The prospect of an all-Sydney Australian Football League final being held at ANZ Stadium is considered "highly improbable despite both the Swans and Giants being open to playing a September derby at the venue." While AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan "raised the prospect of a return to the venue if such a match-up was to occur," ANZ Stadium has not planned for a return of the code since the league secured an early release from its finals agreement last year (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/18).
October "will see work definitively start on York's long-awaited Community Stadium," and councilors have "every confidence" matches will be played there in '19. The £41M ($53.4M) project will start in October and "take 16 months to complete." National League side York City and League 1 rugby club York City Knights will "take up residence" in '19 (YORK PRESS, 7/19).
The Casement Park redevelopment in west Belfast has cost £9.2M ($12M) "before any construction work has started," it has been revealed. Revised plans for the new provincial stadium were submitted by the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association in February. A decision is "expected later this year." Its capacity would be 34,186 -- "down by almost 4,000 on the original plan" (BBC, 7/18).
