Expanding the Mad Stat

[SWLR]

Well if we can't sell out 24K a week with ease, then there is no point on anymore threads on planning the expansion to 40K. We'll just be "Little Ol' Reading 'till I die!"

[Stranded]

Well if we can't sell out 24K a week with ease, then there is no point on anymore threads on planning the expansion to 40K. We'll just be "Little Ol' Reading 'till I die!"

Very early in the season to question that. All tickets were sold for Boro and our 2nd game is on a Monday night on TV and the kids are back to school. Hardly par for the course.

[SpaceCruiser]

[Gordons Cumming]

SWLR

Spot on.

Afraid to say. That is the reality............

[SWLR]

Well if we can't sell out 24K a week with ease, then there is no point on anymore threads on planning the expansion to 40K. We'll just be "Little Ol' Reading 'till I die!"

Very early in the season to question that. All tickets were sold for Boro and our 2nd game is on a Monday night on TV and the kids are back to school. Hardly par for the course.

I'd expect demand to be greater on the wave of last season, falling off if the team aren't performing.
Games will not be in regular slots making harder for all to attend every game.
Only an extra demand of 1,000 STH (although I'll accept some did not bother).
I'd only expand to 30K if I knew deamnd was for 35K to maintain the tension of demand (if people know they can always get a a ticket they are less likley to buy a ST)

Right now, if I was on the Board I would not put forward the case for a stadium increase

[Stranded]

Well if we can't sell out 24K a week with ease, then there is no point on anymore threads on planning the expansion to 40K. We'll just be "Little Ol' Reading 'till I die!"

Very early in the season to question that. All tickets were sold for Boro and our 2nd game is on a Monday night on TV and the kids are back to school. Hardly par for the course.

I'd expect demand to be greater on the wave of last season, falling off if the team aren't performing.
Games will not be in regular slots making harder for all to attend every game.
Only an extra demand of 1,000 STH (although I'll accept some did not bother).
I'd only expand to 30K if I knew deamnd was for 35K to maintain the tension of demand (if people know they can always get a a ticket they are less likley to buy a ST)

Right now, if I was on the Board I would not put forward the case for a stadium increase

Fair enough.

Most of our games are still weekends though that won't effect kids coming along as much as a 10pm finish on a Monday night. The Man Utd game (and by proxy Charlton) are almost sold out - so is a point better discussed at Xmas when we've had 9/10 home games.

As you say you accept that some people did not bother did not bother to get STs, a lot won't bother trying to get match tickets for similar reasons.

I do agree that a jump up to 40k is wrong and I don't think the plan was ever to go straight to that but to do it in stages if we stayed up.

[SpaceCruiser]

I thought the plan was to expand to 30K if things went well in the Premiership.

[cheeryoleary]

When the railway station is built, will it be called the Mad Stat?

[anR]

I thought the plan was to expand to 30K if things went well in the Premiership.

40K by putting another tier on the S,E,N stands... Apparently this will happen if we stay up, but the question is, would it be done all at once or in stages over a number of seasons?

[West Stand Man]

Here's one for the stattos then, how often did we fill the reduced capacity EP in the last couple of years? I know it took time to get to average gates as high as they are now - but if we'd built a 10- 15k stadium then we'd look silly.

Sometimes you need to speculate a little (not too much - I think an expansion to 75k might be stretching the imagination a tad). I am sure that a larger stadium (~ 40 k) would be viable if we get some time in the Prem league.

However, lets not get into another long thread on what it would look like, and when it might be built!

[premiership_bound]

So what do you think the stadium would like like after the expansion and when do you thing it will be built?

[Rawlie19]

Forgive me, but aren't we now sold out for Monday's game?

So then, let's just recap... 1st game, 100 more people in attendance than last seasons highest gate. 2nd game, sold out 3 days before the game.

What's the problem again?

[SpaceCruiser]

No problem , just some ignorant poster spewing his claptrap.

[Dirk Gently]

And don't forget the club's own rationale that ticket prices have to be as high as they are now because of the small capacity.

So an increase in capacity will allow more reasonable prices to be set - if only for the less attractive games - whilst stil increasing overall revenue.

This will help increase demand and allow the games to be more accessible to the old, young and less well off.

[RoyalBlue]

And don't forget the club's own rationale that ticket prices have to be as high as they are now because of the small capacity.

So an increase in capacity will allow more reasonable prices to be set - if only for the less attractive games - whilst stil increasing overall revenue.

This will help increase demand and allow the games to be more accessible to the old, young and less well off.

Pigs cleared for take off!

More likely ticket prices will have to be increased/stay high in order to help pay off money spent on expansion!

[MartinRdg]

And don't forget the club's own rationale that ticket prices have to be as high as they are now because of the small capacity.

So an increase in capacity will allow more reasonable prices to be set - if only for the less attractive games - whilst stil increasing overall revenue.

This will help increase demand and allow the games to be more accessible to the old, young and less well off.

Pigs cleared for take off!

More likely ticket prices will have to be increased/stay high in order to help pay off money spent on expansion!

Like any business (and, sorry, RFC is a business) it's a case of supply and demand. They set the prices for this season and, whilst some people did complain, we have 18,000 season tickets and should have crowds of at least £20k for each match this season.

If the stadium was expanded to 30k then they would, no doubt, set the prices accordingly (or try to). They would soon start dropping prices and giving offers if they had set the price too high.

[West Stand Man]

As you say you accept that some people did not bother did not bother to get STs, a lot won't bother trying to get match tickets for similar reasons.

.

Not quite sure what you mean by that? The ST sales reached maximum availability (the club always said they'd only sell 18k STs I think), and there was, I vaguely recall, still a slight waiting list when sales closed.

[MartinRdg]

As you say you accept that some people did not bother did not bother to get STs, a lot won't bother trying to get match tickets for similar reasons.

.

Not quite sure what you mean by that? The ST sales reached maximum availability (the club always said they'd only sell 18k STs I think), and there was, I vaguely recall, still a slight waiting list when sales closed.

I recollect the same. There must be between 3000 and 4000 tickets remaining per game (available on a sliding scale of royalty points).

[Gordons Cumming]

I will be surprised if they expand the Mad Stad next season even if we stay up.

Unlikely no matter what the spin is.

[MartinRdg]

I will be surprised if they expand the Mad Stad next season even if we stay up.

Unlikely no matter what the spin is.

There were sources in the club at the end of last season who said the East stand extension would be done if we stayed up this season.