A bit worrying

[Thaumagurist*]

Yep, absolutely, Dirk, but what about when we do actually get back into the Premiership? Wouldn't it be better to get ready for the next time we're in the Premiership rather than worry about filling the stadium this season?

[Vision]

We need an emoticon for short-sightedness as that's what Schards seems to be.

I'm saving this one.

[Dirk Gently]

Yep, absolutely, Dirk, but what about when we do actually get back into the Premiership? Wouldn't it be better to get ready for the next time we're in the Premiership rather than worry about filling the stadium this season?

As long as we can be sure of getting back into the Premier League (*) then possibly - I'm not as certain now as I was when this scheme was first announced, and personally I'm convinced that if we'd been able to build this when first announced and when first planned then the visible vote of confidence in the club's future would have been that little psychological boost to everyone that would have made a difference to where we ended up last season. I have absolutely nothing quantifiable to base that on except for my own feelings and intuition - and, of course, no way of proving it.

But if Wokingham District Council hadn't objected (for political reasons, in their on-going battle with Reading Borough Council) then the window of opportunity wouldn't have been missed as it now has.

I want to see what happens to the economy and to Premier League attendances over the next couple of years before I commit myself one way or another at the moment, though - but I do still feel completely sure that if Reading FC is going to have a long-term future as a Premier League club then it needs the stadium capacity increasing in this or a very similar way.

(*) There is no such thing as the "Premiership" and there hasn't been for about 10 years since Carling's sponsorship ended.

[ZacNaloen]

If we can get it done in time for the World Cup, with our proximity to London we could host a few games.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

[Dirk Gently]

If we can get it done in time for the World Cup, with our proximity to London we could host a few games.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

The bid has to won, first - it's by no means a foregone conclusion.

And the bid organisers are looking to have a group in the West/South - or possibly one in each, which would involve money being invested in the Bristol/Exeter/Plymouth area and possibly also the Portsmouth/Southampton area.

I fear we're just a little too close to London to benefit from any WC investment.

[The 17 Bus]

And if the stadium was ready, why would we get any investment??

St Marys is ready tho

[ZacNaloen]

If we can get it done in time for the World Cup, with our proximity to London we could host a few games.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

The bid has to won, first - it's by no means a foregone conclusion.

And the bid organisers are looking to have a group in the West/South - or possibly one in each, which would involve money being invested in the Bristol/Exeter/Plymouth area and possibly also the Portsmouth/Southampton area.

I fear we're just a little too close to London to benefit from any WC investment.

That's a shame, sure they don't count us as the south?

We could have a got a proper car park out of it and all

[Thaumagurist*]

And the bid organisers are looking to have a group in the West/South - or possibly one in each, which would involve money being invested in the Bristol/Exeter/Plymouth area and possibly also the Portsmouth/Southampton area.

at it being in Exeter.

[West Stand Man]

And if the stadium was ready, why would we get any investment??

St Marys is ready tho

1. I agree with DG on this one. Reading is just too close to London for it to be a realistic choice for any WC games.

2. The investment (if I was wrong, and it was a chosen location) would come from the influx of fans, probably a bit of money to assist in infrastructure (eg transport) as a starter. You seem to be mixing up 'donation to stadium building costs' with ' investment in the area'.

[West Stand Man]

And the bid organisers are looking to have a group in the West/South - or possibly one in each, which would involve money being invested in the Bristol/Exeter/Plymouth area and possibly also the Portsmouth/Southampton area.

at it being in Exeter.

Agreed, but you could see a strong case for Plymouth getting in on the act if they could show a demand from the locals. Maybe siting the French/Spanish teams there might do it (with the sea and air links available to both for their fans to come across).

[Whore Jackie]

There is no such thing as the "Premiership" and there hasn't been for about 10 years since Carling's sponsorship ended.

Not quite true. For our first season in the top flight – 2006/07 – it was the Barclays Premiership. It rebranded to the Barclays Premier League for 2007/08.

Premiership.jpg (1.73 KiB) Viewed 4064 times

[Schards#2]

I can't believe that this has been dredged up again, and that people are arguing about it even though the whole situation has been changed!

Of course it's a ludicrous idea to increase capacity when we're not in the PL - so what this season's attendances have to do with the argument is completely beyond me!

The fact is that the whole scheme was based upon the assumption that we'd remain in the PL and so have PL-level demand, which includes a number of matches each season which are guaranteed sell-outs and a number of others for which demand would be substantially increased - it also includes PL-level ST sales.

So to use current attendances to argue for or against anything is sheer madness!

And that, in a nutshell, is why it's a daft idea.

This club was founded in 1871. In the intervening 138 years, we have been in the top flight for precicely 2 of them.

To spend millions and set the capacity on the assumption that top flight football will be the norm going forward is RTG syndrome at best, madness at worst. Even if you assume we would sell out were we to be promoted again which is an issue that also carries a huge question mark....?

[rabidbee]

But - to reiterate a point that's been made countless times - isn't that the kind of argument that was made against leaving EP? Aside from the second season at the Mad Stad - when it dropped to around the same level as it had been at EP - our average attendance has risen steadily. In 2004/05 it was c. 17,000.

http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats2/eng_reading.htm

[Thaumagurist*]

And what about the possibility of drawing a big team in the FA Cup? Wouldn't it be better to have a bigger stadium for those games to accomodate the obviously bigger demand for tickets?

[rabidbee]

Wouldn't it be better to have a bigger stadium for those games to accomodate the obviously bigger demand for tickets?

Frankly, no. It would only be worth it for week-in/week-out high attendences.

[Schards#2]

And what about the possibility of drawing a big team in the FA Cup? Wouldn't it be better to have a bigger stadium for those games to accomodate the obviously bigger demand for tickets?

No

[Wimb]

I seem to remember Bradford went pretty much bust from investing in a brand new stand on the back of their Premiership survival, now look where they are....

*random aside*

[The 17 Bus]

Can anyone in the know say how well the corporate side is doing? I thought the extension included more space to be let out during the week for other income streams, also LI, seem to be able to pull in good crowds on some games, we have had the double headers here as well.

Is it not blinkered to just look at games that RFC play, this is supposed to be a venue for other events as well, all bring in revenue to help the upkeep.

Did we turn away any concerts this summer, or not actively try to get any, in case we went ahead with the extension??

[Platypuss]

But - to reiterate a point that's been made countless times - isn't that the kind of argument that was made against leaving EP? Aside from the second season at the Mad Stad - when it dropped to around the same level as it had been at EP - our average attendance has risen steadily.

And also the point that if we're not going to spend Premiership profits on players (Schards' other bete noir), surely the extension is the next best thing?

[Sun Tzu]

I seem to remember Bradford went pretty much bust from investing in a brand new stand on the back of their Premiership survival, now look where they are....

*random aside*

Bradford play at the same ground they have done for donkey's years and developed it in stages, partly as a result of a largish chunk having burned down.....

They were scuppered more by bringing in expensive foreign players and then getting relegated with those players till on long contracts....