GT22 (Autumn 2000)

Liverpool have outlined their vision for a new 70,000 seater super stadium situated on the car park in nearby Stanley Park.  The Reds have been exploring the possibility of building a brand new purpose built stadium just yards away from their current Anfield home.  And although only an idea at present the Reds have confirmed that close consultation with the local community had pointed towards the site as a possible solution to the club’s obvious need to expand in order to continue to compete at the very top level of the game. The Reds could be in their new home within three years, with the new stadium taking one year to plan and design and two years to build. The new ground will not be shared with cross-city rivals Everton. The site on which the current stadium stands will not become a car park or a supermarket. Instead the Reds hope it will be transformed into an amenity for the benefit of the local community. Although no detailed costings have yet been produced it is expected that the new stadium would cost at least £100 million.

As well as improving their stadium to mark their re-entry to the Premiership, Manchester City have spent part of the close season pulling theirs apart.  During the summer they removed a whole section of the roof of the Platt Lane end leaving hundreds of seats open to the elements.  This move was necessary to improve the amount of sunlight reaching the Maine Road turf which has required substantial work to get it up to standard for the new season.  In addition, around 1400 new seats have been installed to increase the capacity to 35,000. 

The further redevelopment of Deepdale has been given the go-ahead by the local council.  Preston North End hope to build the further two new stands to bring the capacity up towards the 30,000 mark.  The club have recently launched a share issue to raise some of the capital required for the scheme and it is hoped that work can start towards the end of the year.

Brighton are to remain at the Withdean Stadium for at least another two years.  Brighton and Hove Council have given the green light for the club to stay at the athletics stadium until the end of the 2002-03 season and also voted 8-4 in favour of allowing the club to install another 960 seats, increasing the capacity to 7,000. "The decision is a victory for common sense," said Brighton chairman Dick Knight. "Our fans have been magnificent in responding to the restrictions imposed at Withdean. This will enable us to accommodate some of the people we had to turn away last season." The need for an extended stay way brought about by planning hitches over the planned new stadium at Falmer.

Down in Devon Torquay United have built a new covered terrace to accommodate away fans at the Babacombe End of Plainmoor bringing the capacity up to 6,600.  The Gulls also have longer term plans to construct a new main stand at the ground.

In the same county, Exeter City are putting the finishing touches to the new stand built at St. James Park.  The new covered terrace replaces the former Cowshed stand that was famous for its grass bank and flowers.

The FA Cup Final is likely to be played outside England for the first ever time in May when Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium is to be the host.  Due to the demolition of Wembley at the end of 2000, the Football Association had been looking at where the Final might be staged.  Suggestions included a club ground such as Old Trafford but this was ruled out on the ‘fairness’ issue (e.g. if Man Utd. reached the Final).  The other main contender Twickenham fell down on transport links and the hostility of the locals in the area to football being staged at a rugby venue.

Premiership newcomers Ipswich Town have celebrated their promotion by starting work on a new South Stand at Portman Road.  The new stand will feature two tiers, the lower being incorporated from the existing Churchman’s Stand and will add 4,000 new seats, bringing the capacity up to 26,000.  The project is costing £5 million and has been assisted by a grant of £2 million from the Football Trust.  The date for full completion of the project is set for May 2001.

Proposals for Portsmouth to build a state-of-the-art new stadium have been threatened over a legal wrangle between Portsmouth City Council and the developers. Sellar Properties and the City Council are at loggerheads over the value of land at the site of the new ground - Fratton Goods Yard. The Council have slapped a £7 million price tag on a strip of land earmarked for an access road, which Sellar are currently unwilling to pay and both sides have called in legal advisors.

The wholesale redevelopment of Mansfield Town’s Field Mill has been taking place during the summer.   Three of the stands at the ground have been demolished and are in the process of being replaced by new stands.  The £5 million project has been beset by problems and at times it looked as if it would never get under way.  The new ground will be finished in stages with the two new end stands being ready for the start of the new campaign.  The replacement for the famous old West Stand should be finished by November.

