Welford Road : Still on track for 30,000-seater by 2015?

Peter Tom at Tuesday's AGM in Leicester is quoted as stating "... And we are actively continuing to progress plans for construction of a new Holland & Barrett Stand and multi-storey car park in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.".

I had feared that the concept might have been quietly kicked into the long grass since the economic downturn. But apparently not.

http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/13056.php

I believe the plan was to construct the stadium over 6 or 7 years in order for the club to grow financially and develop regular high attendences to maintain economic stability and retain the atmosphere.

I'm not so sure that the economic downturn should have any bearing on the decision whether or not to build a new stand. Clearly, turnover is still good and match attendances havent been adversely affected.

Its arguable that filling the new stand week in week out would be challenging, and in that respect, building a new stand would be something of a gamble.

They could always lend it out to the Scots as a new national stadium.

Id be a bit worried about the sponsorship deal mind, didnt they just shut the holland & Barrets in town?
Turnover may be stable but getting finance at the moment to continue the development wont be as easy as it was when the project was first envisaged. Im noit sure if attendances are always as high as had been hoped either, its not like the current ground is selling out all the time.
Rugby as a whole is feeling the pinch too, and its not going to get any easier for anyone if the economy keep s going down. Even if people still keep coming in they wont be able to rely on big sponsorhip and tv deals if cash in the big companies dries up further.
Looking at the mess City gone in with the crisp bowl Im glad Tigers are taking a cautious sustainable view on Welford Road

If they can pull off the development and make it work econimcaly they will have done an excellent job.

Sam,

Yes, but equally my understanding was that there was a proposal for a 30000 stadium as part as the RWC 2015 proposal.

Pravda (aka Wiki) still says so. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Rugby_World_Cup#England



p.s. Wait.

What's this I just stumbled upon in obtaining the last link?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3818_7262980,00.html

That won't go down well west of Offa's Dyke if it comes to pass.

Time For Trumpton wrote:I'm not so sure that the economic downturn should have any bearing on the decision whether or not to build a new stand. Clearly, turnover is still good and match attendances havent been adversely affected.

Its arguable that filling the new stand week in week out would be challenging, and in that respect, building a new stand would be something of a gamble.

Is the key point. If the Crumbie (Holland & Barrett) stand is demolished it would be replaced by a new stand atop a multi-storey car park. Which is estimated to generate £1m p.a. for the club.

Haha thats brilliant Portnoy.
Im not sure why the Tri nations sides are runniung scared of Wales and England but there you go.

Portnoy,

Do you know if theyve sorted out whats happening to the old Granby Halls site yet?

The multi storey will be great, theres a massive lack of parking for the hospital.

Presumably, the new stand would be an all seater like the Cat? I don't know, i'm guessing.

The Crumbie has a lot of history and many would be sad to see it go. However, it could certainly do with a facelift thats for sure. It hasn't changed much since I played there as a colt in 1985.

Whilst the Crumbie stand is being developed the club are going to build a car park and hotel behind it. The car park was originally supposed to be a 700 space multi-storey but reports in the summer suggested Tigers want to increase it to a 1,000 spaces. This car park would be rented out to NCP or such like and provide a handy revenue stream. I'm guessing the hotel would be rented out to Premier Inn or similar. Considering the nightmare of parking in Leicester the car park will probabley go down very well.

The new Crumbie stand will only contain a few extra seats but will have a whole new medical department underneath so that players can be better looked after. I believe they are trying to rebuild the stand but leave the terracing as if they alter that new health and safety codes have to be enforced.

It would be great if the new stand was electronically wired up so that it could simulate the stamping thousands of feet that is achieved in the Crumbie.

I think some of the financing is already in place via fund raising through a Guernsey Listing of non preferential equity - or summat like that.

From the accounts:

"In April 2011, we raised a further £4.4 million from the issue of convertible loan notes and a share placement to
enable us to continue with our development plans for Welford Road."


After 7 home matches this season's average attendances are running at 19,371, up over 1,000 on last year and 81% of capacity. (Just AP average is 19,543). So despite the World Cup and ever tightening domestic purse strings, attendances are growing nicely.

Not sure how much the Capacity will change with a new stand replacing the H&B stand. The biggest change will be when they address the clubhouse end.

Aren't the orginal plans posted on Tigers website valid?

The Crumbie redevelopment was part of the overall design for the 30,000 seater stadium and as part of that it included a terrace remaining in the same spot, although I think there was something about removable seating that could be put in/taken out dependant on what the event was.

