Smallest stadium in the English Premier League?

I'm wondering, what's the smallest anyone's managed to have a stadium when promoted to the EPL?

I just got Ashford Town into the Premier League via the playoffs and my stadium is 2550 with 150 seated. Couldn't expand old stadium, and new 14877 seater won't be completed for another year.

Will I even be allowed into the League? :confused:

wow in real life i would guess you definatley wouldnt be allowed but i'd imagine in game it will be fine

Congratz tho

wow in real life i would guess you definatley wouldnt be allowed but i'd imagine in game it will be fine

Congratz tho

Thanks. 5 successive promotions backed by my Polish tycoon.

ooo nice Good luck in premiership! Just read your getting new stadium..my bad Let me know if they re-locate you for few months haa

Should be 12,000 I think. You would probably ground share in real life, not sure about FM.

Barnet have a pretty small stadium. Can fit in about 5'500 max. Although it's never really above 2'500!

ooo nice Good luck in premiership! Just read your getting new stadium..my bad Let me know if they re-locate you for few months haa

I can't imagine where they'd locate to. They're based in Middlesex... Would have to go to a London team maybe. Arsenal or Spurs. :confused:

Hmm. No relocation or anything.

Maybe SI can look at this for future reference. For example, stadiums have to be up to certain standards to move up divisions or to share a stadium with another club......

So would the board be required by the FA to increase the capacity of their stadium, even if it's beyond their financial means? I mean if your club was not taken over by a tycoon. Would the club be essentially required to go into dept to borrow money in order to expand the stadium?

No i think that if you cant finance it then you should have to ground share with someone in the league, which in effect could benefit both clubs financially

I can't imagine where they'd locate to. They're based in Middlesex... Would have to go to a London team maybe. Arsenal or Spurs. :confused:

Surely somewhere like Twickenham would be better!

I really hope i get a new stadium, my 4000 with 250 seating isn't big enough, just going up to league 1. We're you asking for a bigger stadium? And if you were what responses were you getting?

I even over sold my stadium had 4700 there for fa cup fourth round match. Oh and one more question, how much money you have in the bank when they said they'd beuild it or was it completely finances by the tycoon?

It's strange that you didn't get a ground share if you are in Middlesex. I got a ground share when I was King's Lynn and I had to play games at the then 30k seater Carrow Road, Norwich City's ground, despite it being 44 miles away. I actually ground shared for 2 season before my 18k seater stadium was ready, then after one season I was ground sharing again as they added something like another 10k seats.

I really hope i get a new stadium, my 4000 with 250 seating isn't big enough, just going up to league 1. We're you asking for a bigger stadium? And if you were what responses were you getting?

I even over sold my stadium had 4700 there for fa cup fourth round match. Oh and one more question, how much money you have in the bank when they said they'd beuild it or was it completely finances by the tycoon?

Assuming you're talking to me, the stadium couldn't be expanded despite me continually asking from the BSS days until L1. After I got promoted to the Championship however I got a new stadium, and although I had about £20mil in the bank, I think it was all out of the tycoon's own pocket.

I'm looking forward to this

Maybe SI can look at this for future reference. For example, stadiums have to be up to certain standards to move up divisions or to share a stadium with another club......

I always thought it was implemented in the game that you couldn't get promoted if your stadium wasn't an all seater?

I'm convinced this was in a previous version of the game.

I always thought it was implemented in the game that you couldn't get promoted if your stadium wasn't an all seater?

I'm convinced this was in a previous version of the game.

I'm pretty sure i saw somebody talking about this a while ago and the official line was that they didn't want to penalise the player for being succesful therefore stadium quality caps were not included. Makes sense really but don't quote me on this.

I'm pretty sure i saw somebody talking about this a while ago and the official line was that they didn't want to penalise the player for being succesful therefore stadium quality caps were not included. Makes sense really but don't quote me on this.

Ah yes that sounds familiar.

haha wicked, short lane ground is a 2 min walk from my house...

nice one!

i remember a good few years ago (like 8 maybe) when accrington stanley won the conference division but werent allowed to join the football league because their ground was not up to league standards and the club directors couldnt get finance to improve it to get there. a big shame because the following season they spent loads of money towards the end of the season improving it on the assumption they would win again but ended up not getting promoted and then struggled for money for a while

it is something that needs to be implemented into the game i think, but i also think the board need to be a bit less "no-like" and more giving with money on some things that are important.

for example (and i know its a big switch from bottom to top) but when man utd were filling the ground every game all the time it didnt take much to get the board to enlarge the stadium because they know they can get more and it will pay off in the long run (and they are indeed thinking about doing it again)

I think your reffering to Stevenage Borough

But stevenage's ground is big enough to get into league 2. It's somethin like a 5000 capacity? some in L2 with alot less than that.

