Fulham making big progress in Craven Cottage Redevelopment

Fulham are making big progress in their redevelopment of Craven Cottage, continuing on work through the pandemic on the new Riverside Stand.

Prior to the coronavirus coming over to England, fans were able to go through the turstiles and be greeted with the ongoing work on the site, with the stand demolished.

Supporters could watch on with the development on a weekly basis – workmen was even working on the stand as matches were in-play.

Now however they are unable to attend matches and turn to their club’s social media feed to get all the updates.

Andrew Mackintosh, the project manager for Buckingham Group ltd, provides an October update on the riverside works and outlines the schedule for the coming months.

They have had to battle on and off with the new stand during the coronavirus pandemic this year, no doubt putting a slight delay on things.

How do you think it’ll look finished? ?️

The latest developments on the Riverside Stand are coming along nicely. ?‍?#FFC

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 21, 2020

The Premier League side’s owner Shahid Khan has spend an estimated £5million to buy just a small part of the River Thames, to complete the expansion of Craven Cottage, their home since 1896.

The demolition and development of the Riverside Stand, commenced in the summer of 2019 and by doing this, they hope the transformation will create a modern, world-class riverfront destination that will provide so much more than just football, all the while securing Fulham’s long-term home.

As you may have come across, the club are in the middle of expanding the Riverside Stand in a £80m development that will increase the stadium’s capacity from 25,700 to 29,600. The ground’s capacity is temporarily reduced to 19,000.

“The new development changes the old configuration of the river embankment in front of the stadium, by extending further out into the river bed. The stadium design means the Thames Path — a public river walkway — will pass through the stadium concourse on non-match days. The old stadium did not provide for a public footpath along the river.”

Shahid Khan told the club’s matchday programme: “Yes, there will be a new Riverside Stand, of course, one that will deliver additional capacity to our beloved home ground.

“Financial sustainability is critical in football, and especially so for a small but mighty club like ours.

“The new Riverside Stand will represent a major stride forward in ensuring that Fulham will operate successfully and properly, right here at Craven Cottage where it has since 1986 and for generations to come.

“The magnificent new Riverside Stand will sit within Fulham Pier, which will be a year-round destination for everyone – football fans, Londoners and visitors to our neighbourhood from near and far.

“Never has this stretch of the Thames been brought to life, and its full potential realised, until Fulham Pier.”

The traditional Riverside Stand has this week now been fully demolished – and Khan confirmed that work is already underway on its replacement: “The piling in the river bed has now commenced in order to create a wooden boardwalk.

“This will be open to all on non-matchdays, providing a picturesque and uninterrupted stroll along the river for the first time ever.

“It will be here that you, your friends and family will find places to eat, drink, meet, exercise, learn new activities, take in special events or simply enjoy the waterfront.

“I envision a vibe that will blend nostalgia with contemporary, always alive, and always respectful of the Club, neighbourhood and city.”

The ambitious structure is expected to house a gym, restaurants and a rooftop swimming pool, as you see in the photos.

Now we have seen Fulham’s new incredible Riverside Stand plans, let’s take a look at other proposed stands and stadiums that were set to go ahead.

 

BRISTOL ROVERS – UWE STADIUM

Image of the proposed UWE Stadium pic.twitter.com/FPAtdDnj

— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) March 9, 2012

UWE Stadium was the provisional name for a proposed 21,700 all-seater stadium to be built in Cheswick, South Gloucestershire, as a new home for Bristol Rovers. The stadium was to replace their current home, the Memorial Stadium. Sainsbury’s agreed to buy the Memorial Stadium in 2011 and lease it to the club while the new stadium was built to the north of the city.

However, in 2014 the future of the stadium was put in doubt due to a court battle with Sainsbury’s over the contract for the Memorial Stadium site. In July 2015 Sainsbury’s won its High Court battle with Bristol Rovers over the termination of the £30m deal to buy the Memorial Stadium. The future of the stadium remains uncertain, with the club described the ruling as a “kick in the teeth”. Shortly after, the club were granted leave to appeal the decision which was completed in January 2016 and rejected in March 2016.

