New Everton Stadium - Hill Dickinson Stadium

[Fonzy]

I think all things considered we have come out with a fabulous new home.

This could have been started and not finished, or have come with a cost that could not have been sustained and may have resulted in disaster for the club.

I wonder if there is any other modern example of a stadium like this being completed without ever having secured commercial funding from the market. The case to build it at all, according to them, was not there.

Most of us would like a bigger capacity but on its own adding another 10k doesn't seem to be a game changer whilst possibly being prohibitively expensive. It may come in the future, but we should enjoy what we have and hope that it heralds an upturn in our fortunes.

There is a stadium in Valencia's called the ‘Nou Mestalla’ …which has been under construction since 2007 but remains half-built due to Valencia running out of money.

Construction was halted in 2009, having built only a reinforced concrete structure. Its still not complete today!

I would have loved 61, 878 as the capacity but i feel BM would have ended up like the Nou Mestalla.

Half built, with everton running out of money and no one willing to help complete it.

No TFG not even a 777! We’d have been left at Goodison and been a laughing stock.

Accept the 52k for now…we’ll buy Nelson Dock and with it the chance for 60k plus in future.

Main thing is it got built.

 

[TraffordBlue]

I've got mixed feelings about the Capacity. In a lot of ways I think it's a shame we didn't at least try and go to 55K. Just under 53K feels a bit of a negative and settling for a place in the hierarchy that reflects us being just a top 10 club when the fanbase wants us to aim much higher. Newcastle showed a lot of ambition in the early 2000s going for 52K but that was 25 years ago now. 60K+ feels like the ambitious number for the modern era - shown by West Ham, Spurs & Arsenal with Liverpool & Man City moving to that with expansions.

On the other hand, there are clearly valid reasons as to why the club went with that number. Our Stadium will be far more unique and impressive to look at if (as I expect we will), the vast majority or all games in the next 5+ years are sold out and it's packed with a loud atmosphere. Man City's empty seats have been a source of ridicule for years, as have Sunderlands and everyone knows the likes of West Ham hate their new Ground design and presumably rely on a lot of cheaper tickets to get the numbers they do.

It's also worth pointing out that Man City for example started off at just 48K, then moved to 54K and now 60K+. Anfield was around 45K for years before they also did a staged expansion to 53K, and now to 60K. If we become successful again and start to win trophies and challenge at the top, i'm sure there are ways we will be able to expand part of the ground to 60K. If the Standing situation changed (as has been predicted) and it became 62K with no need for actual expansion then I think that would be a perfect capacity should the extra demand still be there.

 

[Rich1878]

I've got mixed feelings about the Capacity. In a lot of ways I think it's a shame we didn't at least try and go to 55K. Just under 53K feels a bit of a negative and settling for a place in the hierarchy that reflects us being just a top 10 club when the fanbase wants us to aim much higher. Newcastle showed a lot of ambition in the early 2000s going for 52K but that was 25 years ago now. 60K+ feels like the ambitious number for the modern era - shown by West Ham, Spurs & Arsenal with Liverpool & Man City moving to that with expansions.

On the other hand, there are clearly valid reasons as to why the club went with that number. Our Stadium will be far more unique and impressive to look at if (as I expect we will), the vast majority or all games in the next 5+ years are sold out and it's packed with a loud atmosphere. Man City's empty seats have been a source of ridicule for years, as have Sunderlands and everyone knows the likes of West Ham hate their new Ground design and presumably rely on a lot of cheaper tickets to get the numbers they do.

It's also worth pointing out that Man City for example started off at just 48K, then moved to 54K and now 60K+. Anfield was around 45K for years before they also did a staged expansion to 53K, and now to 60K. If we become successful again and start to win trophies and challenge at the top, i'm sure there are ways we will be able to expand part of the ground to 60K. If the Standing situation changed (as has been predicted) and it became 62K with no need for actual expansion then I think that would be a perfect capacity should the extra demand still be there.

Can't read all that. Eyes are spinning.

What are you trying to say, mate?

 

[The binman chronicles]

I think that’s too simple a number. Not all would be season tickets so average for league game could be €65 bringing it closer to €10m. plus potential cup /. European games, more food, merch opportunities. Tic prices gonna go up the next few yrs too. Our owners could fund it / borrow at v low rates.

Not sayin you’re wrong, but it ain’t that straight forward as I said earlier (in case you quote both!)

What if half of those tickets sold are for OAPs or kids? It would probably be more like a 25 to 33% but you never know. Certainly would bring the average down.

 

[TraffordBlue]

Can't read all that. Eyes are spinning.

What are you trying to say, mate?

The positives of the 53K Capacity are that we will likely sell out in the coming years resulting in a great atmosphere and not loads of empty seats. And that Man City for example didn't go to 60K+ straight away, they started at 48K and it's took them years to get above 60K.

 

[tommye]

If they'd have built a 60k stadium, you'd have cried for a 65k.
Built a 65k stadium, you'd have cried for 70.


Etc etc etc

 

[tommye]

The positives of the 53K Capacity are that we will likely sell out in the coming years resulting in a great atmosphere and not loads of empty seats. And that Man City for example didn't go to 60K+ straight away, they started at 48K and it's took them years to get above 60K.

