More Stadium News

[Whacky Llama]

More info about Saints move to Widnes and the new stadium.

[chrisl1]

Pity they couldn't run to a "roving mike" so we could hear what the questions were.

[saintsbird]

Just been down to see the plans & the "virtual tour". Very impressive. If its half as good it will be worth the wait.

Better still Scully was there answering questions & queries on the plans. Eeeh thats todays eye candy sorted

[ParisSurtout]

18,500 is a bit too small a capacity for a great club like St Helens. They will be locking people out for the Wigan and Warrington games, and close to doing the same for Leeds game as well. 20,500 would have been about right.

I hope that they have capacity to add a seating stand above one or both of the planned standing only terraces behind the posts, should my predictions about big game lockouts be proven correct. Revenue from additional seating will pay for itself over time.

Edited July 21, 2010 by ParisSurtout

[ckn]

18,500 is a bit too small a capacity for a great club like St Helens. They will be locking people out for the Wigan and Warrington games, and close to doing the same for Leeds game as well. 20,500 would have been about right.

I hope that they have capacity to add a seating stand above one or both of the planned standing only terraces behind the posts, should my predictions about big game lockouts be proven correct. Revenue from additional seating will pay for itself over time.

Better to have a stadium almost full week-in, week-out than paying over the odds for one that has lots of empty seats for all bar the biggest games.

Also, don't forget that they need to get planning and safety permissions, I saw one presentation on a ground a few years ago that said that planning permission for 10,000 seats these days is about equivalent to 15,000 in the 1970s due to extra seating space, exit points, toilets and catering facilities, never mind the external impacts of traffic, parking and so on that were far lower in the 1970s.

[Padge]

18,500 is a bit too small a capacity for a great club like St Helens.

On what basis have come to this conclusion.

Its larger than the current Saints capacity which is hardly ever tested.

An increase of 2,000 isn't probably viable within the design, its probably something like 18.5k or 23.5k or a completely different design.

[ParisSurtout]

On what basis have come to this conclusion.

The fact that Wigan cann sell out the 25,000 capacity DW/JJB (in effect 22,000 max) when both clubs are firing well.

Its larger than the current Saints capacity which is hardly ever tested.

An increase of 2,000 isn't probably viable within the design, its probably something like 18.5k or 23.5k or a completely different design.

The current Saints capacity is hardly ever tested because decent fans, especially those with kids, will think twice about going to a dreadful place like Knowsley Road.

On the design issues for an increase, you may be right.

[ParisSurtout]

Better to have a stadium almost full week-in, week-out than paying over the odds for one that has lots of empty seats for all bar the biggest games.

Also, don't forget that they need to get planning and safety permissions, I saw one presentation on a ground a few years ago that said that planning permission for 10,000 seats these days is about equivalent to 15,000 in the 1970s due to extra seating space, exit points, toilets and catering facilities, never mind the external impacts of traffic, parking and so on that were far lower in the 1970s.

In general I agree with you.

However once the word gets around that the new Saints stadium is a great place to go to watch rugby league, I am sure that not only the locals, but also the visiting club fans, will be more likely to want to to go.

I could forsee Saints locking out paying fans on the day even when a future successful Bradford, and perhaps even Hull FC and Hull KR play --- as well as the obvious future sellouts for Wigan, Warrington and Leeds. If I am right on that, then it becomes a question of doing the maths on revenues lost or gained.

Until now there has been a disjunction between a great performing rugby league club and their dreadful ground. The new stadium is going to eliminate that disjunction and elevate the Saints brand to a higher level. I just hope that they have calculated correctly on what that will mean in terms of future fan interest.

Edited July 21, 2010 by ParisSurtout

[Padge]

The fact that Wigan cann sell out the 25,000 capacity DW/JJB (in effect 22,000 max) when both clubs are firing well.

Wigan have always had bigger crowds than Saints, presuming that because Wigan v Saints can get 25,000 in Wigan that Saints can get the same figure is a nonesense

The current Saints capacity is hardly ever tested because decent fans, especially those with kids, will think twice about going to a dreadful place like Knowsley Road.

Done a survey have you of why people don't go to Knowsley Road?

If the new stadium puts 50% on to the Saints average attendance they would still have a capacity of around 2,000 to spare.

[TheDuke]

i am sure they have put some thought into the feasability of building a bigger stadium. remember this is a sole use stadium not shared like the KC or Galpharm or DW, it may cost 2 million more to make the extra capacity not worth it for twice a year

[deluded pom?]

I could forsee Saints locking out paying fans on the day even when a future successful Bradford, and perhaps even Hull FC and Hull KR play

Not if Saints continue to play on Friday nights.

[Whacky Llama]

Big Mac has said that they have gone for quality not quantity, so the money they have saved on making it bigger has been used for better corporate and fan facilities.

It has also let the club do this

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/8282889...g_headquarters/

Probably one of the best weeks in Saints Long History