dm wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2017 9:03 pm
Wegerle wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2017 8:43 pm
Esox Lucius wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2017 6:54 pm
Build it and they will come. Look what happened in the PO final, we attracted over 40,000 "fans"
That does seem the fashion when new stadiums are built by clubs. I always wonder where these new ''fans'' were when there where plenty of empty seats in the old stadium?
Good point Wegerle. Would those who don't attend LR or don't attend very often suddenly become regulars if we had a new stadium? Would a bit more leg room and easier trips to the loo attract significant new numbers?
I am not against a new stadium but as a very long standing supporter
it's difficult for me to understand why a new one would convert someone into a QPR fan.
That's really your problem and not relevant to proven facts or expert opinions when it comes to location and population turnover in a place like London but if you don't want to know, no amount of sensible logic will convince you.
What you might understand is that clubs have ups and downs. The clubs that do well tend to do so because they capitalise on the good times. Reading will go to to the play-off final knowing they have planning permission to extend their stadium up to a capacity of 36,900 and have existing facilities to exploit increased fan interest on (and outside) of matchdays.
Huddersfield may have been a surprise team but they have a newish multi-use stadium with multi-functional banqueting and conference facilities etc to keep the income ticking over in quiet times and they can be more exploited in successful times. They have simply kept ticking over and had the funds available to strengthen when the right time (as it it does for most clubs) came along. Sheffield Wednesday, meanwhile, already have a stadium worthy of the Prem. Brighton clung on through bad times and built a stadium that, given the club's location, was always going to be of great importance to their progress.
Maybe we didn't make the most of opportunities when times where good but where we are now, needing income to survive at Championship level, let alone thrive, is in a position behind many of those who we will be competing with simply due to the facilities available to the club for creating cash-flow. We need the new stadium --- and soon --- or else we will be so far behind others chasing dreams we might as well not bother.
PS As a floating fan, maybe new to living and/or working in London and looking to take family/kids to football you try just getting three (or four!!) seats together at LR in anywhere other than the most expensive parts because, well, good luck with that. Empty seats can be a good sign simply because when people DO want to use them they are their to be used. And as any parent can testify, taking a family to a football match involves spending more than on just the cost of the tickets. Although many at LR don't bother because the facilities are so old and cramped they prefer to spend their lovely money outside of LR (before and after games) and just watch games (while spending little else except on maybe a programme). Those potential new fans are the ones who will increase the fan-base and the existing ones able to actually happily spend in LR would do so in good times or bad.
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind".
