St James' Park

[pedro111]

I would love to be proved wrong but I honestly don't think we could regularly fill more than 65k. Even with success. The cup games will be a barometer. Correct me if I am wrong but I'm sure we didn't sell out most of our champions league games back in bobby's time. Would be a bit embarrassing if we ended up like man city.

[Wallsendmag]

4 minutes ago, pedro111 said:

I would love to be proved wrong but I honestly don't think we could regularly fill more than 65k. Even with success. The cup games will be a barometer. Correct me if I am wrong but I'm sure we didn't sell out most of our champions league games back in bobby's time. Would be a bit embarrassing if we ended up like man city.

 

You can't really compare with 20 years ago. Football has changed massively in that time, especially its popularity. If you'd told me 20 years ago that West Ham would be averaging 66,000 I would have laughed in your face. We could sell out 65k right now for every single league game. In fact I think we could have sold 65k v Bournemouth in the League Cup considering it sold out within an hour of going on GS and that's with virtually no away fans.

 

Also a comparison with Man City is pointless. They share a city with the worlds best supported team. The nearest Premier League team to us is best part of 100 miles away.

[Wandy]

17 minutes ago, Turnbull2000 said:

 

Are you referring to the land adjacent to Ponteland Road? Would have through that would be Freeman land and unavailable? The land behind Leazes Park looks a bit too tight. Arena area is due to commence housing development.

 

Unless we by some miracle manage to reclaim the Strawberry place land, I think we're limited to a tiered East stand. Really can't see the club moving away from the city. Would rather stay where we are with 52-58,000.

 

It's basically the land that was part of the original Castle Leazes proposal in the late 1990s.

 

58,000 is nowhere near enough to fulfill the demand for a successful NUFC.

[Wandy]

10 minutes ago, pedro111 said:

I would love to be proved wrong but I honestly don't think we could regularly fill more than 65k. Even with success. The cup games will be a barometer. Correct me if I am wrong but I'm sure we didn't sell out most of our champions league games back in bobby's time. Would be a bit embarrassing if we ended up like man city.

 

I can only assume you weren't going to games in the 90s. We could have filled a 65000 stadium even back then. And, as Wallsend Mag points out, football is much bigger now than it was even back then.

 

I have to say, it narks me when I read comments about limiting capacity. I can only assume its those who smugly sit on season tickets that come out with these kinds of comments.

[LFEE]

44 minutes ago, Turnbull2000 said:

 

Are you referring to the land adjacent to Ponteland Road? Would have through that would be Freeman land and unavailable? The land behind Leazes Park looks a bit too tight. Arena area is due to commence housing development.

 

Unless we by some miracle manage to reclaim the Strawberry place land, I think we're limited to a tiered East stand. Really can't see the club moving away from the city. Would rather stay where we are with 52-58,000.

 

 

 

SJP is Freeman land ? As long as NUFC pay us rent they’d be open to talks. We supported it last time the new ground was planned late 90’s.

[pedro111]

Is football really more popular in the north east than 20 years ago? That is debatable. I admire your optimism lads but the prices would have to be right to sell 65k plus regularly. Especially in the cups and at Champions League prices. I remember the clamour for tickets all too well in the 90s and I used to queue up for tickets for cup games and even sneak into the ground whenever I could but I think it is a bit easy to just say we will sell out 70k etc week in week out. Regarding man city, the comparison is a fair one. Yes I believe we have more fans than them but Greater Manchester is 2.5 times the size of Greater Newcastle if you will so it's not as if they have a tiny catchment area even with Man U in the same city. Like I say ticket pricing is key, but as we have seen with the friendly and cup game prices so far who really expects them to keep prices low?

[Wolfcastle]

My gage is that we averaged 50,000 in the Championship basically because of the manager after nearly 10years of horrific ownership (It would have been higher if the capacity was higher)

 

Were selling out every game now during an economic crisis that hopefully abates as soon as possibe and at the beginning of this project.

Anything less than 65,000 is selling us short I fear and not taking into account future growth.