Chesterfield, under new owner Darren Brown, have again applied for full planning permission for a new stadium to be built at Wheeldon Mill.  The stadium with a 10,000 capacity is for the site of an existing greyhound stadium and permission has previously been refused, although this was due to other amenities being present in the application.

Having gained planning consent earlier in the year, Cambridge United hope to start work in March 2001 on the redevelopment of the Abbey Stadium.  The plans include a realignment of the pitch to allow new stands to be built behind each goal.  When finished the scheme will see the capacity rise to 10,000 seats, at a cost of £4 million.

After many delays, Southend United have at last submitted plans for a new £12.5 million stadium to be built at Fossetts Farm, just behind the club’s training ground in Eastern Avenue.  The plans for a 16,000-seat ground show a two tier main stand with curved roof, and three one tier sides joined at the corners.  The current ground at Roots Hall has been sold and The Blues are only able to extend the lease until March 2003.  It seems unlikely that the new stadium, as part of a £46 million retail and leisure park, will be completed in time thus creating the possibility of a ground-share. 

Swansea City’s multi-million pound Morfa development looks set to be relocated slightly to the other side of the River Tawe to the Landore area.  Plans for the £25 million stadium will go before the council in November and it is hoped building work will begin in the spring of 2001. The new stadium will be finished in time for the 2002-03 and will also host the local rugby side.

Six Newcastle United fans face bankruptcy after losing a legal battle with their club after their seats at St James' Park were moved to cater for corporate entertainment.  The six brought the test case on behalf of 250 other Newcastle supporters and now face paying the legal costs of the whole action after their appeal was unsuccessful.  Richard Cramer, of solicitors Messrs McCormicks, representing the fans, said after the hearing: "We shall not be claiming any of our legal costs. It is now up to Newcastle United as to whether they wish to make these fans bankrupt and put them at risk of losing their homes."  He added: "This would fly in the face of earlier promises from the club which said the last thing they wanted to do was to take the houses from these individuals.”  That aside, the rebuilding of the stadium has progressed well during the summer.  The new capacity of 51,900 should soon be able to take up residence in the new-look stadium.  As well as the extra tiers, many of the old seating areas have been improved with new seats and re-profiled rakes. 

Bradford City continue their improvements at Valley Parade with work on a second tier for the main stand and a main stand/kop end corner in-fill well under way.  The work is due to be completed by the end of the year and will see the capacity of the stadium rise to 26,000.

Chelsea are still in the process of getting the new West Stand at Stamford Bridge ready for its first spectators.  The second tier consisting of seats and executive boxes  that should be finished by March will bring the capacity up to 42,000.

Sunderland have been busy during the close season break with the expansion of the North Stand at the Stadium of Light.  The new capacity will be 48,300 and the club hope to add further phases to the development once other planning conditions (e.g. transport links) have been improved.

Cardiff City are delighted to have been awarded a £1 million grant from the Football Foundation to help develop Ninian Park.  The grant will go towards a £1.4 million scheme to improve the Popular Bank with 3,000 new seats, a new roof and ancillary facilities.  However, work on the scheme may not start until the end of the season.

At Rochdale, the new Wilbutts Lane stand was due to open at the start of the season.  The construction holds 3,000 seats bringing the capacity at Spotland to around 10,000.  This is the third new stand at the ground within the last five years with only the Sandy Lane end remaining, although this has also had a new roof.

Stockport County Chairman Brendon Elwood has threatened to take the Hatters out of the town in response to lack of cooperation from the local council over planning consent for a new stand and hotel at the Railway End of Edgeley Park.  If panning consent were forthcoming, the £10 million redevelopment would see a 20,000-seat stadium with hotel and leisure facilities.  Mr. Elwood has cited the soon to be vacated Maine Road as a possible alterative venue should the club be knocked back. 

