Dirty TackleMan City to have second largest stadium in Premier League with approved expansion
If you were worried about Man City running out of space to put their oodles of money, fear not. City have been granted permission to expand the capacity of Etihad Stadium by up to 14,500 seats. This will bring the 12-year-old ground's capacity to 62,170, making it the Premier League's second largest stadium behind Man United's 75,731 capacity Old Trafford.
City currently have the fifth largest stadium behind Arsenal's 60,355-seat Emirates Stadium, Newcastle's 52,387-seat St. James' Park and Sunderland's 49,000-seat Stadium of Light.
The plan approved by the city council calls for both ends of the Etihad to have a third tier and 6,250 seats added with up to 2,000 seats added around the pitch. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2015/16 season.
From the Manchester Evening News:
It will be the club's second major construction project in quick succession following the building of the £200million City Football Academy adjacent to the stadium.
The CFA, which will become the training base for all the club's teams and house medical and accommodation facilities, is due to open later this year.
Both projects underline not only City's determination to develop world-class facilities at their Etihad Campus, but also their commitment to local regeneration.
City's work has contributed significantly to the development of east Manchester, with a sixth-form college and a leisure and retail centre already being built alongside the CFA.
Approval for Manuel Pellegrini's recently proposed "Relaxation Lounge Where Jose Mourinho and his Big Fat Mouth are NOT ALLOWED" is still pending.
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