Don't worry about 'day trippers' that's going to happen one way or the other whether through capacity or pricing out.

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[et tu brute]

If St James' can be expanded to a reasonable capacity (minimum 60,000 plus) then ok. If not, due to restrictions and/or cost, then a new stadium needs to be built. We can't be missing out on current support and also future generations not being able to attend games. I'm sure the owners will be considering all the options and will make the right business decision moving forward in the next few years. 

[Wallsendmag]

38 minutes ago, pedro111 said:

Is football really more popular in the north east than 20 years ago? That is debatable. I admire your optimism lads but the prices would have to be right to sell 65k plus regularly. Especially in the cups and at Champions League prices. I remember the clamour for tickets all too well in the 90s and I used to queue up for tickets for cup games and even sneak into the ground whenever I could but I think it is a bit easy to just say we will sell out 70k etc week in week out. Regarding man city, the comparison is a fair one. Yes I believe we have more fans than them but Greater Manchester is 2.5 times the size of Greater Newcastle if you will so it's not as if they have a tiny catchment area even with Man U in the same city. Like I say ticket pricing is key, but as we have seen with the friendly and cup game prices so far who really expects them to keep prices low?

 

We have a far bigger support than West Ham and they sell out 65k every week and thats to watch shite football in a shite stadium. Absolutely absurd to suggest even a relatively successful NUFC couldn't at least match that.

[tomlynnherrington]

We currently have around 49,000 attendees for Premier League games ( + 3000) away fans.I think clubs such as Liverpool,Everton,Man Utd,Man City and Leeds would most likely bring 10,000 if we increased the away allocation.Arsenal,Tottenham,Chelsea and Villa possibly 5,000+.How many clubs currently don’t sell out their 3000 allocation.If we knew we’d get 10,000 tickets every season for a certain away game,supporters who don’t travel away would,I’m sure,look to get to that game.I believe this would happen at other clubs.
49,000

10,000

15,000 extra NUFC fans

The last time this topic was brought up I suggested an 80,000 capacity stadium.I haven’t changed my mind.

[Wallsendmag]

46 minutes ago, tomlynnherrington said:

We currently have around 49,000 attendees for Premier League games ( + 3000) away fans.I think clubs such as Liverpool,Everton,Man Utd,Man City and Leeds would most likely bring 10,000 if we increased the away allocation.Arsenal,Tottenham,Chelsea and Villa possibly 5,000+.How many clubs currently don’t sell out their 3000 allocation.If we knew we’d get 10,000 tickets every season for a certain away game,supporters who don’t travel away would,I’m sure,look to get to that game.I believe this would happen at other clubs.
49,000

10,000

15,000 extra NUFC fans

The last time this topic was brought up I suggested an 80,000 capacity stadium.I haven’t changed my mind.

 

No chance away teams are getting 10,000. They'd get the same 3k they do now and that's the same 3k that Man Utd, West Ham, Spurs, Arsenal (and soon Liverpool) allocate away clubs with their 60k+ capacities.

 

We could sell 65/70k without any away fans tbf.

[tomlynnherrington]

26 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

No chance away teams are getting 10,000. They'd get the same 3k they do now and that's the same 3k that Man Utd, West Ham, Spurs, Arsenal (and soon Liverpool) allocate away clubs with their 60k+ capacities.

 

We could sell 65/70k without any away fans tbf.

I’m suggesting an 80,000 capacity to accommodate,if necessary,10,000 away fans.If you believe we could sell 65/70k then you’re agreeing with me surely.

[Wallsendmag]

11 minutes ago, tomlynnherrington said:

I’m suggesting an 80,000 capacity to accommodate,if necessary,10,000 away fans.If you believe we could sell 65/70k then you’re agreeing with me surely.

 

There's no logic in handing over 10k tickets to Liverpool/Man Utd and giving them a huge advantage when we could fill the stadium with our own supporters though.

 

That's before you even go into the logistics and 10k of them drinking around town beforehand!

