Bramall Lane

[JJBlade]

Darlington fans probably said that!!

Yes
I did say two or three times their traditional support though

Not ten times

 

[JJBlade]

I don't think the justification is there to increase the stadium capacity until we've had two or three years in the Premier League, because its all week and good attracting 85%-90% capacity in the Championship and selling out when times are good when we make it to the top flight, but over the last few years I've also seen us with parts of the ground closed when we have haven't been challenging in the top half of league one, and we only sold out a couple of times for a League game in League One, and for a lot of the time we was getting 18k grounds and the atmosphere was shit with the ground just over half full.

If we are going to do anything, a new double tiered kop would be the way to go, but until we are established in the PL, that will always be a theoretical question.

Same as all the other clubs mentioned above

 

[JJBlade]

I have been saying the same for years it is always the last few thousand seats that are hardest to sell, netted off seats for segregation, restricted views, only single seats left all make them harder to sell. 90% full is about all we can do if away fans don't travel in numbers. Oh and then there are stupid decisions to give away fans the BLUT. We should aim to hold 40k in the lane it would encourage attendances of 35-40k if we were doing well even at Championship level.

Too right
Quite amazing that some clubs have built stadiums, or been given stadiums that are way in excess of what their highest ever attendances have been, and yet they are full.

But for some reason it couldn't possibly happen here

 

[DifferentClass]

The Kop toilets are true UEFA standard

Missus says all the Ladies are blocked and not a bit of soap or hand sanitiser to be found.

Who was the poster here who told us about the time his missus found a turd propped up on cocktail sticks in the John Street ladies?

 

[Stevo71]

Nor should it

Disagree

 

[Tezza1889]

Take a look on porktalk (through gritted teeth) and I'll guarantee that you'll have a reyt chuckle

Always do, least that corners dry under the tarpaulin..

Heard that go outdoors are getting free sponsorship due them not paying the bill for all the canvas they've used...

 

[S64 Blade]

Re. the ground, it is embarrassing to think a lot of people had to experience the Kop for these games; especially any women using those toilets, which must be even worse, without having the advantage of a man and being able to have a piss anywhere, quite easily.

The club should set some medium/long term plans to rebuild the stand entirely. Rip up the cheap/it’ll do option McCabe had planned and do a proper rebuild of the stand - moving it back a meter (or whatever it needs to be for UEFA so we don’t need seats closed off) and get rid of/or find a way to rebuild over the mound. It needs a properly covered, steeper inclined stand, with far better access and facilities. It’d also be worth factoring in some safe standing (top third of stand, for example). Exec boxes could also be added at the top, as I’m sure we are full on capacity there too. We don’t need it to be huge, just increase the size of it by a few thousand at most and at the same time, work out how we could infill the corner on the Cherry Street side, if needed, as a next step.

We might not be able to afford to build it yet, but having a better plan in place that truly future proofs it, is surely something that needs to be done to not only act as a legacy from the Euros, but also for the fans of the club.

 

[bongleblade]

It's doesn't really need expanding as it is already big enough for us at the minute.

Thing is, another 2000 seats on the Kop or South Stand and we begin to make it easier to get tickets in the PL, we can start to use the whole BL stand for away fans (thus increasing our capacity to 100% use of the stadium - 34.7k attendances) and more importantly, compete for a spot in the men's international game

 

[S64 Blade]

Thing is, another 2000 seats on the Kop or South Stand and we begin to make it easier to get tickets in the PL, we can start to use the whole BL stand for away fans (thus increasing our capacity to 100% use of the stadium - 34.7k attendances) and more importantly, compete for a spot in the men's international game

Agree on the first point, but giving away fans 5k plus tickets is insane, especially if we are saying that it’d allow more fans to get tickets in the PL - it’d basically be negated by increasing the away allocation.

 

[El Volví]

Re. the ground, it is embarrassing to think a lot of people had to experience the Kop for these games; especially any women using those toilets, which must be even worse, without having the advantage of a man and being able to have a piss anywhere, quite easily.

The club should set some medium/long term plans to rebuild the stand entirely. Rip up the cheap/it’ll do option McCabe had planned and do a proper rebuild of the stand - moving it back a meter (or whatever it needs to be for UEFA so we don’t need seats closed off) and get rid of/or find a way to rebuild over the mound. It needs a properly covered, steeper inclined stand, with far better access and facilities. It’d also be worth factoring in some safe standing (top third of stand, for example). Exec boxes could also be added at the top, as I’m sure we are full on capacity there too. We don’t need it to be huge, just increase the size of it by a few thousand at most and at the same time, work out how we could infill the corner on the Cherry Street side, if needed, as a next step.

