Indeed, this is exactly what I have always argued. Saying 'we only expect a small crowd so we're closing over half the stadium' is the same as saying 'don't bother coming'.
When I emailed David luker about this last season he said that the Kingsland was a 'large stand and expensive to open'. I also disagree about the views. Last Saturday I was sitting in row M at the Chapel end of the Itchen and my view was facing along the advertising boards behind the goal. I couldn't see a thing for the first half. Every time that there was any action the people to my right stood up to see what was happening, which only made things worse.