"Everton will get relegated if they do not do all to solidify its fanbase. You do that these days by ensuring the fans get to a top stadium comfortably and quickly with minimum fuss".
Everton aren't getting relegated my friend. Why do you continue with this tripe? You don't need to take an argument to an illogical conclusion. I'm all for Mass Transit. Trains are good. Why are trying to sow fear?
Everton have been relegated twice before. Big Newcastle have just been down for a year. Never say never. The likelihood of being relegated is increased by having poor revenues - staying at Goodison Park. Money buys success. You know that I'm sure.
"What I wrote can become very real. Everton staying at GP will ensure the club cannot compete at the top. Then relegation becomes a possibility when the current manager goes. Tranmere, are a club where 1/3 of EFCs season ticket holders are, besides the walk-ups. Tranmere got into the PL playoffs. If EFC are relegated and they go the other way. Be prepared for the new young fans on the Wirral to support Rovers. In a generation a whole hard-core of fans may disappear.
You opinion on the performance of Wigan is meaningless. The fact is that young support in Central Lancashire that would have gone to EFC has now gone to Wigan. It was not reflected in the gates because the ground is too small anyhow".
Really? Wigan play in front of full houses every week, because young fans can get to the DW by train?
Wigan do not a have an established large fanbase. With greater PL exposure that fanbase will increase. Everton are a large established big city club. Elstone states that 90,000 Evertonians watch Everton at GP each year. These vary from season ticket holders to the two match a year walk-ups. That fanbase must be solidified and encouraged to attend more games per year. The stadium and rapid-transit will do that - as Arsenal found out.
Congratulations, you've managed to draw me into an argument that I would normally like to agree with you (every city should develop a commuter rail system as much as possible) and managed to make me think you're a complete weapon by using ridiculous arguments to make your point.
You agree that each city should have rapid transit but now do not think so because you can't see a simple point? How strange.
Oh, and there is NO WAY Everton are filling a 75-80k stadium.
Arsenal fans said that. Arsenal were a similar sized club to EFC. The same sized and similar type of ground, same sized fanbase, the same revenues, similar league performance, etc. They now fill a 60,000 seater and estimate they could fill 95% on average a 75,000 seater.
Build it too big and you will destroy matchday atmosphere and end of with half filled stadiums like in Sunderland.
The revenues Sunderland take in are far superior to when at the old crock, Roker Park. Sunderland's attendances are running at 78% out of a total capacity of 49,000
http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/attend.html
Sunderland in the Prem:
2002-2003 R 39698
2005-2006 R 33904
2007-2008 43344
2008-2009 40168
2009-2010 40355
39,493.8 Average of 78% full since they had a small rapid-transit rail station built near the stadium. In 2008 they were running at
over 88% of capacity in a town/small city of only 177,739. That is 24.38% of the population attended the games on 2008 - nearly 1 in 4 of all men women and children. An amazing success!!!! You have to get it into perspective. Wirral BC is over 300,000 to give a guide.
And this is also two of the seasons Sunderland were relegated playing appallingly with managerial problems - the R above. Yet the still manged amazing attendances.
You have to comparer like with like. Everton are equivalent to Arsenal with catchment area of 1.5 million in Merseyside and well over 6.5 million in the immediate Lancashire and Cheshire.
Prof Tom Cannon with interesting facts about the Everton fanbase.
- Everton are estimated to have 500,000 supporters in the UK (those who claim to be Everton fans).
- Everton are estimated to have another 250,000 worldwide.
- Regular match goers (3 games or more) number between 75,000 and 100,000, Elstone says 90,000
- Everton have one of the youngest fanbases in the country
- A large percentage of graduates.
- The fanbase was one of the most geographically diverse in the UK.
All this set the scene for what massive potential Everton has. They need the stadium with the facilities and rapid-transit to get them there.
I am not scaremongering as you seem to think - I am being realistic.