League 1 General Chat Thread

[AdamStag]

So we finally have some concrete plans for the embarrassment that is our East Stand.

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2024/april/east-stand_cgis_plans/

Its way better than we have now (which is basically nothing) and looks professional, definitely helps us generate more revenue, its still annoying that its taken 10 years and we missed out on so much better. But it will bring an end to the whole saga which is good news in itself.

The only issue is that it does not really increase the capacity by much at all, if anything I feel like the away capacity will be reduced as you would not want to have away fans underneath the boxes. The away end only holds 950 and we simply have to look at expanding it at some point. We still have one of the smallest capacity stadiums in the football league and missing out on so many extra away fans just seems such a wasted opportunity.

Appreciate our ground isn’t the the best either, but that grounds far too small, especially for the away end, i can’t imagine it would be a challenge to either extend that stand back to push it upto 2,000 or so. As you say the money would be easily recouped in a relatively small period of time. Our away end holds about 1800 and we still believe that isn’t really big enough.

Glad you’re sorting that east stand out, that’s been going on nearly as long as our bishop st issue!

 

[EricSabin]

Appreciate our ground isn’t the the best either, but that grounds far too small, especially for the away end, i can’t imagine it would be a challenge to either extend that stand back to push it upto 2,000 or so. As you say the money would be easily recouped in a relatively small period of time. Our away end holds about 1800 and we still believe that isn’t really big enough.

Glad you’re sorting that east stand out, that’s been going on nearly as long as our bishop st issue!

They’ve said in the press for the East Stand that the North and South behind the goals are the next steps in the development but there’s no timescales etc. It feels like our chairman misses the point when he talks about that because he always says ‘do you want 4-5,000 away fans in from a football perspective?’, when no one is asking for that. Doubling the size of the ends behind the goal would allow us to offer 1,800 plus as well 400 in the East if needed which feels a lot more realistic for what some teams will sell.

What’s happening with that Bishop St Stand? I remember sitting in that stand for the playoffs 20 years ago!



Interesting about what Millerbri says about Rotherham’s 12,000 not being enough, I’ve always thought the NY stadium a perfect size/blueprint for us. My worry is we yo yo so we could be left with 5,000 in a 12,000 seater in L2 which would feel pretty soulless.

 

[AdamStag]

They’ve said in the press for the East Stand that the North and South behind the goals are the next steps in the development but there’s no timescales etc. It feels like our chairman misses the point when he talks about that because he always says ‘do you want 4-5,000 away fans in from a football perspective?’, when no one is asking for that. Doubling the size of the ends behind the goal would allow us to offer 1,800 plus as well 400 in the East if needed which feels a lot more realistic for what some teams will sell.

What’s happening with that Bishop St Stand? I remember sitting in that stand for the playoffs 20 years ago!



Interesting about what Millerbri says about Rotherham’s 12,000 not being enough, I’ve always thought the NY stadium a perfect size/blueprint for us. My worry is we yo yo so we could be left with 5,000 in a 12,000 seater in L2 which would feel pretty soulless.

We’ll still 3 sides next season so capacity shout 8,700 is way off what we could’ve got this season had we had extra capacity. They’ve mentioned after we confirmed promotion that the plans are to have it ready for the 25/26 season - hopefully we’re still here!

Plans are vague though, the council are behind it but it depends if it involves purchase of property behind the stand etc, whatever the idea is for it to be able to be split down the middle to accommodate away fans.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I get the rugby town comment but I think the weekend just gone shows the potential we have in our own right.

Saturday 2pm Sixfields a crowd of 7,000 plus
Saturday 3pm a mile down the road at Franklins Gardens, 15,000+ sellout watching the Saints

So although the rugby team are flying (top of the prem, semi finals of the European cup) we’ve still pulled in 7,000. A 10k stadium would be perfect I think, crowds are on the rise and we need to capitalise.

Was similar for us in the 90s. We got to the Championship and sold out every week and could only offer away fans 900 tickets. That had to change hence the Main Stand was built which helped us generate more income and capitalised on gates. Our only error was not putting in corporate facilities and boxes which really could've benefited us a lot more.

All established lower league clubs should be operating in a 10K ground at the very least imo. Without it, you inhibit growth.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Was similar for us in the 90s. We got to the Championship and sold out every week and could only offer away fans 900 tickets. That had to change hence the Main Stand was built which helped us generate more income and capitalised on gates. Our only error was not putting in corporate facilities and boxes which really could've benefited us a lot more.

All established lower league clubs should be operating in a 10K ground at the very least imo. Without it, you inhibit growth.