[tomlynnherrington]

2 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

There's no logic in handing over 10k tickets to Liverpool/Man Utd and giving them a huge advantage when we could fill the stadium with our own supporters though.

 

That's before you even go into the logistics and 10k of them drinking around town beforehand!

It wouldn’t be cast in stone that 10,000 tickets would be available for away fans.I said ‘if necessary’ to fill the stadium.80,000 helping out the local economy has to be welcomed I would have thought.

[1964]

Imagine how many tickets we could give away as well, certainly up from the 10k currently being mentioned in Radge City

[Wallsendmag]

3 minutes ago, tomlynnherrington said:

It wouldn’t be cast in stone that 10,000 tickets would be available for away fans.I said ‘if necessary’ to fill the stadium.80,000 helping out the local economy has to be welcomed I would have thought.

 

I'd rather keep it at the size it's at than having 10k Mancs, or Scousers milling around town. Police wouldn't allow it anyway so it's a non starter but thankfully we wouldn't need them to fill any increase in capacity anyway.

[tomlynnherrington]

1 minute ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

I'd rather keep it at the size it's at than having 10k Mancs, or Scousers milling around town. Police wouldn't allow it anyway so it's a non starter but thankfully we wouldn't need them to fill any increase in capacity anyway.

I suppose we wouldn’t have a problem filling the ground against the clubs I suggested could sell 10,000 tickets.?

[Wallsendmag]

3 minutes ago, tomlynnherrington said:

I suppose we wouldn’t have a problem filling the ground against the clubs I suggested could sell 10,000 tickets.?

 

We could sell 70k v Bournemouth and Fulham as things stand.

[Rafalove]

I think that’s optimistic. Very optimistic. 60k would be about right imo.

[Wallsendmag]

40 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

I think that’s optimistic. Very optimistic. 60k would be about right imo.

 

So 3rd top of the league we wouldn't be able to match West Hams crowds? Give it a rest man 

[Rafalove]

I think people underestimate Wet Ham’s fanbase. East London has a lot of people. Essex too, and the wider southeast area, coupled with excellent transport links. Not to mention tourists.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Rafalove

[Wallsendmag]

13 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

I think people underestimate Wet Ham’s fanbase. East London has a lot of people. Essex too, and the wider southeast area, coupled with excellent transport links. Not to mention tourists.

 

 

 

 

They've never had a fanbase anywhere near the size of ours and that is a fact. I doubt they'd historically be in the top 10 best supported clubs in England whereas I think we are 5th.

[manorpark]

1 hour ago, Rafalove said:

I think people underestimate Wet Ham’s fanbase. East London has a lot of people. Essex too, and the wider southeast area, coupled with excellent transport links. Not to mention tourists.

 

 

 

 

For quite a few years West Ham was the closest top division club to where I was living.

 

They have a loyal hard-core of fans and a large "people" base (population) but they do not have a particularly large "fan" base.

[midds]

I think we underestimate the amount of fans who want to buy tickets to see the club, this is different to the fans who just 'follow' a club. I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that we could get 50k+ season ticket holders if the prices were reasonable, the demand to see the club play in cup games is clearly there. These types of games sell out in hours now and the demand is currently outstripping supply. 70,000 seems about right (given sensible pricing of tickets) but that means a new stadium and if you're building a new stadium them you may as well go 80,000+ to future proof it. 

 

The club hasn't won anything domestically since 1955, any success at all and it'll still be difficult to get a ticket even at 80k. The clamour for tickets is ridiculous

[Wallsendmag]

Personally I know loads of fans who can't get in any more. People who can't get a season ticket. People who are members who are missing out on tickets, people who can't even get hold of a membership in the first place! I even know people who were wanting to get tickets for Bournemouth in the League Cup who couldn't get tickets and this is a few days before Xmas with virtually the whole stadium being NUFC as they are bringing very few fans!

 

Demand is absolutely mental. I've never knowm it like this. Far more than even under the peak Keegan days and it's only going to get bigger as one of the owners' commitments is to increase the fanbase further.