The following month, Bristol Rovers were sold to the Jordanian Al-Qadi family with outgoing chairman Nick Higgs confirming the outcome of the court case is “no longer relevant”. The club’s new president Wael al-Qadi confirmed a new stadium is a “key requirement” for the new owners.

In 2017, Bristol Rovers abandoned plans to build a new stadium at the University of West of England (UWE).

 

LIVERPOOL – ANFIELD EXPANSION

Liverpool have unveiled plans to expand the Anfield Road end, which would bring the stadium’s capacity to around 61,000.

The ground redevelopment took off with construction for an extension to the Main Stand which began in December 2014. This extension, which is known to be one of the largest all-seater single stands in European football, opened to the public in September 2016 increasing the stadium capacity to 54,074.

Now they want to do a massive change up with Anfield Road end, which includes changes to the stadium’s exterior concourse, with the new image suggesting a cleaner, more cohesive look. Also to give it a similar look to the newly completed Main Stand.

If everything goes according to plan, it is estimated that work will begin at the end of 2020 and be completed in the summer of 2022. The redevelopment will focus on the upper tier of the stand, with the lower tier remaining unchanged.

Construction work will be completed behind the existing stand and, according to current plans, will be connected to the lower tier in the off-season in 2022. Anfield’s capacity is not expected to be affected throughout the duration of the works.

Liverpool are set to apply for permanent permission to host concerts and other sporting events beyond their current agreement of six events in two years, which could also see American football games held at Anfield.

The expansion is expected to cost around £60 million, and follows the upgrade to the Main Stand which was completed in 2016 and required around £114 million of investment.

QPR – NEW QUEENS PARK

STADIUM PLANS ANNOUNCED: Club unveils plans for new 40,000 seater stadium in Old Oak #QPR http://t.co/OYGNtsVKVe pic.twitter.com/LNM1CLhde2

— QPR FC (@QPRFC) December 12, 2013

New Queens Park is a proposed football stadium that was planned to be finished by 2018 but has been delayed. It will be located in Old Oak Common, and would have been the new home ground of Queens Park Rangers and will form part of a wider Regeneration of the Old Oak Common Area which would include new homes and a brand new station that would be part of HS2

Queens Park Rangers’ current stadium is Loftus Road, which holds only 18,000 fans, while New Queens Park would have held 40,000. The main reason of the move was to expand the number of fans QPR can have at their home games. QPR chairman and owner Tony Fernandes said that QPR need “more than an 18,000 capacity” and that New Queens Park “will bring a vibrant new destination to London, boosting local businesses, attracting new visitors and tourism and creating a thriving community”.

A planning application was due to be submitted in early 2018.

 

We continue our look at the proposed English football stadiums that never happened…

PORTSMOUTH – DOCKLAND STADIUM

Portsmouth also announced plans for a new (36,000) stadium… That ended well didn’t it? #qpr pic.twitter.com/fbEnEzSetx

— Jimmy Coulson (@Jimmy_Coulson) December 12, 2013

Portsmouth Dockland Stadium was the codename for a future football stadium to be located in Portsmouth, England. The stadium was expected to have a capacity of 36,000 people. The stadium would have been built on reclaimed land from the Portsmouth Harbour and would be located near the city’s naval base. Portsmouth’s previous stadium, Fratton Park, would be demolished to make way for 750 new homes to be built on the site.

Due to the economic situation around the world in 2008 and 2009, Portsmouth Football Club postponed the construction of the stadium, citing the “credit crunch”.[1] However, on 19 March 2009, Portsmouth Football Club announced plans to expand their existing stadium, Fratton Park, by 10,000 seats to a capacity of 30,264. The expansion relies on the pitch of Fratton Park being rotated 90 degrees, as was the plan in the original design for Fratton Park in 2003. This expansion is expected to cost £22 million, with £16 million coming from a supermarket also being built on site. Following Portsmouth’s collapse into administration later that year, followed by relegation, it is not known when or if any ground redevelopment will take place.

 

COVENTRY CITY

In May 2013, Tim Fisher told supporters a new stadium for the club would be “designed and delivered in three years”.

