New Bob Lord stand

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:43 pm

If we are going to stay in the Premier league for a few years, I guess a new Bob Lord stand would make financial sense.

My question is how many additional spectators would it allow? The current maximum capacity is? Improved capacity?

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:46 pm

We could fit more in if we got rid of the section for the board ! ! !

Burnleyareback2 · Post by **Burnleyareback2** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:48 pm

Not sure any expansion makes sense for the few games a season that the ground is full.

Safe standing in the cricket field should be the priority.

NottsClaret · Post by **NottsClaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:50 pm

There's plenty of clubs in the Championship and League One with empty new stands after one or two seasons in the Prem.

The main reason I'm against it though - apart from there being no need - is that it'd block the classic view of the terraced streets and the moors from the Longside.

Wokingclaret · Post by **Wokingclaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:04 pm

Does the new offices behind make it impossible to add an extra tier

No Ney Never · Post by **No Ney Never** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:09 pm

Don't see a need for expansion unless there is a waiting list for season tickets, which there isn't. There is though a case for improvement, particularly the corporate offering. The ability to charge more for corporate hospitality would prove a profitable investment and provide a great future revenue generator.

BigChaCha · Post by **BigChaCha** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:22 pm

We have lots of empty seats for matches now! Why on earth would we consider expansion!

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:23 pm

The stadium capacity is currently 21,401, but we have around 21,930 seats in the stadium. That's why a couple of the recent crowds have gone above the official capacity. I think we are allowed an upward crowd limit of 'x' percent from the official number. I think it's 5%??

The Bob Lord stand has 2,885 seats I believe?

I think that the current capacity is fine for us, as the supply and demand is perfect right now in my opinion. It's always healthy to have a few sell outs per season, but not too many otherwise it means your capacity is too low. By the season's end we may have around 6 or 7, which is about 1/3. We could likely do with another 2-3,000 at an absolute push if we remain the Premier League, as it would allow another 500 away fans, and that's guaranteed revenue for half the games, plus more of our fans for those games and big cup games.

It would be nice to match the stadium up a little better in terms of height (not exactly as the character is good, and certainly NOT a replica of the 2x two tier stands we have. The view is nice from the upper Longside.

My personal preference if they were seriously looking at it would be to have a wrap around stand for the Bob Lord and CFS side, joined up, and incorporating rail seating behind the goals. I'm sure clever engineers could work with almost anything, including the new offices at the Turf.

mybloodisclaret · Post by **mybloodisclaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:23 pm

Don't think that they would do the Bob Lord, they've spent a fair amount on that in recent years haven't they? With corporate areas, office areas and directors areas, also with putting the new store in.
I think it would be the Cricket Field Stand next, even though that's had a new roof put on. That said my ST is in the CFS and it's great in there.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:26 pm

No just the roof though. They've also spent money underneath too. I don't think they should consider doing anything unless we stay up for a couple of seasons, but look what happened to Wolves when they spent money on the ground rather than the team. They've now got a ground which is too big for their current needs, with most of the new part remaining closed, unfinished and making the ground look odd.

We need to do it when we have plenty of cash so it doesn't affect the playing side, and makes sense.

cricketfield73 · Post by **cricketfield73** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:32 pm

In my opinion, there is zero sense, financial or otherwise in expanding the capacity of the Turf. These are halcyon days yet the ground has only sold out 3 or 4 times in the past decade, which says that it is already the perfect size for us. If we do establish ourselves as a Premier League club, I'd imagine crowds will start to dip a little when the novelty of dining at the top table has worn off a bit. 18k feels about right, 20 to 22k with something special on.
Also specifically regarding the Bob Lord Stand, it is one of, if not the best stands in the country so hands off. Superb quality seats, excellent shelter from the elements, loads of leg room, perfect rake to watch the game. The only downside is the stanchions, but that's a small price to pay.

