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One of the biggest financial challenges for a football club is that they have an expensive fixed asset in the form of their stadium which is used only once or twice a fortnight. Modern stadium designs have tried to get round this problem by incorporating features such as hotels or conference suites that can be used throughout the week. Last year I visited the stadium at Utrecht in the Netherlands which incorporates a number of small business units around the periphery. Even so, the typical payback period of a stadium is 25-30 years.
Now a partnership called Stadi-Arena have come up with an idea that allows part of a big outdoor stadium to be converted temporarily into a more compact indoor arena - and to be converted back again within as short a time as 20 minutes. The basic idea is simple. Huge 25-metre wide aircraft hangar doors would be lowered from the roof of the stand behind one of the goals to block off and created an enclosed space. The stage would lie between the front row of seats and the edge of the pitch. Rock concerts for 2,000-3,000 people would be one use of the space, making stadium rock stars out of smaller bands not just large-venue performers such as Bruce Springsteen who will be appearing at Old Trafford and the Emirates later this year. Another use would be corporate events such as product launches.
The additional capital costs of putting a Stadi-Arena in a new 25,000 seater stadium is estimated at £5 to £8m with a forecast payback period of three to four years. While a Stadi-Arena cannot simply be added to an existing stadium, it does not necessarily require the redevelopment of more than one end of a ground. One club, basing its calculations on holding two concerts a week (rather an optimistic figure) has worked out that it could cover its player wage bill with a StadiArena. Football fans may not be happy about the placing of the stage area as they would want the front row of seats to be less than 20 metres from the edge of the pitch, particularly if one of the 'ends' where the most passionate fans gather is involved. It is also not clear how the space would be heated and ventilated. Nevertheless, 37 UK football clubs have expressed interest and the promoters hope that four will sign up within twelve months. It is not, however, a solution that would work for lower division clubs in less prosperous areas.
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