October 2018 “The Ricoh Arena is currently the only suitable option available for the club to play home matches in Coventry.” #PUSB pic.twitter.com/yqpPyW8RPV

— Kirk Savage (@kirksavage) 12 October 2018

On 3 May 2013, Coventry City put a contingency plan in place to play elsewhere for the 2013–14 season. It was argued by the club that this was due to ACL (Arena Coventry Limited), which managed the stadium, being unwilling to negotiate with the club to agree a new lease. However, that led to the local newspaper, the Coventry Telegraph, starting a petition to stop Coventry City from playing outside of Coventry. It was sent to all 72 clubs in the Football League and also the Football League chairman. In May 2013, managing director Tim Fisher set a plan of building a new stadium within the city over the next three years, and ground-sharing whilst the new ground was being built. In June 2013, ACL made an offer that Coventry City could play at the Ricoh Arena rent free while the club was in administration.

It was believed that Coventry might ground-share with Walsall at the Bescot Stadium or attempt to stay at the Ricoh Arena, following the appointment of new owners. However, by July 2013, the Walsall rumours were denied and the club ground-shared at Northampton’s Sixfields – a venue that had less than a quarter the capacity of the Ricoh Arena, and involved a round-trip of 70 miles (110 km). That arrangement was due to continue until at least 2016. Plans for the club to play its home matches outside of the city were met with strong opposition, and led to protests by Coventry fans. Member of parliament for Coventry South, Jim Cunningham, described the move as “a disgrace”. Talks still continue on whether they can get return to the Ricoh, or whether they will be forced to opt for a new stadium.

 

CHELSEA – STAMFORD BRIDGE EXPANSION

Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their £1billion plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge after they were given an extension of planning permission by the government.

The club’s previous agreement to extend their ground’s capacity to 60,000 seats expired during lockdown, with it unclear on what the future holds for the stadium.

It was in March 2020 that the Blues planned to press ahead with revamping Stamford Bridge, but will wait until “economic conditions improve”.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced Chelsea have been given to April to start construction work. However it would seem there are further delays to that due to the coronavirus.

In a bid to help the economy, Jenrick said, “planning permission deadlines will be extended… (that) will prevent work that has been temporarily disrupted by the pandemic from stopping altogether.”

• Phase I: The first phase involves the tearing down of the club museum, the health club, the health spa, Millennium & Copthrone Hotels & the entirety of Chelsea village. This phase intends to be completed while the club continue to play at Stamford Bridge & is expected to last a year. The main contractor of this phase of the project has yet to be determined.
• Phase II: This phase is expected to cover the demolition of the stadium and the facilities contained within it.
• Phase III: This involves the building of a decked surface from Fulham Broadway Station in the north west & north to Fulham road in the south barring the land not owned as part of the freehold of stamford bridge. From Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions in the west to the Railway lines in the east. This phase will also involve a reduced level dig.
• Phase IV: Consists of building the new stadium.

CRYSTAL PALACE – SELHURST PARK EXPANSION

Plans for Crystal Palace’s stadium expansion are impressive, however it’s taking them a while to get started. The main stand at Selhurst Park is to be completely rebuilt with a stunning glass exterior featuring a barrel vaulted arch reminiscent of the original Crystal Palace building that unfortunately ended up being burned down back in 1936.

The gantry will be removed to improve sightlines, while the capacity of the ground will be increased by around 8,000 up to 34,000, however the real money maker comes in the form of 2,500 premium level seats and up to 28 executive boxes.

It was in April 2020 that Crystal Palace received the go-ahead from Croydon Council to increase the capacity of Selhurst Park to over 34,000. However unlike Fulham, work hasn’t started yet, with the Cottagers working during match-day (with no fans) and through the coronavirus pandemic.

 

WOLVES – MOLINEUX EXPANSION

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been upgrading Molineux for a number of years now, having most recently rebuilt the North Bank stand.

Plans were announced in May 2010 to begin an extensive multi-million pound programme of redevelopment to enlarge the stadium’s capacity and develop its facilities. A full application for planning permission was submitted in September 2010, and granted three months later.

Phase 1 of this process was confirmed in February 2011, and commenced on 23 May 2011 as demolition of the Stan Cullis Stand began. In its place a new two-tier stand (seating 7,798), complete with mega-store, museum, café and hospitality facilities, was planned for the 2012–13 season which extended around into the north-east corner.

