bournemouth is going to have the ground redeveloped to give them a greater capacity.Bournemouth survive on less attendance than Argyle but they must have backers with deep pockets?
bournemouth is going to have the ground redeveloped to give them a greater capacity.Bournemouth survive on less attendance than Argyle but they must have backers with deep pockets?
I understand why many Argyle fans are psychologically damaged by our ups and downs over the years, especially when we went into administration.It’s all very well while we’re doing well but I personally wouldn’t want 7000 odd rattling around in a 25k stadium if we ended up in league 2 again.
Imagine going down that road again!I would be advocating long term bank borrowing on the basis that the income from the increased capacity should more than cover the interest and repayments,
It was possible to install clip ons which would have given 2600 seats / 6 rows, but with stanchions in front of them restricting view, now the tv gantry may be in the way of that.I seem to remember when the horseshoe was built being told it was easy to install another level on top. Anyone else hear this?
I agree, but it is not an irrational thing to do, its how most businesses fund major capital expenditure on which they expect a future return. But football is not most business.Imagine going down that road again!
It is more a backer than backers!bournemouth is going to have the ground redeveloped to give them a greater capacity.
Football is more popular than in the past. It is a day out these days, not a walk up at 1445 and pay on the gate experience of years ago. If not now, when IS the right time to expand the stadium? With a waiting list of 3,000 surely that is now / soon. It surely should be about creating even greater numbers of match-going Argyle fans?Weren't we spoiled with the two promotions in 3 seasons under Sturrock though? Our home gates going up to the Championship averaged 12,000 then, boosted by four crowds larger than we can currently fit in. Our first season up we averaged 16,400, again aided by several crowds close to 20,000.
Last season we averaged over 3,000 higher going up and would have averaged 3,000 higher now with the old capacity.
We were not close to selling out 16,500 tickets for two complete seasons then, with several thousand more wanting tickets.
There is no doubt that attendances are up everywhere at all levels compared to 20 years ago so even allowing for a small drop in demand I think the wider fan base now with more women, children and families attending and it being more of a day out for many, that we will see them hold up better than historically.
I was very much in favour of increasing a few years ago but currently prefer to see the other ongoing projects finished first as that is more for the long term benefit of the club.
If good demand is still there in a couple of years then I feel that will be the right time or more potential regulars could be lost. It is difficult to increase average gates with a ceiling of under 17,000.
If you need any help spendinding other people's money, I'm your man. I also consider myself an expert on anything to do with hindsight.😁👍I said it before and I’ll say it again, doing the mayflower on the cheap will cost this club in the long run. It shouldn’t have been allowed to be constructed.
You basically echo my thoughts. Now is the right time to expand but unfortunately our success has coincided with two major projects underway for the long term future of the club in Brickfields and Harper's. Let's hope further investment is secured soon by SH so that the ground expansion which has probably moved up the priority list a bit now can be addressed.Football is more popular than in the past. It is a day out these days, not a walk up at 1445 and pay on the gate experience of years ago. If not now, when IS the right time to expand the stadium? With a waiting list of 3,000 surely that is now / soon. It surely should be about creating even greater numbers of match-going Argyle fans?
Interestingly the demand for tickets did not dip at all despite the turgid football under Foster. If Argyle had gone down to L1, attendances I think would have held up. Non ST renewals would have been replaced by those on the waiting list. The average gate would be down slightly in L1 due to smaller numbers of away fans.
A de-facto 16,800 ish capacity does not deliver gate receipts that a Championship berth should. The city population is over 260,000. Add to that parts of West and South Devon and much of Cornwall, then surely Argyle can aim higher?
Too often Argyle take the easy, read cheap options, and fall back into a little old Argyle mentality. Lets get rid of the 'happy to be here' thinking. I'm realistic. Argyle do need to establish themselves as Championship staples like PNE or Bristol City. Maybe the unpalatable truth is Home Park may not be fit for purpose for an established Championship club?
I think the next Head Coach appointment, although a separate issue from infrastructure concerns, will gives us a clue to the level of ambition at PAFC.
Yes I remember that, think it was on TV perhaps when the stadium redevelopment was announcedI seem to remember when the horseshoe was built being told it was easy to install another level on top. Anyone else hear this?
Imagine going down that road again!
Stick the away fans in the upper grandstand, two savings here as no need to worry about there comfort so expensive leg room alterations not needed and no segregation needed in the Barn Park so another couple of hundred seats available there.
Finally why cant we lower the pitch by just 1 metre and put 2 extra rows of seats around the perimeter. Nothing to build just a bit of groundwork so cost per seat kept to a minimum and should raise capacity by a couple of thousand?
Didn't the existing pitch cost some £500,000 some 10 years ago...not that PAFC paid for it ...... would cost a lot more nowStick the away fans in the upper grandstand, two savings here as no need to worry about there comfort so expensive leg room alterations not needed and no segregation needed in the Barn Park so another couple of hundred seats available there.
Finally why cant we lower the pitch by just 1 metre and put 2 extra rows of seats around the perimeter. Nothing to build just a bit of groundwork so cost per seat kept to a minimum and should raise capacity by a couple of thousand?