Had a situation like that in Scotland. Falkirk* won the Division 1 Title but couldn't get promoted due to their stadium. Saved Aberdeen from relegation iirc.

*This may be BS. The whole thing actually

Is this Kent's Ashford Town or Middlesex's Ashford Town?

Is this Kent's Ashford Town or Middlesex's Ashford Town?

Middlesex.

If they do implement such a rule to prevent to you from going up without the stadium requirements then they would need to ensure that the common workaround solution is in the game. You don't have the stadium but are willing to upgrade/build a new one due to your status in the higher league so you temporarily have a ground sharing arrangement with a reasonably near by team that does have a bigger stadium.

But stevenage's ground is big enough to get into league 2. It's somethin like a 5000 capacity? some in L2 with alot less than that.

If I recall correctly Broadhall Way was an absolute dump and they did not get planning permission in time to be promoted to Division 3 (95-96 season). Since then they had the FA Cup tie with Newcastle, made a few bob and upgraded their ground. Hence why yes... it would seem strange that the ground isn't good enough for League Two but trust me, it used to be baaad.

English minimum ground requirements (basic, doesn't include facilities such as number of toilets, turnstiles etc)...

PREMIER LEAGUE - 15,000 all seated with under soil heating

CHAMPIONSHIP - All seated (within three years if newly promoted to this level)

FOOTBALL LEAGUE - 4000 capacity with 1000 seats

Ground requirements were last enforced in 01/02. Why were they even taken out?

I think your reffering to Stevenage Borough

It also happened to Altrincham and Macclesfield Town prior to Stevenage.

The ironic and sad thing about those two is that Chester City had used both Moss Lane and The Moss Rose for league football when they were having ground issues.

PREMIER LEAGUE - 15,000 all seated with under soil heating

Is under-soil heating non-negotionable, as Birmingham and a current Premier League team (maybe Fulham?) don't have it?

It also happened to Altrincham and Macclesfield Town prior to Stevenage.

The ironic and sad thing about those two is that Chester City had used both Moss Lane and The Moss Rose for league football when they were having ground issues.

Also happened to my local team St. Albans, a few years ago (though that was Ryman to Conference). Don't know why they objected to a huge tree pretty much on the pitch and overhanging behind a goal Oh and the ground was, erm..., crap!

English minimum ground requirements (basic, doesn't include facilities such as number of toilets, turnstiles etc)...

PREMIER LEAGUE - 15,000 all seated with under soil heating

CHAMPIONSHIP - All seated (within three years if newly promoted to this level)

FOOTBALL LEAGUE - 4000 capacity with 1000 seats

Ground requirements were last enforced in 01/02. Why were they even taken out?

soemone forgot to mention that to Preston then, they went 5 years in the championship with a standing only stand

I got relegated.

If this is reimplemented in the game, i think it will be good for the chairman to told you before the season that the ground did not meet the requirement so no promotion is expected this season.

And of course you should not get play off games to get "promoted".

Ground requirements were last enforced in 01/02. Why were they even taken out?

They were taken out as at the lower league levels it was impossible to ever get promoted. If you were in the Conference and your stadium wasn't good enough for the league you could never get promoted. The board would never upgrade the stadium as you couldn't get enough money in the bank for them to agree or if you could get an upgrade you went bankrupt paying for it. Maybe now it would be possible to program it into the game but I think it'd be too complicated, expensive and buggy to bother with.

Is under-soil heating non-negotionable, as Birmingham and a current Premier League team (maybe Fulham?) don't have it?

I think Fulham is fine. Atleast in the game that have under-soil heating.

As far as I'm aware Premiership regulations state that stadiums must be 100% seating (i.e no terracing). I don't believe there is a capacity or facilities restriction.

I also read somewhere that as Fulham were promoted with an insufficient stadium they had two years to change it. And that in the game this manifests itself as an all-seater by the end of the second year (I am intrigued if there is a code to kick you out). Sadly as I've learnt in my Ramsgate game it doesn't guarantee more seats. Oh well I'm sure Bayern will be happy to visit my 4000 seater stadium.

I got relegated.

So you have already played the season? What stadium were you playing at while the new stadium was being built?

They were taken out as at the lower league levels it was impossible to ever get promoted. If you were in the Conference and your stadium wasn't good enough for the league you could never get promoted. The board would never upgrade the stadium as you couldn't get enough money in the bank for them to agree or if you could get an upgrade you went bankrupt paying for it. Maybe now it would be possible to program it into the game but I think it'd be too complicated, expensive and buggy to bother with.

Rubbish.

I managed Northwich in one save. I won the Conference next season but was denied promotion because the ground was too small.

I won the league again the following season, but in the meantime the board had expanded the ground.

http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/7a/20/0,,12306~139386,00.pdf

Section I Rule 27 reads thus...

