NSWE Investment

[OCD]

I wonder if any of our local rivals would like to be tenants for the weeks where we're not using the stadium.

[chrisw1]

For clubs that have built a new stadium, is anybody aware of how the relocation of season ticket holders was handled?  Is it one big free for all, or is there a provisional movement of certain punters to certain parts of the new ground - eg would they try to broadly allocate the current Holte End seating plan en masse in the new home end terrace of a new stadium as a starting point, and then allow people the option to change?  (thus provisionally keeping existing friend groups broadly together)

I was just intrigued as to how this sort of thing was handled.

[Lastfootstamper]

They might if Atairos own all the stuff around it in a mixed use development. Also, and I've said this before, but the two grounds I most like in terms of situation and being able to wander around with a load of choice beforehand are Arsenal and Newcastle. When you get to both those grounds, there never seems to be a shortage of punters enjoying themselves*, and they never seem to be refusing to buy food and drink because they've already had some elsewhere. What we should be aiming for are world class facilities, where people can turn up 3 hours before kick off, to enjoy themselves in a welcoming environment with a good range of options and great facilities, with decent service on top.

At the moment, we're offering old fashioned dingy concourses, with nowhere to sit, disgraceful toilets, a crap range of food and drink, and little chance of getting served before kick off and at half time. I'd love to be able to get a train to New Street, maybe have a couple of pints in Brum, then wander to the ground and get something to eat and more drinks there. Then stay around for an hour after and walk back and get the train home.

I've said also said before that the only way for Atairos to make a return on their investment will be to have a massive mixed use development, and these board level appointments would seem to confirm that that's very much the thinking.

"Tailgate parties" like the ones they had at Wembley on the few occasions I went to watch the NFL were a lot of fun & me & a group of mates spent a lot of time & a lot of money before we even entered the ground.

Not sure if they have them at Spurs stadium, as I haven't watched NFL over here for a few years now, but ideally, there needs to be a festival atmosphere with lots of music, food, drink, games & market stalls to make a good day of it.

The NFL games have it down to a tee...

So much of this will be tied in with having success on the pitch. Imagine trying to do that with the knowledge that shortly you've got to take your seat to watch us in the battle for 16th.

[pablo_picasso]

So much of this will be tied in with having success on the pitch. Imagine trying to do that with the knowledge that shortly you've got to take your seat to watch us in the battle for 16th.

I suppose if we started doing it while being successful then it would add to the experience.

Attendees would drop, just like crowds do if we aren't winning, but there might be something in seeing your mates, music, drinking, food, games, etc, that might just become habit & the only enjoyable bit about the match day experience.

But I do accept your point...

It might be that nobody turns up & its a shit idea for English football, but I just remember* the cracking days out that I had at the Wembley NFL games & how much money I splashed out.

(*to a point, lol)

[Somniloquism]

Sarah helped lead the acquisition, ownership syndication and restructuring of the Milwaukee Bucks for Fortress owner, Wes Edens, and co-owner, Marc Lasry. Following the acquisition of the team, Sarah moved to Milwaukee to work on the development of a 725,000 SF arena and 20 acres of surrounding mixed use development.

Hmmm.

https://www.gobrightline.com/about/sarah-watterson

"Sarah helped lead the acquisition, ownership syndication and restructuring of the Milwaukee Bucks for Fortress owner, Wes Edens, and co-owner, Marc Lasry. Following the acquisition of the team, Sarah moved to Milwaukee to work on the development of a 725,000 SF arena and 20 acres of surrounding mixed use development"

It is pronounced mill-e-wah-que.

I would also point out that the stadium change, they built the new one across the street from the old one.

[algy]

Michael Angelakis of Atairos appointed a director of NSWE.

Also other appointments - Chester Hall (sounds like a lovely National Trust property), Bashir Lebada and Sarah Waterson.

Interestingly, Lebada seems to be a director now of all the NSWE companies. 

EDIT - Waterson is one of Wes's people who worked with him at the Bucks, Lebada is one of Nas's and Angelakis and Hall are obviously Atairos.

I would love to know how much they've invested and, more importantly, what for.

Anyway, that means Wes, Nas and Atairos each have two directors.

Bashir Lebada is CEO of a construction company. Orascom Construction.

Sounds like somebody John McClane would throw off a building. Orascom is Swaris family builders. Big things mind, not kitchens and a nice orangery.

Ah, but can they get a good deal on brown & red cladding? That's what I want to know!

[Sexual Ealing]

They might if Atairos own all the stuff around it in a mixed use development. Also, and I've said this before, but the two grounds I most like in terms of situation and being able to wander around with a load of choice beforehand are Arsenal and Newcastle. When you get to both those grounds, there never seems to be a shortage of punters enjoying themselves*, and they never seem to be refusing to buy food and drink because they've already had some elsewhere. What we should be aiming for are world class facilities, where people can turn up 3 hours before kick off, to enjoy themselves in a welcoming environment with a good range of options and great facilities, with decent service on top.

At the moment, we're offering old fashioned dingy concourses, with nowhere to sit, disgraceful toilets, a crap range of food and drink, and little chance of getting served before kick off and at half time. I'd love to be able to get a train to New Street, maybe have a couple of pints in Brum, then wander to the ground and get something to eat and more drinks there. Then stay around for an hour after and walk back and get the train home.

I've said also said before that the only way for Atairos to make a return on their investment will be to have a massive mixed use development, and these board level appointments would seem to confirm that that's very much the thinking.

