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Millers Banter: Unofficial Rotherham United Fans Forum / Message Board → Football / Sport / RUFC Related → Ground Capacity Increase
 

Topic: Ground Capacity Increase

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Millers4Ever
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Ground Capacity Increase
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Any one heard anything.  Last I heard we would extend to 16,000 next close season, assuming we stayed up. Haven't heard a thing since last summer about this.

What would it cost to add another 4000?

Away end doubling to 5000 would seem a viable option with say following selling out (Assuming they are doing ok)

Derby

Middlesbrough

Nottingham Forest

Owls

Wolves

Huddersfield

Leeds

Birmingham

That would bring in say £500k + extras from beer and food. I reckon that would pay for itself in no time

North Stand another 1500 or would that go to West Stand?  If North, I wonder if that could be allocated as a singing section.

As you've probably guessed I am no engineer and I have no idea if the above could be done - or would the full 4000 extra have to be built on to one stand?

If we could support an increase to 16,000 capacity I think that would be cool and add strength to our financing cause

 

 



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ian
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I think it has to be done at some point if we have any chance of being a championship club long term.

Several clubs have taken 4-6k plus on several occasions to away trips and I reckon there must be 10 clubs who would bring an average of 4 k to nys each season depending on ups and downs; for example: leeds; boro; derby; owls; cardiff;brum; huddersfield; bolton; blackburn; et al.

I heard it was 2 million for the away end but the family stand can't be extended, which if true is a real shame for the future re family's and for the aesthetic appeal of the ground.

I remember TS saying they could be ready to go at fairly short notice but just what they need to make a decision given our safety won't be known until April at the earliest is anyone's guess though knowing how TS operates he will be thinking beyond one season whatever happens.



-- Edited by ian on Friday 12th of December 2014 08:02:09 PM

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Exetermiller
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I'm also under the impression nowt can be done with the Family Stand?

I'm totally in agreement that we need sustained 16k crowds if long term we are going to be taken seriously as a Championship club.

Because of FFP rules we're already struggling to compete. But it's not just us is it, look at Leicester. I think the baseline is the work off the field, NYS and the space we own must have every penny squeezed out of it, no empty units & reason for the stadium to be a 7 day a week venue. Alongside this, work in the community, get those kids going and interested. We're still in very early days with that, we're still tagged as a L1 club and it will take a generation? to stop that perception. We're in the right place, the longer we can keep fighting in this league, the more our goal of seeing that extension becomes reality. Yo'yo ing up and down will not help us long term.

The people who aided this transition deserve success from the top to the tea lady, the longer we stay where we are the more people will buy into it.

The size of Rotherham is the same as Exeter, population wise too. Exeter has less direct competition and nobody gives a hoot about football, they struggle year on year are a perennial L2 club and I will grow whiskers before they have any hope of a new ground.

We Millers are very lucky to have what we have

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One_Kevin_Kilmore
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Get that away end expanded asap! Then take it from there smile 

 

I feel it should have been done for the start of this season, make the best of the away followings and when not full it would be good to use it for the kids for a quid etc. Room to introduce the future Miller fans to the Club, which isnt available at the moment cry 

 

However we cant grumble with what we've got biggrin



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Trevor Likely
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Hope we don't increase the size of the away end - the noise from the Leeds, Boro & Forest fans is unhelpful even now. Other than fitting extra seats where the sloping panels used to be, I don't think a larger ground would help - Bournemouth have shown what can be done with attendances similar to ours. And without wanting to seem too pessimistic, Doncaster Rovers' attendance yesterday was 5,542 in a 16,000 stadium and they were achieving attendances similar to ours a couple of years ago.

I'd prefer to invest the money in a goalscorer to keep us in this league simply on economic grounds. Suppose we paid £1m and then £1m per year in wages. The tv money in the Championship is £4.3m per annum (£2.3m from the Premier League and £2m from the Football League). In League 1, its £160,000. OK, so a few of the squad might sulk - if they fancy a winter in Bury.

