Bayern Munich announced that it will upgrade its home stadium, the Allianz Arena. The offseason improvements will cost the club €10M ($11M) and are "scheduled to be completed" after 10 weeks. As part of the makeover, an LED video wall will be installed that, according to Allianz Arena CEO Jürgen Muth, will cost "€2 million ($2.2M)" and will be "the largest in Europe." Bayern is planning to begin work on the 75,000-capacity stadium "at the end of May" (SOCCEREX, 5/5).
Tottenham Hotspur is "considering altering the pitch dimensions at Wembley next season" in an attempt to improve its "dismal form at the national stadium," where the club has won one of its past nine matches. As Tottenham will play all its home matches at Wembley next season, it is "entitled to determine the size of the pitch" as long as it complies with Premier League and UEFA regulations and is the same for all its fixtures. At 105m x 69m, the Wembley playing surface is larger than White Hart Lane's 100m x 67m, and "introducing a smaller pitch is one of a number of options under consideration to try to make the players feel more at home" (LONDON TIMES, 5/6).
The Welsh Rugby Union halted "plans for an artificial pitch at Rodney Parade" as a result of League Two side Newport County staying in the Football League. The union wants to take over Pro12 side Newport Gwent Dragons and the ground, and hoped to "solve the water-logging problems by laying a 4G surface." But "Football League rules do not allow artificial surfaces" (BBC, 5/5).
