Arseblog News has learned that Arsenal will extend the capacity of the Emirates Stadium this summer by up to 10,500 seats.
Majority shareholder Stan Kroenke has instructed work to begin as soon as the season finishes, and will draft in US firm Mortenson Construction to carry out the upgrade.
The job will involve removing large sections of the existing seating at lower and upper levels of both ends of the ground, and replacing them with narrower seats. At the moment each seat is 20″ wide so by installing new, slimmer seats, the capacity can be increased.
The insider told us, “Kroenke is determined to make this happen, he sees the capacity of Old Trafford as a target for Arsenal, and believes that this will help close that gap.
“He’s also convinced that supporters being closer together will improve the atmosphere, in the absence of safe standing he believes this is the next best thing.
“There’s no hope that ticket prices will be lower, so trying to sell people smaller seats for the same money may well be a tricky one. One idea mooted at board level is that those in the new seats might be given a voucher for the Armoury or discount pies to compensate them.”
Mortenson and Kroenke (KSE) have worked together before on the construction and development of the Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, AFL’s Colorado Crush and NLL’s Colorado Mammoth.
The timing of the move might raise eyebrows too, when empty seats are par for the course these days, but the increased capacity would make the Emirates eligible to host premier events like the Champions League final which require a minimum of 63,500 seats.
It is also rumoured that with a new kit deal in the offing, Arsenal will become the first Premier League club to have officially sponsored under-armour.
The commercial team have been in discussions with a number of blue chip companies, with Calvin Klein said to be amongst the favourites after Chief Commercial Officer Tom Fox was spotted in New York lunching with Emmet Brown, a key player at the fashion label.
Talk about cutting it fine.
April fool!
it’ll be hilarious if some news site publishes this story as BREAKING NEWS, you know like they always do, but then this time… 😀
Some websites have already done it.. 😛
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/04/01/emirates-stadium-set-for-extension/
Ooops
Lol, taken down now 🙂
Aw I missed it!
think the quip about pies give it sliiiightly away ahaha
Bam, screenshot!
http://i.imgur.com/1vAKm4O.png
Excellent work Blogs.
got another one!
http://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=310082&start=0
Would have stood a better chance of this if we didn’t have the first comment being “April fool” by some wanna-be-first-comment guy.
At least wait till about the third or fourth comment. They never scroll down that far.
Leave it. This is the only time stewart downing gets to call himself a footballer and that spurs is a top club.
Done me.
I was already to rage ‘ARE THEY CUNTING MAD, WE CAN’T FILL THE FUCKER NOW’ so on and so forth.
Reasonable April Fools. 6/10
tight git:p lol atleast 7/10
April fools to you too
There I was trying to be subtle about it…
Just as the debt was starting to be paid off too.. think this will effect us in the transfer window?
LOL not April 1st where I live yet, fooled.
Whats today ? April 1st – not even a good try !
Why don’t they make the seats closer to the field on both ends. Also feel this will improve the atmosphere.
Also not April 1st where I am so I feel dumb now I didn’t get it the first time. Damn you gervinho
Wait, isn’t it April 1st in Wales as well?
You had me for a moment. Good effort. Let’s hope one of the papers picks it up!
More seats for Usmanov and his fat arse then.
Oh Blogs you was just waiting for it to hit 12.00 am….whanchya?
Wow, this got me hard. Especially since it is still March where I am. No excuses though
Same here – still Sunday !
Still bloody December where I am
Fools day. Let’s flatter some people then.
John terry, shawcross, cole, rvp…..you guys are not cunts enjoy!.
Comment?
Good effort! For AFs this ranks highly on attention to detail
So no complimentary hotdogs and vouchers for my Gervinho replica shirt then?
🙂
Please tell me you watch Harvey Birdman Attorney-at-law…
Sky Sports will probably use this.
Not funny i wanted this to be true. 🙁
Very good piece blogs and you should have put in there a “Diaby to recover in 3weeks: not as earlier feared” and just see how people would eat their own words.