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:51 pm

Does anyone know how well the corporate areas do at Turf Moor?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:54 pm

I have said on a few occasions I would knock down the Bob Lord and make a two tier stand that included state of the art corporate facilities. The 2nd tier wouldn't be that big but would be for corporate seats. Luxury seating with premium views is where the money is while in the premier league even available to away fans.
It would also allow 10 or so executive boxes at 20k a season.

Behind both goals will be for the working man keeping prices low with the extra income from premium.

ClaretKent · Post by **ClaretKent** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:57 pm

I'd rather have Dobo than a stand

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:05 pm

No need to do anything with the Bob Lord, ground is perfect size as it is. We certainly don't want another two tiered, cheap, badly designed stand like the James Hargreaves.

BedfordsDad · Post by **BedfordsDad** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:09 pm

Please no makeovers as I am quite comfortable in there. In fact I am probably sitting in roughly the same spot as I stood for my first game in 1957 in what was the old enclosure.

martin_p · Post by **martin_p** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:12 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:I have said on a few occasions I would knock down the Bob Lord and make a two tier stand that included state of the art corporate facilities. The 2nd tier wouldn't be that big but would be for corporate seats. Luxury seating with premium views is where the money is while in the premier league even available to away fans.
It would also allow 10 or so executive boxes at 20k a season.

Behind both goals will be for the working man keeping prices low with the extra income from premium.

If we stay in the Premier League then gate money, including corporates, is a drop in the ocean compared to TV money. The investment it would take to replace the Bob Lord really isn't worth the marginal gains it might give us if we stayed in the Premier League (and the huge empty spaces if we didn't).

Pstotto · Post by **Pstotto** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:22 pm

I think we should have bought from Highbury, their two-tier stand behind the goal, to replace the CFS. Apparently it was designed by a Burnley fan. I've read that the cricket field behind the stand is a problem of expansion, but at Turf Moor we don't really have two-tier stands, there isn't one on top of another, it's just an extended elevation.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:37 pm

We have no held back demand, so there is no point. even when we were champs we averaged 20k.

box_of_frogs · Post by **box_of_frogs** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:40 pm

I'd keep the Bob Lord, but put a new roof on it and thus get rid of the stanchions.

yorkyclaret · Post by **yorkyclaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:42 pm

Remember Fletcher on TV saying in 2009 that if we go up we will put a second tier on the Bob, so there must be some plan for it somewhere. What happened to the plan to buy the Cricketfield, move the Cricket Club up Townley and have a tree lined walk from the town centre? Think the Todmorden curve is the only thing to happen from that plan....

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:49 pm

We might have reached our limit for working class fans but while in the prem the corporate side is massive. United and Arsenal will be getting 5m a home game in matchday income so it's not such a drop in the ocean.
If we bought the Japanese lad from Inter there's a good chance the tourists who go to Old Trafford would like to come and watch one of their own countrymen in action just 25 miles away.
I love the working class feel about the turf but it is changing to just in the CF stand in my opinion with the longside being occupied for premium viewing rather than the atmosphere it used to generate.

claretjohn33505 · Post by **claretjohn33505** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:52 pm

Leave well alone. I like the Turf as it is, yes, tweek and improve it here and there but to spend vast amounts of cash on unnessesary improvements remind me of what happened to our club the last time we over spent on stand building.

minnieclaret · Post by **minnieclaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:09 pm

Prioritise the team. Stay up for a couple of years and gates + addons will improve. Then think about stands but always with the team as priority #1.
Personally I'd rather see the corners filled in, to keep the wind out.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:16 pm

I like to look at the singing ringing tree up on the hills when the games particularly dull.
A higher BL would block this.

So it's a no from me.

Jambo · Post by **Jambo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:16 pm

"Remember Fletcher on TV saying in 2009 that if we go up we will put a second tier on the Bob, so there must be some plan for it somewhere. "

He said a lot of things. Remember the bread bin?

