A bit worrying

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Schards#2
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by Schards#2 » 20 Aug 2007 08:58

Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


I'm guessing it won't be built for free.

In addition, the atmosphere at the stadium is currently as good as it's ever been, several visiting managers have commented on it.

It won't be the same and the players won't be as inspired if there are thousands of empty seats.

For the 1,000th time, i'm not against the extention if the evidence is there that there is a demand for it.

I have said that in my opinion, the available evidence currently suggests demand has fallen from last year. Mouth frothing morons can try and paint this as being selfish or me thinking the club's going to fold but, in the cold light of day, that is all i'm saying and I believe that anyone who looks objectively at the evidence would reach the same conclusion.

Whether demand changes during the season is anyone's guess but right now it has fallen.

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by Stranded » 20 Aug 2007 09:02

I know you're not against the extension, I never said you were. I just feel you are being over cautious and feel that unless we go down, it could have a more detrimental effect on the club holding back and seeing if we continue to sell out for another 2 years when we have the opportunity to get further seats in.

As I've said when a stadium is consistantly selling out for nearly two years, the only major impact on gates you are going to see is down as that is all it can do. So unless that drop is truly significant this year, ie we regularly get crowds of the size v Everton or less this season (particularly regular gates of nearer 21k) then holding back is pointless as we will see dips at some point.

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by shadesrwrf » 20 Aug 2007 09:05

Schards#2
Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


I'm guessing it won't be built for free.

In addition, the atmosphere at the stadium is currently as good as it's ever been, several visiting managers have commented on it.

It won't be the same and the players won't be as inspired if there are thousands of empty seats.

For the 1,000th time, i'm not against the extention if the evidence is there that there is a demand for it.

I have said that in my opinion, the available evidence currently suggests demand has fallen from last year. Mouth frothing morons can try and paint this as being selfish or me thinking the club's going to fold but, in the cold light of day, that is all i'm saying and I believe that anyone who looks objectively at the evidence would reach the same conclusion.

Whether demand changes during the season is anyone's guess but right now it has fallen.


But demand would change if prices fell. With an increase in the number of seats the club would do well, particularly in the short term, to lower ST prices. This will provide the opportunity for those currently priced out to watch the team. I'm sure the additional seats will attract enough additional revenue to facilitate this whilst still increasing profit margins.

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by weybridgewanderer » 20 Aug 2007 09:29

shadesrwrf
Schards#2
Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


I'm guessing it won't be built for free.

In addition, the atmosphere at the stadium is currently as good as it's ever been, several visiting managers have commented on it.

It won't be the same and the players won't be as inspired if there are thousands of empty seats.

For the 1,000th time, i'm not against the extention if the evidence is there that there is a demand for it.


I have said that in my opinion, the available evidence currently suggests demand has fallen from last year. Mouth frothing morons can try and paint this as being selfish or me thinking the club's going to fold but, in the cold light of day, that is all i'm saying and I believe that anyone who looks objectively at the evidence would reach the same conclusion.

Whether demand changes during the season is anyone's guess but right now it has fallen.


But demand would change if prices fell. With an increase in the number of seats the club would do well, particularly in the short term, to lower ST prices. This will provide the opportunity for those currently priced out to watch the team. I'm sure the additional seats will attract enough additional revenue to facilitate this whilst still increasing profit margins.


as Nigel Howe has consistently said, more seats would allow a more flexable ticketing policy.

Currently the vast majority of the stadium is the same price. I expcet that more seats would allow some seats to be sold cheaper than they are currently with other ares being signficantly more expensive, with for examplke the inclusion of a "members bar"

I would envisage a range of season ticket prices between £400 and £750

This would hopefully mean those "priced out" were able to come back hence incresaing attendance

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by Royal Lady » 20 Aug 2007 09:33

I'd love to know what seats might be sold for a £400 season ticket!! There's not really a bad seat in the place - no obstructed views etc. I think, personally, they'd be hard pushed to sell many season tickets at £200+ over the current price, just so they can have a "members bar" or whatever they might plan - but time will tell, won't it.


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by Adrian's Fool » 20 Aug 2007 09:39

Woodcote Royal Forget that I can't be alone amongst 18k STH's in not having brought friends to matches since 2005 because getting spare tickets and seats to together has been too difficult.


This is very true - I used to bring all and sundry with me to spread the word, now I never do unless a fellow season ticket holder can't make it (rare - seems these days that no-one wants to miss a match). If you add up every occasional guest that could be brought along by a season ticket holder, it probably makes up 6,000.

