season ticket sales (7 Viewers)

[KenilworthSkyBlue]

People talking about revisionism about Highfield Rd. A lot of revisionism going on about the Ricoh/CBS.
It's been open 20 years and has been shite for all but 4 seasons, let's hope it continues as it is now

It's been shite because the club has gone through possibly it's worst period ever during that period. Context is everything.

 

---

[clint van damme]

It's been shite because the club has gone through possibly it's worst period ever during that period. Context is everything.

But it's still been shite.
I had some great days at HR even when the football was poor.
The CBS needs to be like it is now, full and rocking, otherwise its just a really bleak place

 

[David O'Day]

But it's still been shite.
I had some great days at HR even when the football was poor.
The CBS needs to be like it is now, full and rocking, otherwise its just a really bleak place

not as poor as it was later though

the slade "era" at HR would of been just as bleak

 

[Hobo]

People talking about revisionism about Highfield Rd. A lot of revisionism going on about the Ricoh/CBS.
It's been open 20 years and has been shite for all but 4 seasons, let's hope it continues as it is now

Not necessarily the fans fault though. Let's face it some of our League One crowds were on a par with the Highfield Road top flight crowds of the 70's.

 

[Gleneagles65]

Not necessarily the fans fault though. Let's face it some of our League One crowds were on a par with the Highfield Road top flight crowds of the 70's.

Maybe 80’s but certainly not the 70’s.

 

[clint van damme]

Not necessarily the fans fault though. Let's face it some of our League One crowds were on a par with the Highfield Road top flight crowds of the 70's.

My point being, just due to location, you could have a good day out at HR regardless of the football on display or the crowds.
That's not the case at the CBS, in my experience anyway

 

[Hobo]

My point being, just due to location, you could have a good day out at HR regardless of the football on display or the crowds.
That's not the case at the CBS, in my experience anyway

Just my view. Spon End should have been knocked down (as it now is). The stadium should have been built there with some new housing and hotels. You would of had the football, rugby and ice hockey all next door to each other and a walk away from the railway station.

 

[Robinshio]

My point being, just due to location, you could have a good day out at HR regardless of the football on display or the crowds.
That's not the case at the CBS, in my experience anyway

Lol how we forget. Bonfire night at hr in the championship lol

 

[clint van damme]

Just my view. Spon End should have been knocked down (as it now is). The stadium should have been built there with some new housing and hotels. You would of had the football, rugby and ice hockey all next door to each other and a walk away from the railway station.

Would never happen but that would be a great location.

 

[clint van damme]

not as poor as it was later though

the slade "era" at HR would of been just as bleak

Much better selection of pubs to go to and numb your brain with alcohol ar HR!

 

[David O'Day]

Much better selection of pubs to go to and numb your brain with alcohol ar HR!

yeh, but once those pubs shut down which they would still have done it would just be shite

 

[KenilworthSkyBlue]

But it's still been shite.
I had some great days at HR even when the football was poor.
The CBS needs to be like it is now, full and rocking, otherwise its just a really bleak place

It wasn't just the standard of football though per say, although that certainly didn't help. The bleakness at the Ricoh was a symptom of years of off-the-field issues from 2011 through to the early Championship years.

You didn't get that at Highfield Road. The level of toxicity within the ground was like a bad smell at the Ricoh for the best part of a decade. Literally couldn't shake it off, even when we were playing well.

I'd say any ground which is consistently 2/3s empty would feel bleak anyway. Again it's the argument of whether the Ricoh is a soulless bowl compared to HR. It's not at all you just have to have the fans to fill it, like any stadium.

 

[Hutch11]

I have fond memories of Highfield Road and some of the players that graced the turf
I hated the Ricoh at 1st , going to games became an unbearable chore
Now with the place rocking and the crowds we're getting I wouldn't want to go back to HR

 

[Hobo]

Would never happen but that would be a great location.

No reason why it couldn't have, the redevelopment of Spon End was already on the horizon.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

I have fond memories of Highfield Road and some of the players that graced the turf
I hated the Ricoh at 1st , going to games became an unbearable chore
Now with the place rocking and the crowds we're getting I wouldn't want to go back to HR

It would be hard to go back anyway it's a housing estate . I always felt there was room to expand HR, personally I preferred HR to the bowl we have now but I'm just being nostalgic.