I'd leave the BLS as it is, but medium-term a new CFS should be on the agenda. Big, single-tier Kop style, with safe standing and cheap tickets.

aggi · Post by **aggi** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:28 pm

Is the Corporate area in the Jimmy Mac stand now used as corporate? It wasn't for many years but it did look like it had something in it when I was last looking (albeit from the Cricketfield).

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:34 pm

Jambo wrote:"Remember Fletcher on TV saying in 2009 that if we go up we will put a second tier on the Bob, so there must be some plan for it somewhere. "

He said a lot of things. Remember the bread bin?

I'd leave the BLS as it is, but medium-term a new CFS should be on the agenda. Big, single-tier Kop style, with safe standing and cheap tickets.

Noboby in the world would spend millions on a new stand to keep tickets cheap, it doesn't make sense by any standards.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:37 pm

The grounds fine as it is. Leave well alone.

Visiting managers often comment on how hostile and intimidating it is.
The last thing we want to do is change that and go all corporate.

dibraidio · Post by **dibraidio** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:40 pm

We still need to create hundreds of disabled seats don't we? Presumably that will decrease capacity even further.

Someone in charge at Liverpool said that building extra seats without Corporate hospitality is not a good investment.

Currently we have more than enough seats and no guarantee of selling extra if we were to build them so for me it's a no brainer to just leave it as it is. An extra 1000 seats at 400 quid a pop would give us 400k a year... That just doesn't register on the scale of Premier League money.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:45 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:If we bought the Japanese lad from Inter there's a good chance the tourists who go to Old Trafford would like to come and watch one of their own countrymen in action just 25 miles away.

So it is often said, but is it really true? If I'm on holiday (or working away) and feel like going to a football match, whether or not there's an Englishman playing at left back will make no difference whatsoever. Is it different for anyone else?

NickBFC · Post by **NickBFC** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:54 pm

I don't think we really need to extend capacity, but despite the renovations both BL and CFS are looking tired/dated. I wonder if it's feasible to reconstruct the roof on the Bob Lord without pillars, add a row of corporate boxes along the top and a new board area enabling us to stick 'normal' seats in the current board/guest area? Would bring the ground up to scratch without losing the traditional/tight ground we all love.

Jambo · Post by **Jambo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:56 pm

"Noboby in the world would spend millions on a new stand to keep tickets cheap, it doesn't make sense by any standards."

Not if you're taking a purely short-term, economic view perhaps.

Grimsby Claret · Post by **Grimsby Claret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:57 pm

The Bob lord stand just needs boxing in at the other end now that will finish off the improvements that have made it look much better from the outside.
The Cricket field stand should be next if we stay in the prem. Increasing its capacity to about 5,000. We can afford it.
A Capacity of about 22,500-23,500 would be fine.
We will eventually be back in the championship being realistic (but hope not) I hate to see thousands of empty seats.
Have seen very few in the home areas empty this season.Lets keep it that way.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:20 pm

"Build it, they will come!"

ralph · Post by **ralph** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:00 pm

IanMcL wrote:We have no held back demand, so there is no point. even when we were champs we averaged 20k.

26,978 in 59-60

But I do agree with the point you were making

TsarBomba · Post by **TsarBomba** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:01 pm

There's no need for expanding, but parts of the ground are a bit of an eyesore. The walk along Harry Potts Way from the crossroads to the away turnstiles looks ****, and the exterior of the CFS and to a lesser extent the BL look decrepit.

I echo the sentiment that investing in the team is a priority, but at the very least we should take a bit of pride in the appearance of the ground. It's what the football world see's, and the perception of any club is based in part on its stadium.

BleedingClaret · Post by **BleedingClaret** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:20 pm

Just fill in the corners including a disabled facility in one of these.
Also safe standing in the Cricketfeild

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:01 pm

If it is architecturally possible the best thing to do with the Bob Lord stand would be to take the roof off, add lots and lots of executive boxes and corporate dining areas at the top/back and put a new roof on the cover the whole thing.

