Re: Etihad Campus & potential new stadium
It looks as if any stadium expansion would increase the capacity to between 60,000 - 80,000 people if these two reports are anything to go by however that it's a second priority behind the academy work going on so unlikely perhaps to see anything until after 2015. That said, should we continue to be successful over the next season, the plans may be accelerated to cope with demand:-
This was from the
Telegraph towards the end of last year:-
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8843970/Manchester-City-plan-for-bigger-stadium.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... adium.html</a>
The club has conducted feasibility studies on various ways of expanding the ground, with the most ambitious plan to lift off the roof and add a whole new tier. That would give the Etihad stadium a capacity in excess of 70,000 and hugely increase the potential match-day income.
The club are trying to compete with their neighbours on every level. The first priority has been to build a team capable of matching them on the pitch but the club are also trying to drive their commercial and match-day revenues.
The Etihad Stadium’s capacity is currently 47,805 and with Old Trafford holding 76,000, the Emirates 60,000 and Liverpool and Tottenham looking for new stadiums, City do not want to be left behind. United themselves have discussed an expansion which could take them to 95,000 seats.
The first priority for City is the completion of the academy project next to the stadium. They have a planning permission hearing at the end of December and, subject to that being granted, they will begin work on the wide-ranging campus, which is expected to take three years to build.
In the meantime City will be looking at how they can develop the stadium. The club hierarchy want to ensure that any expansion fits with demands for seats. The average attendance of 45,949 last season was nearly 2,000 under capacity but City are hoping that consistent success will lead to an upsurge in demand. They also want to make sure they have the corporate facilities which are such a money-spinner for Arsenal and United, especially in Champions League fixtures.
The results of the feasibility studies have shown that they could easily install a further 2,000 seats without too much difficulty or, if they did not feel they could justify a new tier, lift one of the ends to add 8,000 more seats.
And this is from <a class="postlink" href="http://www.footballfroundguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.footballfroundguide.com</a> in April 2010:-
<a class="postlink" href="http://footballgroundguide.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=20928" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://footballgroundguide.ipbhost.com/ ... opic=20928</a>
Manchester City's owners are assessing plans to make Eastlands the biggest stadium in English club football.Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the Abu Dhabi United Group’s blueprint to oversee a major regeneration of the East Manchester area will include a project to expand their council-owned ground.One of the plans being discussed is to add another tier and 30,000 seats to take the capacity of the City of Manchester Stadium to almost 80,000. City’s bitter rivals Manchester United currently have the biggest ground in the Premier League, with Old *Trafford able to hold 75,769.
But City owner Sheikh *Mansour has already *promised to build one of the best teams in world football – and he wants a stadium to match.Feasibility studies are being conducted to formulate how Eastlands’ 47,726 capacity can be increased.A City source confirmed: “The owners want to build the best football club possible – both on and off the pitch“Everything is at a very early stage and the only thing that is set in stone at the moment is the development of a City Street outside the stadium, based on a *European-style fan zone. But the owners are *looking into every single aspect of how the club is run – including the possibility of expanding the stadium.
But it won’t be just about increasing stadium capacity. We are looking at the whole match-day experience, from how fans are catered for on the concourses to how we look after corporate guests.The Blues are currently the third-best supported team in the Premier League, with only United and Arsenal boasting bigger average attendances this season.But there is a belief at the club that if City become a major force in Europe demand for tickets will outweigh current supply.One revolutionary idea being discussed is pitching ticket prices at a level that will attract future generations of fans to the club. City already offer some of the best deals in football, with junior *season ticket prices just £90 and tickets for some games as low as £5 for under-16s.Prices for next season have yet to be announced, but City have asked all of their 36,000 season ticket holders to fill in an on-line questionnaire so to gauge how they can offer even better value.Sunday Mirror Sport *revealed last month how City are planning to build a £50million training ground close to Eastlands.They have since entered into a partnership with Manchester Council and the New East Manchester Regeneration Agency that will see major redevelopment in the area around the stadium.
