New Stadium for City?

By: David | February 26th, 2009

Big tings gwan for the Robins ladies and gents. City have begun to release details about their proposed new stadium at Ashton Vale, not far from the current Ashton Gate stadium. with constructed hoped to begin 2010 and hopes to have it completed by 2012.

lots of grand rhetoric floating around as you’d expect when trying to gain support for a new stadium. Talk of a £30 million cost for a stadium capacity of 30,000 that could be increased to 40,000+ if needed. This increase could be if when City reach the premiership or also if England win the right to host the world cup in 2018 (or 2022). Apparently it will be funded by the selling of Ashton Gate (probably to create housing), funds of the club and the good Mr.Lansdown himself, corporate boxes and (the inevitable sore point) selling of the stadium naming rights.

the wierd digital video of the intended design really does not tell us that much, and to be honest looks like if Sims released a Bristol city expansion pack (i’m trademarking this idea as we speak).

well then- mighty big talk and impressive designs, but behind all the glitz ‘n’ glamour how do the fans really feel about it?

new modern stadiums seem to be increasingly unpopular, with their Ikea indentical look and feel, accused lack of atmosphere and sponsored names, but logically it may be what city need. with city now a solid championship team the stadium may be needed to help them make that jump up to being a top flight team. Bristolians often get told how Bristol is a city that could support a Premiership team and this stadium can go a step towards this. as Steve Lansdown points out this new stadium could be a real central part of in the future of bristol and the west.

your thoughts? a step ahead reflecting city’s growing status, or a money-hungry move to a heartless and characterless new stadium (cough** Emirates** cough)?

one thing we can all agree on, if the naming rights are to be sold, I hope Blackthorn are first in the queue.

Always Believe