Stadium Expansion

[matty_f]

In a fantasy world where Hibs are the beneficiary of a substantial cash windfall that leads to us becoming pretty dominant on the domestic scene, it would quickly reach a stage where Easter Road in its current guise became unfit for purpose, with insufficient capacity for demand...

Does anyone have any idea of what scope there is to increase the stadium, if we ever needed to?

For example, would it be easy enough to add a tier to the West, or would we be looking at a need to flatten stands and start again with them?

Anyone know? Not a problem I envisage us having any time soon, but just thinking for fun, really - how would the stadium be expanded?

[LEaston87]

We could probably fill in the corners at the FF and East, and the West and SS. Maybe fill in the other corners half way up. Space behind the West in the car park for another tier on the stand but the ticket office would need demolished, that could be put in the main stand?

[DstN75]

Always assumed they'd fill the corners in but have no idea how easy that is from a structural/architectural POV. Or indeed if they intended it to be an easy fix. Would be pretty cool like that if it was full.

[Hibs4185]

From memory, which could be wrong, the west was built in a way that an extra tier could be added. I seem to remember reading about it before it was built

[Pretty Boy]

Only loosely related but I always wonder what the projected lifespan of the current stadium was and is?

There are still people who talk of the 'new' stands but the FF and South are close to 30 years old and the West is just over 20. With the work that has gone into the hospitality I doubt there are any plans to change anything soon but there are areas of the ground that I'm not sure are fit for purpose these days or are showing their age. The changing rooms for starters, the design of the stand means they are pretty cramped and I'm not sure the tight winding staircases in the FF and South would get the go ahead these days. Evacuating people quickly down those would be a total nightmare. Add to that the continued disrepair of the interior of the FF and the lack of basic amenities like hot water. In spite of a lot more effort in recent years there are parts of the stadium that still feel a bit neglected and rundown, particularly the exterior of the older stands.

When you consider what the stadium looked like prior to STF coming on board and the very real prospect of a move to Straiton that was avoided then it's far from a complaint on my part. But from a discussion point of view how long do the current stands have left? Particularly the oldest 2. A decade? 15 years? If we had to replace them after 40-50 years then I would say that was a pretty good return on investment.

[CentreLine]

Always assumed they'd fill the corners in but have no idea how easy that is from a structural/architectural POV. Or indeed if they intended it to be an easy fix. Would be pretty cool like that if it was full.

I may be remembering this all wrong but I seem to recall, when the stadium was completed, there was talk of it being “future proofed” by the architects/construction company. The corners are obvious options but there was something about scope for a “temporary” additional tier on the west. It coincided with talk of Scotland hosting. European Championships and the need for 30k plus stadia. Both ideas seem a little fanciful but for the sake of the discussion..,

[McD]

The corner between the FF and West stand is problematic to fill in due to the road, I always wondered if it would be possible to build in such a way to have the road run under a stand extension in the corner

[mcohibs]

Only loosely related but I always wonder what the projected lifespan of the current stadium was and is?

There are still people who talk of the 'new' stands but the FF and South are close to 30 years old and the West is just over 20. With the work that has gone into the hospitality I doubt there are any plans to change anything soon but there are areas of the ground that I'm not sure are fit for purpose these days or are showing their age. The changing rooms for starters, the design of the stand means they are pretty cramped and I'm not sure the tight winding staircases in the FF and South would get the go ahead these days. Evacuating people quickly down those would be a total nightmare. Add to that the continued disrepair of the interior of the FF and the lack of basic amenities like hot water. In spite of a lot more effort in recent years there are parts of the stadium that still feel a bit neglected and rundown, particularly the exterior of the older stands.

When you consider what the stadium looked like prior to STF coming on board and the very real prospect of a move to Straiton that was avoided then it's far from a complaint on my part. But from a discussion point of view how long do the current stands have left? Particularly the oldest 2. A decade? 15 years? If we had to replace them after 40-50 years then I would say that was a pretty good return on investment.

Just on the point of evacuation, of the four stands we have, the East is by far the biggest concern in that regard. Just look how long it takes to empty after full time every week. Virtually gridlock on the stairs at times. Obviously the single tier design that causes it but I’ve always said if there was an emergency in the East it would be carnage.

[Moulin Yarns]

The corner between the FF and West stand is problematic to fill in due to the road, I always wondered if it would be possible to build in such a way to have the road run under a stand extension in the corner

The tenament across the road might prevent that.

[Moulin Yarns]

Just on the point of evacuation, of the four stands we have, the East is by far the biggest concern in that regard. Just look how long it takes to empty after full time every week. Virtually gridlock on the stairs at times. Obviously the single tier design that causes it but I’ve always said if there was an emergency in the East it would be carnage.

Pretty sure evacuation plan would allow exit onto the pitch which would help.

[04Sauzee]

For some reason I was under the impression that the west could be increased by adding a 3rd tier. Not sure where I read it, if I indeed did read it? Not sure what what would even increase our capacity to.

[matty_f]

Pretty sure evacuation plan would allow exit onto the pitch which would help.

It would, in an emergency the East could empty very quickly

[TheGog]

Ticket office is a listed building. Cannot build or fill the corners in on that side. Simply won’t happen

[LaMotta]

Depending on a number of things, the introduction of Safe Standing from seated areas can increase capacity in grounds. Not sure if possible with current areas at Easter Road, but in Germany for example they can accommodate more than one standing fan per seat space. This relies on an extra step being added at the back of each standing row, so depends on current depth of rows.

Dortmund's capacity with standing allowed is 81,365. For games where it has to be all seated the capacity reduces to 66,099 - so shows the difference it can make.