Macclesfield Town have been awarded the full 80% grant from the Football Foundation towards a £1.45 million stand at Moss Rose.  The new stand will be opposite the main stand, replacing the marquee-style temporary structure on that side. The stand, housing 1800, will be ready by the turn of the year.  Despite this, the club are still hopeful that a new stadium will be part of the nearby Lyme Green development, enabling them to relocate from their current cramped surroundings.

Plans by the local council to develop the site of the Clayton Playing Fields next to Boundary Park have been abandoned, meaning Oldham Athletic will be remaining at their current ground.

Blackpool have been busy demolishing large parts of Bloomfield Road over the summer break.  The famous old Kop End, much of which has been closed for many years, has been bulldozed as part of the redevelopment programme.

Bournemouth are still hopeful of rebuilding Dean Court into a new all-seater stadium despite failing to secure a £1 million loan from the local council to help fund the project.  The Cherries have already secured a £3 million grant from the Football Foundation towards the near six million pound target for the scheme to get under way.    The council have baulked at lending the extra cash but have promised to work with the club to find other methods of funding it.  The south coast club are struggling with the out-dated Dean Court and part of the South Stand will be closed this season.  The Football Licensing Authority are currently refusing to allow use of the ground after January because it fails to meet minimum standards.

Plans have been unveiled for the planned new stadium for Shrewbury Town off Oteley Road near to the Moele Brace Retail Park.  If granted planning consent, the £8.5 million new stadium will house 10,000 seats and will be built by Ballast Wiltshire.

West Bromwich Albion have recently purchased 46 acres of land in Great Barr to develop a nine-pitch Football Development Centre at a cost of £1.4m. News is also expected about the redevelopment of the mid-1960s Rainbow Stand, with Chairman Paul Thompson recently saying “We’re working on proposals but I don’t want to say too much until we are certain we can put it all together.”

At Manchester United, work on the new West Stand at Old Trafford was halted for a day in July after a workman died whilst working on the construction.  The new stand housing 67,400 should be open for the first games of the season and new attendance records are set to be broken for the Premiership champions.  Hold your breath for the next round of improvements currently under consideration that could see the capacity rise to an astonishing 91,000!!

Barnet have struggled all summer to gain approval from the Football Licensing Authority to allow them to play League football at Underhill this season.  Improvements have been made to all sides of the ground and some parts of the ground were eventually given the go ahead by the FLA in early August.  At one stage the FLA had threatened to cut the capacity to just 900, threatening The Bees League status.

Halifax Town are rapidly making The Shay one of the best grounds in the lower divisions.  Both newly built end terraces have now been further improved with roofs and construction of the new main stand is under way. 

One of the major hurdles preventing Oxford United pressing ahead with the partly built construction of a new stadium at Minchery Farm has been removed.  In July an objection to the planning permission for a multiplex cinema on the grounds that it breached a decades-old Licensing agreement was dropped.  There are other snags to resolve before building work can re-start but at least the end of the saga is in sight.

Planning permission has been refused for a new stadium for Grimsby Town.  The new ground, costing £12 million, was for the area of Great Coates.  It remains to be seen if the club will pursue and appeal, which could take anything up to 18 months.

A planning application is expected soon for a 30,000-seat stadium at Circle Anlaby Road to be shared by Hull City and the town’s Rugby League club.  The football club played at a ground in Anlaby Road until the last war and the new site is just next door.

Leeds United have recently received planning consent for a new West Stand at Elland Road.  The plans include an indoor arena and will bring the capacity up to 45,000 seats.

QPR have plans to move to a 40,000-seat new stadium at Greenford near to RAF Northolt that could be ready by 2002.

Tottenham Hotspur have long-term plans to bring the capacity of White Hart Lane up to 44,000 with the redevelopment of the East Stand.  As yet no timescales have been set.

The new Lorne Street stand at Port Vale is still only half built after building work was suspended some time ago.  Part of the new stand may be in use this season until work on the other part is able to resume.