Poll: Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium Capacity

[radiostar]

lol

Six years, it's incredible.

Quite. Expansion should be possible immediately. So it's within the design of the stadium to go bigger. There's no point going to 65+ straight away and not filling it.

 

[James Patrick]

A lot of people won't bother buying season tickets if they're confident they can comfortably get a ticket for most games. We won't get over 50k regularly unless we're playing like Man City.

 

[Davideeyore]

50-54,000. People settling for less. Don't get it at all. Even those that say 55,000. West Ham will have more!

 

[Jamiednm]

I'd be content with a 55k capacity with the ability to add at least 10k more, and as long as it's a top class stadium we can be proud of. If it's generic, only 60k+ will do.

 

[roy vernon]

If fatty is still here we will not even fill Goodison.

 

[gorgeousgeorgeEFC]

This just isn't the case. To quote @joey_macmo on another thread:

"Man City finished 16th their first season in the new stadium yet experienced a 40% bump in attendances, their biggest signing was Claudio Reyna for £2.5m. They went 16th, 8th, 15th, 14th, 9th & 10th in their first 6 seasons in the new stadium, people seem to have got the timescale of events at Man City totally wrong.

So yes they are a perfectly good example to use, again especially when you consider that they've had to expand twice since moving (at a much higher cost than an initial build) due to their recent success."

Bang on.

 

[Lmc2016]

Worrying now that with the 'feedback' from the fans survey and some of Dan Meis recent tweets the club seem to be backing away from a 60k capacity, anything below 58k seems like the club will be shooting themselves in the foot. Very worrying if we end up somewhere between 50-52k

 

[Lmc2016]

A lot of people won't bother buying season tickets if they're confident they can comfortably get a ticket for most games. We won't get over 50k regularly unless we're playing like Man City.

The current season ticket list would raise us to close to 50k on its own, add in the unknown number of people not on the waiting list who would buy one at the new stadium (I know 9 people alone) dont think we'd habe any trouble getting to that figure.

 

[Dave Higgs]

It needs to be above 55k but sadly it won’t be. We have a budget and I think we can’t afford a 60k stadium. I think it’s all to do with costs

 

[anton66]

A lot of people won't bother buying season tickets if they're confident they can comfortably get a ticket for most games. We won't get over 50k regularly unless we're playing like Man City.

Were getting 40,000 now playing totally dog turd, and still selling out our away allocations. Try to think a bit more positive about the future mate.

 

[GARY_EVERTONIAN]

55K is the perfect capacity for any PL Team , except Man united maybe . Except for the derbies or big six playing each other , Ihardly see a struggle to buy tickets @ Etihad/Emirates London/St James park or any other 50K plus stadia .

 

[TraffordBlue]

Were getting 40,000 now playing totally dog turd, and still selling out our away allocations. Try to think a bit more positive about the future mate.

Reading some of the comments more recently, e.g the stuff last week with Elstone and now Meis talking about empty seats on Twitter, i'm finding it a bit frustrating. They seem to be writing off the fans before we've even moved.

I completely understand that London clubs have the tourist factor and a huge population but they seem to underestimate our matchgoing support and potential. We have achieved 78K crowds in our history. West Ham's record attendance before moving was 42K, and never averaged over 35K even with standing. Obviously they were given the Stadium, but if it's true about Elstone etc doing a u-turn on things they've previously said, then imagine what Stadium size they'd have proposed for West Ham...West Ham found a way to sell 52K season tickets so it shows that if you think big, and get the ticket arrangements right, you can sell more than you'd think. I am talking solely capacity with West Ham and not the Stadium design which their fans are unhappy with.

Our season has been a complete nightmare in terms of expectations at the start, arguably the worst in the league in that regard and yet we sell out away allocations week in week out which proves our matchgoing support. Loads of other clubs that have bigger stadiums would have had empty seats in their away sections if this was happening to them. Man City, Newcastle, West Ham etc.

I can't see a way that the club could build any less than 55K though, and don't think they will. I think they're playing down the 60K shouts rather than suggesting 50-52K, although the recent comments and the way they worded the 'results' is a concern.

 

[radiostar]

Away support has very little to do with how big the home ground should be.

We are lucky in that we are one of 3 or 4 clubs that will sell out away regardless of where it is - we have one of the top away followings in the country - but it doesn't mean we would get 60k bums on seats.

 

[anton66]

A 60,000 stadium with 40,000 season tickets. 5000 to the away support, so only 15,000 tickets left available. Easily filled.

 

[TraffordBlue]

Away support has very little to do with how big the home ground should be.

We are lucky in that we are one of 3 or 4 clubs that will sell out away regardless of where it is - we have one of the top away followings in the country - but it doesn't mean we would get 60k bums on seats.

I disagree, it shows that we have a big matchgoing support who are willing to turn up regardless of how the team is doing (assuming we are a top flight side). We are in that select group of clubs for a reason - because we have one of the biggest fanbases in the country. Whether we would sell 60K is unknown but 55K+ seems entirely plausible given how easily games at Goodison sell out with an outdated stadium, disappointing league finishes and thousands of obstructed views.

If you look at the average attendances over history in relation to away support there is a correlation. The only more notable exception I can think of is Leeds, who have a far more consistent away support than at home but if they were in the top flight doing well they would probably sell out their ground as I think they did when they were in the Premier League. Leeds aren't really comparable though as they've been out of the top flight on many occasions whereas we have been a top flight side the longest and have been a PL ever present. The likelihood of us being in the top flight and the demand being there is high.