Skip to main content

Arsenal plan big stadium expansion

Arsenal are planning a major expansion of the Emirates that could force them to move their home matches temporarily to Wembley Stadium.

Detailed work has gone into a potential overhaul of the north London stadium that would increase Arsenal’s current 60,700-capacity to beyond 70,000. It would restore the club’s standing as the biggest ground in London, overtaking West Ham United and rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

It is understood the club have options to change the gradient of the stands and can also adapt the seating plan to fit in more fans. The outer bowl, however, would remain similar in appearance as the majority of developments being assessed would come inside the ground.

Arsenal, though, will be well aware that Real Madrid doubled their matchday income following their recent upgrade to the Bernabéu, which generated €241m (£210m) in the most recent accounting year. Industry experts believe that a comparably steep year-on-year increase is feasible.

Arsenal are restricted by what is a 17-acre site in a largely residential community, with the Victoria and Piccadilly Tube lines and several stations nearby. Great Northern train lines also run alongside the ground. Discussions with architects have been positive about the potential to expand within the existing footprint.

Since the Emirates was built, Islington council has permitted some building developments above the previous 30-metre limit, meaning that there could be some flexibility over literally raising the roof. Architectural sources estimate that, even by adding one row, the capacity would increase by around 1,000.

Arsenal’s seating arrangements are also more spacious than most grounds – meaning a reconfiguration within the same area could yield more seats – while the sloping elliptical roof, which was shaped to help airflow and sunlight could also be modified. Additional capacity would include more corporate as well as standard-priced seating.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fulham requires big funding from owner

After lengthy delays, Fulham’s shiny, new Riverside Stand has finally opened, creating “a unique Thameside destination with first class facilities for supporters and partners on match days, as well as for the wider community year-round”. This ambitious project has increased Craven Cottage’s capacity by around 4,000 to 29,600, while it has also taken advantage of the club’s fantastic location and wealthy catchment area by including two Michelin star restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, corporate hospitality and event space, all benefiting from views of the Thames. Chief executive Alistair Mackintosh observed, “Fulham is the sort of club that can have a business class or first class and have fans that turn left on a plane.” Indeed, there is also an exclusive members club – with a football season ticket as an optional extra. It’s fair to say that “the times they are a-changing”, as this is a long way from the traditional pie and a pint. However, in a world where clubs face the tw...
Post a Comment
Read more

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s...
1 comment
Read more

A poor financial record, but new hope at Everton

I recently saw an amusing video online in which a group of Everton fans were rebuked in jest for being hopeful.  Football fans in general tend to swing between excessive optimism and excessive pessimism, but for many it seems that moaning is in their bloodstream (Spurs fans probably take the trophy).  However, Everton fans have had plenty to moan about on and off the pitch.   Let’s hope that a new era is about to begin for this grand old club. Everton’s 2023/24 financial results covered a fairly momentous season, when they ended up 15th in the Premier League, though they would finished three places higher if they had not received an 8-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR). It was a worrying time for Everton fans, as the club faced a “perfect storm” of issues, including large financial losses, an ever increasing debt burden, a challenging stadium build and the tortuous sale of the club. There were eve...
Post a Comment
Read more