We're going to need a bigger boat

[laneagogo]

Several times this season I ve visited other grounds to sit in terrible away ends with people around me im sure never recieved an education from an actual human being just so that I can see the spurs in the flesh. Long gone are the days of my brother having three season tickets (redunancy money spent well?) and popping along taking my old man along to watch them play. So this in mind and the fact you cant seem to get a ticket unless you know a guy know knows a guy, or are incredibly rich - DO WE NEED A NEW GROUND TO ALLOW US TO DEVELOP?
The obvious answer is yes but the fans have filled that ground and made the 2 nd most noise in the league because of this very reason. Chelsea have horrible ground that they dont fill for all league games, could we fill it? I think we could. Could we fill a ground the size of the ass's (most sterile fans i ve ever seen)? I think yes. But if it was designed like these grounds with more seats would we all turn up to shout, or would we all be eating "prawn sandwitches?

Incidently if I had a ticket for saturday I would nt be complaining!

 

[Real_madyidd]

Nice Jaws quote.

 

[Kendall]

Its a piece of piss to get tickets for some of the lesser games at the lane and away.

You just have to be ready early on the general sale dates

 

[Stoof]

Great first post, laneagogo, welcome to the forum.

I think we could fill a newer one; as long as it's still called White Hart Lane and as long as it doesn't move too far from where it is. The further we move away from our current location, the more disillusioned I reckon the fans could become.

I think we could sell-out 55k each week. Definitely.

 

[Kendall]

Great first post, laneagogo, welcome to the forum.

I think we could fill a newer one; as long as it's still called White Hart Lane and as long as it doesn't move too far from where it is. The further we move away from our current location, the more disillusioned I reckon the fans could become.

I think we could sell-out 55k each week. Definitely.

Euro nights don't really pull in the crowds, I think a £55ker would look a disaster on those nights, unless they dropped the tic prices to say £15-20

But I agree with the league

However tickets will be a lot more expensive when we get a new one

 

[wooderz]

Euro nights don't really pull in the crowds, I think a £55ker would look a disaster on those nights, unless they dropped the tic prices to say £15-20

But I agree with the league

However tickets will be a lot more expensive when we get a new one

I personally think they are already through the roof with ticket prices now! Curse of being in London I guess

 

[walworthyid]

It should remembered that we have been fairly shit for about 20 years and yet we could still fill a 50-55k ground. If we had a sustained period of success, something that a larger ground would be intended in part to facilitate, we could fill 60-70k. Any stadium plans must take this into consideration.

We are as big as the scum now and they have won god knows how many trophies in the same period? If they can fill 60, we can fill 70.

 

[nickspurs]

Yes, 55K feels the right number to me (ideally with room for an extension as we conquer the world). But can't help wondering how the economics would look on those midweek CC and UEFA cup nights. Still if we are in the CL every season it would be less of a problem :up:

But with those lower demand midweek games it's all about yield management (getting prices right to max revenue). When we open the stadium I'd hope Levy would go the extra £50K a year to hire a good yield manager (as I'm a fan I'd do it) :wink:

 

[guiltyparty]

Walworthyid, I think 70K is dreamland, seriously

I'm with some of the others, 55K seems more realistic

 

[Chuba]

The thing about WHL is that you are close to the pitch and the steep terracing creates an intense and intimidating atmosphere, if the big wigs at Spurs can create that ambiance with a newer bigger and better stadium then i feel that it would be sold out every match.

Spurs could easily accomodate 45-50k which would already make a substantial difference to what we have today with 36-37k, but the price of building a new stadium comes out of Mr Average's pocket.

 

[thfcsuperyid]

We Could Fill 60k Wit Good Football

 

[GilzeansGrandad]

Laneagogo my son, I've sent you a pm.

 

[General Levy]

We could fill 60k. Arsenal could fill 100k. Chelsea can't fill 42k. West Ham LOL.

