Man City is "to discuss plans" for a proposed £50M ($76.5M) expansion of the Etihad Stadium by '15, according to Stuart Brennan of the MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS.
The Blues "want to speak with local residents before forging ahead with the scheme, which would add a 6,000-seater third tier on the South Stand and increase capacity to 54,000."
The club, sensitive to the escalation of cost of match tickets, "hopes to provide a significant number of cheap seasoncards" -- costing under £300 ($459) -- in the new section, which would also include a hospitality area. City "will start talking to residents closest to the stadium next month," and could submit a planning application in fall for third tiers "to be added to both ends of the ground." That would eventually raise the capacity to 60,000 -- "making it the third biggest club ground in England" behind ManU's Old Trafford and Arsenal's Emirates stadium (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 5/15).
RAISING THE ROOF: In London, Ian Herbert reported City's feasibility studies for ways of expanding its ground "have included an analysis of lifting off the roof and creating an entire new tier to boost capacity to over 70,000, hugely increasing match-day income." But a more organic type of development -- increasing the stadium bit by bit -- "is considered the best way to accommodate new capacity as the club's growth brings in more fans." The stand "will accommodate a substantial number of far lower priced tickets season tickets" costing less than £300 (INDEPENDENT, 5/16).
