1 pm kick off times, November to March

If them figures are correct then it’s absolutely madness to change the kick off time when we are currently averaging around 3000 pay on the gate customers per match.

 

Sounds like the mini budget? Uncosted, finger in the air economics all over again?

 

Probably more than that, this article shouldn't be used as a blanket statement for how much games will cost every team. Floodlights aren't ever on for just the 2 hours fans will be in the ground for. Around December up until January, when it's dark around 3pm, they'll be switching on around 2ish when fans enter the ground, then they stay on well after the game is played. By the time everyone clears out after 5, the subs go out for a warm up, press on the pitchside doing their interviews and radio are on in the stands until 6pm. The lights will be on for 4-5 hours a matchday.

That £300 per hour was to run the lights at Spotland. Which has the 4 floodlight rigs, plus not included in that would be turning on the lights in the terraces, again running for hours. If you compare that to VP, our lighting rigs look much bigger than the ones at spotland. But the 3 lighting rigs are combined with the entire top of the Kop and Sunwin stands have lights all across them facing the pitch that need to be switched on. Unlike spotland with just 4 small stands, we also have lights across the ceiling for the two tiers of fans in our bigger stands. We also have large hospitality rooms and bars in the Sunwin open until 6, think you can get in from 1 if theres a speaker and a meal on, otherwise its 2pm.

This articles headline is relevant, but the bigger takeaway is that it's going to cost an estimated £240,000 in energy bills this season to run Spotland. Split that across the 23 home games, Rochdale on average will spend nearly £10.5K a match in energy. Valley Parade had shed loads more lights for the pitch, as well as in the stands, more kiosk using gas and electric, theres not a chance we will be paying the Spotland rates, imagine it's much much more. An extra 90-120 mins of natural light across those 3 months could make a world of difference to some clubs.

 

We wait to see what the clubs “position is” they are consulting the fans

 

There's a meeting taking place today where this will be discussed but think it will be unlikely there will be a unanimous agreement one way or the other so will be up to clubs to agree on a game by game basis. If we are going to trial it then I'd go for the Crawley game on 29th October then it gives us 3 weeks until the next home league match and it won't have much impact on the away fans plus they will probably be saying overnight eitherway. In between November - March we have 8 3pm kick offs and all of them apart from Colchester are within 2 hours drive away so the impact on away fans might not be too bad. If clubs are wanting to move but concerned about some fans not attending I don't see why they can't move it to 12:45pm then it can be on iFollow.

 

Not sure where you have seen the lights all the way across the top of the main stand and kop facing the pitch

 

Not all i was saying, my point more was when you said.... "which bands about the figure of £300 per hour for floodlights. If it is £600 per game for seven matches, then the potential saving of moving the games would be £4,200. That is the equivalent of 30 spectators paying the early bird price of £20 entry."... isn't really relevant to City.

1) because it's not for 2 hours, it's a the minimum double that time for a normal 3pm KO. But 2), the potential saving of moving games is not £4,200, thats the potential saving of not having the floodlights on for two hours, at a stadium much smaller than Valley Parade, that £300p/h is pretty much irrelevant to every club other than Rochdale, as every other ground will have a different floodlight setup. When the EFL decide the course of action, it wont be just floodlight costs, it will be the whole stadium costs that they'll take into consideration. Saying its only just over 4 grand paints that it's pointless to move, when in fact it will costs way more than that. The difference and hour or even 90 minutes or natural light to some small grounds will be crucial, if they have to have the energy on on full whack at 2-6pm than it will 12-4pm.

I get The Athletic article is the only real source that fans have had from the interview with the Rochdale fella, which is something the club should have thought about. It's pointless offering the fans a survey with incredibly little information to base the move on. If City wanted the fans to have a voice, they should have given the fans some data. But the real cost per game was buried in the article, rather than the headline which focused on one aspect.

 

Don’t forget all of the stairwells have lighting - even in the day. They are in the dark, like the toilets, and all that needs powering from 1pm when stewards arrive, until 6 pm or so, whenever the last fans leave. Granted, the floodlights are the main expense and would be the only cost we can save by moving kick off times. The other lights have to be on even if we kicked off at 1 pm.

 

Thats what i'm saying. I think the club asking for opinions is fair enough but they have have at least put out some data. Even the Rochdale bloke gave out the season estimates of the cost of running their ground. Asking fans based on little is just going to be an emotional response, which probably doesn't help business.

They might be done with their meeting, EFL owners and execs were at the Bescott for the meeting and in the last 20 or so, Gary Neville has been active on twitter as has Dale Vince.

 

Add it to the ever growing list of outrages that "Outraged From Horsforth" can write to the Times about.

 

Damn right.

 

Maybe it’s not just the floodlights though ???? The lights in the concourses and other areas may be used as well ............. I ain’t trying to defend the club but I seriously cannot see it just being £600 a game ..............

 

It is just the floodlighting though, as previously suggested all the other lighting would be just as necessary at 1.00pm as much as 3.00pm, along with fans work and family arrangements then the 3.00pm option remains preferable.

 

That ones put to bed then.