The 8 though the gate

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Personally I don't want flakey f*****s sitting near me, who will only turn up if they get the right food or cask ale. The real important thing on match day is the game itself and it always will be.

Phillistine!!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Personally I don't want flakey f*****s sitting near me, who will only turn up if they get the right food or cask ale. The real important thing on match day is the game itself and it always will be.

We want the fanbase to grow. That doesn't happen without new people coming, so I for one will be making them as welcome as possible.

 

[rigsby]

We want the fanbase to grow. That doesn't happen without new people coming, so I for one will be making them as welcome as possible.

We already have huge fan base. I would rather see Shrimpers that used to go or disillusioned PL fans that have mainly followed their London team come more regular to RH.....People who have some passion for the game.

Of course we need to greatly up our business when comes to food, drink and above all the chance to actually get served. Lets look after the 6000 and the rest will follow.

Sofa boy and his whinging can jog on.....If he can be bothered to get off his a**e

 

[Cockle43]

That's quite unusual. Many times of just walked in got my beers and walked out.

All the while the live queue is lengthy and slow

I know, daft isn't it, you just never know at Roots Hall what is going to change from match to match. Hopefully some semblance order is on the way...

 

[Tommy2holes]

I know, daft isn't it, you just never know at Roots Hall what is going to change from match to match. Hopefully some semblance order is on the way...

Along with a decent choice of beer. Fosters is garbage. Ghost ship is the best of a bad bunch.

 

[Tommy2holes]

What always shocks me is when you look at towns/cities and see that their populations are far lower than that of Southend. I think we pay a penalty for being so close to London and overspill for a largely hammer supporting community.

Population of Southend 160k

More than Ipswich, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Middlesbrough, Blackpool etc.

All of which attract bigger gates and have had success at higher levels.

Particularly impressive are Burnley and Blackburn with under 100k residents and have gates of 20k.

 

[Strykr]

That's exactly the issue. And (dare I say it) I dont see us ever having that at Roots Hall, even after a rebuild. My reasoning is that, at Barnet, there is a lot of room to roam around outside the ground. Even if we redevelop RH I don't see how we can do that, which means, for example, the West stand will stay cut off from the rest of the ground and facilities, meaning a big reduction in potential revenue. You could duplicate those facilities for the West, but that would double the costs for the same revenue, and I'm not sure there's even the space.

I would hope someone with more imagination than me will look into this and come up with a solution.

Agree, stadiums you can walk around feel much more like a modern experience, not sure theres a way round the current disconnect given the lack of space.

. I know i have no right to be consulted but my eyebrows were raised when someone casually said they were planning to knock down the east completely.

I hope they dont rush into things and consider many proposals from different people and have some say from the fans and dont just push on regardless, question for the consortium at the cliffs perhaps.

 

[jnl]

What always shocks me is when you look at towns/cities and see that their populations are far lower than that of Southend. I think we pay a penalty for being so close to London and overspill for a largely hammer supporting community.

Population of Southend 160k

More than Ipswich, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Middlesbrough, Blackpool etc.

All of which attract bigger gates and have had success at higher levels.

Particularly impressive are Burnley and Blackburn with under 100k residents and have gates of 20k.

Especially when Burnley and Blackburn have the Manchester and Merseyside giants just up the road.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

What always shocks me is when you look at towns/cities and see that their populations are far lower than that of Southend. I think we pay a penalty for being so close to London and overspill for a largely hammer supporting community.
Population of Southend 160k
More than Ipswich, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Middlesbrough, Blackpool etc.
All of which attract bigger gates and have had success at higher levels.
Particularly impressive are Burnley and Blackburn with under 100k residents and have gates of 20k.

Back in the 70's & 80's West Ham had the most fans in this area, with Chelsea & Spurs after. There were hardly any Arsenal fans here, that didn't materialize until the 90's onwards.
When you look at our geographical location, unlike most other seaside towns who have a football club, we have a disadvantage compared to them.
Go East from Southend, 3 miles until the sea at Shoebury. Go South & you're in the Thames Estuary a mile away. Go North & mostly fields & small towns ( if they can be called that, Hockley, Hullbridge etc ) until you reach Chelmsford.
Our most populated area is heading West, and although we have a decent amount of fans based in Benfleet, Basildon & Corringham, the mass majority of football fans in those areas support West Ham.
Can this change?. Hopefully with future success on the pitch it will, as more fans of London clubs in the area will have had enough of the daft prices for admission & beverages they have to pay, & venture to Roots Hall.

 

[stuey26]

I have to agree, the fact you can’t walk right the way round the back of the West stand is a pain and maybe something that’ll be looked at. Whatever they do in the main car park would have to be decent for me to allow time to make the long trip round, I enter the West via Shakespeare Drive having come from Westcliff direction. I’d also probably browse in the club shop if it was easier to get there.

I agree, I'm Australia based and always pushed for time when I attend games and like to sit in the west, where I has a season ticket for years before moving to see some familiar faces. I was at Solihull game and planned to get a new shirt and some other merch to take back with me to spread the Blues word in Aus but simply didn't have the half hour to walk round the ground and back again in my flying visit.

 

[sufc4life21]

Agree, stadiums you can walk around feel much more like a modern experience, not sure theres a way round the current disconnect given the lack of space.

. I know i have no right to be consulted but my eyebrows were raised when someone casually said they were planning to knock down the east completely.