This phase, costing an estimated £18 million, was carried out by contractors the Buckingham Group.  By September 2011 the lower tier was opened to fans, permitting a temporary stadium capacity of 27,828. The stand was fully opened on 11 August 2012 for the club’s first fixture of the 2012–13 season, creating a new official stadium capacity of 31,700.

Phase 2 will be the rebuilding of the Steve Bull Stand over a two-season period. Work was initially set to begin in summer 2012, but has since been postponed with no revised start date yet set. In January 2013 club owner Steve Morgan stated the club would prioritise the redevelopment of its academy facilities over the stadium. At the conclusion of this stage stadium capacity would reach around 36,000 and see this stand connected to the new Stan Cullis Stand. Proceeding with this second stage would raise the redevelopment spend to in excess of £40 million.

Phase 3 is subject to demand and finance, but is planned to be the construction of a new top-tier on the Sir Jack Hayward Stand, that will connect it to the new Steve Bull Stand. This would bring capacity up to around 38,000.

Phase 4 is a tentative plan to completely redevelop the Billy Wright Stand in a move that would bring capacity to 50,000. However, no planning permission will yet be sought for this phase and it remains only a potential, rather than planned, development with no timeframe in place.

With Premier League football secured and an ambitious ownership running things, the club want to increase the capacity of the ground by almost 19,000 to 50,000 seats. That would make it the largest in the Midlands and the tenth biggest in the top flight. Work was due to begin this year, but all construction work in England is on hold for the moment.

One thing that the West Midlands side have changed recently is becoming the first Premier League side to install rail seating ‘so that fans who refuse to sit can stay safe’.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS – ECO PARK

This stadium initially saw it’s planned turned down, however they have since been given the green light. In January 2019, plans were pushed back ‘for a few months’, before getting the go ahead in March 2020 thanks to chairman Dale Vince’s persistance having had his efforts rejected once already.

The 5,000 capacity ground is set to be the greenest stadium for the most greenest football club in the world. It could be a while before we see it built and completed though.

Zaha Hadid Architects has been commissioned to design a 5,000-seat stadium built entirely from wood, for Forest Green Rovers.

NO PYRO! pic.twitter.com/cPvf5nGgh1

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) 4 November 2016

A Stroud District Council spokesperson said: “This is a finely balanced and complex revised application which is contrary to Stroud District Council’s adopted Local Plan. That plan sets out where development should take place up to 2031.

“There is a legal presumption that decisions should be made in accordance with the Local Plan unless other material considerations indicate otherwise.

“We expect the Development Control Committee to consider the application in a few months time.

“Given that we are dealing with a current application which is finely balanced and complex, we are unable to comment further at this stage.

“Responses to consultations can be viewed on the council’s website.”

Dale Vince said: “Early last November we met with the Council and agreed the final details of the planning conditions required and set a date for the 12th of February for the planning committee to make a decision.

“In early January this year we were told that the date could not be met and that the conditions were now not agreed.

“We currently have no agreement on conditions and no date for a decision by the Council – nearly four years after we first submitted the idea of Eco Park, which is a development that has so much to offer to Stroud, for generations to come.

“I don’t understand why this has happened again (the cancelled date) but I am meeting with the Council this week to try and get to the bottom of it. If SDC don’t want the project I wish they would just say so, and we can (all) spend our time and energy of other things.”

 

SOUTHEND – FOSSETTS FARM STADIUM

#EssexMatters the South East #Essex @friends_earth group say they have serious environmental concerns about the planned new #Southend United stadium at Fossetts Park – more here >>> https://t.co/0pT0ULJy0Y pic.twitter.com/rxTpPxZqSp

— Radio Essex Newsroom (@radioessexnews) 11 December 2018

Like Forest Green, this is another proposed stadium that could still happen.

It was first talked and planned about back in 2006 and aimed to have the 22,000 seater stadium open by the 2008/09 season.

Since then there has been a huge amount of setbacks and false promises. Additional plans kept coming forward including a reduction in capacity to 16,000 for Southend’s new home.

On January 4th 2019, more than 5,000 people have signed a letter of support for Southend United’s 21,000-seat stadium at Fossetts Farm.

