Temporary Stand (Not Happening)

[bdodwell]

We can't have a temporary stand as it would block the view of those standing on the mound.

 

[Malc]

Some people just do not read all posts in threads. This one included.
If you have not read it I suggest you do that.
A 4th stand would be financially feasable except for one person, Kassam!
Details in the early posts.

 

[Scotchegg]

Given yesterdays did not even sell out, likely we wouldn't even benefit much from ticket sales from a temp stand. The casuals just aren't attracted enough to the Kassam. New stadium however will be a completely different ball game

Not sure this is a fair assessment. The last couple of hundred tickets are single seats scattered around the ground. These do not appeal to families, groups of mates or work colleagues. And because we know that we're pretty much guaranteed 11400 most games, there has been very little in the way of marketing. We also capped season ticket sales and have withdrawn the "bring a mate for a tenner" option for ST holders. We've also had to restrict every team (expect Hull) with away allocation.

If the temporary stand was for away fans then we could have easily sold 2000 tickets for 22 of the 23 games. If it was used for home fans we could have created a singing stand in which to drive the atmosphere right next to the away fans. Not only would this attract new fans but also mean that existing fans would move there freeing up spaces around the ground for the families, mates and work groups that I've previously mentioned.

It's shortsighted to assume that because we have a few empty seats that we couldn't have sold many more if the circumstances were different.

 

[Colin B]

Given yesterdays did not even sell out, likely we wouldn't even benefit much from ticket sales from a temp stand. The casuals just aren't attracted enough to the Kassam. New stadium however will be a completely different ball game

Yes it did.

At 8:30am yesterday morning there were a grand total of 30 single tickets left, dotted around the ground. By kick off they would all have been sold.

On top of that we sold a number of exchange seats, so in fact these seats were sold TWICE. When they went off sale early yesterday morning there were about 80 left, but some of these only became available Friday night, and as I've already said, had been sold to the original ticket holder anyway.

Don't confuse empty seats with unsold seats. For some reason we have a number of season ticket holders, mainly in the family area, who don't come to games. I do think this needs looking at, as I suspect some are people who have bought a VERY cheap kids ticket next to theirs and the kid doesn't attend often? Some of the East Stand empty seats are because people crowd into the top centre singing area, more than one to a seat.

Do the temporary stand correctly, and it will definitely pay for itself. I agree with your last point regarding the new stadium though, and have severe reservations that 16,000 will not be enough if we're a Championship (or better!) club when we move there.

 

[Scotchegg]

I agree with your last point regarding the new stadium though, and have severe reservations that 16,000 will not be enough if we're a Championship (or better!) club when we move there.

You may know more than I, (and this may not be the best place to discuss it) but the project team did seem very confident in increasing the capacity if required.

Little has been mentioned since, and I suspect that everything is focused on getting this planning application approved before worrying about any changes. But I'm hopefully that we will not be limited to 16,000 forever.

 

[Northstandboy]

Given yesterdays did not even sell out, likely we wouldn't even benefit much from ticket sales from a temp stand. The casuals just aren't attracted enough to the Kassam. New stadium however will be a completely different ball game

Did Bristol City sell out?

We could offer away fans slightly more and accommodate more OUFC fans.

 

[OUFCwaffle]

Not sure this is a fair assessment. The last couple of hundred tickets are single seats scattered around the ground. These do not appeal to families, groups of mates or work colleagues. And because we know that we're pretty much guaranteed 11400 most games, there has been very little in the way of marketing. We also capped season ticket sales and have withdrawn the "bring a mate for a tenner" option for ST holders. We've also had to restrict every team (expect Hull) with away allocation.

If the temporary stand was for away fans then we could have easily sold 2000 tickets for 22 of the 23 games. If it was used for home fans we could have created a singing stand in which to drive the atmosphere right next to the away fans. Not only would this attract new fans but also mean that existing fans would move there freeing up spaces around the ground for the families, mates and work groups that I've previously mentioned.

It's shortsighted to assume that because we have a few empty seats that we couldn't have sold many more if the circumstances were different.

Yes it did.

At 8:30am yesterday morning there were a grand total of 30 single tickets left, dotted around the ground. By kick off they would all have been sold.

On top of that we sold a number of exchange seats, so in fact these seats were sold TWICE. When they went off sale early yesterday morning there were about 80 left, but some of these only became available Friday night, and as I've already said, had been sold to the original ticket holder anyway.

Don't confuse empty seats with unsold seats. For some reason we have a number of season ticket holders, mainly in the family area, who don't come to games. I do think this needs looking at, as I suspect some are people who have bought a VERY cheap kids ticket next to theirs and the kid doesn't attend often? Some of the East Stand empty seats are because people crowd into the top centre singing area, more than one to a seat.

Do the temporary stand correctly, and it will definitely pay for itself. I agree with your last point regarding the new stadium though, and have severe reservations that 16,000 will not be enough if we're a Championship (or better!) club when we move there.

Fair do's, I stand corrected on the sell out bit.

I guess time will tell whether or not it would actually be worthwhile financially, to make more from ticket revenue than the costs to build.

If planning for the triangle is approved this year, and we have a known timeline for the project completion then it will make it easier to judge the cost effectiveness. Any extended timeframe would make a temporary stand more realistic, as we would get more use out of it before leaving.

Then again we still don't even know if the short term Kassam lease extension is even happening, so that could also make it non-viable, if we were to ground share for a season or two, that would mean only one more season at the Kassam before being evicted. I can't see us making back the costs in just one season, unless anyone has the approximate figures to correct me?

