Building a new Stadium - I need some answers!!!

[Tommy Ayton]

Ok, im in my 7th season as Rotherham Utd manager, and my fourth season in the PL after 3 successive promotions. My ground is called The New York Stadium and as of 4 years ago ( my 1st season in the PL) the capacity is 20'000 After 2 upgrades. When I hover over expand stadium, it says "at maximum expansion capacity". So this tells that this stadium can not be expanded beyond 20'000. So if i want a bigger capacity i need a new stadium built!! Rotherham moved into the stadium in the 2012/2013 season so i was wondering if there was a set time in between having new stadiums, ive been filling the stadium to full capacity week in week out for 4 years. Your help will be much appreciated!!

[hursty2]

There's a 10 year limit.

[dafuge]

There's a 10 year limit.

I thought it was 20, from the previous one being built to the next one being announced. It doesn't seem to be to the day either, so asking on Jan 1st works.

[robzilla]

I think it is 20 years too.

[davidbowie]

20 year limit.

You're stuck at the current stadium until 2033.

[blahy]

Im playing Havant and the ~6k stadium was built in 2016 when i was in league two.

Now its 2022 and im 5th in premierleague with 15k (fully expanded) stadium.

The club is wealthy but i cannot compete because simply i cannot generate enough money.

Now i should just play next 14 seasons even i have a need and resources to buid the stadium only because there is a rule of 20 years between building stadiums?

Doesnt make sense at all, sorry.

[Gosu]

No I dont think there is a 20yr rule, because with Bromley, when I got to the NPower League 2 I got a new Stadium, and when I got to the Champ I had build another stadium, and my second year of the Premiership I got my third Stadium, now is fully expanded with 46k+ capacity. I did get promoted every year, so almost every 2 years I got a new stadium, right now I am in the year 2025 and I cant get them to build a bigger stadium I guess thats the max capacity for my area

[drtrick]

Never seen anything like that before, can you screenshot your club's Landmarks screen please.

[dafuge]

No I dont think there is a 20yr rule, because with Bromley, when I got to the NPower League 2 I got a new Stadium, and when I got to the Champ I had build another stadium, and my second year of the Premiership I got my third Stadium, now is fully expanded with 46k+ capacity. I did get promoted every year, so almost every 2 years I got a new stadium, right now I am in the year 2025 and I cant get them to build a bigger stadium I guess thats the max capacity for my area

Do you mean a brand new stadium (with a new name) was built each time, or just that the current one was expanded?

[The Narcissist]

Would be handy if when you get told about the building of a new stadium you also get told about the expansion capacity so you don't just find out randomly what the max size is down the line.

[Wonky]

It is a really stupid rule, added as a simple fix rather than by taking more time to implement a better solution. I think SI should work on it. If a team have a marvellous rise to stardom, they should be allowed to capitalise on that.

[skipping pig]

There is nothing quite like an arbitrary time limit plucked out of thin air...

[borobadger]

The 20 year limit is one of the most irritating things in the game, but there is no way around it

[Paul McKenna]

What if that team went from stardom to complete and utter failures and couldn't even fill their new multi million pound stadium, has anyone ever had to downgrade?

[skipping pig]

Better ask Leeds/Sheff Weds fans...

[steff]

Having this problem with Spurs been in the 65k capacity Perryman Park for the last twenty years or so - It's full every week yet the board tell me they can't justify building a new stadium as we don't have the fanbase - that would be the same fanbase that sold out Wembley stadium every week when we played there for a season while the new stadium was built!

[drtrick]

What if that team went from stardom to complete and utter failures and couldn't even fill their new multi million pound stadium, has anyone ever had to downgrade?

Juventus have, but not for that reason.

Stadio Della Alpi (69,000) to Juventus Stadium (41,000) (via Stadio Olimpico (29,000) because they weren't filling it and wanted a better atmosphere.

[Jonfun1980]

When you get a new stadium, you should be able not to have such a small limit on expansions

[lionel messi]

i think the limit should be 10 years instead of 20 years for waiting for a new stadium.

[Bruce Drundrige]

There is nothing quite like an arbitrary time limit plucked out of thin air...

The problem is that most of the examples cited in this thread are of clubs progressing and rising through the leagues far faster and more successfully than is 'realistic'.