It was passed on to planning officers at Southend Council, who had been reviewing the application for almost two years.

Well, in early 2020, they have given the club the green light to get it built the new ground built, but to a capacity of 14,000 with new homes to eventually replace Roots Hall.

Despite the positive news, some supporters still choose not to believe it will happen, mainly because this isn’t the first time it got the thumbs up. Until the building work starts, then we can only hope it becomes reality.

 

Other new proposed stadiums that hasn’t started building, though doesn’t mean to say it won’t happen, are…

SCUNTHORPE UNITED

In July 2019, the club confirmed planning permission to proceed with the redevelopment of Glanford Park. A new stadium will be constructed stand-by-stand on the current stadium site, with construction taking place over multiple seasons, allowing the club to continue playing without the need to relocate. In February 2020, an agreement was reached which could pave the way for Scunthorpe United’s stadium redevelopment to finally go ahead, council bosses confirmed.

ICYMI: Full steam ahead for new Scunthorpe United stadium as plans are signed-off… – https://t.co/aY7TfkPmT6 pic.twitter.com/SoYyXr8WNS

— S c u n t h o r p e U n i t e d (@SUFCOfficial) March 10, 2016

Initial plans shows it’s set to have a capacity of 12,000 people, but with a chance to increase to 18,000, should such demand exist.

 

GRIMSBY TOWN

There have been plans to replace the run down Blundell Park since the mid-1990s, with the club submitting a planning application for the provisionally titled Conoco Stadium with a capacity of 14,000.

Their first planned project for Great Coates fell through and the second one – for Peaks Parkway – also proved dead late into 2018.

In February 2020, John Fenty said the new Grimsby Town stadium on Freeman Street (just 1.5 km west of the current ground) is to be delivered in ‘3-5 years’ time. The club have confirmed their plans to push ahead with relocation for a new £20million-plus stadium.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to assemble a vision for the emotional heart of our town…including a potential new home for GTFC. It is a great team effort on behalf of a wonderful client. Amazing things are about to happen in North East Lincolnshire. #Stadium #Regeneration pic.twitter.com/3170ckgtad

— Hodson Architects (@HodsonArchitect) February 7, 2019

How that would be funded is not yet clear, but it’s reported there was a lack of it. With council leading on the objective they should get positive support and backing to make it happen.

Grimsby will have to re-evaluate their plans for relocation to Freeman Street amid the coronavirus crisis, club director Philip Day admitted.

 

WATFORD

Another recent one now and in March 2020, Watford were reportedly considering leaving Vicarage Road for a brand new stadium over the coming years.

The Hornets have resided at their 22,220-capacity ground for almost 100 years – and it was revealed last October that they were looking at ways of further expanding following several recent redevelopments.

The Atheltic reports that Populous, the designers responsible for Tottenham’s new arena, have also been exploring the possibility of a brand new stadium, which would likely hold up to 30,000 people. So could this be Watford’s new home or something that probably never happen? Time will tell.

 

MILLWALL

Early 2020, Millwall stunned supporters after they submitted their plans to expand the The Den stadium in South London to 34,000 seats.

The plans, drawn up by AFL Architects, include new upper stands and community additions, including a sports hall, gym and a local café.

Millwall’s ambition is to have a stadium with facilities that are ultimately fit for Premier League football, new sources of non-football revenues to provide long-term financial sustainability to the club, and new resources and facilities to benefit the local community. The significant benefits and opportunities resulting from our plans, both during construction and thereafter, are evident. There will be a hugely positive impact in terms of community, housing, health and well-being, employment, transport and public finances.

The proposals under development, which are being prepared by AFL Architects whom we appointed last year, include a strategy for incremental, phased expansion of the existing stadium, up to a total maximum capacity of 34,000 seats, built as additional upper tiers behind the existing seating bowl. This will not only provide the facilities needed to meet Premier League requirements – such as additional media and player accommodation – but also in time will provide enhanced facilities for fans to transform their matchday experience.