[ancient hibee]

I’m sure our friends in the west of the city could give us advice on building development.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Interesting points raised.
Stadiums - even fairly newish ones are not maintenance free.
be interesting to know where the cross over point is between age a d viability of cost to maintain and when that comes into play so we can plan for it…

But I do wonder without increased opps to realise greater crowds whether the trigger for increasing capacity to realise the increased crowds and revenues would be some form of UK-wide cup or Europe…

with out current league setup - well that seems to be a limiting factor ?

[Mibbes Aye]

Dig down.

Lower the pitch by the height of a stand and add a whole new level around it. The cauldron-like atmosphere would be an added benefit.

Also future-proofed as it would be perfect as the terminus when City of Edinburgh Council builds an underground metro.

[The Modfather]

Ticket office is a listed building. Cannot build or fill the corners in on that side. Simply won’t happen

Out of interest, why is the ticket office a listed building? There must be a history to it, but it seems small and unremarkable on the face of it.

[DstN75]

Out of interest, why is the ticket office a listed building? There must be a history to it, but it seems small and unremarkable on the face of it.

I can't see that it's Listed. The church just along appears to be.

[Renfrew_Hibby]

There is definite scope for a redevelopment of the North and South ends. Since those stands were built the pitch now sits in a different location as when the East was built the pitch was widened but it didn't move any closer to the West. As a result the stands behind the goals no longer sit 'centred' with the pitch, it also means we have those big gaps between the stands and the east.
In a money was no object world I would build two single tiered stands which would be brought closer to the goal lines (without altering pitch dimensions) They would be wider by maybe 8 seats which would close the gap on the eastern side.
Wider and slightly reconfigured North and South stands would raise the overall stadium capacity to just over 21,000.
They would be fairly basic in construction but I would incorporate offices in the South and matchday bars in the North.
In the North East corner you could construct a building capable of housing a megastore, TV studios and large function spaces.

[Since90+2]

There is definite scope for a redevelopment of the North and South ends. Since those stands were built the pitch now sits in a different location as when the East was built the pitch was widened but it didn't move any closer to the West. As a result the stands behind the goals no longer sit 'centred' with the pitch, it also means we have those big gaps between the stands and the east.
In a money was no object world I would build two single tiered stands which would be brought closer to the goal lines (without altering pitch dimensions) They would be wider by maybe 8 seats which would close the gap on the eastern side.
Wider and slightly reconfigured North and South stands would raise the overall stadium capacity to just over 21,000.
They would be fairly basic in construction but I would incorporate offices in the South and matchday bars in the North.
In the North East corner you could construct a building capable of housing a megastore, TV studios and large function spaces.

Seems like a huge amount of work for essentially the same capacity we have now.

[Iain G]

In a fantasy world where Hibs are the beneficiary of a substantial cash windfall that leads to us becoming pretty dominant on the domestic scene, it would quickly reach a stage where Easter Road in its current guise became unfit for purpose, with insufficient capacity for demand...

Does anyone have any idea of what scope there is to increase the stadium, if we ever needed to?

For example, would it be easy enough to add a tier to the West, or would we be looking at a need to flatten stands and start again with them?

Anyone know? Not a problem I envisage us having any time soon, but just thinking for fun, really - how would the stadium be expanded?

Add a glass curtain wall facade.
Build stairs that go nowhere.
Build a 25 room hotel with no windows.
Construction of a press area that is open to the elements.
Never declare the capacity...but it's very biggliest.

Am I doing this right? 😁

[Bridge hibs]

It would, in an emergency the East could empty very quickly

Normally does 85 mins onwards 🫣

[CentreLine]

Add a glass curtain wall facade.
Build stairs that go nowhere.
Build a 25 room hotel with no windows.
Construction of a press area that is open to the elements.
Never declare the capacity...but it's very biggliest.

Am I doing this right? 😁

Not quite. You need to narrow the seats by two inches and put seats in behind substantive structures. This will increase the theoretical capacity whilst ensuring a section of the crowd don’t have to see the ludicrously small pitch. Oh! And design a seat for the dugout that looks remarkably like a wedding reception chair.

[J-C]

Great idea but need to fill it right now, until that happens regularly expansion won't happen.

[Jack]

The easy and most popular thing would be to fill in the corners.

Back in the old days when the new East was opened I was quite chummy with a few directors through the Working Together thing. We, or maybe just me if Matty doesn't remember, were told that the East had been future proofed and that it would be possible to build a second tier on top (obviously 😉) if it became necessary.

[bingo70]

Great idea but need to fill it right now, until that happens regularly expansion won't happen.

I remember reading before the East was built that if you leave it until the capacity is full every week then you’ve left it too late. I think you want to be at about 85% full regularly, build the stand and then invest in the team to try and fill the new bigger capacity.

Build it and they will come type idea.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Surely we could expand them all except the FF. East and West could be larger on their present site. Alternatively, with unlimited funds we could do a Spurs and build new stadium on current site, turning it ninety degrees. 35,000 purpose built stadium, sold out to watch Haaland up front :greengrin

[.Sean.]

I don’t think the corners are as easy to fill as some make out - the stands are at awkward angles from eachother and different distances from the pitch. The current stands would definitely need a bit of alteration to fit corners in, even what should be the easiest one in the North East corner IMO

I quite like the 4 separate stands as opposed to some nondescript bowl. Another tier on the West would be smart mind

[Since452]

Only loosely related but I always wonder what the projected lifespan of the current stadium was and is?

There are still people who talk of the 'new' stands but the FF and South are close to 30 years old and the West is just over 20. With the work that has gone into the hospitality I doubt there are any plans to change anything soon but there are areas of the ground that I'm not sure are fit for purpose these days or are showing their age. The changing rooms for starters, the design of the stand means they are pretty cramped and I'm not sure the tight winding staircases in the FF and South would get the go ahead these days. Evacuating people quickly down those would be a total nightmare. Add to that the continued disrepair of the interior of the FF and the lack of basic amenities like hot water. In spite of a lot more effort in recent years there are parts of the stadium that still feel a bit neglected and rundown, particularly the exterior of the older stands.

