 club playing us as a top 6 club=45000 expecting 10,000 supporting the opposition. 30k-35k for other games.

We have about 7/8k apparently on the waiting list so yeah 10k no probs and also we could give more to away fans in a bigger capacity.
Not so attractive games doing ok 30/35 and big games we could actually get 50k I'm sure of that.If we added that waiting list it would be 32k st holders alone nevermind walk ups and away fans.

But saying that it won't be expanded anyway

Why would we give more seats than we do now for away fans ? Other teams don’t typically exceed the 3,000.

 

[Sorrel]

Safe standing - if it happens, which it probably will in the end - won't increase the capacity at all. The whole point is standing volume of one person one (locked shut) seat, just as it is now.

 

[Nixonator]

Safe standing - if it happens, which it probably will in the end - won't increase the capacity at all. The whole point is standing volume of one person one (locked shut) seat, just as it is now.

It depends which they choose... only we have have made the preliminary choice of 1:1.