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Football stadiums
Queens Park Rangers have decided to go for a more modest version of their planned new stadium, according to a report in The Times.
Queens Park Rangers hope to draw up plans soon for a new 30,000-seat stadium on the site of the Linford Christie athletics track in west London.
Coventry City’s owners, Sisu, have brought a new legal action against Coventry City Council over the sale of the Ricoh Arena. On this occasion they are objecting to the sale of the Council’s 50 per cent share in the Ricoh’s operating company, ACL, to Wasps Rugby Club.
A proposed compulsory purchase order on land around Millwall’s stadium has been dropped after an intervention by Lewisham mayor, Sir Steve Bullock. Lewisham Council were under increasing pressure after a campaign against what was in effect a gentrification project gained momentum. It reduces the likelihood of similar threats to other clubs.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is to set up a high-powered team to investigate what happened with the finances of the London Stadium, the new home of West Ham United. Several independent companies have been approached to undertake the work.
Nene Park, formerly the home of Rushden & Diamonds is to be demolished. The stadium is derelict and judged to be dangerous and a fire risk. The club was formed from a merger of Irthlingborough Diamonds and Rushden Town. in 1992. They were promoted to the Football League in 2001. At their height they played in the equivalent of League One.
Chelsea have received planning permission from Hammersmith and Fulham council to build a new 60,000 seater stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge. However, the plans for the £500m project must be signed off by London mayor Sadiq Khan.
He has 14 days to respond once the plan is sent on to him by Hammersmith Council. He can accept the application, reject it or hold a short public inquiry which he would chair himself. There are indications that his advisers think that the proposal is insufficiently ‘green”.
Millwall may be forced to quit their historic home in New Cross. It looks as if Lewisham Council will approve a compulsory purchase order on land around the New Den next week. This is needed for a so-called ‘regeneration’ project involving a mystery offshore developer with links with Lewisham Council.
If you look at today’s Premier League table there are the top six clubs (three from London, two from Manchester, one from Merseyside) and then nine points behind the last of the top six can be found Everton. Given their history, Everton fans feel that they also qualify as a top club.
Farhad Moshiri has a 49.9 per cent stake in the club and he has made them a £80m interest free loan. He has vowed to return them to the elite of English football.
Over the next few days I will be developing a discussion about the particular challenges faced by football teams in resort towns. These include the presence of a large seasonal workforce; a high retired population who, if they are interested in football at all, may have allegiances elsewhere; and, in some cases, high levels of socio-economic deprivation.
It looks as if Millwall are going to lose out in their battle to prevent Lewisham Council placing a compulsory purchase order on land around their stadium. The order could undermine the viability of the stadium and in particular the work of their Community Trust.