 

[WildCard]

I think with a bigger stadium we could pull in more fans, however the people claiming 60K? We could, but we won't, to do this you need success, Arsenal and united fill their stadiums because they have fair weather fans, poeple who like riding the gravy train. I think anywhere between 45k-55k is a good starting point for us.

I also think the ticket prices will go down, and that is the advantage fans get out of bigger stadiums, supply and demand, if demand drops [which it will with larger stadiums,] it's easier for us to get tickets and at a more affordable price!

Also, the 70k, not going to happen without some major success.

 

[SpurSince57]

Just to reiterate something I've posted on other stadium threads: in 1960-61 we had a capacity of 65,000+, a place on the terraces cost 3/- (15p), and yet we exceeded 60,000 in just six home league games out of twenty-one. For some games, the place was barely two-thirds full. In subsequent seasons attendances declined. All this is verifiable by a visit to Topspurs.

The notion that we could routinely attract capacity crowds week in, week out at a 60,000-capacity stadium (let alone a 70,000 capacity one) is just a wee bit optimistic to my mind. 50,000-55,000, with room for future expansion, seems far more realistic. On top of that, with a real possibility of a world-wide recession in the not-too-distant future, grandiose stadium plans could drop us deep in the shit. In the 80s the Lane was often half-empty, and the recession that caused many to save their pennies also nearly did for the club.

 

[General Levy]

I know you like to reminisce about the 60's and they were obviously our golden period. However, times have changed considerably, and top flight football is at its most popular since its invention. With the correct transport links and ticket pricing we could fill 60k on a regular basis.

I agree that maybe a 55k stadium with the option to increase would most probably be the most logical idea. I don't think though comparing the demand of the hooligan, none safe 80's to the more family orientated present day is a valid argument.

 

[Kendall]

I disagree, only title winning teams get those kinds of figures.

There are occasions where we do not sell out at 36.5k

 

[guy]

I think 50k is probably just not enough and 60k is too much. So around 55 is the number we should look at, def expandable to 60 or 65 if need be!

The last thing you want is a stadium thats only 2/3 full, which could easily happen in a 60k seater

 

[Thesoccershrink]

What's the point-- all our home games will soon be played in Shanghai, Mumbai, Toronto and Dallas.

 

[SpurSince57]

I know you like to reminisce about the 60's and they were obviously our golden period. However, times have changed considerably, and top flight football is at its most popular since its invention. With the correct transport links and ticket pricing we could fill 60k on a regular basis.

I agree that maybe a 55k stadium with the option to increase would most probably be the most logical idea. I don't think though comparing the demand of the hooligan, none safe 80's to the more family orientated present day is a valid argument.

It's not reminiscing, it's fact. Sure, top-flight football is more popular than ever, but much of that is due to television. Actual attendances have declined considerably. And, speaking of transport links, until 1968 we didn't have a tube connection. (Yes, I know the supporter demographic has probably altered considerably over the past 50 years.)

And what do you mean, correct ticket pricing? Do you seriously imagine ticket prices are going to go down? Did they go down at the Death Star? Are they going down at Old Trafford? The only grounds where they've been going down is at places like Ewood, where they struggle to get more than two-thirds of the seats filled even for big games. Since ENIC took over ours have risen by 40%, and they were high enough when Sugarlump packed it in.

Hooliganism was a factor in people staying away in the 80s, but the recession was a far more significant one. Many people who would have gone to games regularly simply couldn't afford to (and ticket prices were still peanuts then). We've seen a steady rise in attendances since then due to the improving economy—despite the football on offer being largely crap. I made the point because the ability to afford a ticket, especially at today's prices, is entirely dependent on the depth of punters' pockets; if another recession comes along, those pockets are highly liable to shrink. At another level, the club's ability to fund as massive an investment as a new stadium is going to be affected.

A businessman as astute as Levy simply isn't going to be taking any risks in the current economic climate. He is not going to make the same mistakes Scholar did back in the day.