stev2001

Are transport links that bad? People have access to the biggest car park around...the city. Its a bit of a walk for some but at least it disperses the crowd and is better than having a huge car park next to the ground that gets gridlocked every game. Rail links are a bit of a problem but if you are prepared to walk then its OK.

I can't see us moving in or out the city but if we do then I definitely can't see us spending aload of money on the current stadium to then move a few years down the line. That just wouldn't be economically viable would it? Anyone know what the major disadvantages of staying where we are? The city development is slowly moving toward the ground, especially if they develop town depot. There was talk about a snowdome and everything at one point. Thanks dune you just answered some of my question in your above post.

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Thats what I'm talking about, great post

True, anyone who has genuinely posted threads like this before has always had them turned into a free for all because of one thing. Nobody actually knows what NCs plans are except that he said he'd like to expand at dinners in the past. My opinion is we will expand when the time for doing so is right and surely everyone must agree on that. What the discussion should be about (and this is what most people miss) is what type of expansion should happen and for what purpose? 1. Cheap and cheerful just to add a few more seats for big games to bring in revenue. 2. More expensive and add more corporate possibilites such as boxes, commercial space etc 3. very expensive an rebuild a new stadium to really explore all commercial avenues.

I think someone has hit a nerve there. Personally I can't stand when people call it soccer, but of course it is your right to do so, as it is mine to not like when I hear people say it. If you are American then I understand why you feel the need to call our game soccer as it may be a little confusing mixing it up American football in America but here there is no confusion. In America I except that it is soccer and have called it that when I have gone over but over here it is football always has been and always will be for the vast majority. I have to say I have never heard any of the presenters of 'Soccer' AM refer to the sport as Soccer nor have I of 99% of the general public in 2012. If you are still stuck in the 60s then I suggest you need to get a bit more with the times, but again if you chose not to that is up to you. I'll ask my dad what they called it back then and I'm pretty sure he'll say most people called it Football. Association football might have been shortened to Soccer in America but has been shortened to football here. As for the 'little Englanders', not sure who you are trying to offend there? I'll await you answer or abuse in 20 or so hours, should give you time to think about it.

Arsenal are a good example of a club achieving a lot. They are financially better run than most, consistently finishing in a CL spot and have still managed to build a very expensive stadium securing future revenues for years to come. Titles and cups are always going to be hard to get when competing against the massive loss making teams such as chelsea and man city. Arsenal is a good model all clubs to follow that don't have super rich owners happy to lose millions every year. The stadium cost has definitely not helped causing them to sell their best players and investing in youth.

Hey I'm in the 'think we have no chance of CL footy' camp here. Just said a bookie wouldn't give us 1000-1 odds on it due to the unknowns including billionaire owners etc. FYI I've been a fan for a lot longer than most on here due to my age.

Actual chance maybe but ladbrokes would not risk those odds on a club with billionaire owners, no debt etc over a 5 year period. 1000 - 1 odds, I'd chuck on £20 on the off chance. Would pay for a nice conservatory if it come in.

I love to see what odds ladbrokes would put on our chances of CL within 5 years. I bet it would only be around 100 - 1 due to the unknowns involved. Not worth a punt IMO though.

5 times more likely then

Actually, winning the league is alot less likely than finishing in the top 4 statistically speaking.

And how will we pay that back? Or will it be a gift?

So to some up this whole thread......we have a very small chance of CL football within 5 years, but a chance none the less.

Good point I did that too.

But what percentage arent that bothered about going when the team isnt doing well due to the fact they choose to play rugby at school rather than Football and don't have quite the same passion about football as we do. I travelled new zealand with a guy from bath and he hated football as he was a big rugby fan. If bath never had rugby their football club would have a much bigger following fact. I expect there are a few like that in Plymouth and Bristol. My Grandparents have lived in Cornwall for the last 20 years and their village is mad on cricket and kids there love cricket, without cricket would Truro FC have a bigger following? I'm sure having more than one sport in a city has an impact on attendance, that's all I'm saying.

I'm talking about the hardcore rugby fans at Plymouth who go to games through thick and thin. If rugby was not in those towns they wouldl be at the football even when in the lower leagues. It is these type of fans that get you out of trouble when in the lower leagues. I'm also talking about the fans that were brought up with, played rugby and have grown to love the game as we have with football. They might not have as much interest in paying to watch football.

I know you live there and I bow to your local knowledge but I live in Southampton, never played cricket or rugby competively so when it comes to sport I support Saints as i love football though I am a plastic England cricket and rugby fan. How many saints fans do not go to every match even now? Why not, family commitments, money etc. How many might not go as much if they were brought up with local rugby and had a good rugby team to support as well. Surely going to rugby one week and football the next would give more of a reason not to go due to family commitments, money etc. I'm actually not trying to argue with you but this it what I've always thought about city's like Bristol, Plymouth, Wigan etc so if I'm wrong I'd like to know why.

Southampton - a football town, other sports have a very small following therefore most hardcore sport fans go to SMS Plymouth/ Bristol - football towns but also have a high following of rugby therefore loses some of its hardcore fans to those sports. Simple enough?

Do you want to argue with anything I said or do you just go around seeing you you can abuse? Hardly charming

You've obviously never been?

I've no doubt about that and any club sells out when successful but the hardcore fans are those who still go when things are bad. Look at man city when they where L1. Plymouth have massive potential and would get massive support if successful in the prem but I really do think that it has a relative small number of hard core fans that go regardless. This I believe is to do with its a city with other promenant sports. If I'm wrong then I really don't know why Plymouth haven't been more successful. Can you explain?

And when they were in the championship? I'm sure if they made it to the prem people would come but they haven't got the hard core fan base like you would get if football was the only major sport in the city. The hard core support you need to get you out of the lower leagues. I bet saints would have better support if we were 87th.

If its so massive why aren't Plymouth selling out a 40k stadium week in week out. It can't be that the football club has just been really unlucky so are rubbish.

Bristol is a great example of this.