[Albion] The Amex home of the Albion should it be extended

[Wozza]

North Stand... *cough* ...hospitality area. *taps nose*

 

[TSB]

Different day, another inane question from Larry.

 

[Simster]

North Stand... *cough* ...hospitality area. *taps nose*

This. *also taps nose*

 

[DavidRyder]

Another 9,000 would be great, a rebuild of the north stand would be top priority

Sounds like it's not possible, but IF it was, maybe a 2 tier North, with seats up top and safe standing below.

 

[Nixonator]

With 8,000 fans on the season ticket waiting list there must be a case for looking into expansion.

The club stance on this is very clear, they will shut it down very quickly and most will take it as gospel. Having said that, speaking to a few structual engineers who have seen the plans it is most certainly not impossible to expand.

I very much doubt TB is willing to dig in and come up with more tens of millions to add another 2k seats though. We have it about right, the only big regret is not making the North a bigger home end.

 

[worthingseagull]

For those who are unsure about the feasibility of expanding the Amex, this question has been raised and answered by Barber, Bloom, Perry, and loads of others in numerous forums, phone ins, etc. It is possible to add a few more seats, I believe in the 10,s not 100's. The stadium roof is supported by the two arches, and its not possible to add another tier anywhere without removing them, i.e. effectively dismantling the whole stadium, at a cost of many millions of £s. Would probably be cheaper to knock it down and rebuild.

do it - when toyrus go bust we can rebuild there

 

[Wardy's twin]

There were probably at least a 1000 empty seats on Saturday so first thing club should do is sort out how tickets can be easily transferred.... Next simple step is to go with Safe Standing in the North or part of it. I know this is in discussion but the reality is that away fans generally stand and there have not been any issues to my limited knowledge. If we do that in the North stand we could/should do it in the South as the seats are rarely/never used. This would allow us to shrink the size of the away area and freeing up more seats.

This will not give an 8k increase but would deliver a couple of thousand at a relatively low cost.

Also the Northstand could should be expanded into the office space , they don't need office space at the ground or if they do they build a small block to accommodate it.

 

[The Large One]

There were probably at least a 1000 empty seats on Saturday so first thing club should do is sort out how tickets can be easily transferred.... Next simple step is to go with Safe Standing in the North or part of it. I know this is in discussion but the reality is that away fans generally stand and there have not been any issues to my limited knowledge. If we do that in the North stand we could/should do it in the South as the seats are rarely/never used. This would allow us to shrink the size of the away area and freeing up more seats.

Safe standing won't increase the capacity.

This will not give an 8k increase but would deliver a couple of thousand at a relatively low cost.

Define 'relatively low cost'. And good luck with getting that through the council.

Also the Northstand could should be expanded into the office space , they don't need office space at the ground or if they do they build a small block to accommodate it.

A 'small block' for dozens of staff? Where will that go? And what have they done to deserve that?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

There were probably at least a 1000 empty seats on Saturday so first thing club should do is sort out how tickets can be easily transferred.... Next simple step is to go with Safe Standing in the North or part of it. I know this is in discussion but the reality is that away fans generally stand and there have not been any issues to my limited knowledge. If we do that in the North stand we could/should do it in the South as the seats are rarely/never used. This would allow us to shrink the size of the away area and freeing up more seats.

This will not give an 8k increase but would deliver a couple of thousand at a relatively low cost.

Also the Northstand could should be expanded into the office space , they don't need office space at the ground or if they do they build a small block to accommodate it.

The safe standing being proposed, investigated and in some clubs used is a one for one swap - so no extra capacity comes from safe standing. And that's before we even consider how difficult it would be to get permission to build extra capacity.

*** Edit - beaten to it by TLO ***

 

[sydney]

Wish I'd never given up my STs because now I'm struggling to get to league games.

I suppose ideally we'd have a capacity of 32,000 (about the same as Southampton and Leicester, just below Derby and Middlesbrough) but anything more than that is unnecessary. We have been spoiled with success in the Amex era, but one day it will turn to shìt and our support will halve. Already the ground looks empty with a gate of less than 17-18,000 in it...

that's the spirit...

