New stadium or expand WHL ?

[phil]

I would hate to move away from the Lane but we have no option unless the transport links are improved. Also a 52,000 capacity would still leave us at a disadvantage to many other EPL teams.

My main gripe is having to play at Upton Park for two seasons. It will increase my current 2 hour jouney by another half hour. Emirates or Wembley would be far better.

 

[rez9000]

I voted for a new stadium, but the ideal situation would be redeveloping WHL but only if the transport links around the stadium are also improved. But with none of the relevent authorities willing to do so, I think that a new stadium on another site would be a better option.

Although we would lose the history, an important point to remember is that history is made on the pitch and in the stands. We may lose the physical link to our history if we leave WHL, but we'd build a new history at WHL II.

 

[liewser]

52,000 is enough of an increase imo - i'd rather have 52,000 sold out every week (which i'm not sure we'd achieve) rather than 60,000 that only gets sold out for the big games. Season tickets may have a waiting list but by and large as a non-member i can usually get tickets for the majority of the games even now with a 36,000 capacity.

To my surprise last season I came back to London the day before the Sevilla game and was able to secure two tickets on Wednesday afternoon. To me this suggests that we might be playing quite a few games with large empty spaces in the stands.

26,000 attendence against getafe - imagine that in a 60,000 stadium.

 

[Netty]

Yeah - I'd hate it to look empty like some of the grounds do. 52,000 seems a decent size for me.

 

[MattyP]

Thing is that according to Paul Barber, an executive director at spurs, we have over 16,000 on the season ticket waiting list, so the 52k stadium should be the minimum they are looking at, as you could just give the additional capacity to those on the waiting list.

Yes, not all season ticket holders go to every game, especially the cup games not included in the price, but at the same token there will be games where demand will exceed supply, over and above the capacity.

Plus you know that at least some of the additional capacity will go to corporate bods.

 

[GenericID]

52k is enough to sell out...but we have to think of this from the long-term POV. As TV money continues to increase there will come a point where the Top 4 will try to negotiate their own TV deals. It would leave the Rest(tm) holding the short end of the stick. Maximizing stadium revenue would be more important then, if you can find a way to keep crowds coming when you're banging on the glass ceiling at 5th (hopefully).

 

[chrissivad]

Thing is that according to Paul Barber, an executive director at spurs, we have over 16,000 on the season ticket waiting list, so the 52k stadium should be the minimum they are looking at, as you could just give the additional capacity to those on the waiting list.

What if some of those 16,000 people still go to the game?
Then you wont be simpaly increasing the ground and adding a guaranteed 16,000 more people to tickets.

 

[MattyP]

What if some of those 16,000 people still go to the game?
Then you wont be simpaly increasing the ground and adding a guaranteed 16,000 more people to tickets.

Furry muff, I'm sure they do go still go to the game, I did before I got mine.

But with a support of over a million, I would like to think that there would be others to take their place.

If not, and this is especially true for low selling cup games, give the local schools free tickets, to get a new generation of fans on board. The club might actually get some good PR out of doing it.

 

[liewser]

What if some of those 16,000 people still go to the game?
Then you wont be simpaly increasing the ground and adding a guaranteed 16,000 more people to tickets.

I wouldnt be surprised if the majority of them do, especially as you have to pay a very high membership premium to get on that list.

Arsenal have around 40,000 on their list as far as I'm aware even now with the emirates stadium. You can say "its cos their stupid" or whatever silliness but at the end of the day it's not as simple as building a capacity to accomodate everyone on the waiting list.

The main reason clubs can charge so much for the tickets is because the demand for the tickets is far greater than the supply in the first place.

 

[jimtheyid]

I love WHL, I remember my first game there like it was yesterday. And would love to stay. But in truth it needs a complete overhaul. We MUST be looking at a 60k plus stadium. Enfield Looks a good option. Somewhere in the CockFosters area, maybe in Trent Park.

As i say i love WHL but I took my little nephewto the game against Getafe and he looked up at me and said "Uncle Jamie WHL is horrible compared to Arsenals stadium isnt it"

Like a dagger through my heart I say!!!!

 

[SpurSince57]

I think the board have a pretty good idea of what they're about when it comes to making large quantities of money, and if 52,000 really is the figure they've come up with, there's a very good reason for it. According to a reply Paul Barber made to a complaint the THST made about ticket pricing for the Dinamo game last season we had 23,500 season-ticket holders and 2,000 prawn-sandwich munchers, and the waiting list for season-tickets stood at 19,000. I don't imagine those figures have changed too much in a year (but do I remember someone mentioning that Paul Barber had recently said the waiting list was 16,000?). Whilst there should be room for further expansion, on those numbers 52,000 ought to be more than adequate.

In the 50s and 60s we could cram in 65,000+, but rarely managed to do so, even in 60-61.