When you consider what the stadium looked like prior to STF coming on board and the very real prospect of a move to Straiton that was avoided then it's far from a complaint on my part. But from a discussion point of view how long do the current stands have left? Particularly the oldest 2. A decade? 15 years? If we had to replace them after 40-50 years then I would say that was a pretty good return on investment.

I think its pretty comparable with Ibrox. Their stands are probably 15 to 20 years older than the FF and South stands at ER and they are still fine. I think there's plenty more life in the stands at Easter Road yet. A few decades at least.

[.Sean.]

I think it’s pretty comparable with Ibrox. Their stands are probably 15 to 20 years older than the FF and South stands at ER and they are still fine. I think there's plenty more life in the stands at Easter Road yet. A few decades at least.
Ibrox has had serious issues with the roofs of the stands you have mentioned recently

[Moulin Yarns]

Dig down.

Lower the pitch by the height of a stand and add a whole new level around it. The cauldron-like atmosphere would be an added benefit.

Also future-proofed as it would be perfect as the terminus when City of Edinburgh Council builds an underground metro.

That's a great idea, it would be a replacement for the open air pull at portobello 😂

[Hibernia&Alba]

Ibrox has had serious issues with the roofs of the stands you have mentioned recently

That’s because they only have the money to sellotape them together.

[Kato]

I don’t think the corners are as easy to fill as some make out - the stands are at awkward angles from eachother and different distances from the pitch. The current stands would definitely need a bit of alteration to fit corners in, even what should be the easiest one in the North East corner IMO

I quite like the 4 separate stands as opposed to some nondescript bowl. Another tier on the West would be smart mindTake a leaf out of our neighbours book and employ a structural engineer and an architect, no hold on...

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[Kato]

Dig down.

Lower the pitch by the height of a stand and add a whole new level around it. The cauldron-like atmosphere would be an added benefit.

Also future-proofed as it would be perfect as the terminus when City of Edinburgh Council builds an underground metro.The pitch would be a tad small.

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[jacomo]

In a fantasy world where Hibs are the beneficiary of a substantial cash windfall that leads to us becoming pretty dominant on the domestic scene, it would quickly reach a stage where Easter Road in its current guise became unfit for purpose, with insufficient capacity for demand...

Does anyone have any idea of what scope there is to increase the stadium, if we ever needed to?

For example, would it be easy enough to add a tier to the West, or would we be looking at a need to flatten stands and start again with them?

Anyone know? Not a problem I envisage us having any time soon, but just thinking for fun, really - how would the stadium be expanded?


In this scenario, I think we’d have no option but to buy Tynecastle and install the world’s largest screen to beam live matches to our growing numbers of fans who couldn’t get a ticket for ER.

Hearts could become a feeder team or something. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, it would all be about building an Edinburgh club to dominate the uglies.

:wink:

[Hibernia&Alba]

Take a leaf out of our neighbours book and employ a structural engineer and an architect, no hold on...

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Correct. New stands must have stairs to naewhere; we aren’t being outdone by them.

[Since452]

Can we not just put some dining chairs around the dugout like the big team do? Include it in our capacity.

[wookie70]

In the fantasy world the OP created we would have to move. We were getting an average of 18.2K finishing in 4th place 15 points behind Celtc. If we were a dominant force we would average over 30K, maybe not initially but in time. Sectarian hatred is definitely part of the story in terms of support for the Uglies but it is primarily built on winning. If we were winning cups and leagues regularly the footprint of what we own at ER is not big enough imo.

[Stubbsy90+2]

In the fantasy world the OP created we would have to move. We were getting an average of 18.2K finishing in 4th place 15 points behind Celtc. If we were a dominant force we would average over 30K, maybe not initially but in time. Sectarian hatred is definitely part of the story in terms of support for the Uglies but it is primarily built on winning. If we were winning cups and leagues regularly the footprint of what we own at ER is not big enough imo.

I’m not sure we’d regularly get 30k, at least not for a generation anyway.

If we suddenly started challenging for cups, even the league, right now, I’m not convinced we’d clear much more than low to mid 20s as an average (if the stadium was fit to hold that of course).

If we sustained that for a generation, we would maybe start to see it come to fruition and crowds of 30k or so. Until then, I don’t t think we’d get that close to it.

[MagicSwirlingShip]

I’d say the easiest stands to develop would be the South and West, as there is space to build into behind the stands. We would probably have issues with the flats overlooking the East objecting to a further increase in stand size. We could also probably do something with the North & East and South & West corners. Whether these options would be financially viable is another conversation though.

FWIW I’d rather develop the above than move to a new purpose built stadium on the outskirts of town.

[matty_f]

Great idea but need to fill it right now, until that happens regularly expansion won't happen.

Did you read the question?

[J-C]

Did you read the question?

I did but obviously not properly, so my apologies.

I think obviously the corners would be the most obvious, I think the East was built as a stand alone single tiered stand, would there be scope to add another tier onto it.

[Stubbsy90+2]

I did but obviously not properly, so my apologies.

I think obviously the corners would be the most obvious, I think the East was built as a stand alone single tiered stand, would there be scope to add another tier onto it.

I’d be stunned if we could add extra on top of the east. It would block out so much light for the flats behind.

I’m actually not all that convinced we could add that much more to the capacity. As .sean. said, the corners could prove pretty awkward to fill in and I’m not convinced we could go any higher.

[hibsforeurope]

As mentioned previously about capacity, I think we are around the 85% mark, certainly last year was about 87% average capacity.

I'd like to see the South West, South East and North East corners filled in, leaving the North West as emergency access. This would allow us more scope to rearrange the away section, put everyone (except hearts) in the corner.

As been said before an extra tier could be added to the West, plenty space out the back to bring the structure back, this would also increase the concourse size and allow more room for bigger changing rooms and more hospitality areas.

