Increasing BL's capacity.

[s10blade]

Watching highlights of Sunderland V Blackburn, I noticed that despite the crowd being just over 37,000, behind the goals looked empty. No doubt Sunderland have a decent following but to me it seems quite depressing that such a good crowd still makes the stadium look empty.

Not sure about anyone else but I've got severe reservations about increasing the capacity to 44,000. Even for derby day and big games in Premiership I don't think we would fill it. As shrewed etc. as McCabe is and agreeing that Bramall Lane may need a facelift in areas, I think that for the sake of hosting a 2018 game, we shouldn't sell ourselves short and ruin the atmosphere of games for United.

At the end of the day, the best type of game we're gonna get (if any) is something along the lines of Ukraine v Togo(!). Personally, I'd sooner not waste our time (and money) and just get on with focusing on us.

 

[oldblade]

Watching highlights of Sunderland V Blackburn, I noticed that despite the crowd being just over 37,000, behind the goals looked empty. No doubt Sunderland have a decent following but to me it seems quite depressing that such a good crowd still makes the stadium look empty.

Not sure about anyone else but I've got severe reservations about increasing the capacity to 44,000. Even for derby day and big games in Premiership I don't think we would fill it. As shrewed etc. as McCabe is and agreeing that Bramall Lane may need a facelift in areas, I think that for the sake of hosting a 2018 game, we shouldn't sell ourselves short and ruin the atmosphere of games for United.

At the end of the day, the best type of game we're gonna get (if any) is something along the lines of Ukraine v Togo(!). Personally, I'd sooner not waste our time (and money) and just get on with focusing on us.

Like you, I have severe reservations about increasing our capacity. I think our current capacity is about right for us. If we had a sustained run in the premier league , or actually won something, my opinion might alter. But at the moment I think our ground 'fits' us.

Also, inside it looks well balanced and nicely enclosed. Particularly under floodlights, that enclosed nature of the ground can make it a very intimidating place for opposing teams. That is when we're actually supporting the side instead of moaning and groaning at individual players!

For us to get the sort of capacity that has been talked about we would have to extend the kop and the south stand and I think there is a danger that the ground would become lop sided - a bit like a smaller scale St James Park.

Howevedr, I certainly would not be opposed to improving the kop and taking away those huge pillars!

 

[SwissBlade]

Totally agree.

The Kop extension and redevelopment i understand, it takes our capaicity up but to a level thats realistic for our current fan base.

The South Stand development would be a longer term plan and I think it'll only go ahead if we get the WC, that said its a 9 year plan to increase our fan base, but will we really increase our fan base to anywhere near 44,000? Unlikely even with a lot of success.

Surely we'd need to be Champions League to be getting 40,000 plus?

I hope that we get the WC, but if we don't then we don't need to extend as much as planned....

But the plans look great for both the Kop and South Stand.

Would the Kop would be amongst the largest Kops (ie single tiered stand) in the country?

South Stand looks like the old Kippax at Maine Road

 

[oldblade]

Totally agree.

The Kop extension and redevelopment i understand, it takes our capaicity up but to a level thats realistic for our current fan base.

The South Stand development would be a longer term plan and I think it'll only go ahead if we get the WC, that said its a 9 year plan to increase our fan base, but will we really increase our fan base to anywhere near 44,000? Unlikely even with a lot of success.

Surely we'd need to be Champions League to be getting 40,000 plus?

I hope that we get the WC, but if we don't then we don't need to extend as much as planned....

But the plans look great for both the Kop and South Stand.

Would the Kop would be amongst the largest Kops (ie single tiered stand) in the country?

South Stand looks like the old Kippax at Maine Road

I agree with you that we would need a sustained period of success to be able to top 40,000 capacities regularly. Even after the war when attendances for all clubs were generally very high, we never ever achieved anything approaching a 40,000 average attendance for the season.

There is a danger that we could have too much excess capacity, which is something that I don't think is helping Wednesday at the moment. Their attendances really aren't particularly low at the moment, but a 20,000 attendance in a 40,000 stadium means there are a lot of empty seats and I'm sure that impacts on the atmosxphere. Remember what it was like at Bramall Lane a few years ago when we were getting 13,000. The place was often like a morgue.

Better to have a smaller capacity ground that is 70%-80% full, than a bigger one that you can only half fill.

 

[beightonblade]

What a bloody negative lot you are !

United have the potential to attact 40-50,000 to BDTBL every home match.

AT LEAST.

Oh i forgot to say ......... would be a good idea in my opinion to have a section for the 'Ulta's' ! but please no drums.

