Jimmy Hill's Chin

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Aug 9, 2011
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That's exactly what we will be reduced to if SISU get their way and we move to Walsall. What players are going to want to play for this shell of a club? I would suspect even most of the remaining Academy players will be considering their prospects.

With the lowest home crowds in the league next season I can only see another relegation. Let's just hope the administrators and the authorities don't allow SISU to proceed with this nightmare vision.
 

italiahorse

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Nov 23, 2011
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When you sit back and assess the situation we had and what we will have in the interim and long term.

a/ 32,000 seater stadium in Coventry, 3.2 miles from Coventry City Centre. Ranked 18th biggest club stadium in English Football
b/ 11,000 seater stadium in Walsall, 28.6 miles from Coventry City Centre.
c/ 8,000 seater stadium in Warwickshire, minimum of 6 miles from Coventry City Centre. Ranked 85th biggest club stadium in English Football

Do we want this plan ?
 

Lord_Nampil

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Apr 11, 2010
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Has he actually said 8,000? I didn't hear that on the radio.... If true it makes the move even more barmy!
 

bigfatronssba

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Apr 20, 2013
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Last time an 8k ground was big enough for us was 1914 in the Southern League Division 2!

Shows the level of ambition he has for us.
 

stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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32k is far too big for us. A nice little 20-22k would be best.
 

Sba180

Member
Sep 13, 2012
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The situation is ridiculous. Can you imagine if we go and play at walsall and get them at 'home' first? We will play in front of a nigh on empty stadium if walsall fans boycott that game too. Then we play them away and we fill the away end. Surely someone from the club can see its an utter disaster
 

SkyblueBazza

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Jun 19, 2012
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Its extendable later ................ :laugh:

But did you hear him specifically say "8000 capacity stadium"?
This is what divides...people misinterpreting or mid hearing or twisting something - then others see/hear it & emotion kicks in & it snowballs out of all proportion. Then lots of people end up feeling more upbeat, or their anti-stance becomes more neutralised when they find out. By not stating the facts it works against your argument...ask TF!!!
 

stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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It clearly isn't though. We were getting crowds of 26-27 thousand when we were on good runs in the championship.

We had the odd crowd of 26-27k usually against brum, wba, etc and that's because they brought 5-6k fans, our best average attendance in the Ricoh was 21,301(66% full). Would make tickets more exclusive for big games so that more people would get seasons tickets for not wanting to miss a big game. Better to have it 85-95% full all season, than 50-55% full for all bar 2-3 games.
 

pusbccfc

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Apr 15, 2011
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22k isn't big enough.

The size of the club would double if we managed to survive a year in the prem.

Look at Stoke, they were getting crowds of 9-12k the year before promotion.
Now they manage an average of 27k (sell outs) every week.
 

SkyBlueUkeman

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May 2, 2010
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We had the odd crowd of 26-27k usually against brum, wba, etc and that's because they brought 5-6k fans, our best average attendance in the Ricoh was 21,301(66% full). Would make tickets more exclusive for big games so that more people would get seasons tickets for not wanting to miss a big game. Better to have it 85-95% full all season, than 50-55% full for all bar 2-3 games.

True, but when you got shoes as a kid, my ma would always make sure there was growing room. If with a bit of luck the tides did turn we'd Be better for it. Why waste money expanding a stadium when there is a perfectly good stadium down the road.

Add to that, after all this Ricoh crap I've sort of grown quite fond of it.
 

stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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Then they would tail off, when we're struggling, not spending ££££m on players and looking at relegation.
 

stupot07

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True, but when you got shoes as a kid, my ma would always make sure there was growing room. If with a bit of luck the tides did turn we'd Be better for it. Why waste money expanding a stadium when there is a perfectly good stadium down the road.

Add to that, after all this Ricoh crap I've sort of grown quite fond of it.

Not saying we should build another stadium, I also like the Ricoh. It's just too big for us.
 

italiahorse

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Nov 23, 2011
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Not saying we should build another stadium, I also like the Ricoh. It's just too big for us.

Obviously it is in Division 1, but where do you want to be?
Surely with a team in the Premier League it will be perfect.
Where are we trying to get too? Where do you want to be ?
 

stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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Obviously it is in Division 1, but where do you want to be?
Surely with a team in the Premier League it will be perfect.
Where are we trying to get too? Where do you want to be ?