[BILLYHIBS]

I’m sure our friends in the west of the city could give us advice on building development.

Yip would certainly save on seats and windaes

[Keith_M]

The only 'straightforward' corner to build in is the North East.

North-West and South-East both have roads, and existing buildings opposite, that would prevent construction

The South-West could have a new corner section but it would either have to be smaller than the surrounding stands or have an overhanging upper tier, partly above the road.

The East Stand could accommodate a 2nd tier, but I'd imagine the owners of the housing behind it would object, so might not get past planning.

--

So we could maybe increase our capacity to around 22k, but probably not any higher.

[Kato]

Correct. New stands must have stairs to naewhere; we aren’t being outdone by them.Given the amount of bungles they had with that stand its only luck it ended up facing the pitch, (some might say unlucky, granted)

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[JeMeSouviens]

The only 'straightforward' corner to build in is the North East.

North-West and South-East both have roads, and existing buildings opposite, that would prevent construction

The South-West could have a new corner section but it would either have to be smaller than the surrounding stands or have an overhanging upper tier, partly above the road.

The East Stand could accommodate a 2nd tier, but I'd imagine the owners of the housing behind it would object, so might not get past planning.

--

So we could maybe increase our capacity to around 22k, but probably not any higher.

I'm not sure that's true. There was talk of a monster 3 tier stand when Scotland/Ireland were considering bidding for Euro 2008. When that didn't happen, Hibs sold the chunk of land that those flats sit on and then built the East. There's not much room to put much on top, espcially at the S end of it.

https://i.ibb.co/mTCWTVT/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-13-11-12.png

I think a 2 tier corner at the N/E corner and possibly single tier corners at S/E and S/W are about all we could realistically do.

[badabing67]

Depending on a number of things, the introduction of Safe Standing from seated areas can increase capacity in grounds. Not sure if possible with current areas at Easter Road, but in Germany for example they can accommodate more than one standing fan per seat space. This relies on an extra step being added at the back of each standing row, so depends on current depth of rows.

Dortmund's capacity with standing allowed is 81,365. For games where it has to be all seated the capacity reduces to 66,099 - so shows the difference it can make.


I see what you are saying, and one of those things would be the stands that have safe standing there will have been designed to with stand the weight of the extra capacity. I am not sure if that was included in the future proofing at ER. At the time of development here, legislation effectively enforced the construction of all seater stadiums. So for example if the FF was designed to hold a capacity of 4500 then that will be the capacity if it is all seated or safe standing. I think it would require a complete rebuild in the areas of the stadium where safe standing that can be converted to seating is an option. But I agree safe standing would be a way to increase capacity if you have limited space like we do. But would require new build(s) imo.

[chippy]

I'm not sure that's true. There was talk of a monster 3 tier stand when Scotland/Ireland were considering bidding for Euro 2008. When that didn't happen, Hibs sold the chunk of land that those flats sit on and then built the East. There's not much room to put much on top, espcially at the S end of it.

https://i.ibb.co/mTCWTVT/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-13-11-12.png

I think a 2 tier corner at the N/E corner and possibly single tier corners at S/E and S/W are about all we could realistically do.

I remember at that time that the 3 tier stand would have been a 3rd tier on the West stand. I don’t think the East stand mattered in that sense as that 3rd tier plus filling in corners would have given us 30k anyway

[JeMeSouviens]

I remember at that time that the 3 tier stand would have been a 3rd tier on the West stand. I don’t think the East stand mattered in that sense as that 3rd tier plus filling in corners would have given us 30k anyway


Easter Road
Location: Easter Road, Edinburgh.
Proposed capacity: 34,880.

Hibs have ambitious plans to extend Easter Road in order to be part of Euro 2008.

Their current capacity of just over 17,000 would be doubled, with the current east stand being replaced by a new three-tier stand.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2535419.stm

There's never been room for anything bigger at the West.

[Renfrew_Hibby]

Interesting that Newcastle are looking into putting an extra tier on their east stand. This is the much smaller side of the stadium which has a listed terrace in close proximity. It was previously thought that the limited space and reduced light would prohibit any expansion on that side but advances in architecture and modern design concepts means that these hurdles should be overcome.

[Hibee87]

3rd tier on the west would be great, stop us in the east being blinded by the sun at certain times :cool2:

[Alex Trager]

Anfield has/is undergoing stand reconstruction. Couldn’t we do similar?

[JeMeSouviens]

Interesting that Newcastle are looking into putting an extra tier on their east stand. This is the much smaller side of the stadium which has a listed terrace in close proximity. It was previously thought that the limited space and reduced light would prohibit any expansion on that side but advances in architecture and modern design concepts means that these hurdles should be overcome.

If they can do it there without knocking things down, then we could do it at ER. But it might be so expensive it's not worth it. Money for infra at NUFC isn't exactly a problem atm.

[Lago]

Why would it be needed?

[JeMeSouviens]

Why would it be needed?

Read the original post - fantasy reasons.

[Lago]

Read the original post - fantasy reasons.
Pointless post then.

[chippy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2535419.stm

There's never been room for anything bigger at the West.

Ok fair enough but I’m sure the west was to have a 3rd tier too

[worcesterhibby]

Pretty sure evacuation plan would allow exit onto the pitch which would help.

That's all very well, but what if the emergency is due to an incident on the pitch, such as Godzilla flying in (can Godzilla fly ?) or armed hoards from Tynie constructing a tunnel under the city and emerging through the centre circle mid-match in armoured Rover 400's with roof mounted maroon paint cannons. I'd want to get out of there quick before the nutters could get their driving glove clad hands round my throat !

[matty_f]

Pointless post then.

They're all pointless, really.

[worcesterhibby]

They're all pointless, really.

Pointless fun though.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Pointless post then.