I do wish they had picked a better name though.

 

[oldblade]

What a bloody negative lot you are !

United have the potential to attact 40-50,000 to BDTBL every home match.

AT LEAST.

Well we've never ever been even close to that even when we had a capacity of over 50,000.

 

[beightonblade]

Well we've never ever been even close to that even when we had a capacity of over 50,000.

Look at the attendences when we made the Premiership ..... build on that and 40-50000 is easy.

The east side of the Pennines is a void in Premieship terms a great catchment area for the Blades heirarchy if they get there act together.


THINK POSITIVE !

 

[SwissBlade]

What a bloody negative lot you are !

United have the potential to attact 40-50,000 to BDTBL every home match.

AT LEAST.

The Lee Strafford virus is sweeping through Beighton

You'll be on Radio Sheffield next week complaining about the 25,000 missing fans

 

[Bladesman]

What a bloody negative lot you are !

United have the potential to attact 40-50,000 to BDTBL every home match.

AT LEAST.

Oh i forgot to say ......... would be a good idea in my opinion to have a section for the 'Ulta's' ! but please no drums.

I do wish they had picked a better name though.

Do you remember that time we had fans bashing the turnstiles down to get into the ground.

We just didnt have enough seats for everyone!

It was a really high profile game....port vale I think it was.

Apart from the KOP extention the other developments are a complete waste of time.

 

[oldblade]

Look at the attendences when we made the Premiership ..... build on that and 40-50000 is easy.

The east side of the Pennines is a void in Premieship terms a great catchment area for the Blades heirarchy if they get there act together.


THINK POSITIVE !

Rather than being negative, it's a case of being realistic. In the 1960s we had seven consecutive seasons in the top division, and a total of 12 out of 15 seasons in that division between 1962 and 1976. The ground held around 55,000 in those days, but our biggest season average was 33,189. Even in the 1974-5 season when we very nearly got into europe, we still only averaged 22,555.

I'm not saying that 40,000 attendances aren't possible. They are, but it is something we have never ever achieved before and it is something that would have to be built up over time and on the back of a level of success that we haven't achieved since the beginning of the last century.

 

[beightonblade]

Rather than being negative, it's a case of being realistic. In the 1960s we had seven consecutive seasons in the top division, and a total of 12 out of 15 seasons in that division between 1962 and 1976. The ground held around 55,000 in those days, but our biggest season average was 33,189. Even in the 1974-5 season when we very nearly got into europe, we still only averaged 22,555.

I'm not saying that 40,000 attendances aren't possible. They are, but it is something we have never ever achieved before and it is something that would have to be built up over time and on the back of a level of success that we haven't achieved since the beginning of the last century.

Thats history ....... and the game of football has changed for better or worse.
The Blades team from the early 70's playing now and yer wud have 50,000 at least at BDTBL if it were big enuff.

 

[Santos]

Watching highlights of Sunderland V Blackburn, I noticed that despite the crowd being just over 37,000, behind the goals looked empty. No doubt Sunderland have a decent following but to me it seems quite depressing that such a good crowd still makes the stadium look empty.

Not sure about anyone else but I've got severe reservations about increasing the capacity to 44,000. Even for derby day and big games in Premiership I don't think we would fill it. As shrewed etc. as McCabe is and agreeing that Bramall Lane may need a facelift in areas, I think that for the sake of hosting a 2018 game, we shouldn't sell ourselves short and ruin the atmosphere of games for United.

At the end of the day, the best type of game we're gonna get (if any) is something along the lines of Ukraine v Togo(!). Personally, I'd sooner not waste our time (and money) and just get on with focusing on us.

I kind of agree. The best thing for us would be for England not to win the bid. If we win promotion and stay in the Premier League then our current capacity probably won't be big enough, but 44,000 would be too big and we'd have the problems which Sunderland have which you alluded to. I think a capacity of about 39,000 for us in the Premiership would suffice but only if we were willing to give the away team 5,000 tickets, although this is unheard of in the Premie League!

 

[oldblade]

Thats history ....... and the game of football has changed for better or worse.
The Blades team from the early 70's playing now and yer wud have 50,000 at least at BDTBL if it were big enuff.

Something that we'll never be able to prove either way, but I don't think so. Football was much cheaper to watch (even allowing for the fact that people were paid less), and there was little in the way of television coverage in those days. But we still couldn't get above a 33,000 average even though the side was arguably much more pleasant to watch than now.

