|
|
Post by knowles on May 21, 2008 10:43:12 GMT
Scholesey says no expansion plans... Stoke opt not to expand stadium Stoke City chief executive Tony Scholes has revealed that the promoted Potters have no plans to build new stands in the corners of the Britannia Stadium. He told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's something that we thought about but not something we are not going to do. "We want to get people used to the ground being full. If we sell out every game next year then there's every reason to look at expanding." Only one of the corners at the Britannia currently has seating. A lot of clubs have gone down and then found it impossible to get back so, being up there, our objective will be to stay there
Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes Scholes is determined for the Potters to achieve Premier League safety next season. He said: "It's been a 23-year job to get in the top flight so it would be very wrong to throw that away. "A lot of clubs have gone down and then found it impossible to get back so, being up there, our objective will be to stay there." Scholes also said that Stoke can learn from other clubs that have managed to survive their first season in the top-flight. "We've spoken to Bolton and Reading, we wouldn't be doing our jobs properly if we weren't doing the research. "We don't want to just copy another club's model but it is right to learn from the clubs that have gone up, stayed up and then done well." news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/7410170.stm |
|
|
|
Post by edinburghstokie on May 21, 2008 10:56:30 GMT
too right, in my opinion.
We should be thinking of consolidating our position. If (IF) we get sell out crowds all season, and manage to stay up, then it should come back to the table. But it would be a pointless waste of money to do it and then get relegated and be back to lower attendances (even 20,000 wouldn't require an expansion). All this talk of stadium expansion on this board has been a load of nonsense.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick1984 on May 21, 2008 11:11:23 GMT
What about the giants screen in the corner, any confirmation yet?
|
|
|
|
Post by MrMagic on May 21, 2008 11:20:17 GMT
I am pleased with this announcement. The main priority of the club should be assembling a side that can stay in the Premier League. Any distraction from that is a big risk to our success, and filling in the corners would have potentially taken Scholes' and others eye off the ball.
We can develop the stadium in a season or two when we are in Europe ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Butters on May 21, 2008 11:22:02 GMT
too right, in my opinion. We should be thinking of consolidating our position. If (IF) we get sell out crowds all season, and manage to stay up, then it should come back to the table. But it would be a pointless waste of money to do it and then get relegated and be back to lower attendances (even 20,000 wouldn't require an expansion). All this talk of stadium expansion on this board has been a load of nonsense. Read my mind, need to have mostly sell-outs for this season to be thinking about expanding, and rightly said staying up is our first priority, would be alot harder to come back up if we've spent money on expanding the stadium, which wont be really needed. |
|
|
|
Post by A-teen_six_T3 on May 21, 2008 11:25:14 GMT
I thiniks it's a good descision too...
£4million on a new player or 4 million on filling ina corner??
|
|
|
|
Post by knowles on May 21, 2008 11:25:27 GMT
Totally agree chaps. Can anyone realistically selling us out at home to Wigan on a November Tuesday evening?
Of course there will be big demand for the 'big four' (plus a couple of others) but as stoke_in_ed states, we need to concentrate on the pitch at the moment
Increasing the capacity is something we can worry about if we consolidate as a top flight club.
Scholsey is right, Bolton have survived perfectly with the Reebok Stadium (which holds pretty much the same as The Brit)
|
|
|
|
Post by bigbren on May 21, 2008 11:37:23 GMT
Scholesy's probably right - but still think its a shame we aren't showing a bit more ambition. We've put 2000 in the Away end. Linking the JS to the Boothen would accomodate them and a few more, and allow more away fans in for bigger teams. The ground would look a hell of a lot better too!!
Having said that, the priority for the ground is to give it a thorough scrub up. Its looking very tatty in places . Get a full size screen / scoreboard. And get the 'new' badge on the outside of the JS too while we're at it!!
bb
|
|
|
|
Post by mozzer68 on May 21, 2008 11:38:58 GMT
This is the right plan.
Get the right players in first and maintain our league status.
It is a building process on and off the field and it must start with a team that can compete at this level, then take it from there when the time is right
|
|
|
|
Post by fan4life on May 21, 2008 11:59:03 GMT
Ok i think it's the right thing to do, But they should try somthing to stop some of the cold wind ripping round the stand's, If you look at deep dale ( preston) they have used plastic sheeting not much work and cheap, What do you think?
|
|
|
|
Post by scfcstudent85 on May 21, 2008 12:07:13 GMT
I don't Pulis would want to stop the cold wind ripping around the pitch, especially against the premiership teams. It can be a great leveler when the conditions are awful as good teams will struggle to play too much football. He has already talked about making the pitch smaller and I think this could also have been a small reasoning in this decision.
|
|
|
|
Post by lordb on May 21, 2008 12:10:57 GMT
we need to be averaging 24/25000 before we expand capacity,imho.
aggree with the above though a big screen,some paintwork,& extend the sheeting in the exposed areas
+ giant balti house......
|
|
|
|
Post by Chunky Lover! on May 21, 2008 12:12:49 GMT
Agree with this, think we should concentarte on staying up 1st
|
|
|
|
Post by powchirper on May 21, 2008 12:16:01 GMT
The thought of a cold, nay freezing night in the middle of winter fills me with dread, But with bigger crowds and more atmosphere in the place it should warm the god damn ice box up a little. If we stay up then think about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Somebody_Told_Me on May 21, 2008 12:22:12 GMT
I wish we could just fill the Boothen to the John Smiths then that would cut down on the wind wooshing through.
