Matthew Le God

Why is it meaningless? Have you ever seen an episode of Dragon's Den? On numerous occasions they question what the competitors to the contestant's businesses are doing. It is entirely relevant for Saints to look at examples of expansions at other clubs to gage how it might work for them. Isn't it? Given enough time it would be, plus it raises the profile of the club, helps attract sponsors, players, fans and other revenue streams. Also it adds to the value of the company. St Mary's was originally funded by a mortgage and the chairman at the time put very little if any money into the club himself. Cortese/Liebherr don't do debt, the club is debt free and things are paid for outright. Did we not need a £15m expansion of Staplewood and category one status? That was announced whilst Saints were in League One, being constructed whilst in the Championship and not funded by debt. Explain why Cortese contradicts you then? Have you listened to the BBC interview I linked to earlier? (listen from 36:00) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8565914.stm Have you heard the feedback from the fans dinners?

That game was a home end sellout, the empty seats were in the Bolton end. How do you know they wouldn't have sold 40k? Plus that was in a season where Saints were terrible and were relegated so hardly an attractive proposition to watch. If Cortese establishes Saints as a top half side again more will want to come. If 30k turn up to watch a poor Saints side soon to be relegated against an unglamorous side like Bolton, more than 30k will come if Saints had some decent players to entertain the "plastic" fans.

You have taken that completely out of the context it was written in. I was replying to someone that brought up away attendances.

See my point re the Bolton game you used as an example.

Has the game kickoff already? Still time to sell them, in any case yes we might be promoted, but it is still in Middlesbrough and live on TV so even if 3,000 go that is a good turnout. Saints took 5,800 to Palace and 3,400 to Peterborough in the last two away matches. The last three home games in the second tier have seen 30k, 31k and 31k. Not many English clubs could do that. The last time Saints played Bolton in a league game was in 2004/05 when Saints finished 20th and were relegated. It was a sellout in the home end (not the away end), with a total attendance of 30,713. Imagine now if Saints had some decent players rather than the dross we had that season.

I think this sums it up very well.

Not my words though are they? They are the words of the chairman of the club we both support. Does Cortese have a history of high ambition and no resources to match them? No, the club are currently building a £15 million training ground and category 1 academy facility that wouldn't look out of place at a Champions League club. That development was announced whilst Saints were still in League One. Cortese isn't doing all of this to merely hang about in the bottom half/mid table of the Premier League. He would downsize what is going on at Staplewood if that were the case, and he certainly wouldn't say a stadium relocation was possible, he'd just rule it out straight away.

Based on? Saints when finishing 20th in the Premier League and relegated in 2005 averaged 30,610. Hardly an attractive proposition to watch, yet the stadium sold out most weeks. If the side was actually any good more would come. Rupert Lowe didn't invest, Cortese/Liebherr's are.

What do you make of post #65? Please don't make this personal with petty insults like you normally do when we normally discuss this.

"I wouldn't exclude the possibility we would build a complete new stadium somewhere else" - words of Nicola Cortese Interview on 13th March 2010, from 36:00 Cortese is asked about the stadium... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8565914.stm For him to say that, they clearly have HUGE plans for Saints, be it expanding St Mary's or building a new stadium at a huge cost. A new stadium would have to be a lot bigger than 32k to justify moving. A number of Saints fans are underestimating just what the Liebherr/Cortese plan is for this club.

Sounds like a good enough reason to justify moving tomorrow!

Unlikely any kids from Portsmouth itself, but the border areas may be able to be "converted".

Wolves have built an entirely new 7,700 seater stand from scratch this year for £18m. http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2012/04/14/gold-seats-for-stan-cullis-stand/ Saints would be adding a tier on an existing stand.

That Barnet want to expand or moved recently like lots of lower league clubs have recently. Torquay, Rotherham, Chesterfield, Morecambe etc etc I used Reading because they, like Saints have had a good Championship season and both are likely to be playing each other in the Premier League next year. Whilst in the same league this season Saints average 7,000 more than Reading, yet Reading want to expand to 38,000. You admit yourself... I can see it being announced relatively soon. The club in League One announced a training ground that wouldn't look out of place at a Champions League club, I don't see why they will need to see if Saints stay up in 2012/13, they will crack on with improving infrastructure as it will give long term benefits that surpass short term promotion and relegation. In the same way Wolves have said they are improving Molineux regardless of relegation, it will benefit the club in the long term to have the infrastructure in place.