We need to boost our commercial matchday revenue and could do this easily whilst we remain in the Premier League. What we cannot do so easily is create a passionate new fanbase overnight to fill up empty seats in a vast new stand.

The back of the Bob Lord *may* be our best opportunity to increase commercial matchday revenue. I'm not sure the stand is designed to incorporate such an addition but it *looks* feasible to me, even though I'm not an architect and don't know for sure.

Burnleyareback2 · Post by **Burnleyareback2** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:31 pm

Rowls wrote:If it is architecturally possible the best thing to do with the Bob Lord stand would be to take the roof off, add lots and lots of executive boxes and corporate dining areas at the top/back and put a new roof on the cover the whole thing.

We need to boost our commercial matchday revenue and could do this easily whilst we remain in the Premier League. What we cannot do so easily is create a passionate new fanbase overnight to fill up empty seats in a vast new stand.

The back of the Bob Lord *may* be our best opportunity to increase commercial matchday revenue. I'm not sure the stand is designed to incorporate such an addition but it *looks* feasible to me, even though I'm not an architect and don't know for sure.

What's the demand like on corporate? As per the points above it's only going to generate cash if people want it. Suspect opening up the corporate in the Bee Hole would make more sense before expanding it into the BL

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:52 pm

Corporate demand is sky high and very profitable in the Prem.

It drops dramatically if we're in the Championship.

These business folk don't come to watch Burnley like you or I do, or even like fair-weather fans do. They come do business in front of "the Premier League". Watching the football may or may not be important to them. They bulk buy tickets with the hope of seeing a "superstar" - a Rooney, Pogba, Costa, Coutinho, Kane, Marney or Ibrahimovic - or a big club. They're more interested in the spectacle, the experience and the quality of whatever food they get served than the actual result.

Oh, and they also pay multiple times more for their "experience". They're the exact kind of people who we don't want in our club but they're exactly the kind of people who we want in certain places inside our ground.

Don't get me wrong here - other people may be buying the same kind of executive seats who are die-hard, life-long committed Clarets. It's just that the amount of these extremely "high value" (ie. expensive) corporate seats that we can sell when we're in the Premier League increases vastly compared to the Championship.

These kind of spectators often add very little to the atmosphere in a ground but they can add substantially to a club's budget. We're currently lagging way behind in our capacity to exploit this market compared to other Premier League clubs. Regrettably, our capacity for this kind of "client" (as opposed to fan) is actually well behind even the majority of Championship clubs.

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:43 pm

It's quite clear and the point has been well made already that we don't really need an increase in capacity at this stage and other clubs who have made that "investment" at this stage have frequently caught a cold (Wolves for one, Charlton for another) and fans are staring at loads of empty seats and no atmosphere. Team building and strengthening HAS to be priority. Having said that removing the pillars somehow from the BLS and CFS and increasing corporate facilities would definitely be beneficial and the CFS in particular looks very outdated. Also it HAS to be said that when the club (spearheaded I think by Clive Holt) changed the Longside and Bee Hole terraces for the new stands they really looked like a total waste of money and effort and a couple of real white elephants due to the position we were in at the time, but over time they have proved their worth and been a good investment (whether you agree with the actual design or not).

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:55 pm

cricketfield73 wrote:In my opinion, there is zero sense, financial or otherwise in expanding the capacity of the Turf. These are halcyon days yet the ground has only sold out 3 or 4 times in the past decade, which says that it is already the perfect size for us.

We've sold out 5x in the Premier League in 2014/15, 3x in 2015/16 (Championship, Inc QPR home tickets), and have sold out what, 4x already this season? That's 12x in just over 2 years, but I get your point and wouldn't go mad with our capacity.

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:08 pm

Claretforever wrote:We've sold out 5x in the Premier League in 2014/15, 3x in 2015/16 (Championship, Inc QPR home tickets), and have sold out what, 4x already this season? That's 12x in just over 2 years, but I get your point and wouldn't go mad with our capacity.