We've talked about various improvements to the ground but we won't get anywhere near 10k.
Fortunately for us 1300 max in the away end is plenty, there are only 4 or 5 clubs who would exceed that and we have been selling out our home ends a lot more so that's your lot.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

Interesting about what Millerbri says about Rotherham’s 12,000 not being enough, I’ve always thought the NY stadium a perfect size/blueprint for us. My worry is we yo yo so we could be left with 5,000 in a 12,000 seater in L2 which would feel pretty soulless.

Our fanbases have clearly received the same hymn sheet!

There are plenty who would be happy going no higher than 10K because they've got it in their heads that it'll feel like visiting MK Dons, and whilst we are still blessed with terraces now which obviously helps a crowd look like a crowd, we've not had seats left to sell for any matches this season at all.

Obviously money, planning, transport and all the various stakeholder angles mean The Abbey isn't going to be a 20K megabowl in any timeline, but equally once the two ''easy hits'' of redeveloping the terraces are done, that's basically gonna be it and suddenly 10-12K is the upper limit and as others have said, becomes a millstone and the law of diminishing returns kicks in harder.

Not sure where Exeter go up in capacity with the site, Northampton not so much, and that Bishop's Street (or whatever the condemned Field Mill stand is called) Stand hardly has much footprint to work with, but I hope we all get the stadium developments we've had dwelling on us all for decades!

 

[valefan16]

DC said for Vale to be “Championship” ready and able to do it and compete we’d need 10000 a week plus these days.

Long gone are the days of teams like Vale, Crewe, Cambridge whoever spending years in the Championship and being competitive with sub 10k crowds like the halcyon days on the 90s without big big money.

If you somehow get up, your back down in a year or two like Burton, Rotherham and Wycombe.

 

[IzzyFook]

DC said for Vale to be “Championship” ready and able to do it and compete we’d need 10000 a week plus these days.

Long gone are the days of teams like Vale, Crewe, Cambridge whoever spending years in the Championship and being competitive with sub 10k crowds like the halcyon days on the 90s without big big money.

If you somehow get up, your back down in a year or two like Burton, Rotherham and Wycombe.

Which makes what Bournemouth have done even more remarkable!!

 

[denzel ecfc]

Which makes what Bournemouth have done even more remarkable!!

Yeah, just needs a Russian billionaire to sort all these things out

 

[Luke Imp]

Which makes what Bournemouth have done even more remarkable!!

Aside from being financed to the tune of £200m+ from a Russian billionnaire!

 

[SVH]

From next season our usual away end will now become the family home end stand with the away fans down the side in the south Habbin.

100 seats will be added to the stand for EFL regulations but it looks like the away allocation will be reduced to around 800.

 

[SF_]

Yeah, just needs a Russian billionaire to sort all these things out

Brentford are the real model to follow. Obviously there was some initial investment but they've just been so well run. Extremely jealous.

 

[dan_wrexhamafc]

Reynolds and McElhenny have bought 5% of some Mexican team, owners of that Mexican team buy 5% of Wrexham, ownership group includes Mesut Ozil, Kate Upton, Odel Beckham Jr. Sounds a bit dodgy, FFP loop hole to me

 

[AmberAndy]

From next season our usual away end will now become the family home end stand with the away fans down the side in the south Habbin.

100 seats will be added to the stand for EFL regulations but it looks like the away allocation will be reduced to around 800.

It’s a bit of a gamble, but the main stand has sold out for most home games, and together with the generous junior season ticket offers it will mean we can get close to 7k home fans on a regular basis. For Cup games the stand reverts to an away end if required. There will be a lot of upset away fans, but generally away followings are likely to be well down on the last couple of seasons, so seems an obvious plan to grow the fan base further prior to the re development.

 

[IzzyFook]

Yeah, just needs a Russian billionaire to sort all these things out

Aside from being financed to the tune of £200m+ from a Russian billionnaire!

Aha, there ya go then, makes sense. Not being au fait with Prem or B'mouth's finances, it did seem odd from afar....

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

It’s a bit of a gamble, but the main stand has sold out for most home games, and together with the generous junior season ticket offers it will mean we can get close to 7k home fans on a regular basis. For Cup games the stand reverts to an away end if required. There will be a lot of upset away fans, but generally away followings are likely to be well down on the last couple of seasons, so seems an obvious plan to grow the fan base further prior to the re development.

Yeah think this is some fairly smart thinking from the club, certainly in terms of shuffling the things around that you have to maximise them as best you can.