 

[S64 Blade]

I think the potential for filling it is almost there as long as we can do well on the pitch. As BB says, the possibilities of our catchment area can only be an aid.

 

[beightonblade]

I think the potential for filling it is almost there as long as we can do well on the pitch. As BB says, the possibilities of our catchment area can only be an aid.

bang on ............... look at wigwam yesterday against manure 18000......
pathetic !

 

[Casper]

I think the potential for filling it is almost there as long as we can do well on the pitch. As BB says, the possibilities of our catchment area can only be an aid.

And our catchment area is???

We have to share our catchment area with Wednesday, Rotherham, Barnsley, Donny and Chessy. Then a little further afield to the south we have Mansfield, Nottingham and Derby. To the north we have Leeds and the others.

Even if we were in the top 6 of the prem we would only average about 37k - at the very max. The kop extension would be excellent, but, although it would be great to look at, im not sure at all about the south stand extension.

 

[S64 Blade]

Well from the towns you have mentioned above, that gives us what...say 3m people within a 30 miles radius of Bramall Lane. Not bad going really, considering most of the above towns football teams are dire.

 

[Escafeld]

All this talk of catchment areas & big attendances is old news. Strapon was waxing lyrical about it not so many weeks ago when he was trying to big up SWFC as an investment opportunity. He got slated for it.

 

[Casper]

Well from the towns you have mentioned above, that gives us what...say 3m people within a 30 miles radius of Bramall Lane. Not bad going really, considering most of the above towns football teams are dire.

in theory you are correct, but in practice....erm, it doesnt quite work like that mate.

 

[SwissBlade]

I think the potential for filling it is almost there as long as we can do well on the pitch. As BB says, the possibilities of our catchment area can only be an aid.

However the catchment area has the Pigs, Rotherham, Dingles, Chez Vegas, Donny, Mansfield, Derby, Huddersfield, Leeds etc etc which all have their own fan base

I know that a successful club will always bring in more fans many of which are fickle, but i don't think we'd fill it often enough

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I think what a lot fail to realiase is that an increased BL capacity up to 45K will allow ALL of BL upper and lower to be given to away fans, meaning 7+K.

The club would obviously need to sustain PL membership, but that would leave a max of 38K for home supporters (easliy achiveable for the big games)

The WHOLE plan is based around being in the PL and not getting 20 odd K in the CCC, so the cub is right to plan for the larger capacity.

Now here's a real life problem the club had back in the PL a few years ago. The plc company I worked for wanted 4 family tickets in Jonh Street to raffle for each home game. The club did not have 4 good seats available so we didn't have any. Increase in the kop and on the South stand will make more "quality seats" available. Not every one one wants to sit behind a goal and have poor facilities. I am sure other companies (even prawn sandwich ones!) had similar issues at the time.

You may not like it but big business is taking down at BDTBL and it is a caseof maxcimising income. Can appreciate some on here don't like it, but the PL is not some poxy league that some countries have. The PL will continue to get bigger and bigger as the Far East catches on even more.

McCabe sees the future and where he "wants" to take United - it may never happen but at least lets go along with the dream. If you have been to Halifax in the old 4th divison then you will know exactly where I am coming from.

UTB

 

[oldblade]

I think what a lot fail to realiase is that an increased BL capacity up to 45K will allow ALL of BL upper and lower to be given to away fans, meaning 7+K.

The club would obviously need to sustain PL membership, but that would leave a max of 38K for home supporters (easliy achiveable for the big games)

The WHOLE plan is based around being in the PL and not getting 20 odd K in the CCC, so the cub is right to plan for the larger capacity.

Now here's a real life problem the club had back in the PL a few years ago. The plc company I worked for wanted 4 family tickets in Jonh Street to raffle for each home game. The club did not have 4 good seats available so we didn't have any. Increase in the kop and on the South stand will make more "quality seats" available. Not every one one wants to sit behind a goal and have poor facilities. I am sure other companies (even prawn sandwich ones!) had similar issues at the time.

You may not like it but big business is taking down at BDTBL and it is a caseof maxcimising income. Can appreciate some on here don't like it, but the PL is not some poxy league that some countries have. The PL will continue to get bigger and bigger as the Far East catches on even more.

McCabe sees the future and where he "wants" to take United - it may never happen but at least lets go along with the dream. If you have been to Halifax in the old 4th divison then you will know exactly where I am coming from.

UTB

Didn't go to Halifax, but went to many similar and some probably worse grounds. And I can say without any reservation I found Northampton away in 1981 to have more atmosphere than many of the swanky new stadia I have visited since then.