Would it have been better/cheaper to redevelop Burnden Park?

[Prufrock]

Our current average ticket price (I assume that's the average figure paid per arse-on-seat, so lowered by kids and season ticket holders) is less than £9 isn't it, and was last year in the Champo too. Even generously upping that to £10 (for the Prem, though inflation means I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't that much higher then. Plus I'm sure we had those £49 kids season tickets for a few years then), and generously assuming 25 home games per season, that's [an extra 1k on the attendance per week] only an extra £250k a season. Or about 6 months of Darren Pratley.

F*ck it, double that and it's barely £10m since we moved to the 'Bok. Considering we've spent most of the time since in the Premiership that's f*ck all in the scheme of things, even with some pretty generous maths.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think the issue at the time, was clear, we couldn't feasibly redevelop Burnden nor did it make sense when a business case was examined.

The move made sense. The issues as I see them were three fold

1) We didn't get what was expected for the sale of Burnden land.

2) The cost of the stadium - we paid a premium price for a premium design. Others built far bigger stadiums for less than the "Reebok" cost.

3) The model when all this was planned, mid 90's was that commercial revenue from the hotel, events, offices and corporate stuff would provide additional useful revenue for the club. This was at a time when football costs were still manageable and that additional revenue would be significant. However, over the next decade football costs skyrocketed and the additional commercial income wouldn't make all that much difference. Also that revenue fluctuated (as you'd expect from any events centre) and at times was more a drain than it was a benefit, given staff and running costs.

All in all, we don't need half the facilities the ground provides (now) and certainly don't need the ground to look like a spaceship or whatever when viewed aerially.

[Prufrock]

Aye, but we've been to the brink and back at least once since. Not like the cost of building it has been a factor for donkeys. At the very worst it's an extra £x ED will never see again, though I suspect it went well before that.

[nelson66]

reebok cost £25mil for a 28,000 seater stadium
stadium of light was built at the same time - cost £15mil to build a 48,000 seater stadium

[BWFC_Insane]

reebok cost £25mil for a 28,000 seater stadium
stadium of light was built at the same time - cost £15mil to build a 48,000 seater stadium

£35M for Reebok!

[Hoboh]

reebok cost £25mil for a 28,000 seater stadium
stadium of light was built at the same time - cost £15mil to build a 48,000 seater stadium

£35M for Reebok!

Aye, it started at 25 and rapidly rocketed, Not very good with money ain't BWFC should see Worthy he's saved loads

[Bruce Rioja]

reebok cost £25mil for a 28,000 seater stadium
stadium of light was built at the same time - cost £15mil to build a 48,000 seater stadium

Hang on, hang on. They built the SoL and then added to it.

[nelson66]

i just remember querying the cost to myself when the Macbok was being built - as i recall that dunderland built a stadium with a 50% more capaciity than ours for 2/3rds of the cost

tbh ..... its all irrelevant now as whats done is done
and we do have a great stadium

I nicked my £figures from wikipedia

[Worthy4England]

£23m for SoL, according to this

http://www.sirbobmurray.com/45/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the capacity thing, we (BWFC) took the decision to provide a lot more leg room per seat than just about anywhere else - fairly sure it was at least 50% more than other places were using as standard....(I know this coz I sup with the bloke that worked on the architect team). There was a complication around evacuation routes for the corner sections iirc too.

[nelson66]

we might be deep in the doo....... but at least we have a great stadium (for the time being)

[dave the minion]

reebok cost £25mil for a 28,000 seater stadium
stadium of light was built at the same time - cost £15mil to build a 48,000 seater stadium

Apropos of nothing, of course, but new Wembley cost today's equivalent of £947m (Jesus Wept!) for an up-to 90,000 seat stadium.

Just saying, thats all..........

[Prufrock]

I don't see what difference it would have made.

Bok is waaaaay better than most of the identikit modern out-of-town stadiums.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Did we have to pay all the £25m-35m for the Reebok?

Generally the advantage of moving to a new out of town stadium linked with a retail park is that the big retail companies and land developers contribute to the cost of the stadium. I always thought this was a significant reason we moved??

[Worthy4England]

A glance at the Bolton Wanderers Football and Athletic Company Limited seem to show "assets in construction" @ £19.9m for 1997 and a further £10m in relation to the 1998 additions. The totals cost was given at £30.1m (which I think included the hotel etc.

[TANGODANCER]

Just an observation, but policing a town centre football stadium today ( given where we are currently) might well cause a massive amount of money and be beyond the police facilities. There are few town centre pubs left to cope with the demand for a pre-match/after match pint compared to when Burnden was alive and kicking. Supposing we had developed the old Manny Road stadium, could the town cope with traffic, parking and opposition needs?

[Rjs37]

Who would buy the football ground?

Wigan? They've already bought our training ground

But seriously Reebok is the better option by far. The town centre is terrible these days.

[boltonboris]

Who would buy the football ground?

Wigan? They've already bought our training ground

But seriously Reebok is the better option by far. The town centre is terrible these days.

Possibly part due to a lack of footfall of 20,000 or so people every other Saturday?

Or more likely - A massive lack of investment from the council

[TANGODANCER]

Who would buy the football ground?

Wigan? They've already bought our training ground

But seriously Reebok is the better option by far. The town centre is terrible these days.

Possibly part due to a lack of footfall of 20,000 or so people every other Saturday? Or more likely - A massive lack of investment from the council

Or both. Never mind. we;ll soon have an interchange, whatever it's all about. Who's going to come to Bolton except for a pastie, a moblie phone or new nails, a tatoo and a false tan.? Football, well, they can always bypass us and go to Horwich..

Edit, gee I'm selling us short, we do a nice lin e in pawn shops and cashconverters...

[Hoboh]

Who would buy the football ground?

Wigan? They've already bought our training ground

But seriously Reebok is the better option by far. The town centre is terrible these days.

Possibly part due to a lack of footfall of 20,000 or so people every other Saturday? Or more likely - A massive lack of investment from the council

Or both. Never mind. we;ll soon have an interchange, whatever it's all about. Who's going to come to Bolton except for a pastie, a moblie phone or new nails, a tatoo and a false tan.? Football, well, they can always bypass us and go to Horwich..

Edit, gee I'm selling us short, we do a nice line in pawn shops and cashconverters...

And on the edge of town retail parks

[Aanvalluh]

Who would buy the football ground?

Wigan? They've already bought our training ground

But seriously Reebok is the better option by far. The town centre is terrible these days.

Possibly part due to a lack of footfall of 20,000 or so people every other Saturday? Or more likely - A massive lack of investment from the council

Or both. Never mind. we;ll soon have an interchange, whatever it's all about. Who's going to come to Bolton except for a pastie, a moblie phone or new nails, a tatoo and a false tan.? Football, well, they can always bypass us and go to Horwich..

Edit, gee I'm selling us short, we do a nice lin e in pawn shops and cashconverters...

...and a bet.

No idea what the Stadium of Light's like, but the £25m (or whatever) for the Reecron would have included the land for the massive car parks which have the potential to bring in the readies - after all it's costs about the cost of the car to park there.

Although I'm assuming (a) Bolton W own that land and (b) they get the income from it??