When is it realistic to build a new stadium every ten years never mind every twenty? At least every twenty kind of lends itself to a more realistic level of re-building because of how long it takes to demolish/build a stadium and the surrounding area plus the level of success and growth required to need a new stadium anyway.

On another note, something that would be sweet if it was included is the subsidising of building of new stadiums FOR clubs by the local FA because they won the right to host a major tournament, whether the club needed it or not.

[Wilbo2k9]

What is the criteria the board uses to decide how much they upgrade a stadiums capacity by? I got to the championship with a 12k stadium and so I've asked my board to expand as we fill it every game and have 9500 season ticket holders and they are only expanding it by 1200. There's pretty much no point bothering to do it when the increase in revenue from ticket sales will be negligible. I just wanted to ask, other than finances, what else decides how far the board will expand the capacity each time they allow an expansion project?

[tomtuck01]

I love the fact that people are quite happy to do unrealistic things in the game such as take a team from League 2 to the Premier League in successive years, yet when the game throws up a realistic thing, (no club would ever build a new stadium in such a short space of time after already building one), they aren't happy.

People always say they want the game to be as realist as possible, yet do unrealistic things and then expect the game to follow suit.

[LilSaint]

I love the fact that people are quite happy to do unrealistic things in the game such as take a team from League 2 to the Premier League in successive years, yet when the game throws up a realistic thing, (no club would ever build a new stadium in such a short space of time after already building one), they aren't happy.

People always say they want the game to be as realist as possible, yet do unrealistic things and then expect the game to follow suit.

Arguably that is kind of the point of FM though, isn't it? Aren't the most satisfying saves the ones where you lead a small club to stardom?

If you're looking for 100% realism, there's little or no point in starting a save with a lower league club. Unless you have obscene amounts of spare time on your hands.

I think from a realism point of view, a 20 years limit for a new stadium is probably even too short, but in the game -especially if you're playing a small club challenge- i understand it can potentially ruin your save.

[tomtuck01]

Arguably that is kind of the point of FM though, isn't it? Aren't the most satisfying saves the ones where you lead a small club to stardom?

If you're looking for 100% realism, there's little or no point in starting a save with a lower league club. Unless you have obscene amounts of spare time on your hands.

I think from a realism point of view, a 20 years limit for a new stadium is probably even too short, but in the game -especially if you're playing a small club challenge- i understand it can potentially ruin your save.

Wasn't really the point I was making. I was pointing out that people only argue for realism when it suits them.

Just like when people only complain about bugs when they hinder them, and not when they benefit.

[LilSaint]

agreed.

but that's just how the human psyche works. You're not going to complain in a shop when they give you back too much change either are you?

[tomtuck01]

agreed.

but that's just how the human psyche works. You're not going to complain in a shop when they give you back too much change either are you?

A good person would point it out. Unless that's just me........

[Wonky]

The problem is that most of the examples cited in this thread are of clubs progressing and rising through the leagues far faster and more successfully than is 'realistic'.

I don't think it's that unrealistic. Look at Swansea's rise. Had it not happened you would say it wasn't feasible. They're on their 2nd stadium. The only reason they won't need to build another is because they are able to expand their current one.

[duccio]

Would be handy if when you get told about the building of a new stadium you also get told about the expansion capacity so you don't just find out randomly what the max size is down the line.

Maximum capacity is always twice the initial capacity. If your club builds a stadium with a capacity of 15000, it can be expanded to 30000. The exception is that a new stadium with a retractable roof cannot be expanded (or so I have read - never actually had such a stadium built my self).

[Keyzer Soze]

Everyone is saying that the 20 year rule is stupid... but... IRL... what club built a stadium and after, lets say, 10 years built another?

I can't remember one!

For me, the problem with FM is that attendances increase too much with club promotions. In FM, one club could go from a 1000 home attendance to 50.000 in 10 years... and that imo is not very real.

The increase should be lower over the years.

[duccio]

For me, the problem with FM is that attendances increase too much with club promotions. In FM, one club could go from a 1000 home attendance to 50.000 in 10 years... and that imo is not very real.

The increase should be lower over the years.

