For those who think we don't need a bigger stadium...

[Ken]

There has been many threads pointing out that quite a few clubs have seen uplift in attendance and subsequent on field fortunes after moving to a bigger stadium (i.e. Sunderland, Hull, Man City, Sheep, Leicester, Reading). To demonstrate this further, was listening to 606 and Southampton got 30,890 in the 1st division yesterday.

Funny thing is they were always considered small fanbase since only got around 15k at the old dell (admitedly a sh******), but just shows how a club can grow its support base into new surroundings.

If they can get crowds like this in the 3rd tier, shows what a city the size of Nottingham could do back in Premiership.

 

[windmill]

Couldn't agree more young man.

 

[mouldy]

But the question is, will we get into the premiership?

For me if we get there (which I hope we do) we should be looking at more than 45k seats. Then isn't the plan to reduce it to 40k after the world cup?

I would rather if we were to move we were going to move into a much bigger stadium and we were gonna move because we needed more seats. Not because we are trying to get the world cup. Let's face it the world cup games are hardly going to be big. What's the best game we as a city are going to be given? Algeria vs Slovenia? It just seems such a pointless move.

At this moment in time we don't need a new stadium as a club, the only reason these plans are in place are for the sake of a world cup. And then if we were to move to this new stadium and were to get into the premiership is 40k seats really enough? I personally think if we are going to move I would like to see more of a 50k seater stadium which is for the benefit of the club. Not a council and forest plan which is made to just meet world cup criteria!

And you do point out those clubs but you have missed a few. Coventry for example get dreadful attendances apart from when they first moved in have they genuinely filled the stadium they paid millions out for? It is a risk moving and we are not filling the City Ground week in week out yet. A promotion would probabaly do the trick but how long would our premiership reign last? There are lots of questions to answer before a move. And I would much rather the questions were about the club not about the world cup bid.

 

[WatnallRed]

What that ^ man said!

 

[goatboy]

I think Hull or Wigan are the teams we want to emulate (proportionately) in terms of attendance growth and right enough, they held their increases with their new stadia due to progress on the pitch. The main concern with Forest seems to be that we didn't clear 30k very often in Cough and Taylor's heyday. How full were we in the Clarke era? I don't remember the stands being too empty from about midway through his first season onwards.

 

[T9Red]

I think our crowds have been poor this season if im honest.

 

[weasel]

surely a more appropriate reason would be the fact that we've sold out all our tickets for today's game

We do need a bigger ground, but whether this new out of town retail park development is the best thing for the glory of NFFC is another matter.

 

[Azza]

But the question is, will we get into the premiership?

For me if we get there (which I hope we do) we should be looking at more than 45k seats. Then isn't the plan to reduce it to 40k after the world cup?

I would rather if we were to move we were going to move into a much bigger stadium and we were gonna move because we needed more seats. Not because we are trying to get the world cup. Let's face it the world cup games are hardly going to be big. What's the best game we as a city are going to be given? Algeria vs Slovenia? It just seems such a pointless move.

At this moment in time we don't need a new stadium as a club, the only reason these plans are in place are for the sake of a world cup. And then if we were to move to this new stadium and were to get into the premiership is 40k seats really enough? I personally think if we are going to move I would like to see more of a 50k seater stadium which is for the benefit of the club. Not a council and forest plan which is made to just meet world cup criteria!

And you do point out those clubs but you have missed a few. Coventry for example get dreadful attendances apart from when they first moved in have they genuinely filled the stadium they paid millions out for? It is a risk moving and we are not filling the City Ground week in week out yet. A promotion would probabaly do the trick but how long would our premiership reign last? There are lots of questions to answer before a move. And I would much rather the questions were about the club not about the world cup bid.

The games don't get allocated on the city and ground. They're already pre-determined before the WC draw even takes place. We could just as easily get Portugal vs Brazil as Algeria vs Slovenia.

 

[RedMark]

The games don't get allocated on the city and ground. They're already pre-determined before the WC draw even takes place. We could just as easily get Portugal vs Brazil as Algeria vs Slovenia.

True.

Isn't each area allocated a group. So London Group A, Liverpool + Manchester Group B, Nottingham and Brum Group C etc.

Obviously each group will have a top seed in it and if the qualifying is like this year maybe some death groups?

 

[Erik]

But the question is, will we get into the premiership?

Actually, the question is not 'will we?' but 'when will we'?

It's going to happen. We would be better preparing for it now, rather than panicking later.

 

[Erik]

We do need a bigger ground, but whether this new out of town retail park development is the best thing for the glory of NFFC is another matter.

Wether you like it or not. Mark Arthur (and hence Nigel Doughty) have decided it is the best thing.

You are going to have to accept it I'm afraid.

 

[mouldy]

Yes correct it is random but as said, I do think they allocate the groups to areas where such match will be played.

So That for example rules England's group out pretty much as the same with the likes of Portugal, Brazil, Spain who will all have games in London, Manchester etc. etc. We as a city and clearly with the stadium planned for our world cup venue will not be an appealing prospect just a lot better than Derby or Leicester and for me I just don't see why move for the sake of a world cup when we are hardly a city that will be getting big matches. Do you think that we will be getting the knockout stage matches? I think a few group matches will be played at the new ground perhaps a knockout game if we are lucky and that's it for our world cup venue. Then we are lumbered with a 40k seater stadium which if we do establish ourselves in the premiership could in a few years end up too small.

