Over 20,000 In Tonight

[Branston Pickle 3,638]

Just now, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I'm not so sure.

The most we can ever fit in is just shy of 27,000, and that's assuming all away tickets are sold. We've been consistently above 95% for every non-covid season for well over a decade. The population of Norwich is growing all the time and appetite for football certainly doesn't seem to be decreasing, so I'd argue that we do need to expand, especially if we want the younger fans to get bitten by the bug before a relatively ageing fanbase start to give up their tickets.

So, you want us to spend tens of millions on expansion when we are in the championship with no guarantee whatsoever of recouping the funds that we’d need to be in the PL to make.

Imo the club has made the position clear, and it is the correct one. They are looking at it but under current circumstances more for the longer term.  Maybe that will change with ongoing events/investment, but I’d much prefer investment in the team to get it to PL rather than having a new stand. 

There is a massive difference being opposed to expansion - which I don’t think anyone is - and being for it at whatever cost.  The last thing we need is a huge half empty stadium in League 1.

[Van wink 2,994]

Had forgotten how often little people need to go for a pee, up and down like the proverbial drawers!

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

1 minute ago, Greavsy said:

No.

why don't you bore off you pompous **. 

You also seem to have failed to grasp the fact that resorting to such personal insults indicates submission, ie. having little further of worth to add to the debate.

[Greavsy 2,412]

2 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Had forgotten how often little people need to go for a pee, up and down like the proverbial drawers!

All adds to your steps winky!

Its the old as well though.......

[Greavsy 2,412]

Just now, BroadstairsR said:

You also seem to have failed to grasp the fact that resorting to such personal insults indicates submission, ie. having little further of worth to add to the debate.

Or bored of your tedium. 

Simple

[Branston Pickle 3,638]

Just now, BroadstairsR said:

It's only bizarre if you take the attendance for a second rate cup game on a Tuesday night *after two virtually sold out home games in very quick succession as a yardstick.

Think small, be small, and carry on being so risk-averse as to continue kicking that particular can up the road. 

What on earth? The tickets were dirt cheap tonight, we got a good crowd, about 75% full.  In a bigger ground we’d have sold the same number of tickets - it is wholly illogical to suggest otherwise.

The problem here is that you appear so ‘pro’ expansion that you are making a spurious argument to fit it.  I’ve always considered myself relatively ‘pro’ expansion, but not unless and until we can without risking the finances/playing side. It is actually better to have near-capacity than thousands of empty seats.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Just now, Greavsy said:

Or bored of your tedium. 

Simple

Tedium to you is clearly being out thought.

It's amongst your usual excuses to give up.

Simple doesn't even begin to sum it up.

[Midlands Yellow 3,944]

21 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Sorry, but the argument is totally bizarre. Your argument appears to be that because the ground was about 25% empty tonight, we should have a bigger capacity.  It was a decent turnout, but it is a rather illogical argument as a bigger capacity tonight would have just meant more empty seats.

I’m not opposed to expansion, but it needs to be when it is worthwhile. That isn’t now/yet.

 With this attitude we’d still be at Newmarket Road or the Nest. Norwich  City need the stadium expanded and have done for a decade. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,783]

4 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

So, you want us to spend tens of millions on expansion when we are in the championship with no guarantee whatsoever of recouping the funds that we’d need to be in the PL to make.

Imo the club has made the position clear, and it is the correct one. They are looking at it but under current circumstances more for the longer term.  Maybe that will change with ongoing events/investment, but I’d much prefer investment in the team to get it to PL rather than having a new stand. 

There is a massive difference being opposed to expansion - which I don’t think anyone is - and being for it at whatever cost.  The last thing we need is a huge half empty stadium in League 1.

I didn't say we should do it when we are in the Championship. We need a(nother) Premier League windfall to justify it, but I'd be happy to do another Premier League season on the cheap and get relegated if it meant we get an expansion out of it. We'd see the benefits of a new/expanded City Stand for 50 years. 

The time to do it was when we had five players worth a combined £100m+ on the books a couple of years ago and £100m of Premier League TV money.  We sold two of those players and got around £36m for them, but easily could've sold one more and spent the proceeds on the stand. Would we have gone straight back up with a smaller playing budget? Who knows, but I still would rather have had the expansion.

[Greavsy 2,412]

1 minute ago, BroadstairsR said:

Tedium to you is clearly being out thought.

It's amongst your usual excuses to give up.

Simple doesn't even begin to sum it up.

Not at all, just im sure others aren't interested in your drivel. 