The away seats will probably turn out to be spectacularly shit, or a nice throwback if you remember them before! But I guess being on a terrace down the side of the pitch is still novel enough these days that it might not be the end of the world the rest of the away fans!

Still, a nice change from the ''your away end is in a different postcode!'' chat from the rest of yas....

 

[Gassy]

DC said for Vale to be “Championship” ready and able to do it and compete we’d need 10000 a week plus these days.

Long gone are the days of teams like Vale, Crewe, Cambridge whoever spending years in the Championship and being competitive with sub 10k crowds like the halcyon days on the 90s without big big money.

If you somehow get up, your back down in a year or two like Burton, Rotherham and Wycombe.

He’s not wrong tbf. Although I’d have thought of you made the Championship you’d have enough support to get 10k a week? I’d like to think we’d achieve that tbh

 

[Conker]

Sorting the bishop street stand full pitch length should see us comfortably over 10k.

We actually started to shove away fans in the corner in the North Stand to fit more home fans in, depending on how many travel it was either just shy of 600 extra or if it’s a really small following it was around 900.

Obviously we will have less opportunities to do that now with a lack of Harrogate, Accy etc etc but at least we will still generate the income from increased away support.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Brentford are the real model to follow. Obviously there was some initial investment but they've just been so well run. Extremely jealous.

Yeah but their new ground is so boring and doesn't have a pub on each corner so is it really worth it??

 

[folletto]

We nearly extended The Valley to 40k in our Premier League days. It's bad enough half empty at the moment

 

[folletto]

Are there no good right backs in League one?

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

Are there no good right backs in League one?
View attachment 20251

Liam Bennett was robbed.....

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Never seen what all the fuss is about Brannagan. Must turn it on against everyone else.

 

[Laker]

Liam Bennett was robbed.....

Happy it’s not being advertised too much!

 

[Laker]

Wrexham considering expanding the Racecourse to 45k-55k:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1785392352682459184

Please do it….!

 

[Carver]

Wrexham considering expanding the Racecourse to 45k-55k:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1785392352682459184

Please do it….!

This is great news! The downfall of Hollywood Wrexham fc has begun.

What next? Club only allows VIP fans tickets who are not even from Wrexham and the club gets moved to the states where they will play in Blue?

Well we all warned you about the consequences of being owned by these Hollywood stars who have their own agenda and do not care about the real Wrexham fans, but you didn't listen, you just had deluded hopes of signing high end Championship players.

Enjoy your fall.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Really doesn't help the decent fans of Wrexham when they come up with this tripe.

Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney: Wrexham owners eye 55,000-capacity Racecourse

Owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's long-term ambition is to increase Wrexham’s stadium capacity to as much as 55,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[chief]

This is great news! The downfall of Hollywood Wrexham fc has begun.

What next? Club only allows VIP fans tickets who are not even from Wrexham and the club gets moved to the states where they will play in Blue?

Well we all warned you about the consequences of being owned by these Hollywood stars who have their own agenda and do not care about the real Wrexham fans, but you didn't listen, you just had deluded hopes of signing high end Championship players.

Enjoy your fall.

Christ, you're not lingering about here are you?

Very much doubt we'll build a ground that big. 20k would be more than enough.

 

[IzzyFook]

That statement R&R put out re: the Racecourse expansion plans was, in my eyes, just them doing what they do best; generating headlines and creating interest.

They're top-level social media 'players' and know how to manipulate or sucker-in them in....by coming out with exactly that sort of statement.

If they did have plans in hand for the expansion, I'm pretty sure the estimated figures would be a lot closer together than '45-55k'...those just sound like figures plucked from the air to create those desired headlines....which they did!

As chief says, 20k - maybe 25k 'IF' we eventually do get up the Championship would be about right I'd say.

 

[EnglishRed]

That statement R&R put out re: the Racecourse expansion plans was, in my eyes, just them doing what they do best; generating headlines and creating interest.

They're top-level social media 'players' and know how to manipulate or sucker-in them in....by coming out with exactly that sort of statement.

If they did have plans in hand for the expansion, I'm pretty sure the estimated figures would be a lot closer together than '45-55k'...those just sound like figures plucked from the air to create those desired headlines....which they did!

As chief says, 20k - maybe 25k 'IF' we eventually do get up the Championship would be about right I'd say.

Yeah R&R say all this stuff (we're going to build a 55k stadium, we want to be in the Prem etc etc) but then the football people are saying we are looking to consolidate in L1 to give us time to build up our infrastructure before pushing on again. But only one of these gets the headlines.

We are funded by headlines and clicks so its all good.