CARDIFF | New Cardiff City FC Stadium | 26,828 | Complete

[Schmeek]

Just thought I'd ask a few questions.

1. Do the new investors (should it be finalised) intend to pump a lot of money into the club, or simply to reduce debt and stabalise for now?

2. If the do have money, and Cardiff are promoted, does anyone envisage the stadium being extended in the near future?

3. If extended by how much?

4. And which section would be developed?

Thanks.

[cardiff]

I believe it was built with the prospect of increasing capacity to 30,000. I think there are some empty sections in the corners of the stadium.

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by Schmeek

Just thought I'd ask a few questions.

1. Do the new investors (should it be finalised) intend to pump a lot of money into the club, or simply to reduce debt and stabalise for now?

2. If the do have money, and Cardiff are promoted, does anyone envisage the stadium being extended in the near future?

3. If extended by how much?

4. And which section would be developed?

Thanks.

1-god only knows. Most peoples understanding is that at least one person in the consortium has A LOT of money-running into the billions. I imagine, their first priority is to stabilise debts.

2-If CCFC are promoted then I wouldn't envisage any immediate renovation. If the club became established though, and started to fulfill it's very substantial potential, then you will see capacity increase. I'm not sure how much you know the ground, but there are essentially gaps behind three of the stands with space to add a second tier a la the main stand. This would take it to 30,000+ I think. It's not totally inconceivable that it would be expanded further, but I don't think that's likely any time realistically.

3-So, yep perhaps to above 30,000

4-As mentioned, 3 sides of the ground are purpose built for expansion. If this happened, then the stadium would look more like Stadium:MK and less like the Madejski.

[Schmeek]

Thanks for the replies.
Yes I see what you mean, it has the heightened roof and gap at the top of the stand above the last row of seating, which is becoming commonplace amongst new builds. It allows for easy extension without the need to take the roof off. Like you say, MK Dons is a good example. BCFC will have the same configuration at each end stand.

Just having a quick look at some pictures of the CCs, and I would imagine the continuation of the upper stand around the three remaining sides (without boxes) would equate to roughly a further 6-9k.

I hope it does get done, would make it a tidy little ground.

Just a pity it would mean promotion/success for the Bluebirds

[Welshlad]

It would be interesting to see how much extra capacity the extra tier would provide.

By my judgement the back 5ish rows of the lower tier would need to be removed and the new tier would only add about 12 rows, a gain of 7 rows.... doesn't seem worth it... saying that it would mean 3 times as much hospitality space. What dou you guys recon? can we get some close up photos of the stands and work it out?

[Welshlad]

doing the maths, there are approximately 23 blocks that are single tier, each with a width on average of 27 seats. I have checked and the deepest the second tier ever gets is 11 rows. Therefore the new second tier would have a capacity of about 6831.

However I reckon atleast 5 rows of seats need to be removed from the first tier, equating to 3105 seats lost.

Net gain of around 3726 + say around 800 in boxes = 4500

[Schmeek]

Depends whether they put boxes all the way around. If they do, then yes rows of seating would most probably be sacrificed, but if there are no boxes it is doubtful they would have to take away any seats.

[Welshlad]

Originally Posted by Schmeek

Depends whether they put boxes all the way around. If they do, then yes rows of seating would most probably be sacrificed, but if there are no boxes it is doubtful they would have to take away any seats.

The seats need to be removed regardless else the second tier wont fit above

[Schmeek]

Are you sure about that? I can't see it being completely necesary.

[Welshlad]

Pretty sure, my explanation would require photos and effort.... maybe a task for tomorrow :-)

[JamesWales]

Quite a bit of talk recently about the owners injecting £100m, including taking the ground upto 35,000 with a new tier on the Ninian Stand..I'll believe it when i see it.

In the meantime, we shall just play in red in front of blue seats..

[Curious Orange]

Yep, increasing the size of the ground is the sensible thing to do after annoying a good portion of your fan base on a whim.

(ask yourself why Wrexham aren't the best supported club in Asia)

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by Curious Orange

Yep, increasing the size of the ground is the sensible thing to do after annoying a good portion of your fan base on a whim.

(ask yourself why Wrexham aren't the best supported club in Asia)

trust me, I've asked myself a lot about Cardiff City over the last few weeks!

Don't shoot the messenger anyway.

Cardiff does have a lot of potential, and as an established premier league club (which hopefully is the owners aim) then there is no doubt that 27,000 seats would not be big enough.

[Curious Orange]

Originally Posted by JamesWales

Cardiff does have a lot of potential, and as an established premier league club (which hopefully is the owners aim) then there is no doubt that 27,000 seats would not be big enough.

