New stadium update...

[Kopite_Colin]

I'd be disappointed if we settled for 70,000, with or without room for expansion. 70,000 just isn't big enough or competitve enough in today's market.

[rushscored4]

I'd be disappointed if we settled for 70,000, with or without room for expansion. 70,000 just isn't big enough or competitve enough in today's market.

So how come Arsenal have surpassed the Mancs as "the world's richest club" (c Deloittes who base it solely on turnover) with a 60,000 seater stadium?

Arsenal Top Rich List

[The Glove]

They charge £100k a season for a box?

[Shaggy]

I'm afraid I haven't read this thread properly but from skimming I think I've got the gist.

Has anyone mentioned the potentially HUGE humiliation and embarrassment for the club if it turns out we don't build that super-stadium that was unveiled with such pomp and ceremony? After all that...

[rushscored4]

They charge £100k a season for a box?

A bigger capacity does not guarantee either success (ask Newcastle) or higher turnover (Old Trafford holds 16,000 more than the Emirates). Thanks for illustrating my point...

[kurtangle01]

I'm afraid I haven't read this thread properly but from skimming I think I've got the gist.

Has anyone mentioned the potentially HUGE humiliation and embarrassment for the club if it turns out we don't build that super-stadium that was unveiled with such pomp and ceremony? After all that...

Imagine the embarrasment if we started building that super stadium and the learned that we couldn't afford it midway through? That'd be worse.

If the owners are looking at other options then that's fine by me. They have to do the best things for the club and if that means going back to the drawing board then that's what they have to do.

An extra £200m is a lot of money after all.

[rushscored4]

I'm afraid I haven't read this thread properly but from skimming I think I've got the gist.

Has anyone mentioned the potentially HUGE humiliation and embarrassment for the club if it turns out we don't build that super-stadium that was unveiled with such pomp and ceremony? After all that...

I thought that but apart from our own fans nobody else gave a damn about the HKS design. It didn't get as much publicity as it deserved and if you asked a fan of any other team they wouldn't have a clue what the stadium plans looked like.

As I've said many times, I prefer the HKS design but if the revised AFL plans are as good as my mate said, the stadium holds 70,000 and can be built for £200m less then bring on the "huge humiliation"...

[AFII]

Well, the loan they will take is £500m.

They bought the club for £280m.

I think that points to that they will build the cheaper stadium.

[rushscored4]

Further to my previous point, Arsenal are top of the league both in terms of football and wealth. Do their fans care that the Emirates is a soulless bowl with no atmosphere? Does anybody else call their stadium ****? Or does anybody remember the alternative and more expensive design Arsenal rejected in the late 1990s? Do they ****...

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Further to my previous point, Arsenal are top of the league both in terms of football and wealth. Do their fans care that the Emirates is a soulless bowl with no atmosphere? Does anybody else call their stadium ****? Or does anybody remember the alternative and more expensive design Arsenal rejected in the late 1990s? Do they ****...

You obviously remember it.

Still I'm not too bothered.

The fact that both designs will have a dedicated Kop end will do for me, it stops it from being a soulless identikit bowl like Ashburton Grove.

Not sure about the arches your mate speaks of. What's the point?

My one gripe about all these new stadiums is the distance between the touchline and the first row of the stands. ****ing hate it. Take it it'll be like this at our new stadium with either design?

[rushscored4]

You obviously remember it.

Still I'm not too bothered.

The fact that both designs will have a dedicated Kop end will do for me, it stops it from being a soulless identikit bowl like Ashburton Grove.

Not sure about the arches your mate speaks of. What's the point?

My one gripe about all these new stadiums is the distance between the touchline and the first row of the stands. ****ing hate it. Take it it'll be like this at our new stadium with either design?

I didn't remember about Ashburton Grove. I made it up but no-one would know that which was the point!

I don't know what the arches are for either. Maybe some architectural statement to compensate for a less inspiring design?

Regarding the distance from the stands to the pitch, I think both firms were given a brief to retain the unique atmosphere of Anfield and the stands are pretty steep in both designs. Apparently the Kop on the revised AFL design curves up rather than being at a flat angle.

[thekop]

Has anyone mentioned the potentially HUGE humiliation and embarrassment for the club if it turns out we don't build that super-stadium that was unveiled with such pomp and ceremony? After all that...

Well said Shaggy

[rushscored4]

Has anyone mentioned the potentially HUGE humiliation and embarrassment for the club if it turns out we don't build that super-stadium that was unveiled with such pomp and ceremony? After all that...

I thought that but apart from our own fans nobody else gave a damn about the HKS design. It didn't get as much publicity as it deserved and if you asked a fan of any other team they wouldn't have a clue what the stadium plans looked like.

As I've said many times, I prefer the HKS design but if the revised AFL plans are as good as my mate said, the stadium holds 70,000 and can be built for £200m less then bring on the "huge humiliation"...

Well said Shaggy

Some of the outrageous over-reactions on this site and on stupid phone-ins after losing to Reading were far more of a "HUGE humiliation"...

[Dhav]

I'm wondering, if HKS is obviously Hicks' preferred architects as he's engaged them before, and they sacked AFL as they weren't happy with the original plans (and rightly so IMO), if the HKS stadium design was too expensive why didn't G&H simply ask HKS to come up with an alternative, cheaper design instead of going back to AFL?

[rushscored4]

I'm wondering, if HKS is obviously Hicks' preferred architects as he's engaged them before, and they sacked AFL as they weren't happy with the original plans (and rightly so IMO), if the HKS stadium design was too expensive why didn't G&H simply ask HKS to come up with an alternative, cheaper design instead of going back to AFL?

Good question. As I've said all along though, I think they're just keeping their options open. But AFL are pretty confident they're gonna get the contract. Although HKS have offices in London and Newcastle they are run from Dallas whereas AFL are based in Manchester with a smaller office on Old Hall Street in Liverpool.