This is absolutely true. I made a similar argument in the *Football Manager 2014 - ANNOUNCEMENT* thread. The increase should be lower and connected to the club's location's population size. Club from a small town in the middle of nowhere should not have a need for a stadium of 50000 seats.

[forameuss]

It's a big balancing act I suppose. How do you balance the realism most people crave with a fun game? It comes into a lot of features - this is just one of them. They could realistically make sure that lower league clubs have a very small chance of ever becoming big, and make it nigh on impossible, but would that be fun? Not to most. Personally I don't think it's realistic that you can build a new stadium every 20 years. I'd have it every 50, or even every 100.

As usual though, people will be quite happy to suspend disbelief for certain things, then start lighting those pitchforks when it doesn't go their way.

[Rob29]

Better ask Leeds/Sheff Weds fans...

Cheap shot haha, actually I would say Hillsboroughs capacity has been reduced apart from special games e.g. Vs Wycombe two years ago when we get special permission to open up more off the ground

[skipping pig]

It's a game!

How many unknown 'Sunday league footballers' would get the Man U job straight off the bat? If you are happy to suspend disbelief for this then it's not a great leap of imagination for a club to build a new stadium within 10 years of the last.

First and foremost it should be about enjoyment.

[Sabor]

Ok, im in my 7th season as Rotherham Utd manager, and my fourth season in the PL after 3 successive promotions. My ground is called The New York Stadium and as of 4 years ago ( my 1st season in the PL) the capacity is 20'000 After 2 upgrades. When I hover over expand stadium, it says "at maximum expansion capacity". So this tells that this stadium can not be expanded beyond 20'000. So if i want a bigger capacity i need a new stadium built!! Rotherham moved into the stadium in the 2012/2013 season so i was wondering if there was a set time in between having new stadiums, ive been filling the stadium to full capacity week in week out for 4 years. Your help will be much appreciated!!

I started a game with Rotherham too.I've been there for like 9 years (it's 2024 now).Finances are good , have upgraded youth & training facilities more than 4 times but it has never given me the option to expand the stadium or built a new one.These options aren't even as grey.They just not exist.What's happening?

[Guest]

Either the board are simply unwilling to consider it, they already making plans that have not yet been announced or it's a bug.

Just in case it's the last one you probably should probably head over to the bugs forum to raise then & provide a copy of your save for SI to investigate why the board request options are not available. - http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/455-All-Other-Issues

[louissiscool]

Whats with people moaning that you shouldn't be able to build stadiums quicker then that, like alot of other people have said this is a game and there is no real reason for a twenty year limit at all other then to make it harder.

Also saying it is unrealistic to achieve successive promotions might be true but it is possible (didn't southampton do this?) and if a club with a tiny stadium did this i think they might just build a new stadium after a couple of years even if the current one was new.

[Guest]

It's not about making it harder, FM is & always will be an attempt to simulate real world football & in the real world clubs do not build a new stadium a few years after moving into their last new stadium, the first new build should have scope for expansion & if it doesn't then that's a potential bug that needs to be looked at.

The root cause is the ease at which it's possible to rapidly rise up the leagues, the Southampton example isn't even close as they were a big club that had messed up had slipped down to League 1 with their 30,000+ all-seater stadium & some fringe Premier League players for good measure.

Once the match engine & transfer system reaches a point that it cannot be intentional or unintentionally exploited this issue of new grounds will go away because it will hopefully be very difficult to take the likes of AFC Fylde from the Conference North to the Premier League in less than a 40 years, let alone less than a decade.

[skipping pig]

On that basis I hope the match engine & transfer system never reaches that point as we'd end up with a very dull game indeed.

[Guest]

I'm at the opposite end of the scale, for me unchallenging = dull.

[skipping pig]

Can't say I like the sound of spending a decade treading water at a mid-table league 2 club, with little chance of progressing no matter who who you buy or what tactics you employ.

[louissiscool]

Can't say I like the sound of spending a decade treading water at a mid-table league 2 club, with little chance of progressing no matter who who you buy or what tactics you employ.

Agreed the furthest i have ever got into a game is seven seasons so being down the bottom for forty years sounds awful.

[grade]

I'm with Skipping pig, if there isn't a form of unrealism to the game, then I loose interest in the game altogether.

[hluraven]

I would rather have a realistic hard challenge than an unrealistic no challenge game.