Okay then, Mr Crabbit :na na:

[Kato]

That's all very well, but what if the emergency is due to an incident on the pitch, such as Godzilla flying in (can Godzilla fly ?) or armed hoards from Tynie constructing a tunnel under the city and emerging through the centre circle mid-match in armoured Rover 400's with roof mounted maroon paint cannons. I'd want to get out of there quick before the nutters could get their driving glove clad hands round my throat !No way could a group of jambos get it together to organise and build any such thing. I'd be more worried about Godzilla.

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[Iain G]

Put pylons in the 4 corners and suspend a roof above the ground to keep the seagulls out.

Open a brewery and bar in the famous five.

Invest in an AI laser targeting system that will evaporate any drums on sight.

And underfloor heating in the west to keep feet warm during winter.

[Hibernia&Alba]

No way could a group of jambos get it together to organise and build any such thing. I'd be more worried about Godzilla.

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Anne Budge?

[blackpoolhibs]

Now that we are minted, we dont need to bother about restrictions and planning, just do it and take the fines. :wink:

[overdrive]

I wonder if another tier could be added to the East/West without a substantial increase to the footprint. I don't think the footprint of the main stand at Ibrox increased much (if at all) when they added the Club Deck. Admittedly, I think you have to enter from either corner which has effectively stopped them filling in the corners on that side of the ground.

Perhaps a new tier overhanging the existing tier. Think about when you are at the Playhouse. There's a fair chunk of the stalls that are underneath the dress circle.

[scm70nyd1973]

It would, in an emergency the East could empty very quickly

That did actually happen in the South when the 6th goal went in circa October 2000.

[scm70nyd1973]

In this scenario, I think we’d have no option but to buy Tynecastle and install the world’s largest screen to beam live matches to our growing numbers of fans who couldn’t get a ticket for ER.

Hearts could become a feeder team or something. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, it would all be about building an Edinburgh club to dominate the uglies.


:wink:

And they’d be the biggest feeder team known to man who always try very very hard👍

[scm70nyd1973]

If we are talking fantasy then I fancy a stadium roof with drop down seats that are on wires which follow the ball around the pitch during the game (excluding kick outs which would be a health and safety issue).

Assuming this doesn’t get the go ahead then filling in the corners would be fine by me.

[Hibernia&Alba]

If we are talking fantasy then I fancy a stadium roof with drop down seats that are on wires which follow the ball around the pitch during the game (excluding kick outs which would be a health and safety issue).

Assuming this doesn’t get the go ahead then filling in the corners would be fine by me.

Just calm doon, you’re getting carried away. We’ll settle for a retractable roof and underseat heating, essential for Scottish winters. That would be lovely.

[scm70nyd1973]

Just calm doon, you’re getting carried away. We’ll settle for a retractable roof and underseat heating, essential for Scottish winters. That would be lovely.

Totally carried away, just a bit of fun - but reality called me back hence the second part of the post 🤭It would be a bit of a laugh though 🤭

[Renfrew_Hibby]

I wonder if another tier could be added to the East/West without a substantial increase to the footprint. I don't think the footprint of the main stand at Ibrox increased much (if at all) when they added the Club Deck. Admittedly, I think you have to enter from either corner which has effectively stopped them filling in the corners on that side of the ground.

Perhaps a new tier overhanging the existing tier. Think about when you are at the Playhouse. There's a fair chunk of the stalls that are underneath the dress circle.

Good point about the club deck at Ibrox. I'm sure it seats over 7,000 and it barely added any extra footprint to the stadium. Newcastle have similar but more modern ideas for their east side.

A small tier above the east, say 15 or 16 rows would add around 3,000 coupled with broadened and reconfigured North and South stands we'd be looking at just over 24,000 which imo would be about the right size of increase at this moment in time.

Over the last three decades our season ticket sales and general overall increase in crowds has mirrored the gradual increases in capacity and the overall growth in the greater Edinburgh population. An increase of 3-4K would be appropriate and allow the growth to continue over the next 10-15 years.

[scm70nyd1973]

Not in fantasy land (well maybe a wee bit)this time and not getting too carried away ( okay I am a wee bit) but if we could ever open our own micro brewery inside the ground and (when we can get back to drinking alcohol inside the ground) sell it at a decent price but still make a profit I’d be up for that. A fine selection of beers at decent prices would be very pleasant but only if it included a very tasty 6% hazy pale ale.

[overdrive]

Not in fantasy land (well maybe a wee bit)this time and not getting too carried away ( okay I am a wee bit) but if we could ever open our own micro brewery inside the ground and (when we can get back to drinking alcohol inside the ground) sell it at a decent price but still make a profit I’d be up for that. A fine selection of beers at decent prices would be very pleasant but only if it included a very tasty 6% hazy pale ale.

I was down at a Millwall match in August and there was a warehouse thing opposite the ground that they were using as a fan zone. I didn’t use it as we were booked into hospitality but it looked decent. Made me think that Hibs could buy up the plumbers merchants building on the corner of Hawkhill Avenue and St Clair Street and do something similar.

[worcesterhibby]

No way could a group of jambos get it together to organise and build any such thing. I'd be more worried about Godzilla.

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Maybe not, but an "attack tunnel" would be a good way for them to fritter away more millions. I wonder what they would forget to order ?

[Kato]

I wonder what they would forget to order ?

To build a tunnel? Probably tunneling equipment.

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[greenlex]

Maybe not, but an "attack tunnel" would be a good way for them to fritter away more millions. I wonder what they would forget to order ?
Definitely forget something. Wouldn’t worry about a tunnel tho it’s guaranteed to go to nowhere. Probably pop up in the middle of the firth of forth.