I'm sure you could make a slight tweak so that it isn't by putting more of the load on the new foundations if needed.

I know some of them are old, my point was these clubs you listing have been considering expansion. Cortese has big plans as shown by the £15 million spent on Staplewood. They aren't looking to wallow in the bottom half of the Premier League or Stapelowood wouldn't be improved on such a scale. They also didn't wait for Premier League football to announce the Staplewood plan, so I don't see why they would need to wait for a stadium expansion. I think it does. It shows a club one place above Saints in the Championship who are averaging 7,000 less than Saints whilst in a similar league position are looking to expand to 38,000. It also shows a timeframe of how a development may take place.

Where did your "three times the 2001 to 2005 price" come from? If I were to guess, I'd say the highest price for an adult, non-corporate ticket at St Mary's next season will be around £40 - £42 and the lowest between £28 - £30. That is a long way from "threes times the 2001 - 2005 price"!

On what do you base that? Cheapest and most expensive ticket this season at each stadium in the Premier League...

Stop making this too easy...! Norwich board members have talked of plans to expand to 35,000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/9418837.stm Old Trafford is already 75k and one of the biggest stadiums in Europe. They have in the past talked of raising it to 90k+, but given the club debt and ownership it probably won't happen. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/02/20/liberty-stadium-extension-under-discussion-with-swansea-council-91466-30368776/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/apr/03/newsstory.sport3

11:00am on 26 April 2012 at The Victory Lounge, Fratton Park http://www.pkf.co.uk/web/pkf.nsf/82D34E3438E9E594802579DC0052E1E9/$file/pkfjaproposals.pdf

Might not even matter, as the new weight wouldn't be on the original foundations if done like this...

I am fully aware of that, but John Madjeski was the owner when they submitted the prosals of 38,000 in 2006 and recieved planning permission. Such as?

Cortese has already stated that they have been planning in this area and it just so happens that 14,000 extra seats takes St Mary's to around the size Cortese has spoken of.

Every season in the Premier League Southampton averaged over 30,000 at St Mary's, including the year we came 20th and were relegated. Imagine if the team was actually any good to watch!

I expect Southampton to announce either an expansion of St Mary's or a relocation to a new stadium relatively soon. "I wouldn't exclude the possibility we would build a complete new stadium somewhere else" - words of Nicola Cortese An interview on 13th March 2010, from 36:00 Cortese is asked about the stadium... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8565914.stm For him to say that, they clearly have HUGE plans for Saints, be it expanding St Mary's or building a new stadium at a huge cost. A new stadium would have to be a lot bigger than 32k to justify moving. A number of Saints fans are underestimating just what the Liebherr/Cortese plan is for this club. ............................. Reading in 2006 put in a planning application to extend their stadium by 14,000 seats to 38,000. Proposal document... http://www.readingfc.co.uk/staticFiles/e/a2/0,,10306~41486,00.pdf (an interesting read I think) The planning application was accepted but they shelved the idea because they were relegated. Their potential new owner Anton Zingarevich has stated since they have now been promoted again that... "If we stay up after the first year then we will upgrade the stadium". http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17753759 So they will likely use the plans that already have been granted planning permission. These plans have a deadline of November 2013 and construction must start by then. What Reading and possibly Saints might expect to see... Design of the Madjeski development ("similar" to be done at St Mary's?) Unlike Wolves who are currently knocking down Molineux and starting again, Reading will extend the current stadium and Saints will likely do similar. Schedule for the original Reading plan As you can see it is relatively quick. Stages of development at the Madjeski Stadium Reading - Reading average attendance in Championship 19,028 - 14,000 more seats on a 24,000 capacity stadium - 38,000 capacity in the Premier League Southampton - Southampton average attendance in Championship 26,149 - 14,000 more seats on a 32,000 capacity stadium - 46,000 capacity in the Premier League (similar to the size Cortese has spoken of wanting at the fans dinners) Cortese/Liebherr estate have already shown their ambition and resources to back up those ambitions with a £15 million development at Staplewood training ground and going for category 1 academy status under the EPPP. Expanding St Mary's is the next step and will need to be done in order for the club to progress to the levels Cortese has set his sights on. Every season in the Premier League at St Mary's averaged over 30,000 so it is clearly too small as it currently stands. Southampton won't be able to do any major work during the summer of 2015 as it hosting Rugby World Cup games. So given the planning application length and the length of construction we might see work over 2013 and 2014 perhaps?