Of course you are right, perhaps we should build a 70k stadium as I'd quite like champions league football.
 

Nonleagueherewecome

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Mar 27, 2011
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32k is far too big for us. A nice little 20-22k would be best.

Then you would be capping the clubs potential as Championship level at the best. That's the worst thing about this whole new stadium idea: The Ricoh is made for Premiership football, and I for one have not given up on returning to that level. If we're deciding that we are a L1 club who may be in L2 soon, it is halving the potential size of the club. We will no longer be a big club in the lower leagues with the potential to rise again: we will be an average L1/L2 club at best.
 

Nonleagueherewecome

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Mar 27, 2011
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Not saying we should build another stadium, I also like the Ricoh. It's just too big for us.

It isn't: it's too big for where we are now. This is the first time we've been at such a low level for a very long time, you know?
 

grego_gee

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Jul 11, 2011
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When you sit back and assess the situation we had and what we will have in the interim and long term.

a/ 32,000 seater stadium in Coventry, 3.2 miles from Coventry City Centre. Ranked 18th biggest club stadium in English Football
b/ 11,000 seater stadium in Walsall, 28.6 miles from Coventry City Centre.
c/ 8,000 seater stadium in Warwickshire, minimum of 6 miles from Coventry City Centre. Ranked 85th biggest club stadium in English Football

Do we want this plan ?

We should be able to buy just the pitch & stands at the Ricoh for £30,000,000

But the Council won't sell it! And SISU don't want to rent it!

:pimp:
 
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italiahorse

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Nov 23, 2011
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We should be able to buy just the pitch & stands at the Ricoh for £30,000,

But the Council won't sell it! And SISU don't want to rent it!

:pimp:

What is just the stadium worth? A line drawn through the arcade and car parking rights for football.
 

wingy

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Jul 9, 2011
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8k and happy. Good luck.


I think you mean millions Greggo , £40M. should be enough but I fear they don't want just the Pitch .
You know I take that back, £30M. should be enough but I still think thats not what they're after.

Edit;- sorry wrong Quote.:facepalm:
 

stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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It isn't: it's too big for where we are now. This is the first time we've been at such a low level for a very long time, you know?

True, but our best average attendance was only 66% full. 32k is too big for us in league one and in the championship. We're never gonna be a long standing top flight side.

How bigs swanseas ground? 20.5k? They seem to be doing alright.
 
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stupot07

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Mar 20, 2011
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8k and happy. Good luck.

I don't want another ground. Just pointing out the Ricoh is too big for us for league one and in te championship.

Having the 18th biggest stadium doesn't guarantee PL football, what's Leeds 40k?

We've had loads of posts saying tape off the top 15 rows, close stands, etc to get an atmosphere.
20-22k like highfield road would have been perfect, Norwich sell so many season tickets because fans don't want to miss out, even in the PL our fans will say never mind, can I pay on the gate?
 

grego_gee

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Jul 11, 2011
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I think you mean millions Greggo , £40M. should be enough but I fear they don't want just the Pitch .
You know I take that back, £30M. should be enough but I still think thats not what they're after.

Edit;- sorry wrong Quote.:facepalm:

yeh ur rite, sorry typo mean £30m I'll go back and edit it.

The Ricoh final account was something like £115m

but two factors make this build cost more than many surrounding stadiums Stoke, Leicester etc.
  1. the ancilary accomodation (casino, exhibition spaces etc)
  2. The decontamination costs

I think the decontamination costs were in the order of £50m

It was a gas works and really the gas company should have cleared up its own mess!

:pimp:
 
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Sick Boy

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Sep 29, 2008
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22k isn't big enough.

The size of the club would double if we managed to survive a year in the prem.

Look at Stoke, they were getting crowds of 9-12k the year before promotion.
Now they manage an average of 27k (sell outs) every week.

I can remember us playing in front of less than 11,000 for the opening game of the 1994 season at HR. In the next home game against our 'biggest rivals', Villa, we got just over 12,000. The notion that we would sustain crowds of 40,000 in the PL is laughable.
 

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