[Mibbes Aye]

That's a great idea, it would be a replacement for the open air pull at portobello 😂

Exactly. On match days we drain the water away to reveal a retractable floor/ roof under which lies a pristine pitch. Connery-era Bond villain lair stuff, loads of hapless henchmen patrolling in green and white boiler suits and guns

And on those days we pump the water up to Princes Street Gardens, recreating The Nor Loch, enhancing the city as a tourist attraction. Your average punter can spend the morning with a visit the Castle, take a flume down to the pedalos in the Loch, then the Metro to the Cabbage Bowl for an afternoon’s football entertainment in what I suspect may be Scotland’s first under sea-level football venue.

[Mibbes Aye]

Out of interest, why is the ticket office a listed building? There must be a history to it, but it seems small and unremarkable on the face of it.

On a serious note, I wonder if the ticket office is linked to the main Norton Park building (the one that is a base for third sector organisations). That is definitely listed and I think that extends beyond the main building itself.

[Bridge hibs]

This thread has gone a bit silly, I don't think we can really expand Easter Road by much so I think we should just buy Lothian buses depot at Seafield and build a super duper stadium there

At least the stench from the nearby sewerage works would mask smell from visiting jambos and the Glasgow pair 🤮

[Stonewall]

The corner between the FF and West stand is problematic to fill in due to the road, I always wondered if it would be possible to build in such a way to have the road run under a stand extension in the corner

Athletico Madrid used to have a stand at one end built over the a road which ran at 90 degrees to the pitch.,I think it’s now been rebuilt so I don’t know if that is still the case.

[Bridge hibs]

Just divert the FF road in front of trackside, if its good enough for the Slovakians 🫢 27410

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

Demolish ER and build a multi purpose stadium somewhere else that would be fit for purpose and commercially profitable.

[hibstag]

The easy and most popular thing would be to fill in the corners.

Back in the old days when the new East was opened I was quite chummy with a few directors through the Working Together thing. We, or maybe just me if Matty doesn't remember, were told that the East had been future proofed and that it would be possible to build a second tier on top (obviously 😉) if it became necessary.

This makes sense the spaces at the side and rear for access and support pillars, a bit like the north stand at hampden where hospitality and kiosk space was added for the commonwealth games.

[Hibbyradge]

This thread has gone a bit silly, I don't think we can really expand Easter Road by much so I think we should just buy Lothian buses depot at Seafield and build a super duper stadium there

At least the stench from the nearby sewerage works would mask smell from visiting jambos and the Glasgow pair 🤮

Nah, buy Meadowbank and all the surrounding land including City's pitch and build something special there.

Then find a suitable space and build a nice wee stadium for Edinburgh City.

[Hibbyradge]

When's the podcast about this going to be available, Matty? :greengrin

[McD]

Maybe not, but an "attack tunnel" would be a good way for them to fritter away more millions. I wonder what they would forget to order ?



Lights? Heids are buried in the sand most of the time anyway right enough…

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

Is there still land down at Newhaven, Western Harbour way that could house a cracking stadium?

[darwenhibby]

Move to Murrayfield??

[Glory Lurker]

I hope I've missed mention of the helipad, and it's not just that this place has gone soft.

[matty_f]

When's the podcast about this going to be available, Matty? :greengrin

Just waiting on Hibs letting us use the purpose built podcasting studio in the new stand...

[superfurryhibby]

Anyone hazard a guess as to the current value of Hibs if the Gordon's wanted to sell their stake, what would it take?

[Eyrie]

I hope I've missed mention of the helipad, and it's not just that this place has gone soft.

Should have been the very first response.

[Bridge hibs]

Just waiting on Hibs letting us use the purpose built podcasting studio in the new stand...

Complete with escape rooms 🫢

[matty_f]

Complete with escape rooms 🫢

As club mouthpiece, I insisted that the podcast studio double up as an escape room for match days. :agree:

[Moulin Yarns]

Athletico Madrid used to have a stand at one end built over the a road which ran at 90 degrees to the pitch.,I think it’s now been rebuilt so I don’t know if that is still the case.

Think it was the main stand. I've been in the stand opposite.

[wookie70]

I hope I've missed mention of the helipad, and it's not just that this place has gone soft. We will paint a big "H" on the runway

[leith lynx]

Out of interest, why is the ticket office a listed building? There must be a history to it, but it seems small and unremarkable on the face of it.

When I was at Leith Academy it was used as a woodwork/metalwork workshop for the school (old Norton Park)

[BILLYHIBS]

Any updates on where I can park my helicopter?

[Jamesie]

I was down at a Millwall match in August and there was a warehouse thing opposite the ground that they were using as a fan zone. I didn’t use it as we were booked into hospitality but it looked decent. Made me think that Hibs could buy up the plumbers merchants building on the corner of Hawkhill Avenue and St Clair Street and do something similar.

Brownfield site adjacent to the stadium which housed the old Portlee Resource Centre (more recently the covid testing centre) is custom designed for such needs. Hibs should get involved.

[Iain G]

Complete with escape rooms 🫢

A number of panic rooms for some of our glass half empty supporters maybe? 😁

[Bridge hibs]

A number of panic rooms for some of our glass half empty supporters maybe? 😁

I think also with regards exiting the stadium it would make sense to have Firemans/Firepersons poles (ooer missus) and slides, that would appeal to us big bairns 🫢

[Waxy]

A number of panic rooms for some of our glass half empty supporters maybe? 😁

Half empty/half full.
Same thing

[Iain G]

Half empty/half full.
Same thing

Fence sitter!

[Iain G]

I think also with regards exiting the stadium it would make sense to have Firemans/Firepersons poles (ooer missus) and slides, that would appeal to us big bairns 🫢

A zipline from the top of the stand to the Old Eastway Tap maybe?

[Johnny Clash]

Nottingham Forest are looking to fill in their corners by recycling used shipping containers. They got the idea from ‘Stadium 974’ which was built for the World Cup in Qatar using 974 shipping containers. Apparently it’s a safe, affordable method and it has a green side to it by recycling existing containers.

