AndyD Posted 21 February, 2011 Share Posted 21 February, 2011 Just been having a look at bbc Football's website and stumbled across the fact that our ground is bigger than Fulham, Bolton, Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves, Blackburn, Stoke & West Brom!!! Also, St Mary's 'could' be expanded upon on all the stands bar the Itchen - which could potentially see the capacity rise to 50,000. Now that's real potential - just made me a bit sad/angry that we are in LEAGUE 1 - but even more determined to enjoy the rise back to the CCC (first) and then the PL. It's going to be emotional but in NC & NA I think we'll be alright. COYR for 2moro night - another massive 'must win' game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted 21 February, 2011 Share Posted 21 February, 2011 Surprised our ground is bigger than Birmingham's, the country's second biggest city and they are getting small crowds as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 21 February, 2011 Share Posted 21 February, 2011 Surprised our ground is bigger than Birmingham's, the country's second biggest city and they are getting small crowds as well. Lots of clubs in and around Birmingham though. Aston Villa is the biggest club in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Balls Posted 21 February, 2011 Share Posted 21 February, 2011 Some big clubs outside the PL these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintNeil90 Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 I'm suprised that Boltons is only 28,000. It looked much bigger than that when I went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangelyBrown Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Just been having a look at bbc Football's website and stumbled across the fact that our ground is bigger than Fulham, Bolton, Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves, Blackburn, Stoke & West Brom!!! Also, St Mary's 'could' be expanded upon on all the stands bar the Itchen - which could potentially see the capacity rise to 50,000. Now that's real potential - just made me a bit sad/angry that we are in LEAGUE 1 - but even more determined to enjoy the rise back to the CCC (first) and then the PL. It's going to be emotional but in NC & NA I think we'll be alright. COYR for 2moro night - another massive 'must win' game! We're only the 2nd largest in League One though. The list makes interesting reading and shows who the potential sleeping giants are List_of_football_stadiums_in_England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumuah Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 We're only the 2nd largest in League One though. The list makes interesting reading and shows who the potential sleeping giants are List_of_football_stadiums_in_England Interesting that the bedpan isn't listed under the future stadiums. LOL @ fratton park - 19th in the Championship. At least next season they could have the 5th biggest stadium in their league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Just been having a look at bbc Football's website and stumbled across the fact that our ground is bigger than Fulham, Bolton, Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves, Blackburn, Stoke & West Brom!!! Also, St Mary's 'could' be expanded upon on all the stands bar the Itchen - which could potentially see the capacity rise to 50,000. Now that's real potential - just made me a bit sad/angry that we are in LEAGUE 1 - but even more determined to enjoy the rise back to the CCC (first) and then the PL. It's going to be emotional but in NC & NA I think we'll be alright. COYR for 2moro night - another massive 'must win' game! Pedant alert - it's now the nPC, not CCC. I love St Mary's, I'm still in awe when I go in, but I'd be suprised if we ever enlarged it. It certainly wouldn't need doing unless we are Europe contenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangelyBrown Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Interesting that the bedpan isn't listed under the future stadiums. LOL @ fratton park - 19th in the Championship. At least next season they could have the 5th biggest stadium in their league. Thats only if half of it doesnt fall down in the meantime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D2/attend.html still up there on %age attending per capacity as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthamSteve Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Interesting that the bedpan isn't listed under the future stadiums. It is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anothersaintinsouthsea Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Surprised our ground is bigger than Birmingham's, the country's second biggest city and they are getting small crowds as well. They didn't even sell out for their derby match against Villa or their League Cup semi against West Ham. Villa don't exactly get massive crowds either. Considering it is the second biggest City in the UK you'd have to say that it really underachieves football-wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumuah Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 It is now. My first ever Wikipedia edit. I'm so proud of myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Tone Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 I'm suprised that Boltons is only 28,000. It looked much bigger than that when I went. It's the lack of proper corner stands that reduce its capacity in relation to the overall size. Same issue affects Huddersfield. Those curved rooves look pretty but waste space ..classic example of an architect putting form above function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 They didn't even sell out for their derby match against Villa or their League Cup semi against West Ham. Villa don't exactly get massive crowds either. Considering it is the second biggest City in the UK you'd have to say that it really underachieves football-wise. Quantity not quality, seeing as they have Birmingham, Villa, West Brom and Wolves all within 10 miles and all in the top league. The combined attendances would be pretty impressive for a single club, but football being as it is, that's not going to happen (and nor should it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deppo Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 I'm suprised that Boltons is only 28,000. It looked much bigger than that when I went. Maybe you were you a lot smaller when you last went? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anothersaintinsouthsea Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 Quantity not quality, seeing as they have Birmingham, Villa, West Brom and Wolves all within 10 miles and all in the top league. The combined attendances would be pretty impressive for a single club, but football being as it is, that's not going to happen (and nor should it). Yes but West Bromwich and Wolverhampton are places in their own right. Birmingham the City has a population of 1m before you included any of these other places http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham plus there are places like Sollihull and Sutton Coldfield (each with 100k) which don't have teams of their own and are much closer to Birmingham than any other professional club. Southampton meanwhile has city population of 234k with a Greater Southampton population of 305k http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton_Urban_Area - we averaged 30k in Premiership..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammysaint Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 We would be silly increasing it to 50k 38k max as we will never be a top 4 team in the next 5-10 years and we would sell out 38k most weeks in the prem and every week after 2/3 seasons back there in a mid table position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 They didn't even sell out for their derby match against Villa or their League Cup semi against West Ham. Villa don't exactly get massive crowds either. Considering it is the second biggest City in the UK you'd have to say that it really underachieves football-wise. Indeed. Support for Villa and Birmingham City is rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 So if southampton is 305k and st mary's is 30k that means roughly 10% of the population go to watch saints at home when we're full! In that context i do think the expansion may well be out of our league, perhaps another 5k tops but to think we'd get almost a quarter of the population of southampton and outlying areas (50k) at st mary's week in week out is well..... ridiculous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 So if southampton is 305k and st mary's is 30k that means roughly 10% of the population go to watch saints at home when we're full! In that context i do think the expansion may well be out of our league, perhaps another 5k tops but to think we'd get almost a quarter of the population of southampton and outlying areas (50k) at st mary's week in week out is well..... ridiculous! Southampton's fanbase is spread a lot further than just the city and surrounding settlements. Also a larger St Mary's means larger away fan allocations in the Premier League, boosting the attendance even further. The club has done research which suggest it can support 45k averages in the Premier League, which would also mean that some games would get more than 45k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 I'm sure numbers wise it there's the potential but common sense tells me it's highly unlikely (and i was prior to this in the we can get more in camp). I'd say 40k is probably our limit even with away fans, since let's be honest how many away fans actually sell out? Now were they to drop the price to a more sensible level, or keep it as it is in league one when/if we're in the prem, then i'd agree but just looking at it in the cold light of day do you really believe we could get somewhere in the region of a quarter of the city to watch football week in week out? I'd love for the answer to be yes but really, c'mon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 (edited) I'm sure numbers wise it there's the potential but common sense tells me it's highly unlikely (and i was prior to this in the we can get more in camp). I'd say 40k is probably our limit even with away fans, since let's be honest how many away fans actually sell out? Now were they to drop the price to a more sensible level, or keep it as it is in league one when/if we're in the prem, then i'd agree but just looking at it in the cold light of day do you really believe we could get somewhere in the region of a quarter of the city to watch football week in week out? I'd love for the answer to be yes but really, c'mon! Well, Saints for the first time in their 125 year history have owners with both ambition and resources . Cortese wants Champions League football at St Mary's and that would certainly bring in the crowds. Saints have had >30k crowds for games in League One and the Championship, so you would easily be able to get over 40k for games against Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea in the Premier League. Games against teams like Everton, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Newcastle etc would also see large crowds and large numbers of away fans. Edited 22 February, 2011 by Matthew Le God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 22 February, 2011 Share Posted 22 February, 2011 If the Prem can rid itself of ****e like Wigan, Bolton, Fulham, Blackpool, Blackburn etc... and replace it with Forest, Leeds, Norwich, Saints then attendances in general would probably rise. I'm not suggesting this point should have any impact upon our strategy viz the stadium, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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