 

[Miami Seagull]

Safe standing won't increase the capacity.



Define 'relatively low cost'. And good luck with getting that through the council.



A 'small block' for dozens of staff? Where will that go? And what have they done to deserve that?

The safe standing roadshow says something different, 1.8 standing fans for every one currently seated.. I know it is talking about rail seating in lower leagues, but I wouldn't think it would be different here. In Germany the 1.8/1 differential is also correct

http://www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk/the-case-for-safe-standing/case-for-3

 

[Simster]

that's the spirit...

I don't mean to be doom and gloom, mate. It's just that I would fully understand if the club decided this was the perfect sized stadium as it is. Before the Amex was built, we only had 30,000+ about 7 or 8 times I think (although I could be wrong). Now that we get that every week, it doesn't necessarily follow that things will stay like that.

 

[The Wookiee]

The ticket waiting list is free if you become a member. A lot of people have become members so they can buy match tickets when they feel like it. You'd be mad not to have put your name down on the waiting list given it came as part of your membership, even if you have no real intention of buying a season ticket.

If we get relegated, expect that list to disappear in a puff of magic smoke.

Wasn’t automatically part of the membership, you had to tick a box if you wanted to join the waiting list

 

[sydney]

I don't mean to be doom and gloom, mate. It's just that I would fully understand if the club decided this was the perfect sized stadium as it is. Before the Amex was built, we only had 30,000+ about 7 or 8 times I think (although I could be wrong). Now that we get that every week, it doesn't necessarily follow that things will stay like that.

i know what ya mean mate .....i remember withdean in jan/feb.....yeeeshh...

 

[Da Man Clay]

The safe standing roadshow says something different, 1.8 standing fans for every one currently seated.. I know it is talking about rail seating in lower leagues, but I wouldn't think it would be different here. In Germany the 1.8/1 differential is also correct

http://www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk/the-case-for-safe-standing/case-for-3

The safe standing roadshow can say what it wants really. The issue is not being able to fit more people in the seated areas - it’s more do with the facilities provided and access in and out of the stadium in an emergency. The North Stand has facilities to match the current amount of seated spectators only.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I don't know anyone that closely at the club, I don't drink with the mate of a groundsman or have a "sauce" but The Amex will not be extended other than cosmetic changes and a few seats here and there, of that I am sure.

 

[gazingdown]

The only way I can see more seats added (without taking down the whole roof etc.) is
1. Extend a little into the offices behind north stand. That’s what half a dozen rows about half the width of the north stand?
2. Lower pitch and add a couple of rows all round by the pitch. Only go so far so that top row of W/E can still see everything.
3. Longer overhang on ESU over ESL and same for WSU. As above, without obscuring vision of rear rows of lower stands.

Someone want to add up how many seats that might add?

 

[Gwylan]

do it - when toyrus go bust we can rebuild there

Of course, if we still played at the Goldstone we wouldn't be able to get 30,000 in and out of there these days. Archer did us all a favour by selling the ground ...

 

[mlg57]

26.40 in...YET AGAIN



View attachment 93897

Love the question after.

 

[mothy]

Wish I'd never given up my STs because now I'm struggling to get to league games.

I suppose ideally we'd have a capacity of 32,000 (about the same as Southampton and Leicester, just below Derby and Middlesbrough) but anything more than that is unnecessary. We have been spoiled with success in the Amex era, but one day it will turn to shìt and our support will halve. Already the ground looks empty with a gate of less than 17-18,000 in it...

I dropped my season ticket end of 2015 & haven't had a problem getting the tickets i want - as long as you are organised (stoke, Newcastle, burnley, saints, chelsea & arsenal all got).

Now i want to go & can sit around the ground.

I found the season ticket meant i had to go & sat in the same seat - that said i was in east lower (dead zone for atmosphere- my son fell asleep twice - thats what the sun & hypia did for him)