As WorcesterSauce has already pointed out, a move up the Lee Valley would actually be worse as far as public transport is concerned; we'd be more or less solely reliant on a shit-to-non-existent train service. Any idea that we could relocate to Trent Park is totally bonkers. There are no viable alternative locations in Tottenham. We've bought up all the land immediately north of Paxton Road and all the properties on the High Road. That's ample room for the proposed and further future expansion.

Transport problems are down to our playing an increasing number of games on Sundays, when the train service to Bruce Grove and WHL is heavily reduced and there are no trains to Northumberland Park at all. Many of the bus lanes are suspended on Sundays, with the result that an excellent service is snarled up by the traffic.

Jim, I trust you gave your nephew a slap upside the head, washed his mouth out with soap and water, and explained to him about atmosphere.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I can see both sides of the argument here. Firstly I agree completely with SS with regards to capacity. There would be nothing worse than knocking around ina half empty 60,000 stadium. I can also understand Jim's nephew being a bit Jealous, I'm sure we all are a bit. But the real Kudos of the emirates is that it is not only the the most beautiful new stadium to be built recently in the UK but was also built within the same locality - touching distance from Highbury - and therefore has not lost that feeling of still being part of the community architecture. They are also lucky in that their part of London is that much nicer than ours (no offence SS). Stadiums that are relocated to out of town wastelands have the visual ambiance of a multi storey carpark on acid.

I'd love to see WHL redeveloped to about 52K. The thought of sharing with West ham doesn't exactly appeal. Sharing the Emirates ?

 

[SpurSince57]

But you'd have people running on the pitch and nicking bits of their turf!

 

[jimtheyid]

You will be pleased to know that i gave him a bit of a slap. Washed his mouth out and explained that if he ever said that again I would sell him to Mr Wenger. But in truth i can understand him being jealous. I suppose at that age its like seeing your next door neighbour wearing the latest trendy trainers when you are wearing the knackered Reebok Classics that your big brother has outgrown.

But seriously, I would love to see WHL re-invigorated. To be honest it looks old and tired at the moment. Im sure with a bit of pressure one rail could be convinced to offer more services on a sunday to Northumberland Park and WHL station

 

[don1]

it has to be WHL its the best ground in the league

 

[camaj]

Somewhere in the CockFosters area, maybe in Trent Park.

It would be ideal but unfortunately it's Greenbelt land. On the plus side some of the players could walk home.

Of course, some if not most of those on the waiting list are probably going to quite a few games but we have to remember that if we start playing well we'll attract more fans. Likewise, if we lower prices we'll also attract more fans, not all of us can afford £50 for a ticket

If we can sell 52,000 most weeks and 60,000 for the top games I'd be more than happy. It's better than selling 52,000 every week and losing out on a few million in income.

Surprised no one has mentioned moving towards Blackhorse Rd or Walthamstow.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I think stadiums can be so inspiring. It's so disapointing when when new stadiums are built in that cloned Rebock style. I really love stadia. I think a country which rarely gets a mention is Germany, yet they have some magnificent stadiums that are often unique and the atmosphere often pisses the premiership. In fact the atmosphere in many european leagues is actually far better than here - despite the opposite perception.

 

[SpurSince57]

It would be ideal but unfortunately it's Greenbelt land. On the plus side some of the players could walk home.

Of course, some if not most of those on the waiting list are probably going to quite a few games but we have to remember that if we start playing well we'll attract more fans. Likewise, if we lower prices we'll also attract more fans, not all of us can afford £50 for a ticket

If we can sell 52,000 most weeks and 60,000 for the top games I'd be more than happy. It's better than selling 52,000 every week and losing out on a few million in income.

Surprised no one has mentioned moving towards Blackhorse Rd or Walthamstow.

Can you seriously see that happening?

http://www.topspurs.com/thfc-seasontickets.htm


Because unless someone resurrects the wonderful stadium on stilts over Lockwood Reservoir idea, where would you put one in that area? The one viable site was the old GLS Supplies site at the Hale, but that was earmarked for housing and shops/businesses years ago. Walthamstow itself is a non-starter.

 

[Snap]

The cost of building the Emirates appears to be around £390m for a new stadium holding 60,000, which is £6,500 per seat.

The redevelopment of WHL is estimated at £300m for an extra 16,000 seats, at a cost of £18,750 per seat.

Something wrong here?

 

[liewser]

Of course, some if not most of those on the waiting list are probably going to quite a few games but we have to remember that if we start playing well we'll attract more fans. Likewise, if we lower prices we'll also attract more fans, not all of us can afford £50 for a ticket

If we can sell 52,000 most weeks and 60,000 for the top games I'd be more than happy. It's better than selling 52,000 every week and losing out on a few million in income.

And if we start playing less attractive football/finishing lower in the league, we will attract less fans - there is no certainty about how the team will progress.

And after building a new stadium, there is next to no chance that tickets will fall in price given the cost of the construction and the fact that the club will want to capitalise on the honeymoon period where a lot of fans will go to see the stadium as much as the football.