[Albion] The Ambition to being Top 10 club.

[Gully Forever]

I Love tony Bloom's ambition and vision for our club. I know the subject of our ground expansion is sometimes a subject that may sound like a broken record.
But, after Bloom revealed his plans for the future and Paul Barber mentioning the fact we have over 8,000 members on the season ticket waiting list.

Surely expansion cannot be ruled out indefinitely. Grounds grow to match the identity of the team.
The day Tony's dream becomes a reality. And that can't be far away given our progress.. I'm just feeling a bit shut out by the situation..

Is the club going to become just an expensive exclusive business. Only for those who have managed to be one of the lucky 27K or so STH.
The club pride themselves on being able to cater for as many supporters as they can. Is that philosaphy going to slowly become not possible as the club grows.

Any thoughts on Tony's ambition, and what we need to become to be a recognised top 10 club.

 

[Braggfan]

Is the club going to become just an expensive exclusive business.

I think it already is

 

[Ninja Elephant]

We need to buy the site at Black Rock and get planning permission for a 50,000 seater stadium. Then we need to expand the Volks Railway to cope with the increase in demand and re-route the park and rides. It would be easier to get people ferried directly to Brighton station post match, you could line buses up on the a259 and plenty of people could just walk back to town. It's sustainable, it uses up the wasteland down there, reduces the demand on the trains and when it comes to the big European nights we can really intimidate the opposition coach on its approach to the stadium. Anfield Road style!

 

[Wozza]

Surely expansion cannot be ruled out indefinitely.

It will be unless there's an infrastructure miracle.

I'm just feeling a bit shut out by the situation.

Tickets still remain for the West Ham match on Saturday.

Was pretty easy to get them for the Man City game at the end of last season too.

 

[Gully Forever]

We need to buy the site at Black Rock and get planning permission for a 50,000 seater stadium. Then we need to expand the Volks Railway to cope with the increase in demand and re-route the park and rides. It would be easier to get people ferried directly to Brighton station post match, you could line buses up on the a259 and plenty of people could just walk back to town. It's sustainable, it uses up the wasteland down there, reduces the demand on the trains and when it comes to the big European nights we can really intimidate the opposition coach on its approach to the stadium. Anfield Road style!

If only you had Tony's money.

 

[Brovion]

One of the problems with expansion (even if it were possible), is that we'd end up with a, say, 50,000 capacity stadium that we couldn't always fill - especially if we dropped back into the Championship and Peterborough came calling on a Tuesday night in January. Nothing worse than a big ground that's less than 20% full.

However I have the ideal and totally practical answer to the expansion problem - build two stadiums! Let's build a huge great ****-off 50,000 capacity stadium at Waterhall, complete with train station and underground car parks, for when we're doing well, but keep the Amex which we can switch back to if we struggle. Makes perfect sense! In fact, let's make it 60,000 capacity, no point in half-measures.

 

[Stat Brother]

The simple solutions are always the easiest.

Tunnel under the stadium, back excavate under the current stands and build 4 new stands.
Hydraulically drop the pitch, 50,000 stadium when things are good.
Raise the pitch to its current position for the fallow years.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

If only you had Tony's money.

It's better for me that I don't.

I'd pump a lot of cash into the local economy in other ways. Overall, it's better in Tony's pocket than mine. I have nothing like his self control.

 

[Nixonator]

It will be unless there's an infrastructure miracle.



Tickets still remain for the West Ham match on Saturday.

Was pretty easy to get them for the Man City game at the end of last season too.

Well, as I mentioned on another thread, PB took the question a little bit more seriously this time round.

Usually Tony, Paul or Martin would just dismiss it as an impossibility, further down the line they would say maybe we can put in 100 or so extra but no more (which they already did).

At this year's fan forum, it seemed as if PB was intimating that we might be able to squeeze a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred in, but dismissed a second tier on the north.

In regards to the op's question, you say we're not far away but Tony has specifically stated that just reaching 10th once (which would be fantastic enough already) is not the aim. The aim is an ambitious one, to be perceived and recognised as a consistent top half club. That will take a long time and is extremely challenging.

If we get anywhere near that goal, you can absolutely guarantee we will look into serious investment to expand. People taking the 'impossibility' of the structure/roof issue a bit too literally, it will just take tens of millions of pounds with not much in the way of immediate return.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm just feeling a bit shut out by the situation..

In what way have you been 'shut out'. For which games exactly has it been impossible to get a ticket? Are you going on Saturday?