[CentreLine]

Nottingham Forest are looking to fill in their corners by recycling used shipping containers. They got the idea from ‘Stadium 974’ which was built for the World Cup in Qatar using 974 shipping containers. Apparently it’s a safe, affordable method and it has a green side to it by recycling existing containers.

Good point. Apparently, since we left the EU there is now a shipping container mountain that has no disposal route. I was on The Isle of Lewis recently and lots of people are finding them a very cheep option to turn in to weaving sheds. They’re almost being given away. I knew there must be a positive from leaving the EU.

[Kato]

Fence sitter!We need to install the fence first.

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[Moulin Yarns]

Nottingham Forest are looking to fill in their corners by recycling used shipping containers. They got the idea from ‘Stadium 974’ which was built for the World Cup in Qatar using 974 shipping containers. Apparently it’s a safe, affordable method and it has a green side to it by recycling existing containers.

2 corners at the trent end, which coincidentally has a road under it. 👍

[nonshinyfinish]

Athletico Madrid used to have a stand at one end built over the a road which ran at 90 degrees to the pitch.,I think it’s now been rebuilt so I don’t know if that is still the case.

That was their old ground, the Vicente Calderón:

https://img2.rtve.es/i/?w=1600&i=1696241242432.jpg

It wasn't rebuilt – they moved to a new ground so it was knocked down.

[Renfrew_Hibby]

That was their old ground, the Vicente Calderón:

https://img2.rtve.es/i/?w=1600&i=1696241242432.jpg

It wasn't rebuilt – they moved to a new ground so it was knocked down.

The main stand at Villa Park sits over a road as well.

[Iain G]

Nottingham Forest are looking to fill in their corners by recycling used shipping containers. They got the idea from ‘Stadium 974’ which was built for the World Cup in Qatar using 974 shipping containers. Apparently it’s a safe, affordable method and it has a green side to it by recycling existing containers.

Hearts are looking at filling in their corners, but the best they have is a Craig Levein ****ting container from 1986, still, it's a start.

[overdrive]

Hearts are looking at filling in their corners, but the best they have is a Craig Levein ****ting container from 1986, still, it's a start.

That might do a better job at preventing their stands falling down than the floodlights do to be fair

[Hibs4185]

Nottingham Forest are looking to fill in their corners by recycling used shipping containers. They got the idea from ‘Stadium 974’ which was built for the World Cup in Qatar using 974 shipping containers. Apparently it’s a safe, affordable method and it has a green side to it by recycling existing containers.

We would no longer be peg selling hobos….wed be shipping container selling spoonburners

[Keith_M]

I'm not sure that's true. There was talk of a monster 3 tier stand when Scotland/Ireland were considering bidding for Euro 2008. When that didn't happen, Hibs sold the chunk of land that those flats sit on and then built the East. There's not much room to put much on top, espcially at the S end of it.

https://i.ibb.co/mTCWTVT/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-13-11-12.png



Yeah you're right. I imagined that area behind the East as much wider than it actually is.


OK, so just the new rail seating in the North East corner then

[Renfrew_Hibby]

Yeah you're right. I imagined that area behind the East as much wider than it actually is.


OK, so just the new rail seating in the North East corner then

Plenty of room there for an extra tier. Look what was achieved at Ibrox with the club deck or consider that Newcastle want to expand their east side with not much more room than we have.

[patlowe]

For those saying we wouldn't fill a bigger ground, obviously there is a tipping point and perhaps bigger capacity is not an immediate priority, but the idea our support has room to grow further is not completely insane. I well remember dissenting voices at previous expansions (we won't fill it, concentrate on the pitch etc) and I think those views have been proven to be very misplaced.

[hibsforeurope]

Yeah you're right. I imagined that area behind the East as much wider than it actually is.


OK, so just the new rail seating in the North East corner then

The issue would be the height reducing light to the flats rather than having enough space to add the tier. structures could be built at the sides to support the 2nd tier and it could sit above some of the existing seats, sure Murrayfield and many larger stadiums have similar overhangs of seats above the lower deck.

[Mon Dieu4]

The issue would be the height reducing light to the flats rather than having enough space to add the tier. structures could be built at the sides to support the 2nd tier and it could sit above some of the existing seats, sure Murrayfield and many larger stadiums have similar overhangs of seats above the lower deck.

Plenty of planning permission has been granted in Leith recently that blocks the light of the houses/flats opposite, doesn't seem to be an issue if your brown envelope is fat enough it seems

[overdrive]

Plenty of planning permission has been granted in Leith recently that blocks the light of the houses/flats opposite, doesn't seem to be an issue if your brown envelope is fat enough it seems

Or do a Liverpool and slowly buy up all the houses either to influence planning permission, or as in the Liverpool case, bulldoze them for the stadium. Bit perverse since we actually sold the land they are on and would probably spend more buying them up but this is a fantasy world.

A former colleague had trouble selling her flat there due to the cladding scandal. I don't know if that's still an issue but if it is (in the fantasy world, of course), it would encourage people to sell.

Off topic but this is reminding me of a game I had years ago called Ultimate Soccer Manager. It was like part-Championship/Football Manager, part-the business simulation game you had to do as part of Standard Grade Business Management back in the day. You were basically chairman and manager all rolled into one. You could demolish the stands and build new ones. You could demolish the club shop and build a bigger one to improve sales, etc. You could mess around with the price of tickets. You were also the treasury manager, looking after the bank account, etc.

[TrinityHFC]

It would, in an emergency the East could empty very quickly

Not sure about that. It isn’t the actual exit that causes the delay, it is the fact that all the rows have to completely empty before you can move down the stairs. There’s no room for folk coming out and people moving down. It would be a bit quicker but I think it would still be an issue getting down quickly from the back.

[Since90+2]

Not sure about that. It isn’t the actual exit that causes the delay, it is the fact that all the rows have to completely empty before you can move down the stairs. There’s no room for folk coming out and people moving down. It would be a bit quicker but I think it would still be an issue getting down quickly from the back.

