You can't prove it will not. In the past 15 years Everton have been one game from relegation. They were lucky on both occasions not to go down. They should have against Wimbledon relying on the results of others to see if they stayed up.
But that had nothing to do with what we're talking about.
You said they could never be relegated. Many Evertonians remember all too well two games that hinges on EFC going down and in both (one was draw) they relied on the results of others.
It the local team is in the PL it is more likely they will support that team. Wimbledon went to Milton Keynes and renamed the club MK Dons. The local kids are turning to MK Dons rather than Spurs or Arsenal.
Actually, the trend seems to be going the other way. Kids follow whoever the "big" clubs" are that are TV all the time and in the champions league. Arsenal and Spurs are building bigger stadiums for a reason. The Football league clubs are really struggling for attendance, and I would be highly doubtful that a kid in Milton Keynes is any more likely to support MK Dons that Spurs or Arsenal. You'd have to provide proof of that in the numbers and you can't do it.
Kids do support the local team as youngsters if it is doing well. Look at my post on the financial thread re: Arsenal's profits. They have paid back a loan in 4.5 years. It is worth LFC's while financing by themselves their own rapid-transit rail station, when looking at what Arsenal have done. Arsenal are going up to 70,000 the stadium is so successful. the existing rail can cope - they have 27 platforms and another two not used which can be if Arsenal pay, which they may be made to.
Apart from the odd large city the USA has no rapid-transit systems. Everything is geared to cars and large highways. In the 1930s GM bought up the tramways and demolished them so as to sell cars. Liverpool is on a Victorian street pattern, Medieval in the business quarter. Only on the outskirts was there design for cars with the 1920s boulevards, which had trams in the centre. WE have a rapid-transit network that other cities would drool over, yet the city in its wisdom does not want to use it for approx 4 million passenger journey's for football alone. It is ludicrous not to use it.
I'm well aware of the transportation history of my country. We're woefully behind on mass transit. HOWEVER, that was not my point. My point was that we manage to put 75-85k people in NFL stadiums WITHOUT the transit infrastructure you already have.
The USA can get the fans in by big roads and massive car parks - tailgate picnics. We have rapid-transit and not to use it is rather silly.
Read back on the post I sent re: Sunderland. An amazing success is a town.It got city status a few years back, but is still the size of town.
It's also a one club town my friend. You seem to forget about the lot across the park.
With 1 in 4 or every young, old, man woman and child attending. Amazing! A great success.
It is easy to finance them as over the past 15 years countless stadia has been built in the UK. Arsenal had no problems. Top football clubs are good to lend to as they stay around for a long time. The Credit Crunch has made little difference to PL attendances. We are moving out of the Credit Crunch.
We haven't been in a credit crunch for the last 15 years. How many stadium projects have been completed or moved forward in the last 2.5 years. Off the top of my head? NONE. LFC - on hold. Spurs - on hold. I see very little evidence we are heading out of the credit crunch in a significant way. I'd be curious to know why you believe that?
In 15 years countless stadia have been built, the average is 40% increase in attendances.
- Arsenal
- Reading
- Doncaster
- Bolton
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Leicester
- Middlesborough
- Man City
- Derby
- Swansea
- Stoke
- Sunderland
- Cardiff
- Southampton
- Coventry
- Darlington
- Millwall
- Chester
- Shrewsbury
- Northampton
- Walsall
- Olympic stad
- Wembley
- Mk Dons
- Wigan
- etc
New proposed at:
- Liverpool
- Everton?
- Chelsea?
- Spurs
- Notts F
- Bristol City
- etc
Arsenal's Profits
Arsenal - 2009:
- Group turnover increased to £313.3 million (2008 - £223.0 million) reflecting income generated from cup competitions and property sales.
- Match day revenue was increased to £100.1 million (2008 - £94.6 million), mainly as a result of progress to the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup semi-finals.
- Operating profits (before depreciation and player trading) in the football business were £62.7 million (2008 - £59.6 million).
- The completion of sale of 208 (2007 – Nil) private apartments at Highbury Square contributed £88.0 million of revenue (2008 - £15.2 million) and boosted the operating profit from property activities to £7.8 million (2008 – Nil).
- Profit after tax of £35.2 million (2008 - £25.7 million) was a record for the Group.
- Since the end of the financial year there have been a number of further positive developments in relation to the Group’s Highbury Square project:
- Of the 655 private apartments in the development, sales have now completed on 445 units with a cumulative sales revenue value of £172.4 million.
- The balance on the bank loan used to fund the project has been substantially reduced to £47 million and agreement has been reached to refinance the loan and extend its term to December 2010.
Their loan will be paid off in December 2010. They paid it off in just over 5 years of stadium operation.
Feb 2010:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/8538568.stm
Arsenal have announced that profits have risen to £35.2m and debts have been drastically reduced.
Their aim was to get rid of the debt. Expect very expensive signings from Arsenal from 18 months onwards.
Pre-tax profit of £19.3m in the 2004-05 financial year was the last year at Highbury. Once the loan is paid off in December, the profits should rocket.
The Arsenal success means EFC and LFC have to emulate what Arsenal did - their stadium was key and the key to the stadium success was the rapid-transit access. They are putting on another 10,000 seats. I see why LFC want 73,000. They have to get the fans there fast though.