Yet they don't fill the 48k one every week, it's even nicknamed the Emptihad.
Theirs is just a book fiddle for future income manipulation.

 

[Rich1878]

The positives of the 53K Capacity are that we will likely sell out in the coming years resulting in a great atmosphere. And that Man City for example didn't go to 60K+ straight away, they started at 48K and it's took them years to get above 60K.

Agh ok

Well, personally, I think we should have gone bigger. I respect that we didn't have enough money, but.. i do think given the amount of season tickets on the waiting list, and after a few years, we'd defo end up gathering more fans, either through doing better and commercially.

We've put a ceiling on ourselves and it's just my opinion, but I do think we had scope to go bigger

 

[TraffordBlue]

Yet they don't fill the 48k one every week, it's even nicknamed the Emptihad.
Theirs is just a book fiddle for future income manipulation.

Their fanbase is strange for a Big Club.

They seem to have always had a core of 30K extremely loyal fans but the fans after that seem a bit hit and miss with their support. Regardless of ticket prices, and how many Semi Finals they've got to over the years, you'd expect there to be thousands of their fans who usually miss out to that 30K loyal group who would be desperate to fill them seats at Wembley. But they've often had thousands of empty seats. Same at their home games. That's not a criticism of their core loyal following, it's the rest that surprise me.

I think our matchgoing fanbase is a lot stronger overall.

 

[Gallaeo]

What if half of those tickets sold are for OAPs or kids? It would probably be more like a 25 to 33% but you never know. Certainly would bring the average down.

We’re in the new world now. That ain’t happening

 

[James Patrick]

If they'd have built a 60k stadium, you'd have cried for a 65k.
Built a 65k stadium, you'd have cried for 70.


Etc etc etc

The transport issues with the ground location will ensure we don't need a bigger stadium IMO any time soon so in many ways my future restricted growth concern is a moot point.

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

Their fanbase is strange for a Big Club.

They seem to have always had a core of 30K extremely loyal fans but the fans after that seem a bit hit and miss with their support. Regardless of ticket prices, and how many Semi Finals they've got to over the years, you'd expect there to be thousands of their fans who usually miss out to that 30K loyal group who would be desperate to fill them seats at Wembley. But they've often had thousands of empty seats. Same at their home games. That's not a criticism of their core loyal following, it's the rest that surprise me.

I think our matchgoing fanbase is a lot stronger overall.

Mate, you've answered yourself here: their fans after that are hit-and-miss because they're not loyal. The 30k you're referring to I've always appreciated, they're the sort who will chew your ear off about Colin Bell, Franny Lee and Summerbee but they'll be honest enough to accept how fortunate they've been to find their owners. That's been my experience anyway.

 

[Drico]

I've got mixed feelings about the Capacity. In a lot of ways I think it's a shame we didn't at least try and go to 55K. Just under 53K feels a bit of a negative and settling for a place in the hierarchy that reflects us being just a top 10 club when the fanbase wants us to aim much higher. Newcastle showed a lot of ambition in the early 2000s going for 52K but that was 25 years ago now. 60K+ feels like the ambitious number for the modern era - shown by West Ham, Spurs & Arsenal with Liverpool & Man City moving to that with expansions.

On the other hand, there are clearly valid reasons as to why the club went with that number. Our Stadium will be far more unique and impressive to look at if (as I expect we will), the vast majority or all games in the next 5+ years are sold out and it's packed with a loud atmosphere. Man City's empty seats have been a source of ridicule for years, as have Sunderlands and everyone knows the likes of West Ham hate their new Ground design and presumably rely on a lot of cheaper tickets to get the numbers they do.

It's also worth pointing out that Man City for example started off at just 48K, then moved to 54K and now 60K+. Anfield was around 45K for years before they also did a staged expansion to 53K, and now to 60K. If we become successful again and start to win trophies and challenge at the top, i'm sure there are ways we will be able to expand part of the ground to 60K. If the Standing situation changed (as has been predicted) and it became 62K with no need for actual expansion then I think that would be a perfect capacity should the extra demand still be there.

We should console ourselves with the knowledge that Juventus built a stadium that holds only about 41,000 and is widely considered the best in Italy. While I too believe 60k should have been our future-proof target, the main thing for us will be to build the best atmosphere possible. Having a capacity crowd every week will help us do that.

 

[Bedfordblue]

Personally I wonder whether there is a big shift in match going fans on the horizon where the bulk of a clubs revenue is (already) from other streams and the match experience will be priced out of a large % of the historical fan base.
If / when the average ticket price is closer to £75 how many 60k+ stadiums will be filled.

I’d still have preferred at least 55k but finances being what they were / are, we’re Probably fortunate to have what we have.

 

[Roger Milla]

52,888 would be fine if it could be expanded, but iirc it can't unless safe standing with a ratio of 3/1 people/seats gets allowed. But I assume other clubs can do the same so we will be left behind, again.

Even Birmingham have already paid for land where they plan to move to a 60k+ stadium. Leeds are planning to increase Elland Road to over 60k.

I fear the smaller capacity will lead to the club fleecing is with ticket prices and drive away working class fans.