Stranger than fiction

[Hawkeye]

I didn't say I thought it was a good idea. I said there is a business case for it. Along these lines;

i

2 grounds for redevelopment' = 1 new stadium. In the good times we attracted 25-30,000, United 20 plus per game = 45/50,000.

Now 15/17,000 and 12,000 = 27/29,000. So very very roughly 15,000 people who used to come to Sheffield football when it was worth watching now don't.

Of course there will be fans of either side who won't follow a new club, and understandably so. But the number who are willing to turn up to watch the likes of what was served up last night is diminishing. With both clubs in disastrous states of decline on the field, there is probably a sizeable number who would at least look at an alternative.

The corporate facilities at Hillsborough are outdated and inadequate and the stadium is getting tired = squeeze on income in future...

And it's businessmen who run the game.

assume both sides average home attendance is 16k. a merger between the two wont guarantee 32k crowds. why? most of those fans would never get behind a merger with such bitter rivals.

Our City is the 4th biggest in England. we can have two teams. the business analysts should maybe be asking how the people in charge have managed to screw up two teams to the extent where both have owed over £25m EACH...