We might not be able to afford to build it yet, but having a better plan in place that truly future proofs it, is surely something that needs to be done to not only act as a legacy from the Euros, but also for the fans of the club.

I posted a video recently from a Bournemouth fan which highlighted why they'll not increase the capacity from 10k.
The main reason cost!
That is the cost per seat v return on the investment is just not worth it.
I agree the Kop is long overdue a complete revamp and especially the removal of those awful posts and upgrade on facilities, but increasing the current capacity isn't viable or necessary.

 

[S64 Blade]

I posted a video recently from a Bournemouth fan which highlighted why they'll not increase the capacity from 10k.
The main reason cost!
That is the cost per seat v return on the investment is just not worth it.
I agree the Kop is long overdue a complete revamp and especially the removal of those awful posts and upgrade on facilities, but increasing the current capacity isn't viable or necessary.

Agreed, at the moment it is not. That’s why I said a medium/long term plan, so we can move more quickly, when it is.

Worth bearing in mind the cost for Bournemouth will be much higher than for us. Not only the construction/land acquisition costs (if any is needed), but they’re starting from a small base. Adding 2,000 seats to a ground that holds 10,000 is more expensive than one which holds 32,000.

 

[El Volví]

Agreed, at the moment it is not. That’s why I said a medium/long term plan, so we can move more quickly, when it is.

Worth bearing in mind the cost for Bournemouth will be much higher than for us. Not only the construction/land acquisition costs (if any is needed), but they’re starting from a small base. Adding 2,000 seats to a ground that holds 10,000 is more expensive than one which holds 32,000.

Correct

 

[Stevo71]

Aren’t Leicester, Sunderland, Brighton and Southampton all one club towns/cities? Surely it won’t work the same for us, especially if the other lot get on an even playing field

If your getting into the nitty gritty you could argue the point that when United were last at Wembley we took 38k so we know we have the support!

 

[Stevo71]

Darlington fans probably said that!!

Nah, that was an owner whose ambitions for such a small club was much much too high

 

[HVR]

Maybe not just add more seats, get more fans – one factor is also the wealth of the owner. If they can afford to build a new stadium, they can also afford to buy a better team. Better team and more success would mean more fans attending. If a billionaire bought United and created a top level team that was in the Champions League, then we would definitely need more seats and he would obviously be rich enough to rebuild BL, so other teams could then say "look at Sheff Utd - they rebuilt their ground into a 40,000 seater and they fill it".
But I'm not sure just adding 10,000 more seats would mean more fans in our current situation.
Although, I also think that when we were in the Premier League, a lot of 'floating fans' might not have even bothered to check about purchasing tickets, thinking they we were sold out. I do think 3+ seasons in the PL and we could easily fill a 35,000 seater stadium.

Edit: I would add that would be 35,000 unrestricted seats.

 

[MobileBlade]

If your getting into the nitty gritty you could argue the point that when United were last at Wembley we took 38k so we know we have the support!

And whisper it, 2,236 to QPR.

 

[robbiez666]

Worth baring in mind that the oldest professional football stadium in the world is going to be lacking in facilities compared to modern state of the art stadiums.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

The old girl looks great

What's next, "we're all Blades aren't we?"

 

[247Blade]

It's doesn't really need expanding as it is already big enough for us at the minute.

Be great to get bogs sorted on kop first!

 

[BushBlade]

Bottom line - we’d all like a bigger, better stadium. But the numbers don’t add up, particularly if it’s financed. It would take years before the extra revenue paid off the loan and in the meantime we’d be carrying debt that we could barely afford unless we’re permanently in the PL. It would be the South Stand all over again.
PA doesn’t have the money to ‘invest’ himself and, again, without regular PL football, even if he did, it would take years before it showed any return.
So, as much as we’d like it, it’s unlikely to happen unless we get up and stay up for a few seasons.

 

[JayGreen17]

To anyone watching on TV...what did they say about the attendance?

I know the capacity has been reduced slightly for the benches and cameras etc but from my vantage point on the Kop I was stunned with the 28,600 they put up

a sell out is when all seats are sold that are available.

this is why we need a bigger ground, with restrictions it reduces the capacity from about 32, to about 30, if we don’t extend the club doesn’t grow, simple.

 

[Mojo]

Absolutely delusional idiots:

Through gritted teeth

England v Sweden tonight, Must admit Bramall Lane looks good, step ahead of Hillsborough

www.owlstalk.co.uk

 

[bongleblade]

Agree on the first point, but giving away fans 5k plus tickets is insane, especially if we are saying that it’d allow more fans to get tickets in the PL - it’d basically be negated by increasing the away allocation.

Oh yeah the PL away price cap, good point. Well anyway, 2k extra wouldn’t hurt us at all in the PL, it’s just frustrating that we still wouldn’t sell it out fully with home fans on BLUT

 

[Sheffsteel]

Maybe not just add more seats, get more fans – one factor is also the wealth of the owner. If they can afford to build a new stadium, they can also afford to buy a better team. Better team and more success would mean more fans attending. If a billionaire bought United and created a top level team that was in the Champions League, then we would definitely need more seats and he would obviously be rich enough to rebuild BL, so other teams could then say "look at Sheff Utd - they rebuilt their ground into a 40,000 seater and they fill it".
But I'm not sure just adding 10,000 more seats would mean more fans in our current situation.
Although, I also think that when we were in the Premier League, a lot of 'floating fans' might not have even bothered to check about purchasing tickets, thinking they we were sold out. I do think 3+ seasons in the PL and we could easily fill a 35,000 seater stadium.

Edit: I would add that would be 35,000 unrestricted seats.

A massive factor regards PL football is the "floating/ neutral" fan.
When we were in the PL I personally know 4 people who had little interest in football, actually tell me they fancy going to see a live match at Bramall Lane.
They weren't on our database and just wanted to pay for a ticket without jumping through hoops.
So they failed to attend any of our matches matches, meaning LOST revenue and LOSS of a potential future fan.

I know that Leicester City always allowed season tickets holders to purchase extra tickets using their card.
Not sure why United don't do the same instead of asking every single fan to register and in some cases pay an additional membership fee.

 

[S64 Blade]

Oh yeah the PL away price cap, good point. Well anyway, 2k extra wouldn’t hurt us at all in the PL, it’s just frustrating that we still wouldn’t sell it out fully with home fans on BLUT

Totally. We made it overly complicated for the casual fan to buy tickets. The extra 2k would help reduce any need for making it difficult.

 

[Katzenjammer]

My goodness.

I'm glad I never became the type to fuss over "the facilities".

Glad I'm not the sort to demand a reclining leather chair with a charging dock, a complimentary selfie stick and a drinks holder.
A state of the art shithouse with a butler on hand to hold your cock while you have a piss or hand out pieces of raw Chinese silk on which to wipe one's arse.
'Cos y'know, that would really improve "the customer experience".

You're in the ground for an hour and a half for fucks sake, the primary purpose of which is to watch football.

For everything else there's a hotel nearby

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

It'll not get expanded while ever HRH is the owner

Anything to bash HRH with . Please list me what bollocks he’s dropped or what he has gone back on . I remember him saying that we had to be in the premiership at least 2 years to move forward structurally,then covid hit and Wilder spunked oodles of money on misfits. Again this season we are buying/loaning good players on no doubt decent wages and getting rid of some of the dross . The kop and Pukka needs an overhaul but I presume that is in the plans as is a training ground with better facilities.

 

[S64 Blade]

My goodness.

I'm glad I never became the type to fuss over "the facilities".

Glad I'm not the sort to demand a reclining leather chair with a charging dock, a complimentary selfie stick and a drinks holder.
A state of the art shithouse with a butler on hand to hold your cock while you have a piss or hand out pieces of raw Chinese silk on which to wipe one's arse.
'Cos y'know, that would really improve "the customer experience".

You're in the ground for an hour and a half for fucks sake, the primary purpose of which is to watch football.

For everything else there's a hotel nearby

There is an option between pissing in a glorified coal shed and having one in a state of the art butler toilet, that would be nice to experience in 2022. Especially when people are paying £30+ for 90 minutes of second tier football.

I wouldn’t be too pleased with those conditions if I was going to the cinema and paying £10 to watch a film.

 

[Stevo71]

Anything to bash HRH with . Please list me what bollocks he’s dropped or what he has gone back on . I remember him saying that we had to be in the premiership at least 2 years to move forward structurally,then covid hit and Wilder spunked oodles of money on misfits. Again this season we are buying/loaning good players on no doubt decent wages and getting rid of some of the dross . The kop and Pukka needs an overhaul but I presume that is in the plans as is a training ground with better facilities.

Who said anything about what bollocks he's dropped? He simply doesn't have the financial clout to expand the stadium, i'm not in any way slagging him off whatsoever

 

[Katzenjammer]

There is an option between pissing in a glorified coal shed and having one in a state of the art butler toilet, that would be nice to experience in 2022. Especially when people are paying £30+ for 90 minutes of second tier football.

I wouldn’t be too pleased with those conditions if I was going to the cinema and paying £10 to watch a film.

A football ground is not a cinema. But if we are to go with that analogy, I've been to some rubbish cinemas and still enjoyed the visit as long as the film was good, because that was the central purpose of the visit.