Stadium Capacity Increase

[durhampie]

As strange as it seems to say, we are a bigger club now then when we were in the top flight. The attendances in the last few seasons (at this level) prove this point.

We get much bigger crowds now (especially when considering home fans tickets sold) than we did during the season we nearly got in the league 1 playoffs, last decade.

So it stands to reason if we was doing well in league 1 now, we would be getting sell outs most games. If we got to the championship, then we definitely would.

If we got to this point and (unbelievably) needed to increase stadium capacity, how would you suggest we do it?

My suggestion would be to widen the back of the JS stand and gain the extra room to legally be able to use its whole capacity again. That would be a quick fix.. but what about long-term?

Where / how would you increase capacity of the ground?

What's the point in spending money on something when we only get 7500 +. The only time we get any more is in situations like the play-offs, or where the price is reduced to a fiver.. Other than that we only have around 4000 season ticket holders...

[lunaspie]

Can't we just do some eminent domain jiggery-pokery in cahoots with the council over land already ear-marked for the monorail ?

[upthemaggies]

This discussion would have been more relevant in season 2017/18 when we had 7 gates over 10k. This season, including Sunday, we will have had 5. There were 13 in 1991/92.

If we were going to move then you'd have to factor in the likelihood that less and less people will likely own cars in the coming decades, so moving further out into less densely populated and less easily accessible areas would be likely to turn out to be a very big mistake.

[hissingdwarf]

This discussion would have been more relevant in season 2017/18 when we had 7 gates over 10k. This season, including Sunday, we will have had 5. There were 13 in 1991/92.

If we were going to move then you'd have to factor in the likelihood that less and less people will likely own cars in the coming decades, so moving further out into less densely populated and less easily accessible areas would be likely to turn out to be a very big mistake.

This. I love Meadow Lane as, like us all, has played a massive part of my families history…but if that scenario were to come out, we’d need to move I reckon and it would then need to be somewhere where everyone can access it minus the car.
One of the issues of the Lane is the lack of car parking, but in reality, car usage is only going to go down so being on tram/train and bus routes is essential. Phoenix park would have been a good bet with the tram specifically going there more than a few years ago, but now you’re probably looking the other way at Clifton and the tram line at that end.
A football ground on its own is dead money. It needs to operate as a multipurpose venue that can support itself on any given day of the week.

The old “let’s improve the catering side” to balance the books is probably gone now and the ground needs to be a destination for more than footy. Shops etc…all draw in crowds.

[Glad2BeAPie]

Won't ever need adding more capacity, so not applicable

[magpie2k4]

This discussion would have been more relevant in season 2017/18 when we had 7 gates over 10k. This season, including Sunday, we will have had 5. There were 13 in 1991/92.

If we were going to move then you'd have to factor in the likelihood that less and less people will likely own cars in the coming decades, so moving further out into less densely populated and less easily accessible areas would be likely to turn out to be a very big mistake.

Remember though, we are in the 5th tier and seem to have stabilised at having more than 8,000 home fans per match.

In previous seasons, our crowds over 10k would have been connected to away support of being 4K. We have more ‘home fans’ attending now, then at any point in the past 30 years.

In the last ten years, we have played Mansfield many times where their 4K support helped us creep over 10k. If we played them next season, it would be a 16k sell-out.

We no longer reply on away support to get big crowds. Even the munto season with its hype generated less home fan support.

[optipez]

Remember though, we are in the 5th tier and seem to have stabilised at having more than 8,000 home fans per match.

In previous seasons, our crowds over 10k would have been connected to away support of being 4K. We have more ‘home fans’ attending now, then at any point in the past 30 years.

In the last ten years, we have played Mansfield many times where their 4K support helped us creep over 10k. If we played them next season, it would be a 16k sell-out.

We no longer reply on away support to get big crowds. Even the munto season with its hype generated less home fan support.

Four seasons of relative success, finishing top six and consistently winning at home has definitely added a sustained increase to the crowd.
The ground is plenty big enough but if we get promoted and carry it on like Stockport have or Tranmere did a few seasons ago regular 10,000 plus crowds are possible.

[Old_pie]

Those with longer memories, and excluding the Lawton phenomenon, may well recall that in the bottom league in 59/60, the year we got 107 goals despite losing our star centre forward, and came 2nd, we barely had a gate less than 10,000, and 22,788 against eventual champions, Walsall.

Crowds will go to watch attractive winning football but there are so many other distractions/attractions that I don't see Meadow Lane's current capacity being an issue for the foreseeable future. However if the Family Stand was revamped not only could the capacity be increased but that gap that allows a view across the river could be filled with seats, saving the Kop the insult of the sights that behold them.

[Elite_Pie]

Two promotions and it might just crop up as a minor discussion point.

While we fill 40% of the ground, forget it.

[nay123]

York city have their ground in a good place with a community using the full area