It would empty far quicker if people went onto the pitch. Part of the issue is the block when it gets to the exits, wouldn't happen if they were running onto a big open field.

[gbhibby]

Not sure about that. It isn’t the actual exit that causes the delay, it is the fact that all the rows have to completely empty before you can move down the stairs. There’s no room for folk coming out and people moving down. It would be a bit quicker but I think it would still be an issue getting down quickly from the back.
The pitch is an escape route in an emergency would be part of any emergency planning

[TrinityHFC]

The pitch is an escape route in an emergency

I know that. I’m just not convinced the actual exits are a big part of the issue but hopefully we’ll never find out.

[matty_f]

I know that. I’m just not convinced the actual exits are a big part of the issue but hopefully we’ll never find out.

They definitely are, they create bottlenecks.

I can see the East empty every match and the exits definitely slow things a lot.

[TrinityHFC]

They definitely are, they create bottlenecks.

I can see the East empty every match and the exits definitely slow things a lot.

I was going to say I’d head over the seats anyway but I sometimes forget that I just have to wake up these days to get an injury.

[ElginHibee]

I was going to say I’d head over the seats anyway but I sometimes forget that I just have to wake up these days to get an injury.

You need to wake up? :eek:

[TrinityHFC]

You need to wake up? :eek:

Fair point. Probably not.

[Onceinawhile]

Anfield has/is undergoing stand reconstruction. Couldn’t we do similar?

Personally id rather we didn't rip the heart out of the community near the stadium just to add a few thousand seats.

[matty_f]

I was going to say I’d head over the seats anyway but I sometimes forget that I just have to wake up these days to get an injury.

Haha!! Same here. I'm resigned to the fact that, with a seat in the second back row of the West upper, I'm not getting out if there's an emergency!

[matty_f]

Personally id rather we didn't rip the heart out of the community near the stadium just to add a few thousand seats.

Would it rip the heart out of the community??

[DstN75]

Or do a Liverpool and slowly buy up all the houses either to influence planning permission, or as in the Liverpool case, bulldoze them for the stadium. Bit perverse since we actually sold the land they are on and would probably spend more buying them up but this is a fantasy world.

A former colleague had trouble selling her flat there due to the cladding scandal. I don't know if that's still an issue but if it is (in the fantasy world, of course), it would encourage people to sell.

Off topic but this is reminding me of a game I had years ago called Ultimate Soccer Manager. It was like part-Championship/Football Manager, part-the business simulation game you had to do as part of Standard Grade Business Management back in the day. You were basically chairman and manager all rolled into one. You could demolish the stands and build new ones. You could demolish the club shop and build a bigger one to improve sales, etc. You could mess around with the price of tickets. You were also the treasury manager, looking after the bank account, etc.

I remember Ultimate Soccer Manager! Ver vaguely through the mists of time. But I recall it massively rewarded initial bold investment in stuff like bigger stands and club shop and then suddenly you'd find yourself with a Man U style superstore and a 40k stadium at Rotherham.

[Michael]

I think the stadium is pretty much perfect as it is. At the moment we can sell out high profile matches, but for the other games there are seats available. This makes season tickets attractive, but also is an opportunity for other fans to attend games.

[ScottB]

If money was no object, we could always buy up the industrial estate just down the street and build a new stadium there…

[nonshinyfinish]

Plenty of planning permission has been granted in Leith recently that blocks the light of the houses/flats opposite, doesn't seem to be an issue if your brown envelope is fat enough it seems

A few years back we were considering extending our house and the builder we spoke to said that the 'right to light' was no longer part of planning permission – obviously people could still object on that basis, but it's not the slam-dunk objection that it used to be.

This was in England – don't know if the rules are different in Scotland (or if the what the guy said was accurate anyway).

[Moulin Yarns]

A few years back we were considering extending our house and the builder we spoke to said that the 'right to light' was no longer part of planning permission – obviously people could still object on that basis, but it's not the slam-dunk objection that it used to be.

This was in England – don't know if the rules are different in Scotland (or if the what the guy said was accurate anyway).

There is no right to light, but planning will consider it.

[Onceinawhile]

Would it rip the heart out of the community??

If we buy up houses, leave them empty to go derelict, forcing house prices down so more people have no option hut to leave? (Which is what Liverpool did)

Yes, that would rip the heart out of the local community.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I think the stadium is pretty much perfect as it is. At the moment we can sell out high profile matches, but for the other games there are seats available. This makes season tickets attractive, but also is an opportunity for other fans to attend games.

When it comes to stadiums its not all about capacity, how it looks and the atmosphere also matter.

With the corners filled in and the stand roofs extended to be nearer the edges of the pitch Easter Road would be a far better stadium.

[Hibbyradge]

If we buy up houses, leave them empty to go derelict, forcing house prices down so more people have no option hut to leave? (Which is what Liverpool did)

Yes, that would rip the heart out of the local community.

I'd be renting the houses out until it was demolition time.

[Iain G]

If we buy up houses, leave them empty to go derelict, forcing house prices down so more people have no option hut to leave? (Which is what Liverpool did)

Yes, that would rip the heart out of the local community.

Which houses adjacent to ER would we be buying? 🤷🏻

[matty_f]

Which houses adjacent to ER would we be buying? 🤷🏻

And how many?

[Aldo]

During pre season ECC, the emergency services and Hibs safety officer inspect all aspects of the ground. Once ECC and the emergency services are happy the Safety Certificate for the season is signed by ECC and issued.

In this respect all exits/entrances etc will have passed any relevant inspection and deemed fit.

Hibs, like other professional teams in Scotland, will require safety plans which cover pretty much every eventuality.

[Onceinawhile]

Which houses adjacent to ER would we be buying? 🤷🏻

Someone mentioned buying up either the properties on albion place or the properties behind the east.