Each Club shall provide and maintain at its registered ground an undersoil heating system or

some other adequate system of pitch protection to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board

which shall be operated to the extent necessary to procure, so far as is reasonably possible,

that the pitch is playable on the occasion of each home League Match.

Bath Palace is correct in that there is no minimum capacity requirement now (though there did used to be the 15,000 minimum). All stadia must be all seated, and there are a whole host of rules (see link above) regarding facilities for everyone, ranging from coaches to press to supporters.

irl about 12 years ago stevenage couldn't get promoted from the conference to league 2 due to some stadium irregularity if i remember correctly

i felt sorry for them they destroyed that league that year

Rubbish.

I managed Northwich in one save. I won the Conference next season but was denied promotion because the ground was too small.

I won the league again the following season, but in the meantime the board had expanded the ground.

Every time I managed it, we either went bankrupt or never got a new stadium. Saying it was impossible was obviously a massive exaggeration it was very very difficult if you picked the wrong club to manage. I just think that in this case fun takes preference over complete realism.

On one of the later CM (before FM 05 I mean) I got Queen of the South to the Scottish Premier League.

My stadium was magically transformed overnight into a 10,000 all seater, the minimum requirement back then, at a cost of 6 million, which the club didn't have.

Irl a club with less than 6,000 seats (new minimum requirement) would be refused entry unless they can convince the SPL their stadium will be ready in a timely manner. The only case so far was when Inverness ground-shared with Aberdeen for the 1st 6 months of their 1st SPL season.

Not sure if the same rules apply in the EPL, but thought I'd share all the same.

So would the board be required by the FA to increase the capacity of their stadium, even if it's beyond their financial means? I mean if your club was not taken over by a tycoon. Would the club be essentially required to go into dept to borrow money in order to expand the stadium?

A few seasons ago (2004-05 i think) Hucknall Town stormed the Unibond Premier (i.e. BSN) but the ground wasn't up to BSP standards. The necessary work was too expensive and extensive for one summer, so 2nd placed Droylsden went up.

You'd be gutted if it happened to you on FM, but i'd personally like it added. A mate of mine has Guiseley in L1 with no pending expansion from their 3,000 stadium.

So you have already played the season? What stadium were you playing at while the new stadium was being built?

I stayed at my old small stadium, weirdly. New stadium was completed in following pre-season.

I stayed at my old small stadium, weirdly. New stadium was completed in following pre-season.

So now you have a brand new stadium???

But you are back in the Championship for the 1st season in the new stadium... unlucky

Had a situation like that in Scotland. Falkirk* won the Division 1 Title but couldn't get promoted due to their stadium. Saved Aberdeen from relegation iirc.

*This may be BS. The whole thing actually

they saved motherwell from relegation, although i would have liked to see the "mighty" dons go down

I`m playing Dorchester and in season 2017, I have achieved promotion to the prem. In the years leading upto this they have expanded the stadium twice, going from about 5000 too 7000 with about 700 seats, those being in the expansion. I have asked the board to expanded the stadium, but i`m told that the council won`t give planning permission. So at present i`m ground sharing with Portsmouth, while they fit 2500 new seats.

So i`ll have about 3200 seats total. That is about half the total size. No undersoil heating either.

Crazy when we have 15 mil in the bank plus the 29 mil for tv rights, and the increased revenue from ground sharing.

Maybe next year they will build a new stadium!

I`m playing Dorchester and in season 2017, I have achieved promotion to the prem. In the years leading upto this they have expanded the stadium twice, going from about 5000 too 7000 with about 700 seats, those being in the expansion. I have asked the board to expanded the stadium, but i`m told that the council won`t give planning permission. So at present i`m ground sharing with Portsmouth, while they fit 2500 new seats.

So i`ll have about 3200 seats total. That is about half the total size. No undersoil heating either.

Crazy when we have 15 mil in the bank plus the 29 mil for tv rights, and the increased revenue from ground sharing.

Maybe next year they will build a new stadium!

Good luck!

I made it to the Prem with a 5000 capacity (1300 seated) and played like that for two seasons while the new ground was being built

irl about 12 years ago stevenage couldn't get promoted from the conference to league 2 due to some stadium irregularity if i remember correctly

i felt sorry for them they destroyed that league that year

Good to see you follow the thread. That was mentioned many posts previously.

On one of the later CM (before FM 05 I mean) I got Queen of the South to the Scottish Premier League.

My stadium was magically transformed overnight into a 10,000 all seater, the minimum requirement back then, at a cost of 6 million, which the club didn't have.

Irl a club with less than 6,000 seats (new minimum requirement) would be refused entry unless they can convince the SPL their stadium will be ready in a timely manner. The only case so far was when Inverness ground-shared with Aberdeen for the 1st 6 months of their 1st SPL season.

Not sure if the same rules apply in the EPL, but thought I'd share all the same.

Gretna too for their sole season in the SPL.