I was watching the Newcastle match the other night and the commentator was commending the atmosphere and saying "he couldn't hear himself at times".
The Newcastle ground holds 52,000 fans and it got me wondering where all the arguments for a 60,000 seat EFC stadium come from.
I mean, what is the rationale? Where do the people who come up with that figure get it from?
* Is it just a magical figure to match some London clubs?
* Is it ego,? Do we just want to have a larger capacity than the RS?
* Is it wishful thinking, heart over head? "I just FEEL it should be 60,000".
* Or do they genuinely think we have enough support to get 60k every home game?
Being the geek head that I am I thought I would do a little research on the subject. First off I needed to find the closest club to us in as many categories as possible. I chose Manchester City as they are a club in a northern city which has a more successful, higher supported neighbour. In spite of this City have certain advantages over us as they have a bigger fan base from a larger population and have been much more successful than us recently. So let's look at their pre covid attendances.
Etihad Stadium capacity = 55017
18/19 Season Average PL attendance = 54130 Times ground sold out = 0
17/18 Season Average PL attendance = 53812 Times ground sold out = 0
16/17 Season Average PL attendance = 54019 Times ground sold out = 1
In fact with a modern stadium with a capacity similar to our new stadium, playing Champions League football, winning premierships, and playing great football only sold out the ground twice since 2014.
Incidentally, Newcastle, a single club city with an attendance of 52,338 and famed for their fanatical support, only sold out their ground 5 times since 2014
We will have a State of the art stadium with a capacity just shy of 53,000. Personally, I think that figure is about right, and I think the faceless beancounters hired by the club have come to that conclusion after much more research than I have done.
So where do the 60k club think those supporters are coming from? bearing in mind the seating difference would be the most expensive part of the build by far and not viable financially for the club
It's the wrong argument mate.
There are several reasons for wanting over 60000. Other "big clubs" have or are building to 60,000 plus. Dan Meis calls it size envy, but I think we ought to match our peers. But maybe Newcastle are our level now?
I would argue and have always argued (Covid apart) that if we had about 52-55,000 at Goodison now, then we'd sell it out. That's with the OLD Lady and the obstructed views to boot, and the lack of success and often tedious football.
Dare I say 52-53,000 is only another 13,14,000 seats. Not a huge addition when there is a demand for at least half of those seats now.
Moving to a new stadium, no posts, and a waterfront setting, there will be a swell of support I'm sure. The new stadium effect also, is not a figment of the imagination.
Sure. "Average" attendances have never been so high down the years to justify an average crowd of 55,000 at BMD. I also know the 80's and the 90's had some rediculously low attendances, many a game I was at when there was less than 20,000. The mid-eighties the best period that I was introduced to going the match, could have many games with empty sections. But also a different era for football and society.
The era now is of big stadiums and big crowds at the top end. I'd like us to be part of that. I'd like us to be at the top end with top stadia and top players. Not a mid-table club with supporters happy for us to be mid table with a middle of the road stadium. We should be all out to build the biggest we can and make a statement. Everton "are a big club". A club that wants to return to the top. Has ambitions to be the best. That's the trouble they don't live up to NSNO.
I also don't buy the final seats are the most expensive. You build a higher capacity you can cater for the big in-demand games. It would be cheaper to have the stadium built to a higher capacity than having to add more later on.