[Branston Pickle 3,638]

1 minute ago, Midlands Yellow said:

 With this attitude we’d still be at Newmarket Road or the Nest. Norwich  City need the stadium expanded and have done for a decade. 

What? we moved because those were not big enough/ were unsafe.

My point has all along been that using a 75% sell-out to justify expansion is somewhat bizarre. If you can’t see it I feel that is your problem, not mine.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

1 minute ago, Greavsy said:

Not at all, just im sure others aren't interested in your drivel. 

So says one of the most limited, uninteresting posters this forum has ever accommodated.

Stick to being the forum office boy, concern yourself with ticketing matters and such stuff. You are clearly out of your depth otherwise. 

[Greavsy 2,412]

3 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

So says one of the most limited, uninteresting posters this forum has ever accommodated.

Stick to being the forum office boy, concern yourself with ticketing matters and such stuff. You are clearly out of your depth otherwise. 

Pompous tw at. 

So uninteresting that you keep replying to me. 

Simple

Edited August 23, 2022 by Greavsy

[corbs 147]

Psychologically I enjoyed those days v Gippeswyk when we got 32/34k. 

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

9 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

What? we moved because those were not big enough/ were unsafe.

My point has all along been that using a 75% sell-out to justify expansion is somewhat bizarre. If you can’t see it I feel that is your problem, not mine.

I'm quite sure that the new American "owners/investors" won't be so timidly risk averse in their approach to this never-ending problem. Hopefully they'll arrive with a 'speculate to accumulate' attitude towards the potential our club offers.

It will be a welcome change.

 

Edited August 23, 2022 by BroadstairsR

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

3 minutes ago, Greavsy said:

Pompous tw at. 

So uninteresting that you keep replying to me. 

Simple

We'd better leave it at that desperate gem.then.

It would be like kicking a sick dog otherwise.

[Greavsy 2,412]

2 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

I'm quite sure that the new American "owners/investors" won't be so timidly risk averse in their approach to this never-ending problem. Hopefully they'll arrive with a 'speculate to accumulate' attitude to the potential our club offers.

It will be a welcome change.

 

So where / who are the extra fans to fill the new expanded stadium? 

[Branston Pickle 3,638]

3 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

I'm quite sure that the new American "owners/investors" won't be so timidly risk averse in their approach to this never-ending problem. Hopefully they'll arrive with a 'speculate to accumulate' attitude to the potential our club offers.

It will be a welcome change.

 

You do realise that the ‘speculate to accumulate’ argument can also lead to a bust? You seem to only see one possible outcome, as in an upside, whereas the opposite could happen and you have a big ground you’ll never fill.  
Quite rightly, custodians of the club have to be more cautious. Clearly the new investment might change things, if it does then fine - but as things are it is eminently sensible to invest more on the pitch than off it, to try to get to (and relatively established in) the PL, and do it that way.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

25 minutes ago, Greavsy said:

So where / who are the extra fans to fill the new expanded stadium? 

We cap season ticket sales and have a waiting list. We limit away fans to one quarter of one stand. Casuals often have problems getting a match-day ticket and on many occasions, and youngsters, for the most part, are not accommodated. 

In addition, the population of the area in general has grown considerably since even the last expansion (corner fills under McNally) indicating an expansion of the catchment area.

Interest in football and the match day experience has never been higher, and there are no indications of decline.

Need I go on?

Furthermore, Little Ipswich Town actually got a bigger gate than us for the respective opening games of the season.

Are you suggesting that they have a bigger support than us, despite the fact that their ground  can accommodate more? No! We had reached the capacity that the various obstacles to holding more permitted, and they could, therefore, admit more with the same restraints because they had more seats.

Decry the potential of NCFC all you wish. Continue to be stuck in your limited ways at will.

Edited August 23, 2022 by BroadstairsR

[Greavsy 2,412]

13 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

We cap season ticket sales and have a waiting list. We limit away fans to one quarter of one stand. Casuals often have problems getting a match-day ticket and on many occasions, and youngsters, for the most part, are not accommodated. 

In addition, the population of the area in general has grown considerably since even the last expansion (corner fills under McNally) indicating an expansion of the catchment area.

Interest in football and the match day experience has never been higher, and there are no indications of decline.

Need I go on?

Furthermore, Little Ipswich Town actually got a bigger gate than us for the respective opening games of the season.

Are you suggesting that they have a bigger support than us, despite the fact that their ground  can accommodate more? No! We had reached the capacity that the various obstacles to holding more permitted, and they could, therefore, admit more with the same restraints because they had more seats.

