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While we may have desired a greater attendance, the reason for it was a study by the club of cost vs. benefits, e.g. projections of many seats we can definitely fill.
Toffeeslam
Player Valuation: £35m
Cost to much and the footprint won’t support that
I think I read somewhere the absolute maximum is 62k the dock footprint could support
Might be wrong though
brieverton
Player Valuation: £50m
I tend to agree. Seen a few jibes on X referring to the "British Gas stadium". If they are just trying it out maybe they'll reach the same conclusions. It didn't look good.I mean I guess its a test, but I was hoping for more from the lights, I know its not the same material or whatever but was hoping for the metal roof to be drenched in blue rather, then those spot lights.
I do think they need to work a bit harder on that, I think like a few have said it doesnt exactly show the stadium off right..
Hopefully its one of those things they look at and go, yeah thats probably not the look we where going for.
teppic
Player Valuation: £50m
The study was clearly wrong then. The stadium will sell out every week and it will still be impossible for the casual match going fan to get a ticket. At least these new owners seem to have some ambition regarding our potential.
teppic
Player Valuation: £50m
Then it should have a 10k larger capacity. I'm pretty sure someone with the ability of Dan Meis could have put another tier on each stand.
Toffeeslam
Player Valuation: £35m
If you remember the planning proposal it did have three tiers on the east and west stand but there was opposition from heritage England and other bodies so the club resubmitted proposals for a lower capacity by reducing the height of the ground by I think 7 metres.
The cost of that design was becoming prohibitive also and we barely able to afford this stadium build.
At the end of the day it’s a big uplift on capacity compared to what we have now and in a prime location.
Bigger is not always better just look at Analfield or Old Trafford right now
RobSpurs
Player Valuation: £2.5m
Buying land to the south won't change the capacity equation will it? Any expansion would be to the north surely? Does the club own the land north of the stadium?
But good that the owners are looking at getting more from the site generally. I understand that the guy who currently owns a lot of the land has pretty much just sat on it for the last two decades.
Timbucktoo
Player Valuation: £8m
I`m happy knowing that with the increased capacity there`ll be plenty of extra seats from what we have now, and every one of them will give a great view of the game. There`s nothing worse than seeing a modern stadium on live TV with loads of empty seats, (like Arsenal and Wembley with fans not getting to their seats when the game restarts or Man City). There`ll be a great interest next season when we move in but if we don`t get our act together on the field the novelty factor of the new ground will wear off quickly and while we could still be getting bigger crowds than we do now there could be plenty of empty seats. We`d never come close to filling a 65k stadium if we continue being a mid table side hoping for a good draw in the cup to get some success.
teppic
Player Valuation: £50m
West Ham get 65,000 every home game. If we want to become the best team in the land, we have to think big. I really hope these new owners aren't as timid as Bill was all those years.
West Ham get that because the outlay for their stadium (the rent) is ridiculously low, which means they can offer tickets at a low price point. They go from £385!
Compare that with our situation, where our prices are starting at £555, with most tickets more expensive. To pay for the stadium, the prices are rising by a bit!
So you then have affordability: can everyone retain their current ST now and in the long-term? Will the expected uptake be what you believe it will be?
It's also fairly well agreed by those who have any understanding of such builds, the cost for the additional seats added on would be disproportionately...
... more expensive than they are from 40k to 52k etc. This is before factoring in that we're on a tight sight, with land preparation costs being again expensive*.
It's very simplistic to state, "Oh we should make it 60k, and we'll fill it," when a) that's not guaranteed, b) it'd lower demand and so prices, and c) it's more expensive.
We have struggled to afford this stadium as it is, so a larger build may have crippled us for nothing more than a vanity project for fan egos.
*compared to other builds.
Toffeeslam
Player Valuation: £35m
You know most hammers fans really don’t like their stadium, the pitch is quite a distance from the stands as it’s an Olympic athletics stadium meaning there is an impact on the atmosphere.
Also it’s a real ball ache to get too also if I remember it’s a 15-20 minute walk to the tube station.
Bigger but crappier ground to watch football
Chelsea have been the best team in the land numerous times over the past 20 years, with 40k capacity. 52k is definitely sufficient initially
