In response to questions the club has been asked around the current capacity of St James Park, we can confirm the following.
The current certified capacity of the Stadium is 8,720 which is broken down to the following stands.
- IP Office Main Stand: 2116 Seats
- Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand: 1599 Seats
- Thatchers Big Bank: 3960 Standing
- Tracks Suzuki Away Stand: 1045 Standing
The current capacity is governed by our General Safety Certificate issued by the local authority. This is prepared in accordance with the Sports Ground Safety Authority ‘Green Guide’.
Following recent updates to guidance we have applied a 10% reduction to both standing terraces. This is in line with the updates to the Green Guide and has been applied to alleviate pressure on walkways within the standing terraces and ensure the match day experience is both safe and enjoyable for supporters in these areas.
The club will review this from time to time, taking in to consideration a number of safety factors. This reduces our capacity to 8219 before segregation and any unused away capacity.
Attendance is based on the number of spectators attending the match PLUS non-attending season ticket holders. This has been the basis the club has adopted for a number of season. Non-attending ticket holders on a match by match basis are not included in the attendance published.
A maximum capacity will often be affected by factors including segregation areas, any TV structures that remove seats available for sale, or other reasons where seats are not sold for a particular match.
On the day the attendance can be affected by factors such as ticket holders not turning up, away clubs bringing less fans than their allocation (away fans are housed in the Tracks Suzuki Stand and end of the IP Office Main Stand) or seats within disabled areas being unsold as these are retained for their specific use. This includes the front row of blocks C&D of the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand.
Once ticket sales reach the capacity, they are classed as a sell-out, however sometimes this figure does not reach our maximum capacity due to those factors.
We are very grateful to Colchester United for their assistance in allowing us to use the larger section of the St James Road End for Friday’s match, this is something we may look to use in the future, should circumstances allow.