Crystal Palace’s expansion designs are ‘great’ but I’ve actually found the ‘perfect’ site for a new stadium
Crystal Palace could have built a new stadium instead of increasing the capacity at Selhurst Park.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who states there was a “perfect site” where Crystal Palace could have built a new home.
Crystal Palace will build a new Main Stand at Selhurst Park to take their capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 spectators.
Selhurst Park has been the home of the south London club since 1924, and is currently the fourth-smallest stadium in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace ‘should have bitten the bullet’ on stadium plans
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Crystal Palace need to develop further revenue streams to keep pace with the rest of the Premier League.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks a new stand at Selhurst Park can only be the start of their plans.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s going to be an improvement. There’s no doubt about it and it’s the right way forward. They’re going to start building that stand a bit like Liverpool did, and then try and keep the existing stand in place for as long as possible.
“I looked at the design plans, and it looks great, it’s good. I just wonder in my mind should they have bitten the bullet and looked to build a new stadium elsewhere. Still at the Sports Centre down in Crystal Palace is somewhere that I thought was a perfect site and that would have given them a chance to develop revenue streams around a new stadium which is where you’ve got to go these days if you’re going to really make a difference.
“But look, they’re going to start the stand apparently next month in January so good luck to them. But it’s not, look, it’s something they’ve got to do to at least try and maintain their position rather than make big leaps up the table. So they’d only be falling further if they didn’t do it.
“So that’s something they’ve got to do. And I hope it goes smoothly for them. It’s a very intricate construction and I’ve got every faith that they can pull it off. And it’s good, at least, you know, they’re up to 35,000. So that’s keeping them in the game at least.”
Premier League clubs turning to stadium expansion
Crystal Palace are looking to follow the same path that many other Premier League clubs have done in developing their opportunity to increase matchday revenue.
Everton moved into the Hill Dickinson Stadium this season, and Nottingham Forest have plans to expand the City Ground to over 50,000.
Meanwhile, Arsenal and Man United also have stadium projects that could commence in the near future to drive extra revenue.