"Tailgate parties" like the ones they had at Wembley on the few occasions I went to watch the NFL were a lot of fun & me & a group of mates spent a lot of time & a lot of money before we even entered the ground.

Not sure if they have them at Spurs stadium, as I haven't watched NFL over here for a few years now, but ideally, there needs to be a festival atmosphere with lots of music, food, drink, games & market stalls to make a good day of it.

The NFL games have it down to a tee...

So much of this will be tied in with having success on the pitch. Imagine trying to do that with the knowledge that shortly you've got to take your seat to watch us in the battle for 16th.

That and the weather. There won’t be much tailgate partying Nov-Feb.

[Risso]

For clubs that have built a new stadium, is anybody aware of how the relocation of season ticket holders was handled?  Is it one big free for all, or is there a provisional movement of certain punters to certain parts of the new ground - eg would they try to broadly allocate the current Holte End seating plan en masse in the new home end terrace of a new stadium as a starting point, and then allow people the option to change?  (thus provisionally keeping existing friend groups broadly together)

I was just intrigued as to how this sort of thing was handled.

No idea, but I imagine they'd try to make it as similar as possible, ie offer tickets in the 'main stand to a similar position in the new place. Obviously if you're going from a 40,000 seater to a 60,000 one, it's easier to be flexible and try to give everybody what they want. Far easier I reckon, than knocking a stand down and trying to decide what to do there.

[FatSam]

I was with my son-in-law to be in the club level yesterday, he pays £4k for his season ticket there

He sounds like a keeper! 😉

[Chris Smith]

Smithfield is off the table so not much point cluttering up the thread discussing it.

Lendlease and the City Council aren't going to give up a project aiming to build almost a million sq ft of offices, half a million sq ft of retail/leisure and 3,000 residential apartments just to enable us to build a big fuck off stadium.

I know a cracking plot of land in Witton where they could build them instead.  There's a lovely park and a Jacobean listed house next door and two train stations within walking distance.

On the downside, it's an extremely run down residential area, with little else in the area, very poor access and the trains are next to no use.

That’s just not true about the trains, thousands of people use them every game.

[Lastfootstamper]

So much of this will be tied in with having success on the pitch. Imagine trying to do that with the knowledge that shortly you've got to take your seat to watch us in the battle for 16th.

I suppose if we started doing it while being successful then it would add to the experience.

Attendees would drop, just like crowds do if we aren't winning, but there might be something in seeing your mates, music, drinking, food, games, etc, that might just become habit & the only enjoyable bit about the match day experience.

But I do accept your point...

It might be that nobody turns up & its a shit idea for English football, but I just remember* the cracking days out that I had at the Wembley NFL games & how much money I splashed out.

(*to a point, lol)

I wasn't suggesting doom and gloom are around the corner, I was more hinting at much of our recent past, where many's the time when what could have been a cracking day out would get ruined by the ninety minutes of football in the middle of it. I think there's a lot to be said for having a mindset of success breeding success. Instead of just letting the good times happen, let's make them happen. If we're going to move, let's give it the full bells and whistles. I believe our club was built on a philosophy of no half measures.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think you're more likely to drink if you've had a drink. Seemless transition like going pub to pub. Plus I don't think catering for general food/drink etc is too big an impact. The real money would be in the expensive seats and the food/drink etc they provide.

Also, it's highly likely that the catering at big football clubs is outsourced, with the catering company buying a license to sell its horrible food to the punters. It's not like the accountants at Villa will be fretting over whether Donna and Jason Public will be buying an extra packet of crisps to accompany their balti pies.

Indeed. The best evidence for this is that they clearly don’t give a fuck about that currently or they would have tried harder to fix it.

[pablo_picasso]

So much of this will be tied in with having success on the pitch. Imagine trying to do that with the knowledge that shortly you've got to take your seat to watch us in the battle for 16th.

I suppose if we started doing it while being successful then it would add to the experience.

Attendees would drop, just like crowds do if we aren't winning, but there might be something in seeing your mates, music, drinking, food, games, etc, that might just become habit & the only enjoyable bit about the match day experience.

But I do accept your point...

It might be that nobody turns up & its a shit idea for English football, but I just remember* the cracking days out that I had at the Wembley NFL games & how much money I splashed out.

(*to a point, lol)

I wasn't suggesting doom and gloom are around the corner, I was more hinting at much of our recent past, where many's the time when what could have been a cracking day out would get ruined by the ninety minutes of football in the middle of it. I think there's a lot to be said for having a mindset of success breeding success. Instead of just letting the good times happen, let's make them happen. If we're going to move, let's give it the full bells and whistles. I believe our club was built on a philosophy of no half measures.

Oh, yeah, I didn't think you were 'doomin & gloomin'. It was a fair point for UK fans.

I think tailgate parties are a bit of a cultural thing with Americans from their college days. College football is fucking huge in America & when you mix that with students, it's always going to be alcohol fuelled, lol. (Not sure about their High School days. I imagine the lack of alcohol takes away a large part of what makes it fun.)

I think they take that college attitude into their NFL teams when they get older & come snow, rain or shine, they are there, some of them in the same spot from their ancestors.

Its crazy.

I loved the Wembley NFL days out...

[FatSam]

Orascom built the Egypt Olympic City: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Administrative_Capital_Stadium
Which includes a 93k capacity stadium.

[lovejoy]

Football stadium construction is a minefield and very rarely goes to programme and budget.