 

[Hutch11]

It would be hard to go back anyway it's a housing estate . I always felt there was room to expand HR, personally I preferred HR to the bowl we have now but I'm just being nostalgic.

Couldn't go back as we wouldn't fit everyone in now

 

[shmmeee]

It would be hard to go back anyway it's a housing estate . I always felt there was room to expand HR, personally I preferred HR to the bowl we have now but I'm just being nostalgic.

The entire point of the Ricoh was that the club wouldn’t have got permission to expand HR.

 

[bigfatronssba]

The first game of the season around 1995 was 9,000. The idea that it was always full is just pure fantasy.

In later PL years is was full often. I reckon there were about 10 sell outs a year.

The idea for a bigger ground didn't come from nowhere

 

[bigfatronssba]

The entire point of the Ricoh was that the club wouldn’t have got permission to expand HR.

I'm pretty sure they investigated it around 1996/97 and was told no as it would be detrimental to those living locally.

When the East Stand was built it caused a lot of trouble with people living at the bottom of Swan Lane. The new stand affected their TV signal and the club had to compensate them by getting them Cable TV.

 

[bigfatronssba]

Just my view. Spon End should have been knocked down (as it now is). The stadium should have been built there with some new housing and hotels. You would of had the football, rugby and ice hockey all next door to each other and a walk away from the railway station.

Problem is its a food plain. Only fit for low quality housing

 

[chiefdave]

I'm pretty sure they investigated it around 1996/97 and was told no as it would be detrimental to those living locally.

When the East Stand was built it caused a lot of trouble with people living at the bottom of Swan Lane. The new stand affected their TV signal and the club had to compensate them by getting them Cable TV.

Few years back I worked with someone involved in the maintenance of HR. Got some pretty shocking stories of how badly run down it was and essentially unsafe, how shabby parts of it looked on the outside with nothing compared to how bad things were behind the scenes.

He told me about all sorts of plans that had been suggested to redevelop the stadium to a modern standard but it was basically impossible to do without expanding the footprint and that was a non starter for the council.

 

[shmmeee]

I'm pretty sure they investigated it around 1996/97 and was told no as it would be detrimental to those living locally.

When the East Stand was built it caused a lot of trouble with people living at the bottom of Swan Lane. The new stand affected their TV signal and the club had to compensate them by getting them Cable TV.

Just no way the local infrastructure takes more fans around that way. Similar answers to most city centre adjacent ground options TBH.

 

[Sky Blue Goblin]

I'm pretty sure they investigated it around 1996/97 and was told no as it would be detrimental to those living locally.

When the East Stand was built it caused a lot of trouble with people living at the bottom of Swan Lane. The new stand affected their TV signal and the club had to compensate them by getting them Cable TV.

With how bad the sky dome is these days with everything closing down, I’m up for knocking all of that down and building there If only we had a billionaire owner

 

[The Philosopher]

Not necessarily the fans fault though. Let's face it some of our League One crowds were on a par with the Highfield Road top flight crowds of the 70's.

It’s a bit of a boggle comparing crowds from the 80’s to now.

In the 80’s it might well have been that crowds were under-declared - more actual people in the ground than the declared figure.

Cash at turnstiles, two getting a squeeze in from their mates, chairman might want to be tax efficient to top up player wages and bonuses in readies, police costs might have been less if less people in so temptation might have been to under-declare…..

16000 declared attendance might have meant 20000 humans in the ground….

Whereas now, all season tickets sold are declared in the attendance whether or not people turn up, maybe some comps and freebies issued too are counted.

20000 declared might mean 16000 in the ground.

Best example I can give is the Sunderland cup match around 1990. I was a kid on the Kop and it was packed to a dangerous level probably well over full. Ground seemed packed. 20000 was the declared attendance when the capacity, I think, was 27/28k. Have in mind (I think, please correct if I’m wrong) cup gate receipts were split. Would we want to give Sunderland a full share? Probs not.

There’s probably some AI app now that could count / calculate the number of faces in old photos (if there are sufficient photos / TV footage available).