Is the club going to become just an expensive exclusive business. Only for those who have managed to be one of the lucky 27K or so STH.

I get that I am 'lucky' in that I can afford to renew our two season tickets, though it is a rare luxury item, in a reasonably thrifty lifestyle.

But why am I 'lucky' to have 'managed to be a STH'? Along with about 6,000 others, I was offered early choice on a ST at the Amex, on account of having held a ST for a decade at Withdean. Were we 'lucky' to have been afforded that opportunity, as well?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

We already are a top 10 club, infact we are 4th

 

[Stat Brother]

Plenty of seats available for Saturday's game, even without the ticket exchange being opened.

Best sell out the first game of the season under a new manager after an impressive 0-3 win before adding another 20,000 seats.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Bloom sacked Hughton as he was as bored shtless as everyone else was last season. The football was absolutely DIRE. He needed a fresh approach and a more attacking style and not stink the league out again this season even if it was a punt. Thing is Bloom's punts are nearly always correct. I had a monkey on BHAFC to be in the top 10 this season at 7 to 1, everyone without exception laughed in my face, some saying the odds should be 33 to 1 ! even though Norwich at 12/1 were the longest. I don't see why 10th and after all that is all I need is so ridiculous. Already after Saturday the odds have come down to 9 to 2. The facts are and some people won't like this we, stayed up despite Hughton rather than because of him last season

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Let's get there first

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

 

[Molango's visa]

Well, as I mentioned on another thread, PB took the question a little bit more seriously this time round.

Usually Tony, Paul or Martin would just dismiss it as an impossibility, further down the line they would say maybe we can put in 100 or so extra but no more (which they already did).

At this year's fan forum, it seemed as if PB was intimating that we might be able to squeeze a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred in, but dismissed a second tier on the north.

In regards to the op's question, you say we're not far away but Tony has specifically stated that just reaching 10th once (which would be fantastic enough already) is not the aim. The aim is an ambitious one, to be perceived and recognised as a consistent top half club. That will take a long time and is extremely challenging.

If we get anywhere near that goal, you can absolutely guarantee we will look into serious investment to expand. People taking the 'impossibility' of the structure/roof issue a bit too literally, it will just take tens of millions of pounds with not much in the way of immediate return.

Yep. This sums it up. Clearly our owner is a realist. That means it is silly to spend a fortune expanding the stadium right now.

But equally it would be silly to not reconsider this if and when we are regular top ten (which means a good chance of the occasional cup win), with the commensurate growing international following and income.

Could I rule out getting my teeth capped if I won the lottery? No. Why don't I get my teeth capped now, then? Because it would be a pointless waste of time and money.

 

[BNthree]

Plenty of seats available for Saturday's game, even without the ticket exchange being opened.

Yeah the club are promoting sales of this like crazy. They're practically begging people to come along. Surprised they don't price matches like this (in the school holidays) as a bit cheaper as way of guaranteeing a full stadium.

 

[Wozza]

Well, as I mentioned on another thread, PB took the question a little bit more seriously this time round.

Usually Tony, Paul or Martin would just dismiss it as an impossibility, further down the line they would say maybe we can put in 100 or so extra but no more (which they already did).

At this year's fan forum, it seemed as if PB was intimating that we might be able to squeeze a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred in, but dismissed a second tier on the north.

The club wants to put more premium seating in. Likely in the NE corner. We've known this for a while.

People taking the 'impossibility' of the structure/roof issue a bit too literally, it will just take tens of millions of pounds with not much in the way of immediate return.

The problem is infrastructure not, er, structure. There's no way of getting 1000s of extra people in and out of Falmer.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

The problem is infrastructure not, er, structure. There's no way of getting 1000s of extra people in and out of Falmer.

I thought it was structure - the arches that support the stadium do not allow additional tiers etc.

 

[Easy 10]

In this league more than any other, money talks. To consistently become a top 10 club, you have to pay top 10 wages. In 2018, out of 20 clubs we were 19th in terms of players wages paid.

Following the summer transfer window our wagebill will undoubtedly have swelled. But Potter will have to perform absolute MIRACLES to get us into that top 10. I can't see it happening any time soon.

 

[Easy 10]

I thought it was structure - the arches that support the stadium do not allow additional tiers etc.

Correct. The arches hold up the entire roof around the stadium. You cannot add additional tiers at the Amex without dismantling the roofs and arches.