Part of the proposal is the creation of a vibrant new public plaza at the heart of New Bermondsey, providing a valuable amenity for the surrounding community – new and old – as well as an engaging space for fans on matchdays. This is elevated over parking and service areas and accommodates retail, commercial and community use spaces along the street frontages. Complementing all of this will be flexible commercial space for events and conferencing, alongside residential developments.

This diverse development mix will help to ensure the long-term success of the club, its stadium and the Millwall Community Trust, which uses the power of sport to improve the lives of people in Lewisham, Southwark and the wider Millwall community. When Millwall moved to its current stadium in 1993, with help and support from the Council, we took on the obligation of providing facilities for the Millwall Community Trust (MCT) which supported its emergence as one of the best and most respected in the football world. We don’t need to be asked to maintain that obligation now. Our plans incorporate new facilities for the MCT including a sports centre with a sports hall, changing rooms, a gym and a community café. In addition, the Trust will have access to new multi-purpose spaces within a proposed West Stand extension for potential classrooms or fitness studios. Externally, a zone to the south of the stadium is proposed on non-matchdays as a multi-use games area.

The development strategy is to retain as much of the existing stadium structure as possible while providing for a flexible phased uplift to both facilities and capacity over time. This not only maintains the stadium in use for fans, but minimises demolition and construction waste. The design approach is to create spaces that are adaptable, flexible and multi-use, encouraging activity within and around the stadium seven days a week to make optimal use of resources and create a sustainable future for the Club at the heart of New Bermondsey.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

It was in 2019 that Nottingham Forest have revealed a stunning new look of their £100m City Ground redevelopment plans.

The City Ground has not undergone any major work since 1994 but were hopeful building work will commence at the end of the 2019/20 season, however there are delays, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

? @NFFC have revealed plans to expand the City Ground.

? Stadium capacity will increase to 38,000…

? …including knocking down the Peter Taylor Stand & building a new 10,000-seater instead.

? Owner Evangelos Marinakis: “This is our home and we will remain here forever”. pic.twitter.com/QawKFpA6ik

— SPORF (@Sporf) March 1, 2019

The plans will see a new 10,000 seat Main Stand, increasing the stadium’s capacity to over 38,000, along with improvements to the Trentside area, Brian Clough and Bridgford Stands.

The new Peter Taylor Stand will see the introduction of world-class facilities including a museum, a new club shop, range of hospitality lounge options and restaurants and executive boxes.

SHEFF UTD – BRAMALL LANE EXPANSION

Chris Wilder has come in, guided the Blades to the Premier league, just missed out on European football in his debut season with the club and are established themselves as a solid Premier League side.

Sheffield United can now focus on improving Bramall Lane with an expansion of the South Stand. The revamp will see the stadium capacity increased to 38,000.

Hosting Overview

Plans to redevelop the ground have been in the pipeline for a long time, with the club originally granted outline consent for expansion in 2009.

They hope to add a second tier to the stand will bring added revenue through 500 extra executive seats, while also adding another 78 wheelchair accessible seats.

EVERTON NEW STADIUM

There have been years and years of talk about Everton either redeveloping Goodison Park or moving away altogether.

While uprooting from where the club has called home since 1892 would be heart wrenching for the Toffees faithful, it would be a necessary step for the club to try and reach the next level, ifor example breaking into the top six, which they could be set to do if their start to the 2020/21 season is anything to go by.

A project on the Branley Docks has been planned for a long time and it finally looks like it is going to happen. December 2019 saw Everton sent a planning application to build the 52,000-capacity stadium at a cost of circa £500m. It is believed the new ground could open up in September 2023, although that date is obviously compromised by the coronavirus pandemic.

LUTON TOWN

Luton Town have had quite the rollercoaster ride in the last decade, going from the Championship to being handed massive points deductions, to playing non league for several years to reaching the second tier once again.

They have been embroiled in a four-year planning battle to get their new stadium plan over the line, but this past January they finally got the go-ahead from the High Court and Luton Borough Council to push forward with the exciting and much needed project.

The Hatters will now move away from their 10,000-seater home at Kenilworth Town to the Power Court site in the town centre, which will host 17,500 fans and can be later upgraded to seat 22,500 people.

The stadium will be funded by a new shopping and leisure park just off the M1, which is projected to create 10,000 new jobs in the area and boost the local economy by £250 million annually.