I don't disagree with the potential, I just suspect that the kit change could well be counter-productive in achieving that aim. It'll be interesting to see whether or not attendances are affected in the new season.

As for trying to tap into the Asian market, even Manchester United haven't been able to properly unlock that... and they have actually won stuff and are internationally famous. Cardiff have about as much chance as my own club, none... unless they win the Premier League of course.

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by Curious Orange

I don't disagree with the potential, I just suspect that the kit change could well be counter-productive in achieving that aim. It'll be interesting to see whether or not attendances are affected in the new season.

As for trying to tap into the Asian market, even Manchester United haven't been able to properly unlock that... and they have actually won stuff and are internationally famous. Cardiff have about as much chance as my own club, none... unless they win the Premier League of course.

I totally agree. The kit change thing is very weird indeed. People will be interested in Cardiff if they are successful, and if they are successful then people won't care what kit they wear...the point is success.

Most City fans are pragmatic about it. if, if, IF, the investment delivers the Premier League then fans will accept it. If we just remain the Championships nearly men, then people will be increasingly angry.

I do though see the reasoning in some of it. A team in red, a dragon symbol, it does have some marketability in the far east I'm sure, but any money to be made out of that will be about 10% based on the kit colour and 90% what's done on the pitch.

Either way, Bluebiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tallsmurf]

Originally Posted by JamesWales

I totally agree. The kit change thing is very weird indeed. People will be interested in Cardiff if they are successful, and if they are successful then people won't care what kit they wear...the point is success.

Most City fans are pragmatic about it. if, if, IF, the investment delivers the Premier League then fans will accept it. If we just remain the Championships nearly men, then people will be increasingly angry.

I do though see the reasoning in some of it. A team in red, a dragon symbol, it does have some marketability in the far east I'm sure, but any money to be made out of that will be about 10% based on the kit colour and 90% what's done on the pitch.

Either way, Bluebiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The red kit isnt bad - and there is still a blue kit - albeit for away games

But the new badge is dreadful - looks like it was done by a 6 year old on the back of a beer mat.

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by Tallsmurf

The red kit isnt bad - and there is still a blue kit - albeit for away games

But the new badge is dreadful - looks like it was done by a 6 year old on the back of a beer mat.

Too right. The badge is shocking, and the dragon is just lifted from the Welsh flag, with all the precise same markings etc.

Anyone who knows the culture of Cardiff knows that while it's proud to be in Wales, and proud to be Welsh, it isn't the beating heart of patriotic, what we here might call 'Welshy' Welsh culture, so the desire to ape Welsh symbols doesn't carry much weight at all. If people want to watch a red football team in Cardiff with a dragon on the shirt then they watch the national side.

Still, as said, I think people are being pragmatic about it, but success has to follow now.

[Tallsmurf]

Originally Posted by JamesWales

Too right. The badge is shocking, and the dragon is just lifted from the Welsh flag, with all the precise same markings etc.

Anyone who knows the culture of Cardiff knows that while it's proud to be in Wales, and proud to be Welsh, it isn't the beating heart of patriotic, what we here might call 'Welshy' Welsh culture, so the desire to ape Welsh symbols doesn't carry much weight at all. If people want to watch a red football team in Cardiff with a dragon on the shirt then they watch the national side.

Still, as said, I think people are being pragmatic about it, but success has to follow now.

I think a dragon based badge is good - but it should be stylised (like the Cardiff CC logo for example) - the traditional bluebird is just as stupid - a 1950's design with no thought - take a look at the Swans badge to see how it could be brought up to date.

But back to the stadium design - how much could be added without raising the roof?

[JamesWales]

Originally Posted by Tallsmurf

I think a dragon based badge is good - but it should be stylised (like the Cardiff CC logo for example) - the traditional bluebird is just as stupid - a 1950's design with no thought - take a look at the Swans badge to see how it could be brought up to date.

But back to the stadium design - how much could be added without raising the roof?

As you can see below, on three sides there is a fairly hefty gap between the back of the seats and the roof, and on the fourth side (the main stand) there is a second tier. My understanding was that stage 2 of any development would be a second tier around the other three sides, but apparently what is planned (if, when it happens) is a much larger second tier on the Ninian stand (opposite the main stand) of some 8-9,000 seats, which would obviously need a new roof.

Who knows, it's all conjecture at the moment..as with most pre-seasons in the last decade, at the moment I have no idea whether to expect to see Cardiff win the league, or finish bottom and enter administration.

[JamesWales]

Confirmation of sorts here today:

£12m earmarked to increase stadium by 8,000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18445138?