Anyone technically sharp enough to do that? Just for curiosity?

 

[fernandopartridge]

The first game of the season around 1995 was 9,000. The idea that it was always full is just pure fantasy.

Yes, I remember going to that game v Wimbledon at home. I think it was the first game the East Stand was open. Gate was about 10k, August 94.

 

[The Philosopher]

The entire point of the Ricoh was that the club wouldn’t have got permission to expand HR.

Probably answered elsewhere but give the CBS was originally planned for 40 odd thousand, (retractable pitch, roof, helipad, rocket launcher (satire)) and downscaled during construction; is it still possible to put another tier on? If we got to the Prem, 40k crowds aren’t implausible. MA could afford it, but might not see the need to, I know, but just curious.

Anyone know?

 

[shmmeee]

Probably answered elsewhere but give the CBS was originally planned for 40 odd thousand, (retractable pitch, roof, helipad, rocket launcher (satire)) and downscaled during construction; is it still possible to put another tier on? If we got to the Prem, 40k crowds aren’t implausible. MA could afford it, but might not see the need to, I know, but just curious.

Anyone know?

In terms of location sure but the current design is entirely different from Arena 2000 so doubt it’s easy

 

[Hobo]

It’s a bit of a boggle comparing crowds from the 80’s to now.

In the 80’s it might well have been that crowds were under-declared - more actual people in the ground than the declared figure.

Cash at turnstiles, two getting a squeeze in from their mates, chairman might want to be tax efficient to top up player wages and bonuses in readies, police costs might have been less if less people in so temptation might have been to under-declare…..

16000 declared attendance might have meant 20000 humans in the ground….

Whereas now, all season tickets sold are declared in the attendance whether or not people turn up, maybe some comps and freebies issued too are counted.

20000 declared might mean 16000 in the ground.

Best example I can give is the Sunderland cup match around 1990. I was a kid on the Kop and it was packed to a dangerous level probably well over full. Ground seemed packed. 20000 was the declared attendance when the capacity, I think, was 27/28k. Have in mind (I think, please correct if I’m wrong) cup gate receipts were split. Would we want to give Sunderland a full share? Probs not.

There’s probably some AI app now that could count / calculate the number of faces in old photos (if there are sufficient photos / TV footage available).

Anyone technically sharp enough to do that? Just for curiosity?

I get some of the points you are making, but there really was some low crowds at Highfield Road in the 70's.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

F

I get some of the points you are making, but there really was some low crowds at Highfield Road in the 70's.

ies home game of the season against Wimbledon in the 90s crowd of 9500

 

[Robinshio]

67 - 70 was the only time our gates were as high as they will be this season

England historical attendance and performance

 

[bigfatronssba]

67 - 70 was the only time our gates were as high as they will be this season

England historical attendance and performance

The coming season should be the highest they’ve ever been outside the top division

 

[bigfatronssba]

It’s a bit of a boggle comparing crowds from the 80’s to now.

In the 80’s it might well have been that crowds were under-declared - more actual people in the ground than the declared figure.

Cash at turnstiles, two getting a squeeze in from their mates, chairman might want to be tax efficient to top up player wages and bonuses in readies, police costs might have been less if less people in so temptation might have been to under-declare…..

16000 declared attendance might have meant 20000 humans in the ground….

Whereas now, all season tickets sold are declared in the attendance whether or not people turn up, maybe some comps and freebies issued too are counted.

20000 declared might mean 16000 in the ground.

Best example I can give is the Sunderland cup match around 1990. I was a kid on the Kop and it was packed to a dangerous level probably well over full. Ground seemed packed. 20000 was the declared attendance when the capacity, I think, was 27/28k. Have in mind (I think, please correct if I’m wrong) cup gate receipts were split. Would we want to give Sunderland a full share? Probs not.

There’s probably some AI app now that could count / calculate the number of faces in old photos (if there are sufficient photos / TV footage available).

Anyone technically sharp enough to do that? Just for curiosity?

Worth remembering that in 1987-88 our average was about 18k, which was the 10th best in division 1 that season

 

[Ashdown]

After we made HR all seater it was never the same again. The CBS can be electric now, makes my left ear buzz in that corner when it’s really loud .