With regards to the sellouts, the Man city game was 21,794 yet the Boro match on boxing day was only 21,562 in comparison.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:10 pm

Claretforever wrote:We've sold out 5x in the Premier League in 2014/15, 3x in 2015/16 (Championship, Inc QPR home tickets), and have sold out what, 4x already this season? That's 12x in just over 2 years, but I get your point and wouldn't go mad with our capacity.

All unsold seats this season will be in corners or restricted behind pillars.

By revamping the Bob Lord it's getting more premium seats in the ground which people gladly pay for. There is no value in doing up the CF for this reason.

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:41 pm

The problem is that all the stands are rubbish by modern PL standards.

The Bob Lord has restricted views.
The Cricket Field has restricted views and is in disrepair.
The JHU doesn't even have running hot water, the concourse is packed at half time and unpleasant for kids who have to walk through a crush, and the roof doesn't stop the sun dazzling the first dozen rows of even the upper tier. I assume the JMU is similar, and have never sat in the lowers.

It wouldn't take many more years for the facilities to be completely out of date.

So I think there has to be a plan to freshen up at least one of the stands. I would do the CF personally with an offer the cricket club could not refuse, though confess I don't know the practicalities.

Tinribs · Post by **Tinribs** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:53 pm

Leave everything as it is apart from making the cricket field a standing only area across the whole stand.
We are one of the only prem grounds with true character the rest are just soulless arenas,our home form is aided by the fact that our ground is a culture shock to most of the overpaid prima donnas that arrive here every other Saturday expecting gymn size changing rooms,leather seats and a load of tourists in the home end blowin smoke up their arses.

Money should be thrown at the squad the ground is more than big enough and good enough.

bfcwest · Post by **bfcwest** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:04 am

There are too many 'rubbish' seats that 'walk-ons' just don't want. Low down behind the goals, single seats behind pillars etc etc. If we had another 3 to 4k seats in higher / central locations then I am confident we could hit 26k regularly for bigger home games.

We need to increase capacity to over 25k. We need to think big, increase our fan base and aim to take advantage of being the biggest and most successful club in our region. We have never had a chance to expand like there is now. Let's think outside of East Lancs. Think East as far as Hull and North up to Scotland.

Obvious thing is to lift roof off Bob Lord, expand back to create a 6k stand and cover with new roof with no pillars. This would also help 'balance' the stadium as at the moment too much atmosphere is lost over the "mini" Bob Lord which is just too small when apposed to the rest of the ground.

We need to get as many new fans watching Burnley as possible as we build the next chapter in the history of our great club.

UTC

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:29 am

LoveCurryPies wrote:If we are going to stay in the Premier league for a few years, I guess a new Bob Lord stand would make financial sense.

My question is how many additional spectators would it allow? The current maximum capacity is? Improved capacity?

Let's get 40 points first.

So far so good......

Siddo · Post by **Siddo** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:29 am

bfcwest wrote:There are too many 'rubbish' seats that 'walk-ons' just don't want. Low down behind the goals, single seats behind pillars etc etc. If we had another 3 to 4k seats in higher / central locations then I am confident we could hit 26k regularly for bigger home games.

We need to increase capacity to over 25k. We need to think big, increase our fan base and aim to take advantage of being the biggest and most successful club in our region. We have never had a chance to expand like there is now. Let's think outside of East Lancs. Think East as far as Hull and North up to Scotland.

Obvious thing is to lift roof off Bob Lord, expand back to create a 6k stand and cover with new roof with no pillars. This would also help 'balance' the stadium as at the moment too much atmosphere is lost over the "mini" Bob Lord which is just too small when apposed to the rest of the ground.

We need to get as many new fans watching Burnley as possible as we build the next chapter in the history of our great club.

UTC

People from Hull don't watch Hull , never mind travelling to Burnley!