Prawn Brigade Boxes

[redjed]

I noticed that during the fans talk in with Jed , that Jed mention that they were considering putting boxes in the DR stand. If they do that i would imagine that we will lose about 1000 to 1500 seats in said stand so thereby reducing the capacity of the ground to about 13000. Tickets for any big match will be at a preimium and i dare say the atmosphere will be affected as well. Thoughts?

[Weasel]

When comparing the revenue received from those rare games when we exceed 13k vs what 'we' (assuming its reinvested in the club) would get from season long box sales, I'd say its a no brainer.

What atmosphere would be affected? It's the DR Stand?! 

[blinkpip]

I hope it's down the bottom and not the top of the DRS.

[Berniman]

There is a hidden floor halfway up, would be right through the middle.

[Ardiles]

I would be very surprised if they reduced capacity in the DRS without increasing it elsewhere.  Regardless of whether a redevelopment masterplan exists, the Town End, for example, is ripe for investment/expansion.  Sooner or later something is going to have to happen there.  You can only put it off so long.

[iffy]

This season we've gone over 13k at home just once, against Villa in the cup (14.4k). The next highest attendance was 11,381 against Portsmouth on New Year's Day but the majority of games have been 7/8/9k. So we wouldn't lose much revenue from losing a thousand-odd seats around the DRS.  Especially if you did something with the Town End.

If you look at what franchise charges for quite modest boxes, it makes sense: http://www.Franchise.com/commercial/hospitality/

[Arriba]

The idea of boxes in the drs is fucking ridiculous

[dagrumpymunki]

The idea of boxes in the drs is fucking ridiculous

I'm pretty sure the DRS was specifically designed with the facility for hospitality suites to be retrofitted. There's the potential for another floor about halfway up the stand from what I remember when it was built.

[kaufman]

The idea of boxes in the drs is fucking ridiculous

I think it would work, there's many a business based in Swindon and Wiltshire that would spend money on these, not to mention a few jobs it will create around the club also.
It also opens up possibilities to hire out these rooms on non match day for a number of things not football related.

[bigbobjoylove]

How long would it take to do? Pre-season?

[Ardiles]

Construction of the entire stand took less than 3 months during the summer of 1994, so fitting a row of boxes should also be possible in a similar timescale, I'd have thought.

[THE FLASH]

Canapes and Aperitifs in the County Hotel pre match.

Thats what i heard!

[Mplanney]

If i remember correctly, Fitton was also looking at this option during his tenure

[Arriba]

I think it would work, there's many a business based in Swindon and Wiltshire that would spend money on these, not to mention a few jobs it will create around the club also.
It also opens up possibilities to hire out these rooms on non match day for a number of things not football related.

Its not exactly a large space and the impact it would have on the seats already there puts me right off it. I cannot see how the top tier wouldn't be wiped out(or most of it)by it.
It is the one stand out of the four that doesn't need touching. Ideas for boxes should be for the other 3 tired and in need of replacing stands. They need sorting before even looking at the DRS stand.

[RobertT]

It'll be because it's easy to do in the DRS given it already has the concourse shell prepared.  I'd imagine you'd lose about 5 rows or so, and it's possible it would be a section of the stand rather than the entire length.  The previous board started looking into it.
The financial rewards make it a good bet, the income of the club has gone up in recent years due to the investment in the Arkells on the corporate side.