I hope they dont rush into things and consider many proposals from different people and have some say from the fans and dont just push on regardless, question for the consortium at the cliffs perhaps.

Why? The East Stand needs to be upgraded, new stand with modern corporate facilities is the way forward so we can generate more money throughout the year.

 

[rigsby]

Agree, stadiums you can walk around feel much more like a modern experience, not sure theres a way round the current disconnect given the lack of space.

. I know i have no right to be consulted but my eyebrows were raised when someone casually said they were planning to knock down the east completely.

I hope they dont rush into things and consider many proposals from different people and have some say from the fans and dont just push on regardless, question for the consortium at the cliffs perhaps.

Sure it will be confirmed one the night but I'm told the plan is the West and North before the East.

Like all good refurb plans it will be well debated and changed if necessary.

 

[Holy Joe]

Agree, stadiums you can walk around feel much more like a modern experience, not sure theres a way round the current disconnect given the lack of space.

. I know i have no right to be consulted but my eyebrows were raised when someone casually said they were planning to knock down the east completely.

I hope they dont rush into things and consider many proposals from different people and have some say from the fans and dont just push on regardless, question for the consortium at the cliffs perhaps.

Maybe with a reconstructed East stand there'll be a easy way into the safe standing home North Bank and the South stand - from which access to the West might be possible - all though once in the stadium rather than outside.

If the North bank is home safe standing then I suspect there is a real possibility that the West/South will be much less popular than current

 

[LBBlue]

The 8 through the gate comes from this rough calculation.

Annual deficit about £1m per annum.

Average crowds - 5500 to 6000

An extra 2000 to 2500 supporters on the average crowd for 23 games would bring in around another £1m in income.

 

[ms brush]

The 8 through the gate comes from this rough calculation.

Annual deficit about £1m per annum.

Average crowds - 5500 to 6000

An extra 2000 to 2500 supporters on the average crowd for 23 games would bring in around another £1m in income.

Sledgehammer to crack a nut springs to mind here!

30+ years of this type of thinking by corrupted owners is what got us in this mess. It wont take much vision to make inroads into changing this perspective!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Maybe with a reconstructed East stand there'll be a easy way into the safe standing home North Bank and the South stand - from which access to the West might be possible - all though once in the stadium rather than outside.

If the North bank is home safe standing then I suspect there is a real possibility that the West/South will be much less popular than current

You could access the South from the West if they opened the gate.

 

[Fairport]

What always shocks me is when you look at towns/cities and see that their populations are far lower than that of Southend. I think we pay a penalty for being so close to London and overspill for a largely hammer supporting community.

Population of Southend 160k

More than Ipswich, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Middlesbrough, Blackpool etc.

All of which attract bigger gates and have had success at higher levels.

Particularly impressive are Burnley and Blackburn with under 100k residents and have gates of 20k.

I agree with much of what you say, however a comparison with Reading would be a good example. When they played at Elm Park their gates were smaller than ours but once they started to progress to being a regular Championship and even Premier League team they attracted crowds of up to 20,000. The key is to get to the Championship and stay there, then you will get new fans plus others who may have supported London PL clubs. Reading is a town similar to ours, 35 to 40 miles from London with an ever expanding population. Obviously decent facilities and match day experience would also help. Coincidently they are going through rough times similar to what we have endured but still get decent attendances.

 

[Holy Joe]

I agree with much of what you say, however a comparison with Reading would be a good example. When they played at Elm Park their gates were smaller than ours but once they started to progress to being a regular Championship and even Premier League team they attracted crowds of up to 20,000. The key is to get to the Championship and stay there, then you will get new fans plus others who may have supported London PL clubs. Reading is a town similar to ours, 35 to 40 miles from London with an ever expanding population. Obviously decent facilities and match day experience would also help. Coincidently they are going through rough times similar to what we have endured but still get decent attendances.

The one advantage Reading have got is that they can attract fans from North, South, East and West. As the original post mentioned we can only really bring in fans from the west, which is nearer the big London clubs.

But I agree a sustained period in the Championship would bring in higher attendances but I suspect also higher financial losses as wages go nuts as you move into championship and beyond

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I agree with much of what you say, however a comparison with Reading would be a good example. When they played at Elm Park their gates were smaller than ours but once they started to progress to being a regular Championship and even Premier League team they attracted crowds of up to 20,000. The key is to get to the Championship and stay there, then you will get new fans plus others who may have supported London PL clubs. Reading is a town similar to ours, 35 to 40 miles from London with an ever expanding population. Obviously decent facilities and match day experience would also help. Coincidently they are going through rough times similar to what we have endured but still get decent attendances.

Spot on - I think of Reading in those terms to. You need to build attendances through having being higher up in the leagues for a number of years.

Barnsley & Rotherham are two other comparable clubs - one with an old ground & one with a new ground.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

What always shocks me is when you look at towns/cities and see that their populations are far lower than that of Southend. I think we pay a penalty for being so close to London and overspill for a largely hammer supporting community.

Population of Southend 160k

More than Ipswich, Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Middlesbrough, Blackpool etc.

All of which attract bigger gates and have had success at higher levels.

Particularly impressive are Burnley and Blackburn with under 100k residents and have gates of 20k.

Spot on. I suspect that is a factor in the thinking of the consortium members that have put their hands in their pockets & come up with the finance.