[Guest]

Agreed the furthest i have ever got into a game is seven seasons so being down the bottom for forty years sounds awful.

There no need to stay at one club though, once you show signs of talent you move to a bigger club & climb the league ladder that way.

It's a tough balance for SI to strike & this stadium aspect does highlight that problem, if each area of the game is coded to ensure that unrealistic ascents through the leagues are never hindered by real life considerations then FM ceases to be an attempt at a realistic simulation of football management & that could potentially kill of its unique position in the football game market.

[louissiscool]

There no need to stay at one club though, once you show signs of talent you move to a bigger club & climb the league ladder that way.

It's a tough balance for SI to strike & this stadium aspect does highlight that problem, if each area of the game is coded to ensure that unrealistic ascents through the leagues are never hindered by real life considerations then FM ceases to be an attempt at a realistic simulation of football management & that could potentially kill of its unique position in the football game market.

But if a club did achieve this would they wait twenty years?

I think ten years would be a good compromise between realism and fun because if its too real that takes away from the fun and if it is too easy that also takes away from the fun.

Out of interest though do you really not find the game a challenge? I find them more then adequate as a challenge and i normally always over achieve but it is the time and effort i put in to achieving what i do that makes it a rewarding game.

I have played other management sims that have options at the beginning that can make it harder or easier on this indie game called TEW which is a wrestling booker/promoter sim you can select a few options which affect what people will like and how the economy works which can make it more challenging or less depending on the ones you keep or leave out maybe FM could implement something like this?

[Guest]

But if a club did achieve this would they wait twenty years?

I think ten years would be a good compromise between realism and fun because if its too real that takes away from the fun and if it is too easy that also takes away from the fun.

Out of interest though do you really not find the game a challenge? I find them more then adequate as a challenge and i normally always over achieve but it is the time and effort i put in to achieving what i do that makes it a rewarding game.

I have played other management sims that have options at the beginning that can make it harder or easier on this indie game called TEW which is a wrestling booker/promoter sim you can select a few options which affect what people will like and how the economy works which can make it more challenging or less depending on the ones you keep or leave out maybe FM could implement something like this?

I very much doubt that difficulty levels will ever be introduced, SI sort of cover that angle by releasing different versions of varying depth while still keeping to the core FM experience.

As for the game being a challenge, no I do not find it to be all that challenging. I'm an LLM zealot & play one career save on each version, other than FM08 I have never failed to make it to the top level. On FM15 I started at Abroath (they did sack me ) & by moving to bigger clubs when the chances came I progressed to become Athletic Bilbao manager in 2020 & had to save them from relegation, the next season I won the league & I'm looking good to retain my title with a side that appears to be considerably weaker than Barcelona & both Madrid sides.

[Wiitastic]

Specificially, does FM15 have the 20 year rule? or is that just an approximate time frame people are suggesting it may be?

As we can see, some people have beein getting a new stadium every 5-10 seasons.

We;; with LFC at Anfield, 1 and only expansion is finally finished end of next season. I can not wait for about a month in to the next season, to see if I am able to ask for new stadium.

[dafuge]

There's definitely a 20 year gap between being able to request a new stadium, but the board then take a few more years to approve it (even if it is really badly needed).

Who has had a 5-10 year gap between new stadia being built? I've never seen anyone do that.

[Guest]

Specificially, does FM15 have the 20 year rule? or is that just an approximate time frame people are suggesting it may be?

As we can see, some people have beein getting a new stadium every 5-10 seasons.

We;; with LFC at Anfield, 1 and only expansion is finally finished end of next season. I can not wait for about a month in to the next season, to see if I am able to ask for new stadium.

Having just completed significant expansion it's unlikely to be available.

[Wiitastic]

There's definitely a 20 year gap between being able to request a new stadium, but the board then take a few more years to approve it (even if it is really badly needed).

Who has had a 5-10 year gap between new stadia being built? I've never seen anyone do that.

In FM14 even though I cheated and MAXED the stadiums seating capacities and the average attendance figures, I was able to get a new stadium every 3 seasons. But that was FM14 and not FM15.

Having just completed significant expansion it's unlikely to be available.

Well if I use the in game real time editor and max the average attendance figures, maybe within a few home games the board might give me an option to ask for a new stadium.