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by Huntley & Palmer » 20 Aug 2007 10:01

Royal Lady I'd love to know what seats might be sold for a £400 season ticket!! There's not really a bad seat in the place - no obstructed views etc. I think, personally, they'd be hard pushed to sell many season tickets at £200+ over the current price, just so they can have a "members bar" or whatever they might plan - but time will tell, won't it.


I'd imagine the upper section of the East would be more expensive. Just like the Upper West.

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by Stranded » 20 Aug 2007 10:05

Think the planned East Stand expansion has a number of padded "executive" seats about half way up that will be able to be accessed straight from the Jazz Club.

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by Skyline » 20 Aug 2007 10:41

Another point that is worth bearing in mind is that at the moment it makes little sense for the club to advertise heavily in the local press, whether in Reading or the surrounding towns, because there are just not the extra seats available for sale to people who are new to the football. As a result a lot of people just wouldn't think of going to watch a game.

Add another 6000 seats to the East Stand (as is proposed for stage 1) and all of a sudden it becomes worthwhile to advertise the games, and you will have people coming along who just hadn't thought of doing so before.


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by Woodcote Royal » 20 Aug 2007 11:16

Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


Which is the view of the vast majority given that our attendances over the last season and half makes this a risk free venture even if we get relegated.

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by Stranded » 20 Aug 2007 11:19

Woodcote Royal
Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


Which is the view of the vast majority given that our attendances over the last season and half makes this a risk free venture even if we get relegated.


If we are relegated this season though (which initially looks unlikely), the expansion simply will not happen.

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by Woodcote Royal » 20 Aug 2007 11:28

Stranded
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Stranded And my point is I can't see how expanding by another 6,000 seats can have a negative impact on the club.


Which is the view of the vast majority given that our attendances over the last season and half makes this a risk free venture even if we get relegated.


If we are relegated this season though (which initially looks unlikely), the expansion simply will not happen.


I think that's possible but not certain.

We have this huge windfall from SKY and I think the club will be tempted to take advantage regardless by making this modest expansion....................it's not like we're breaking the bank with new signings.

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by Stranded » 20 Aug 2007 11:32

I would honestly be surprised if we expanded if we are in the Championship. If we go down I would expect them to wait and see if we bounce back and build during the summer of our promotion.


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by Huntley & Palmer » 20 Aug 2007 11:40

If we went down to the Championship, we would struggle to get 18,000 every game. Let alone the 23+ now

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by Stranded » 20 Aug 2007 11:42

I think the first season back, we'd still see big crowds especially if we start well, and continue to do well.

If we didn't then crowds would dwindle and certainly if we didn't come back year 2 would see much smaller crowds.

As I've said the expansion is dependent on us staying up.

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by SpaceCruiser » 20 Aug 2007 11:44

Huntley & Palmer If we went down to the Championship, we would struggle to get 18,000 every game. Let alone the 23+ now


Doesn't that depend on how we start the season?

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by Dirk Gently » 20 Aug 2007 11:54

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Huntley & Palmer If we went down to the Championship, we would struggle to get 18,000 every game. Let alone the 23+ now


Doesn't that depend on how we start the season?


Also depends on price, too - we now have a much larger number of local kids supporting Reading than ever before - get the pricing right and I'm sure they'd love to fill any spare capacity.

You can't just judge things on a season-by-season basis - it's a long-term, stratgeic, thing.

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by readingfc_4_life_and_beyo » 20 Aug 2007 12:05

Even the extra 6k on the East could be worth it. Put it on, see how selling goes, if it goes well, then great, add ontop of the North and South, otherwise leave it for a while longer.

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by Behindu » 20 Aug 2007 12:06

Must admit on Wednesday I thought that we may as well pack up the season, sack Coppell and sell off the players.

After all we'd lost one game (narrowly and against the most expensive team in the world).

Then I realised that it didn;t make much sense to decide our season was over because of 1 defeat.

Bit like deciding we shouldn't increase the seating by 25% because we had a thousand spare tickets for one game in August.

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by Huntley & Palmer » 20 Aug 2007 12:06

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Huntley & Palmer If we went down to the Championship, we would struggle to get 18,000 every game. Let alone the 23+ now


Doesn't that depend on how we start the season?


If they lowered concessions suitably and offered a free ST if we got promoted first time of asking then possibly. I'd imagine the cost of tickets would not reduce for adults significantly

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