I just want to see a stadium move if the club needs it. Not because we want to get the world cup to Nottingham. The City Ground at this level is one of the bigger grounds and the facilities are good standard for this level etc. a ground move if we are come 2019 still at this level is ridiculous. Should we be in the prem (which is seeing more and more likely) then there is more justification in the move but who is to say that by 2019 we won't be needing a 50k seater? I am not saying a ground move will be a bad thing I am saying a ground move for the sake of the world cup coming to Nottingham is a bad thing. A ground move should only be done when the club is ready and in need of the move.

 

[bradyo]

Don't mean to put a downer on things, but could really fall flat on our arses with this world cup bid.
Isn't there a requirement of 2 or 3 - 5 star hotels in a something mile radius?
I was speaking to someone before the match yesterday who owns quite a bit of property in Nottingham and he said there were no 5* hotels and there were no plans to build any!

Also we can't forget that the new stadium is going to be built in the county, and the county council are strongly rejecting the idea of building a new stadium, so unless ND and co are going to build the stadium somewhere else and just not tell us about it for a bit, we're screwed.


P.S correct me if I'm wrong in any of this, I don't live in/near nottingham, I just know a bit about it (it think)

 

[JoeBaker]

Don't mean to put a downer on things, but could really fall flat on our arses with this world cup bid.
Isn't there a requirement of 2 or 3 - 5 star hotels in a something mile radius?
I was speaking to someone before the match yesterday who owns quite a bit of property in Nottingham and he said there were no 5* hotels and there were no plans to build any!

Also we can't forget that the new stadium is going to be built in the county, and the county council are strongly rejecting the idea of building a new stadium, so unless ND and co are going to build the stadium somewhere else and just not tell us about it for a bit, we're screwed.


P.S correct me if I'm wrong in any of this, I don't live in/near nottingham, I just know a bit about it (it think)

It is true that the new ground would be in the County but they aren't the planning authority. Rushcliffe BC is but even then a scheme of this magnitude would be decided upon by the Secretary of State. Most of the land required is owned by private developers who are one of the main driving forces behind this move. My own opinion is that im afraid only a failed England Bid will stop this stadium because I don't believe for one second that even an incompetant FA would have included Nottingham in its bid if it hadn't been given the right assurances by the right people despite what some local politicians have been saying.

You are right about an hotel but one must be in the bid even if it hasn't been built yet as otherwise it wouldn't have been shortlisted.

 

[RRRREDUN]

I would rather we moved to a permanent 50,000 seater than one with temporary seats. There would be times when that increased capacity would be needed. Part of this is down to the ambition of the club. As for the World Cup bid, surely this is just a sideshow for us; one which allows us to fund a brilliant facility on the cheap? Sure, I'll enjoy seeing a couple of games here during the tournament, but it's more important to me what happens to the mighty Reds.
As for Nottingham and hotels, I think we've a few which could easily be classed as 4*. If it was for teams to be housed, I'd be surprised if any would want to stay in the city; most would want to be out of town in some country hotel.

 

[JoeBaker]

I would rather we moved to a permanent 50,000 seater than one with temporary seats. There would be times when that increased capacity would be needed. Part of this is down to the ambition of the club. As for the World Cup bid, surely this is just a sideshow for us; one which allows us to fund a brilliant facility on the cheap? Sure, I'll enjoy seeing a couple of games here during the tournament, but it's more important to me what happens to the mighty Reds.
As for Nottingham and hotels, I think we've a few which could easily be classed as 4*. If it was for teams to be housed, I'd be surprised if any would want to stay in the city; most would want to be out of town in some country hotel.

Why ? During our last season in the Prem 98/99 we only sold out the ground once against Man Utd even with a capacity of only 30k

 

[sedgred]

Been wandering around Nottm today, following in the wake of the good lady. When you look at Nottinghams fair city, compared to our bidding rivals, I honestly think the others could not have been in the running.

As a city Nottingham can offer a visitor so much, in such a compact area, leave the center and so many delights for visitors are easy to reach for those on a World Cup holiday. Now just sort out with the authorities and get that Main Stand built.

 

[B Block Red]

Teams our sized who go in for big new stadia usually find themselves knackered financially for it very soon thereafter.

Interesting that you quote Southampton - flash new stadium, but have fallen from the Premiership to League 1 to administration.

Look back in our own history.....the Brian Clough stand almost crippled us - and led to our better players being sold after European successes - just to balance the books.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with our place. 30,000 seats are more than enough for us - even in the Premiership.

If you want to add a few more thousand, rebuild the main stand.

Why scrap the whole ground when only 1 stand need replacing? Trent End and Bridgford are recent builds. Clough stand is still better than most and a new ground wouldnt provide much better.

Politics in play in my view......................

 

[bicknell]

i am one of these who love the city ground and don't wanna move
but i know we have to.
my problem is why move so far away from its current location whats up with across the road

 

[bicknell]

Just look at the top right of the Image

 

[birkin youth]

i am one of these who love the city ground and don't wanna move
but i know we have to.
my problem is why move so far away from its current location whats up with across the road

Across which road? Do you mean the other side of Lady Bay Bridge?

By the way, there's no evidence to suggest we do need a bigger ground. I don't think we do.

 

[birkin youth]

The dark grey areas across the top right of the image is land used by Boots (?) hockey club, and some egg-chasers too.

 

[bicknell]

Across which road? Do you mean the other side of Lady Bay Bridge?

Yes I do
IF we HAVE to move.
why don't we just move there

 

[bicknell]

The dark grey areas across the top right of the image is land used by Boots (?) hockey club, and some egg-chasers too.

forest could always give them a deal or something
or at lease try

 

[winnits]

I could be wrong, but I don't think there is much to prevent that land from getting flooded/waterlogged when the river is high.