That said, having a boosted home capacity for a season or two ahead of moving to the triangle, and getting more bums on seats, would help to ensure the capacity is reached from the get go at the triangle.

 

[Scotchegg]

The club have been quiet on plans between June '26 and the new stadium opening, and I think that's the right approach until planning has been approved or otherwise.

But I agree that in an ideal world we are looking to build our fanbase ahead of the new stadium to ensure that we are in and around capacity every week. As it stands, that really won't be an issue.

 

[MarkG]

Did Bristol City sell out?

We could offer away fans slightly more and accommodate more OUFC fans.

The official away attendance was 1499 which is about the usual "full capacity" away attendance this season. varies between 1467 to 1500, I think the difference on matches may be when away teams take up the disabled + carer allocation which can add more supporters to their pre-allocation.

 

[MarkG]

Yes it did.

At 8:30am yesterday morning there were a grand total of 30 single tickets left, dotted around the ground. By kick off they would all have been sold.

On top of that we sold a number of exchange seats, so in fact these seats were sold TWICE. When they went off sale early yesterday morning there were about 80 left, but some of these only became available Friday night, and as I've already said, had been sold to the original ticket holder anyway.

Don't confuse empty seats with unsold seats. For some reason we have a number of season ticket holders, mainly in the family area, who don't come to games. I do think this needs looking at, as I suspect some are people who have bought a VERY cheap kids ticket next to theirs and the kid doesn't attend often? Some of the East Stand empty seats are because people crowd into the top centre singing area, more than one to a seat.

Do the temporary stand correctly, and it will definitely pay for itself. I agree with your last point regarding the new stadium though, and have severe reservations that 16,000 will not be enough if we're a Championship (or better!) club when we move there.

So is the family area the whole of the two blocks of the North Stand nearest to the East Stand.
I try and take a picture of the stands each game to get a record of how busy the stands are.
Does it vary between the 12:30 and 15:00 kick-offs from your view, or are there always unused seats in the family stand, and does it look like the same ones?

The children and youth are the future so we need some mechanism that "new" fans can attend both home and away games.

 

[Scotchegg]

So is the family area the whole of the two blocks of the North Stand nearest to the East Stand.
I try and take a picture of the stands each game to get a record of how busy the stands are.
Does it vary between the 12:30 and 15:00 kick-offs from your view, or are there always unused seats in the family stand, and does it look like the same ones?

The children and youth are the future so we need some mechanism that "new" fans can attend both home and away games.

My observation is that there is a marked difference between 12.30 and 3pm kickoffs. Yesterday there were still fans arriving just after kickoff but it seems like there are some who just can't make these games after playing themselves in the morning.

I think from memory we've had Norwich, Stoke, West Brom, Swansea, Millwall and Bristol City as lunchtime kickoffs, with Pompey and Coventry to follow. Add in the evening games and I do worry that we'll see a reduction in younger seaain ticket holders due to being unable to make so many games.

 

[Colin B]

So is the family area the whole of the two blocks of the North Stand nearest to the East Stand.
I try and take a picture of the stands each game to get a record of how busy the stands are.
Does it vary between the 12:30 and 15:00 kick-offs from your view, or are there always unused seats in the family stand, and does it look like the same ones?

The children and youth are the future so we need some mechanism that "new" fans can attend both home and away games.

I'll go through your questions chronologically Mark.

1 - Yes, the end two blocks of the NS, Blocks 22 and 23 are the family area.
2 - To my naked eye, from the SSU, it appears that there might be more empty seats for 12:30 games, and evening games, than the small number of 3pm games.
3 - It appears to certainly be the same areas within those blocks that are empty, but I couldn't be sure it was the exact same seats.

With their decades of experience the club ticketing operation should have this information though. They have recently been phoning up season ticket holders, and regular away ticket purchasers, asking how many games they have attended, which seems a pretty strange, and outdated, way of gathering information in this digital age. It may, or may not, be related to this issue?

 

[BillyTurleys CurlyWurly]

I'll go through your questions chronologically Mark.

1 - Yes, the end two blocks of the NS, Blocks 22 and 23 are the family area.
2 - To my naked eye, from the SSU, it appears that there might be more empty seats for 12:30 games, and evening games, than the small number of 3pm games.
3 - It appears to certainly be the same areas within those blocks that are empty, but I couldn't be sure it was the exact same seats.

With their decades of experience the club ticketing operation should have this information though. They have recently been phoning up season ticket holders, and regular away ticket purchasers, asking how many games they have attended, which seems a pretty strange, and outdated, way of gathering information in this digital age. It may, or may not, be related to this issue?

I would say 22/23 has a lot of empty seats for nearly every single home game in the photos. Something has definitely gone wrong there.

 

[Robie]

I would say 22/23 has a lot of empty seats for nearly every single home game in the photos. Something has definitely gone wrong there.

Similar to the OM stand, is there movement from the family area in order to go and stand at the back and towards the seg line by groups of youth?
Theres certainly alot of groups of adults in the stand nowadays.

Kids football at 1030 then oufc at 1230 is a bit of stetch though.

 

[Scotchegg]

Similar to the OM stand, is there movement from the family area in order to go and stand at the back and towards the seg line by groups of youth?
Theres certainly alot of groups of adults in the stand nowadays.

Kids football at 1030 then oufc at 1230 is a bit of stetch though.

Everyone has to have an allocated seat but some younger children sit on their parents laps on share seats with a sibling. Not all gaps will be the same as empty seats in the same way as we see gaps in the East stand due to people standing at the back.