Decry the potential of NCFC all you wish. Continue to be stuck in your limited ways at will.

The club caps season tickets to ensure casuals are available,  and hence keep people interested. Rughtly on wrongly, but that isn't a capacity issue. 

I think its been said on here that casuals can buy tickets, even on the day. Thats been confirmed by the ticket office to @Feedthewolfi think it was.

Away fans max allocations are decided by the competition we are playing in, so will always be at max a set percentage of capacity. It doesn't mean the visiting teams will always use all that allocation, they don't currently. 

What have ipswich got to do with it? We have spare seats available for most games currently.  Fact! The only ones we don't sell are the ones between the home & away fans

So ill ask again, whilst the expansion being completed,  where are the existing ST holders going? 

 

[Duncan Edwards 2,223]

To watch Cambridge with Essex 

[Greavsy 2,412]

2 minutes ago, Duncan Edwards said:

To watch Cambridge with Essex 

Thats harsh Duncan,  poor things!

[city4eva 207]

8 hours ago, BroadstairsR said:

How long before are you are actually able to complete your current level of gross stupidity?

This seems excessive, even by your usual standards. You now seem to be unable to really grasp the slightest thing.

There might well be empty seats for this second rate cup game on a Tuesday night, but that impressive gate actually emphasises the demand likely to be in force for more significant league games and should we go on to have a successful campaign. Our current capacity could then well be as inadequate as it has consistently been whenever we venture into the Premier League.

Now, surely that's quite obvious, even for you? Or are you one of the few who refutes stadium expansion?

 

there have been a lot of empty seats at every game this season, if we dont get promotion there will be no need for any expansion

 

edit. after reading the rest of the thread I see its already been covered

Edited August 24, 2022 by city4eva

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Besides the question of expansion, the antiquated Main Stand will need replacing sooner rather than later.

Apart from that, you seem to be suggesting that the club's ambitions should only be tailored to the lowest possible outcome.

"If we don't get promoted."

What if we do? There will now be another season of having a ground incapable of housing demand.

Nobody in favour of expansion is suggesting that it should be undertaken tomorrow. That boat has already floated and perhaps during lockdown when upheaval would have been at a minimum and costs (interest) were lower.

It could also be argued that the empty seats you mentioned happens because of the 'lost generation' who were unable to attend when the club flourished due to capacity issues.

Hopefully, one day, and sooner rather than later, we'll again become a Premier League outfit. We do, of course, stand a decent chance of achieving that again this season. Unfortunately, it will again be a case of having a ground unable to cope with demand.

Forever kicking this particular can down the road inhibits growth and feeds the Little Old Norwich mentality.

Mark Antanasio appears to be a shrewd businessman and one not averse to risk. Let's hope his sees thing differently and (eventually) has the clout to undertake something that perhaps should have been carried out long before now.

[DraytonBoy 142]

Any expansion of the capacity has to wait until the club are established in the PL or receives significant new investment given that it will cost maybe £50 million to bring it up to 33K.  

[daly 500]

The way Norwich is expanding with the numbers likely to expand in the thousands in the next few years probably YES

Then again the cost of living is going through the roof and I’m sure next season a lot of fans will think twice about renewing 

[Capt. Pants 4,202]

We probably do need a bigger stadium, but I wouldn't take it for granted that once the cost of living crisis really kicks in there will be the same level of demand as there appears to be now.

I don't hear people moaning now because they can't get in the ground, they moan more because they can't watch it on TV, or find an illegal stream.

[Greavsy 2,412]

3 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

We probably do need a bigger stadium, but I wouldn't take it for granted that once the cost of living crisis really kicks in there will be the same level of demand as there appears to be now.

I don't hear people moaning now because they can't get in the ground, they moan more because they can't watch it on TV, or find an illegal stream.

Exactly. At last a sensible,  factual reply. 

Yes a new stand / stadium would be nice,,  but it's not practically viable atm. Simples. 

[Mello Yello 2,281]

9 hours ago, Midlands Yellow said:

 With this attitude we’d still be at Newmarket Road or the Nest. Norwich  City need the stadium expanded and have done for a decade. 

Very much this ^^^....Sadly the ageing City Stand is looking archaic, tired, and very much in my opinion really requires replacing or at least an upgrade for the future....    

[Capt. Pants 4,202]

The club has recently said it's looking into stadium expansion. We'll have to wait and see, but it will be a tight call in the current climate.