I've also read that the audited figure is less than half that.
There is no question of filling it for me, recession or not.
If the worst came to the worst they could always chop the ticket prices a bit.
I'll take a flying guess that the board are holding fire because of all the predictions of a recession. Which seems a pretty sensible thing to do. Back in the 80s when we were actually winning stuff and playing great football the ground was barely half-full for many games; a lot of people simply couldn't afford to go every week. No point putting ourselves into hock to build a stonking new stadium and then finding we can't fill it.
Spurs have an absolutely huge fanbase, and I have lost count of the number of times that games have sold out.
Are the 12,000 people who are waiting for a ST exclusively for the North and South stands?
Since Jol took over, we've basically sold out every premiership game. If there have been games that haven't sold out it's been games like the CC cup game against Port Vale etc. but even then we managed a high attendance.
While there might be a recession (there might not), getting a stadium that holds 60k+ is a long term strategy. We may not fill it during a recession (unless we lower prices) but long term we'll grow. The worst thing for the club is to not maximise income and any money spent on a new stadium will pay for itself in the long run
No, attendances have been going up for a good deal longer; we've been at capacity or pretty close since Gross and Graham's time. But recession will affect people's pay packets and they will cut back on expenditure; that's what happened in the 80s, and a ticket took a far smaller slice of the average income then. Levy and the board will simply not take the risk while markets are so uncertain.
Also, we rarely filled the ground to capacity when we had 65,000+ capacity and a spot on the terraces cost 15p—even in 60-61 only 6 league games out of 21 pulled in over 60,000 punters. So, ASE, I have sound historical evidence for my 'nutbag' notions. What is deluded is the idea that ticket prices will be cut. Given the example of the Death Star up the road, they'll rise.
It's interesting that Stoof is 2718 out of 12,000. Not so long ago the club informed the THST the waiting list was around 20,000. We appear to have lost a few. Either about 8,000 people have decided they can't live that long, or someone did their sums wrong.
Anyway, Stoof, lawyers will always be able to afford tickets, recession or not! :grin:
It's interesting that Stoof is 2718 out of 12,000. Not so long ago the club informed the THST the waiting list was around 20,000. We appear to have lost a few. Either about 8,000 people have decided they can't live that long, or someone did their sums wrong.