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ian
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Fair point Trevor.

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One_Kevin_Kilmore
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Trevor Likely wrote:

Hope we don't increase the size of the away end - the noise from the Leeds, Boro & Forest fans is unhelpful even now. Other than fitting extra seats where the sloping panels used to be, I don't think a larger ground would help - Bournemouth have shown what can be done with attendances similar to ours. And without wanting to seem too pessimistic, Doncaster Rovers' attendance yesterday was 5,542 in a 16,000 stadium and they were achieving attendances similar to ours a couple of years ago.

I'd prefer to invest the money in a goalscorer to keep us in this league simply on economic grounds. Suppose we paid £1m and then £1m per year in wages. The tv money in the Championship is £4.3m per annum (£2.3m from the Premier League and £2m from the Football League). In League 1, its £160,000. OK, so a few of the squad might sulk - if they fancy a winter in Bury.

 Thats fine Trevor but wheres the room for the "Fans of Tomorrow"?  More seats gives the Club the chance to get the younguns in on reduced prices via School etc and get them hooked early enough to be Millers Fans and to add to the Fan base. 

Dealing with more away  fans noise is a small price to pay, let them come pay their money and help the Millers grow. They wont be that noisey when they are losing biggrin

Spending £1-£2 Million on a player doesnt guarantee success, Id rather not rely on one player but quality is needed and TS & Co are in the process of balancing the books as well as assembling a Team able to compete at Championship level.  

Increasing the ground capacity gives the Club more scope to grow and that in turn will help finances  and revenue. If the Club grow then the more likelyhood of staying in the Championship. The longer we stay in the Championship the bigger as a club we will get.  Its a bit  like the Chicken and the egg. but if the grounds capacity isnt extendeed then how does the Club grow?



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Trevor Likely
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Can't disagree with that - pity we can't build an elastic ground. I agree that spending £1m plus £1 wages on a player does not guarantee success - Assombalonga proved that on Saturday, but it does seem that in the Championship not spending that sort of money on a striker does guarantee failure.

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One_Kevin_Kilmore
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Trevor Likely wrote:

Can't disagree with that - pity we can't build an elastic ground. I agree that spending £1m plus £1 wages on a player does not guarantee success - Assombalonga proved that on Saturday, but it does seem that in the Championship not spending that sort of money on a striker does guarantee failure.

 A bigger away end would be there when ever we needed it though m8 biggrin if a Club cant fill the away end then just restrict them to the lower part of the stand, this may restrict the noise level from them  too wink 

Nothings quaranteed re players but you have to buy a ticket to win the lottery m8 

 

 



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Millers4Ever
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Agree with Kevin and tiering the away fans if necessary gives us the chance to half drown their noise depending on the demand from the away support and from our own. Quite upsetting when the away end appears to sound twice as loud as our lot.  But if we have to suffer that for a while, let's do it and pat our pockets at the same time.

We need to get established in this much tougher league and I'm thinking a minimum of 3 seasons to do it.  From that point on we hopefully have a hard core of say 11,000, respect from other players who may then want to come and join us and hopefully a few bob to cherry pick a little. I am still thoughtful about our wage structure. Not sure we shouldn't re align that to enable better players to come in. I realise we mustn't be silly but market demands and all that means we have to compete. I think TS and SE can offer higher wage structures to better players and I think other players would respect that - I would.  Remember when crazy horse came our way, albeit at the end of his career. It didn't half add interest to being a spectator and I'm sure a few more bums on seats.

We have to get the attendances up one way or another.  Employ a nursery section where kids get in for free until age ?????? Might have caught the bug by then because that is what it is.  I was 5  when I started and have long left the Rotherham area. Still travel home and away (When I can) though. Can't remember how long it took me to get the bug but it was definitely a few games if not half a season or so.  Hooked for life now biggrinbiggrin



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ian
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Agree with last 2 posts.

I am feeling and thinking is will be done.

Going on TS track record, I am certain it will be.

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