(Can we have) Stadium expansion?

[greenchile]

Just back from checking the Bible that is Greens on Screen and it really is only in the last 3 seasons that attendance levels have been up at the 13K to 16K average and leaving out the COVID era it is closer to 10K over the last 10 seasons. No doubt the club has progressed over that 10 year period after the dark days that preceded but it would be a brave man who put his money on increasing the stadium capacity especially when TV money (sadly) is becoming the really significant source of revenue

 

[santos73]

I have been a huge advocate for expanding the stadium but let’s see if the novelty wears off for the people of Plymouth next season. I still think we will average about 15,000 next season.

I would imagine attendance for next season will be the same as this, a sell out for every game.
Any non- renewal of season tickets will be taken up by those on the waiting list.

 

[Sherford Green]

I don’t think think there is any chance of stadium expansion at the moment. However, the attendance on Saturday was 16,881. It would be nice if the club could find another 119 usable seats to get the maximum attendance up to 17,000. To me 17,000 sounds quite a lot more respectable than 16,000, I’m not sure why.

 

[Biggs]

Yep, 17k seems almost 20k whereas 16k is just mid-teens.

 

[aNorthernSoul]

I believe Bradford expanded with funds from their 2 seasons in the Premier League.

And then went into admin twice. Let’s look elsewhere for our inspiration

 

[aNorthernSoul]

Stadium expansion will be at the bottom of a very long list. Training ground will be top as it has been an embarrassment form decades and it’s actually where the club spends most of the time.

If any expansion happens it will be to bringing corporate money as it is a significantly faster return. Even if we get to the premier league, many clubs have still not bothered to expand/ build new stadiums as it doesn’t generate that much revenue vs the tv money so it’s better spent on players.

 

[Green Flash]

Stadium expansion will be at the bottom of a very long list. Training ground will be top as it has been an embarrassment form decades and it’s actually where the club spends most of the time.

If any expansion happens it will be to bringing corporate money as it is a significantly faster return. Even if we get to the premier league, many clubs have still not bothered to expand/ build new stadiums as it doesn’t generate that much revenue vs the tv money so it’s better spent on players.

It’s not all about revenue generation though - it’s also about growing the fan base and leaving a legacy. I am sure Simon would love to leave an expanded stadium if it is feasible

 

[macleanie]

You know we're headed into pre-season when the same old threads pop up...

Just a reminder that expanding the stadium costs money. You can't buy players, pay for brickfields and expand the stadium all at once? Everyone knows that we're still looking for investors.

 

[daront]

Whilst it would be nice to have a big shiny stadium, there are more important priorities.
Getting the behind the scenes finished, brickfields and youth set up is way more important.
Any potential investors or player wants to have good facilities, a good gym to work in and good training pitches.
Having a nice stadium with a run down crap gym and rubbish training pitches is not a good advertisement for future players and investors.
Argyle and SH are showing that Argyle is a growing business both on match day and non match days with facilities to match. A few extra seats will provide some income but getting better players and investors in due to the professional setup of training and youth facilities will IMO offer more in the long run.

 

[Guiri Green]

I live in Bournemouth where the club has a lot more money to throw about. They have two advanced plans for a stadium redevelopment and a new training ground and have decided like Argyle that the training ground is their priority.

And that's after however many seasons it's been in the Premier League with a small ground.

That even now they're still talking about 'plans' shows where their (well funded) priorities may have lied.

 

[Timeout]

Whilst it would be nice to have a big shiny stadium, there are more important priorities.
Getting the behind the scenes finished, brickfields and youth set up is way more important.
Any potential investors or player wants to have good facilities, a good gym to work in and good training pitches.
Having a nice stadium with a run down crap gym and rubbish training pitches is not a good advertisement for future players and investors.
Argyle and SH are showing that Argyle is a growing business both on match day and non match days with facilities to match. A few extra seats will provide some income but getting better players and investors in due to the professional setup of training and youth facilities will IMO offer more in the long run.

I'm with you on this, the next step is the training facilities. More cost effective in terms of attracting better players and cementing our place in the championship. I wonder what happened in this respect, since pulling out of the ernesettle site things do seem a bit piecemeal in this area.

Fwiw any ground development should be done as part of are larger plan to take us to the next level, if that is deemed feasible. Not just fill in the corners or try and get a couple more thousand seats here or there....hp is starting to show its age and increasingly not fit for purpose for modern football. Need a lot of ducks to line up before anything happens I feel

 

[Guiri Green]

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.

Did you say how it would be funded before ?

I believe it currently generates quite a healthy return on the investment.

 

[oldage]

And that's after however many seasons it's been in the Premier League with a small ground.

That even now they're still talking about 'plans' shows where their (well funded) priorities may have lied.

IMO we have bigger things to focus on. The squad needs money spending on it for us to confirm our position in the championship. Increasing the capacity would be quite a gamble at the present time.

 

[Dave Gomm]

Does anyone know if the old cricket pitch came with the Goals purchase?

I know it’s paying back its investment at a stunning rate so it’s a fab acquisition anyway, but the cricket pitch too? That would be awesome and the next step for the club.

 

[xmastree]

I said it before and I’ll say it again

If there's one type of post that irritates the hell out of me, it's ones that start with the above. Inevitably they are posts aimed at boosting the ego of the poster, and made by people who don't actually have to take the big decisions, pay for them, and face the consequences if their decision is wrong.