What we like to see in a stadium

Big football clubs are always looking to get more people to watch them. It's natural considering that at £40 to £50 a ticket it's a big money spinner. Some clubs like Liverpool are desperate to secure the funds for a new stadium, while others want to build on what they already have.

However it is supply and demand. It's no use having a massive stadium that doesn't fill up and fans may refrain from coming because they don't like the idea of being sat up in the Gods. I beleive that the main thing that makes a good stadium that people want to go to is atmosphere with size and location important factors that add to that.

When you think of the great stadiums of the world, one place often springs to mind. The Nou Camp. It's sheer size, housing almost 100,000 fans make it the second most important structure in Barcelona to the Sagrada Familia, but maybe equal in fame. A lot of its fame is due to the presence and history of the club who play there, but the stadium has its own presence. It even has its own church. Arsenal used to play at Highbury which was one of the few grounds that showed the size didn't matter, because the place was full of character, but they built The Emirates to increase capacity and the move has paid off, I believe that The Emirates is up there with the most impressive grounds in England and it has showed that with a club with a big following like Arsenal, size does matter.

Location of a stadium is important because although you may have an army of fans who will travel far and wide to watch their team, if you are hosting the big event or want more people buying tickets you want to make it as easy for them as possible. I've never been to White Hart Lane but friends who have say it is a nightmare because once you get off at the nearest tube station, you have a long walk or even a bus journey to get to the ground. This is not ideal for first-time match goers. The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff has the perfect location, because it is a stones throw away from the thriving city centre with bars and pubs that fans wil inevitably visit before a match. However, putting a stadium in a remote area is sometimes necessary for planning and strcutual issues, and it can also reveive the local economy. Bristol City's ground Ashton Gate is in a retail park and will no doubt bring more shoppers on Saturday afternoons, while Wembley can do nothing but good for local businesses in North West London.

But any fan who follows their team will tell of their favourite places to visit and while that can be down to location again, because of pubs nearby, it is more often than not because it provides a good occasion. Atmosphere can be releveant to the size of the stadium and the amount for fans it attracts. For example Wigan's DW Stadium is impressive but can have too many empty seats to create an atmosphere while Portsmouth's Fratton Park is bouncing with energy inside an old, derelict stadium. Grounds with character produce a good atmosphere like Highbury used to and Fulham's Craven Cottage - which is old but has an actual cottage in the corner and is situated along the river Thames. That place produces a good atmosphere even though the fans may not be particularly loud, although the big European occasions have got them going a bit more. The perfect atmosphere is at a club with a rich history on a big occasion, for example a Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield or an El Classico at the Nou Camp.

Size and location are not things that compete with the atmosphere of a football stadium, but rather factors that contribute to it. However the main contributor is not something that architects can design, a fan's attitude towards their club and the big occasion.