It would be amazing to have the full orginal design built in time for the 2015 RWC and would make Welford Road a flagship venue for the event.

As for current attendances, under the old setup we used to get around 16,500 with the temporary seating infront of the clubhouse.

We are getting around 22,000 (and that is a guess) average now (depending again on the fixture) but I do actually like that. As I am no longer a season ticket holder it has been nice to be able to turn up on the spur of the moment and buy a ticket just before kick off.

Metal Tiger wrote:Aren't the orginal plans posted on Tigers website valid?

The Crumbie redevelopment was part of the overall design for the 30,000 seater stadium and as part of that it included a terrace remaining in the same spot, although I think there was something about removable seating that could be put in/taken out dependant on what the event was.

It would be amazing to have the full orginal design built in time for the 2015 RWC and would make Welford Road a flagship venue for the event.

As for current attendances, under the old setup we used to get around 16,500 with the temporary seating infront of the clubhouse.

We are getting around 22,000 (and that is a guess) average now (depending again on the fixture) but I do actually like that. As I am no longer a season ticket holder it has been nice to be able to turn up on the spur of the moment and buy a ticket just before kick off.

Are the original plans still there on the website MT? I couldn't find them - and haven't for some time since the Cat stand was opened. Which is why I suspected that they had been quietly dropped.

MT I agree it is nice to have spare capacity. In the past I simply didnt even bother trying to get tickets, I just relied on freebies or borrowing season tickets as and when I could. I think many potential fans were kept away by assumptions that they would struggle to get a seat.
Having the extra capacity has also enabled them to keep prices down, they are really quite reasoanble. Thats good foree veryone. More fans visiting means more money spent on pies and shirts and more people with a strong connection to the club.
So long as its kept to a level where the empty seats dont start to rival the full ones the atmosphere should be reatined. Itll be a pity to lose the terrace, I know some people will never forgive the club for that and what will happen to all those unemployed milk crates?

Portnoy,

Yeah, I couldn't find them either but then again I don't really like our new website format and find it hard to navigate or do anything to be honest.

It plays hell with my laptop too!

http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/8025.php

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/New-Crumbie-Stand-pipeline-Leicester-Tigers/story-12089744-detail/story.html

A couple of old new stories, top one has a pic of the plans whilst the second gives some extended detail on the development of the Crumbie. Neither are particularly recent. I found a link on the forums to the old artist drawings of the new stadium but the link no longer works. Probably means they have been removed from the site.

Well, the addition of a car park would be very welcome. Normally on match day we get there early and park by Nandos, where we eat in order to justify parking there. And I don't particularly like Nandos...

Pic 1 Sort of sorts out the proposal for the ex-Granby Halls site - the hotel is there (plus an office block(?)).

The old Tigers' picture that used to be on their site only showed the Cat, Crumbie and Aylestone Rd (clubhouse ends).

Hmm so the car park whilst good for mnatch days will be offset teh resyt of the time by getting rid of the existing parking and putting two whacking great towers on it, presumbaly the people that use these will require parking.

I cant eat Nandos, the sauce plays havoc with me. I wouldnt go in either of the pubs on that site though.

the hotel is there (plus an office block(?)).

Think that's supposed to represent the multi-storey car park.

TFT more parking would definitely be a blessing. I feel for anyone who has to visit the hostpital regularly it must be a nightmare. This new car park should help that. Stop Morrisons complaining as well.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote: I wouldnt go in either of the pubs on that site though.

Why not? I've never been in myself, but they always seem full of supporters on match day and don't look particularly bad.

Swan & Rushes. No doubt.

Until the m-s car park is built, just leg it.

So long as i don't have to park in the NCP down the road. That car park had a nasty habit of getting a bit too close to my wheels!

Not sure i'll miss getting a cold arse sitting on the wooden benches in the crumbie stand!

Portnoy wrote:Swan & Rushes. No doubt.

Until the m-s car park is built, just leg it.

The Swans great. Its those two on Freemans park I cant stand. Its perosnal prefernece/snobbery thing really. Possibly walking past them on City home days doesnt help my opinion of the either, but in general I dont like chain pubs of that type.

Portnoy wrote:Pic 1 Sort of sorts out the proposal for the ex-Granby Halls site - the hotel is there (plus an office block(?)).

Don't think it is an office block, I vaguely remember something about residential flats or student accomodation being built... but not sure if I've just made that up or not?