I hope we don't do a Darlington

[RobM]

...with a 22,000 seater with nobody in it on a match day.

 

[RobM]

ooh I've been moved! Yowzer!

 

[steveo]

you can't say that Rob apparently it lacks ambition

 

[weststander]

But we could always do a Reading, Stoke, Swansea or a Wigan instead !!!

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

...with a 22,000 seater with nobody in it on a match day.

We already have done it.......... 5th March 1986 v Halifax we had a league crowd of 1,006 in a 35,000 (at the time) capacity ground. Lets hope we never go back to crowds as low as that again.

I must admit though Darlington's crowds of 3,000 in at 25,000 seater stadium probably look worse than our Halifax crowd. I think Darlington's highest crowd at their new ground is about 11,000 so they have 14,000 seats that no one has ever sat on!!!!!!

 

[Reg Martin]

...with a 22,000 seater with nobody in it on a match day.

although often quoted I don't think Darlington are a valid comparison as they have very little potential untapped support.
they have ended up with the size of ground they have because they were owned by an ex-convict called George Reynolds who was on something of an egotrip when he built the ground. you may remember his wife giving the team an earbashing making news.

southend do in theory have a large potential untapped support - half a million people witin 15-20 miles I believe.

we have the option of staying in a much-loved but small ground well past its sell-by date and always being a lower division club
or the alternative of for once showing some ambition and trying to fulfill our potential and establish ourselves as a championship club.

 

[Jam_Man]

8,000 in a 22,000 wont be anyworse than 4,000 in a 12,000 which is what we had up until recently.

 

[londonblue]

although often quoted I don't think Darlington are a valid comparison as they have very little potential untapped support.
they have ended up with the size of ground they have because they were owned by an ex-convict called George Reynolds who was on something of an egotrip when he built the ground. you may remember his wife giving the team an earbashing making news.

southend do in theory have a large potential untapped support - half a million people witin 15-20 miles I believe.

we have the option of staying in a much-loved but small ground well past its sell-by date and always being a lower division club
or the alternative of for once showing some ambition and trying to fulfill our potential and establish ourselves as a championship club.

The Southend connerbation is (apparently) the same size as Middlesborough. In theory therefore (given time) we should be able to match their attendances.

 

[Pubey]

The Southend connerbation is (apparently) the same size as Middlesborough. In theory therefore (given time) we should be able to match their attendances.

i would say somewhere like Reading is a good comparison too.. or even Portsmouth

 

[Reg Martin]

The Southend connerbation is (apparently) the same size as Middlesborough. In theory therefore (given time) we should be able to match their attendances.

Teesside's population is around the half a million mark so a valid comparison. If only Southend had climbed up the leagues in the 50s like Ipswich and Norwich I think we would be similar size club to them now.

i would say somewhere like Reading is a good comparison too.. or even Portsmouth

I think Reading is the best comparison for Southend as Portsmouth, like Middlesbrough, have a long history in the higher leagues.
Reading until very recently had a very simialr history to Southend with similar crowd levels. Admittedly they have had some significant financial investment form Majedski (sp?) but the increase in their crowds shows how untapped potential support can materialise into much bigger crowds once ambition is shown and success follows.
IMO the only alternative to having a go at emulating Reading is to accept Southend's fate as being forever shuttling between the bottom two divisions.