What difference will changes to the Amex Stadium make?

As the late, great David Bowie said: “Ch…Ch…Ch….Changes, turn and face the strain.” Brighton chose just before Christmas to announce the biggest package of changes to the Amex Stadium since the addition of the East Stand Upper Tier 12 years ago.

Many were already known about. Some have been met by understandable fury from fans set to be displaced from seats they will have occupied for up to 15 years by the time an enforced move to another section of the ground takes place.

The much-discussed migration of away fans from the South Stand will now not happen for another two seasons. The club have opted for extra time to work out the logistics of upending home season ticket holders from the South West Corner, which will become the new visitors’ section.

Whatever the acoustic issues of the Amex itself, away fans currently enjoy an ideal location to make more noise than home fans behind the south goal.

A move to a corner location and being split over two tiers may or may not decrease the volume of the travelling support. What it will do is displace one of the most identifiable communities in the Amex Stadium.

I hope those in the South West Corner Supporters Group can find a new home and take that community with them when the changes take effect in 2027-28.

It is good that they are being given a long notice period, but many would argue the change needs to happen sooner from an atmosphere perspective.

One of the advantages of having away fans in their current South Stand location is the proximity to the coach park. Away support will in future have to pass Albion supporters from the South Stand and West Stand to get to their coaches and trains respectively.

Talking of away fans getting to their coaches, I have been boring everyone at the club and Fan Advisory Board about the coach park steps for the past few years.

Steps that were designed for a ground holding 22,000 supporters are not adequate for one that in a couple of seasons will hold 32,000.

After many games, I have seen a crush on those steps with hundreds of shall we say boisterous away fans pushing through older Albion fans and nervous parents with small children.

It is good to have it confirmed that the already dug-out bank is going to be a greatly expanded access point for coach and bus travellers.

At the same time, it is not clear if any improvements will be made for park and ride users – including much-called-for cover from the elements for those in the large queues which build after games.

Significant changes are also planned for the Amex Stadium North Stand. The matchday control box is moving from the west side to the east side, so it will be directly opposite the new away area.

Safe standing is being introduced not only to the North Stand, but it seems likely the South Stand and new away sections as well.

This represents a substantial move for a club who have been anti-safe standing up to now. It bring the Amex inline with most other Premier League stadiums, where safe standing is the norm rather than the exception.

Will it make a difference to the atmosphere, given most in the North spent games standing up anyway? That is a whole other article on the lack of atmosphere and singing at the Amex.

In my humble opinion as a 1980s North Stand veteran who occupies a current position in the ‘silent’ East Stand, we need everyone singing the same songs at the same time.

What can help with this? Conductors to lead the singing? A drum? More flags or tifos? Opinions will vary, ideas are needed.

We also need to know the words to what is being sung. Having been in the North and amongst the away support recently, I am still none the wiser about several popular chants. Sing along if you know the words…

The new Boxpark-style fan zone being constructed outside the Amex Stadium is one of the changes which I am sure will be a huge plus for matchday experiences.

Many will hope the catering on offer is better than that of most concourses in terms of both quality and speed of service.

If you only have an hour between the arrival of your bus and kick off, you do not want to spend half of it in a queue.

Reducing waiting time is not easy at a venue which finds itself at full capacity less than 30 times a year. Others though make it work somehow.

The addition of more seats above the North Stand will not lift the Amex much higher in the stadium capacity table, bar perhaps edging it above the King Power.

Brighton will remain some way behind the 50,000 capacities at Newcastle and Manchester City, the 60,000 at Spurs, West Ham, Liverpool and Arsenal, and the near 75,000 of relegation candidates Manchester United.

The Amex is, however, a long way ahead of Bournemouth’s 11,000 and Brentford’s 17,000. Everton’s new Bramley Moor Dock Stadium will have a capacity of nearly 53,000 – potentially the largest in the Championship.

A capacity of around 33,000 is big enough for Brighton. The transport system already struggles, particularly for evening games.

Adding too many more seats would push it to breaking point without improvement in the rail and bus services or the addition of new regular park and ride sites.

In any case, it is arguably better to sell out most games in a 33,000 seat stadium than have a 40,000 capacity ground but 7,000 empty seats contributing nothing to either costs or atmosphere.

Regardless of stadium size or demand, there should be means for those on low incomes to be able to attend at least some games through sensible and considerate pricing.

The moving of Dick’s Bar and the club museum in favour of an expanded split-level Seagulls Superstore may well make sense from a match day overcrowding point of view.

But it will have to be matched by an expansion in the range and quality of what is on offer too. What is the point in having a bigger shop if home and away shirts and sold out for seven months of the season, as has often been the case in recent years?

Ultimately, the Amex needs to continually evolve and adapt to changing tastes, circumstances and regulations from the Premier League or government.

What was right for the Championship in 2012 is not right for the Premier League now . Or hopefully the Champions League in a couple of years.

Financially, the club need to make as much as possible from the corporate side and sponsorship to afford these £40 million worth of changes to the Amex Stadium and invest in the squad.

They have done a reasonable job in terms of limiting ticket price increases so far to cover such investments. Brighton are mid table in terms of average season ticket cost. Surprisingly above Manchester United but still below Fulham and Bournemouth.

We all want the Albion to succeed on and off the pitch. And we all want an affordable, enjoyable and safe match day experience.

Brighton are not standing still – and nor should they. As for the atmosphere, in the end that is really up to us….

Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC