The next step

[ECFC Music]

But does it? We can comfortably accommodate well over 1000 away fans, yet only four times was that number reached this season. Of course there are some massive clubs in the Championship, but will they all be bringing 1000+ to SJP? And if so, how many more?

Plus there's the cost v return. How much would it cost to make the away end double the capacity, or three times it? Weigh that against how many times it would need to be filled to recoup the cost of the development and it might well be just as worthwhile to bolt some seats in and leave it at that.

Being in the Championship would hopefully increase attendance of City fans so maybe a section of an improved and increased away end could be used top accomodate our supporters.I know at some grounds areas have been split like this.

 

[ecfc_1985]

We have seen this season how close we are and we could do even better if other clubs continue to cut back on their wage bills. A more effective defence would be useful as getting hammered by teams like Tranmere shows how woeful we can be. Keeping Sir Tis would be an important factor in both progress and stability over the next couple of years.

On the ground issue, it's not purely about capacity, if we could put a roof over the away end, have improved catering and seating we could charge £5 extra per head from away fans which would really increase our matchday revenue. Premium seating could work if the old Grandstand was replaced, Brighton have already sold 2500 "luxury" seat season tickets in their new ground. Will be interesting to hear the plans for the ground.

 

[iscalad]

We have seen this season how close we are and we could do even better if other clubs continue to cut back on their wage bills. A more effective defence would be useful as getting hammered by teams like Tranmere shows how woeful we can be. Keeping Sir Tis would be an important factor in both progress and stability over the next couple of years.

On the ground issue, it's not purely about capacity, if we could put a roof over the away end, have improved catering and seating we could charge £5 extra per head from away fans which would really increase our matchday revenue. Premium seating could work if the old Grandstand was replaced, Brighton have already sold 2500 "luxury" seat season tickets in their new ground. Will be interesting to hear the plans for the ground.

Don't hold your breath.

 

[John William]

Will be interesting to hear the plans for the ground.

Julian Tagg has said in terms (to a Parliamentary Committee) that the club are not going to risk the financial health of ECFC by spending money they don't have on new stands [presumably unless they are forced to by the League / Elfs of Safety]. So don't expect any plans to be announced for quite some time.

 

[ecfc_1985]

Julian Tagg has said in terms (to a Parliamentary Committee) that the club are not going to risk the financial health of ECFC by spending money they don't have on new stands [presumably unless they are forced to by the League / Elfs of Safety]. So don't expect any plans to be announced for quite some time.

Ah fair enough thanks for that, I missed what Tagg said.

 

[richard_portland]

no one wants us to risk the club spending money we haven't got, but there were apparently plans on show at the open evening, then mention of a hope to be able to make an announcement by end of april so that's why there is an expectation of some news(even if it's to say that nothing is going to happen for a year or two)

 

[John William]

no one wants us to risk the club spending money we haven't got, but there were apparently plans on show at the open evening, then mention of a hope to be able to make an announcement by end of april so that's why there is an expectation of some news(even if it's to say that nothing is going to happen for a year or two)

All I can do is quote directly from what he said to the Committee on March 15 [my emphassis].

Q283 Mr Sanders: So what lessons have you learned from the Exeter experience?

Julian Tagg: Don’t build another stand for the moment. That’s what we’re trying to work out; the way forward without taking those risks. Everybody has a different background in terms of their ownership, and our model and how we raise the capital that goes with it is the one that’s taxing us at the moment. But at the same time, it’s about having a manager who understands the nature and ethos of the club, which he does very well, and has good control of what is actually happening, not necessarily just on a one-year basis but perhaps on a two or three-year basis. You need a budget if this happens and a budget if it goes in the other direction, and that’s how we tend to plan. We try and plan in the middle by being pro-active rather than retro-active and it’s when you get into that retro-active situation it sometimes becomes a spiral that you can’t get out of, so as Shaun was saying, it’s about planning and hard work.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmcumeds/uc792-iv/uc79201.htm

 

[Poultice]

Brighton have already sold 2500 "luxury" seat season tickets in their new ground. Will be interesting to hear the plans for the ground.

90 million quid Brighton have spent on their new ground, they have a large and wealthy potential audience and a real history in the game.

Our ground plans never get announced because they are all pie in the sky, we are a **** poor little club which would need to put together the thick end of 2 million quid to do the most basic job imaginable on SJP, I have seen nothing as yet to suggest the people we have in charge have any clue how to achieve even that, in any case that 2 mill would cost over 150k a year to fund, to get that kind of return we should need to average an extra 500 away supporters per game, anybody see that happening ? In addition we should need another 300 a game to pay the capital back.

The sums just don't work within our current levels of funding and expenditure, we could always cut the playing budget but that would probably send us into free fall only trouble is the OG will have to go at some point, it is a wreck, but we have of course been here before.

 

[John William]

90 million quid Brighton have spent on their new ground, they have a large and wealthy potential audience and a real history in the game.

Our ground plans never get announced because they are all pie in the sky, we are a **** poor little club which would need to put together the thick end of 2 million quid to do the most basic job imaginable on SJP, I have seen nothing as yet to suggest the people we have in charge have any clue how to achieve even that, in any case that 2 mill would cost over 150k a year to fund, to get that kind of return we should need to average an extra 500 away supporters per game, anybody see that happening ? In addition we should need another 300 a game to pay the capital back.

The sums just don't work within our current levels of funding and expenditure, we could always cut the playing budget but that would probably send us into free fall only trouble is the OG will have to go at some point, it is a wreck, but we have of course been here before.

It's like the old joke about the accountant on a desert island:

"First, assume a can opener..."

 

[Anonymous]

F*ck ********, you sound like you're the man for the job.

I expect to see you down the park tomorrow at 9am in your new executive management role, you clearly know much more than everyone else involved with the club so it would be a criminal waste of your abundant insight and talent were we to not utilise your skills.

See you tomorrow morning chap.