Cough*david*cough
April foooooooooools! * Jazz hands*
Ha! I completely bought this and was about to share the link with some people until I read the comments. Well played.
Is it true Carl Jenkinson’s dad will perform at the opening of the newly enlarged stadium?
nice one.
I don’t think Under Amour will be our sponsor, no chance as it’s already connected with the scum
fooled me until i read the comments
Who is going to Sponsor us for our kit anyway???
I only wanted Adidas cause the deal was supposingly 25million.
adidas kits are well ugly
I’ll second that. Adidas kits are ugly. Soo seventies
Leave Adidas to Loserpool
Beware of April fool, pls fans beware.
Money..
I know its a joke and all…but im curious. Can we actually increase our capacity?
It ws a perfect idea though.
I would buy it shud they tried to introduce it.
I think we do have the capability to increase the seating. I forgot the name of the paper, but a few years back there was an article that confirmed that increasing the capacity was possible.
yes we easily can increase to 80 000 (i read that somewhere) but the council ont allowed right as for now the public transport isnt up to standard to take the extra 20 000
The stadium may hold 75000 fans but if Arsenal are unable to compete ,you can forget it. My greatest fear is Wenger will continue to indulge in pretty soccer at the expense of winning. I f the gunners continue to struggle,they will be lucky to get 40000 fans. First Wenger must get the 4th spot. Failing that he will either have to go or buy wc players to show intent. Otherwise it will be an exercise in futility . OT is full because of a wiining team. If the red faced is unable to win week in week out,season after… Read more »
Soccer? Football.
Pretty football comes with winning. We haven’t played too much “pretty football” this season, but when we did we won spectacularly.
Sorry I realised the post was also April’s Fools. 😀
I think this is April fool’s stunt.
Can’t wait to see this as a Goal.com exclusive next week
knowing it was april fools i was expecting outlandish ridiculousness… I kinda think some of this might be a goer!
haha
well you got me, you got me big time.. i even started thinking that the club would use this as an excuse for not buying players this summer because of the “new costs the stadium will need for this process”
emmet brown? 😉
Dr. Emmet Brown was the name of the zany physicist/inventor in the Back to the Future Films. In the first film, Michael J Fox’s character assumes the name Calvin Klein as a result of the printing in his underwear.
DAMNIT BLOGGER!!! I wanted this to be true. ..
Oh well fair play to you. This was a genuinely good attempt
Goal.com Exclusive: FAN PROTEST: Anger over proposed increased stadium capacity yet no ticket reprieve.
Good April fool.. But actually also a good idea to develops.. I hope Kroenke read this & start to work it 😀
What has really happened is that Arsenal and Tottenham have agreed to merge . Two new tiers will be added increasing the ground capacity to 120,000 . The team will play in red white and blue and will be known as the North London Chargers. It is all part of the new British and Irish Super league. There will be four London teams North, West, South and East . Liverpool and Everton will merge as will City and United. Newcastle and Sunderland ,Villa and Birmingham will merge as will Celtic and Rangers. and there will be an Ed inbugh team.… Read more »
Haha would be great if this is a double bluff
No space on the bench for Arshavin then…
Thanks for reminding me we don’t have a big enough stadium to hold a champions league final. 🙁
I’ve got no idea what day it is today. But who cares, I’m tripping balls.
Lol we are still behind its march 31st still over here!
more people to sing to at end of year gigs!!!
I thought you’d retired form music you complete cunt!!!
*from
Had it not been for the comments, I was preparing a very long winded appraisal tweet of this. fooled.
Stupid considering that arsenal have only just paid off the stadium debts. If the club success is more important than finances, then this would not happen. We now supposedly have money that we should spend on PLAYERS not on the stadium so that we can bring success back to the club rather than have more debts to pay just as we finished paying the previous debts.
*facepalm*
Any plans in the offing to expand our trophy cabinet?
Can’t wait for the Mail exclusive anytime now…
For some unknown reasons, I so wished that this would have been true. Anyway, you had me until the voucher for pies stuffs. 🙂