But If that was at the cost staying up I wouldn't.
|
|
hoopty
Youth Player
Posts: 431
|
Post by hoopty on May 21, 2008 12:28:54 GMT
This discussion is just stupid.
We will have sold 20,000 season tickets by the end of the week.
With our current capacity of 28,000 it means that the difference between a Wigan gate and a Man U gate is likely to be no more than 3,000.
The only question is what gate size COULD we have for the four "big" games.
Working on the fairly conservative basis that we could sell 35,000 (7,000 above our capacity) at £25, then not expanding the stadium is going to cost us (in terms of lost revenue) nearly £1m next year.
The finances support filling the corners in immediately.
It was a mistake not to do it straight away.
It will be an even bigger mistake if it is not done next year if we stay up.
|
|
|
|
Post by northantsash on May 21, 2008 12:29:06 GMT
makes financial sense not to. if we sold 20000 season tickets then i may say otherwise, but not sure that is likely to happen.
|
|
hoopty
Youth Player
Posts: 431
|
Post by hoopty on May 21, 2008 12:31:12 GMT
errrrr....we'd sold 19,700 at the start of the week so 20,000 is hardly a reach now is it!
|
|
|
|
Post by lordb on May 21, 2008 12:32:36 GMT
- thats not established fact (yet!) hoopty
|
|
|
|
Post by onemickeythomas on May 21, 2008 12:36:16 GMT
Think we should leave the corners open.
We all know how cold it gets when the wind blows through.
Some Prem players will not fancy it up at the Brit.
We should use every advantage that we have at our disposal to get results.
Lets make it a place where other teams hate to come to.
I for one do not mind being freezing cold if the results are good.
|
|
|
|
Post by edinburghstokie on May 21, 2008 12:36:39 GMT
What about the giants screen in the corner, any confirmation yet? GIants? Where? When? Have they been watching for a while?  |
|
|
|
Post by kevkj on May 21, 2008 12:45:54 GMT
"We have not sold 19,000 season tickets try 14-15,000"
|
|
|
|
Post by Fred Zeppelin on May 21, 2008 13:01:20 GMT
Why do we need a big screen?
We've got a shit little scoreboard which although not exactly top-notch, it does what is required of it. It tells you how many minutes have gone and what the score is.
Whenever I've been to a ground that had a big screen, I just find it off-putting. Your eyes are drawn to it while the game is going on.
I'd rather they spent the money on something we actually need
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2008 13:20:37 GMT
Scholesy's probably right - but still think its a shame we aren't showing a bit more ambition. We've put 2000 in the Away end. Linking the JS to the Boothen would accomodate them and a few more, and allow more away fans in for bigger teams. The ground would look a hell of a lot better too!! Having said that, the priority for the ground is to give it a thorough scrub up. Its looking very tatty in places . Get a full size screen / scoreboard. And get the 'new' badge on the outside of the JS too while we're at it!! bb Too right BigBren! New Stoke City badges on the outside and at least big sceen scoreboard in the corner between Seddon and South Stand and I can live with The Brit as it is. Middlesbrough went down the expansion route and now they can't meet the capacity they have before spending all that money! |
|
Pottero
Academy Starlet
Legends are made in Stoke.....
Posts: 215
|
Post by Pottero on May 21, 2008 13:21:26 GMT
Leave the Brit alone for the moment - I agree!
Lets become an established premiership side with potential crowds of over 30,000 before we start contemplating this.
..... saying that..... I wouldn't mind a big screen!
|
|
|
|
Post by glouscesterstokie on May 21, 2008 13:22:26 GMT
im pleased with that it means we can spend more cash on players
|
|
|
|
Post by bigbren on May 21, 2008 13:25:54 GMT
I want a big screen. Adds to the atmosphere we should be trying to create. We are a club on the up, going places, punching above our weight, prepared to invest in our team and our facilities, and the club values its fans by providing a great ground to host a great team.
As little bren misses the odd goal too by not paying attention, would give him a second chance to see it!!
bb
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick1984 on May 21, 2008 15:16:54 GMT
Why do we need a big screen? We've got a shit little scoreboard which although not exactly top-notch, it does what is required of it. It tells you how many minutes have gone and what the score is. A giant colour one brings great advertising and marketing opportunities. |
|
|
|
Post by FullerMagic on May 21, 2008 15:40:51 GMT
Radio Stoke are running a soundbite from Coates today, saying they're spending £1m over the summer on renovations; they specifically mentioned a new press centre, pitch sprinkler system, wall separating home and away fans in the South Stand and a new lick of paint over the entire stadium.
|
|
|
|
Post by proudtobeastokie on May 21, 2008 15:57:13 GMT
How about spending it on pie stocks so they don't run out like they kept fooking doing when there was more than 13000 folk there!!!
|
|
