Arsenal make Emirates expansion decision
Arsenal have decided against a major expansion of the Emirates Stadium and will instead focus on a programme of “continued upgrades” around the ground.
The club had been exploring options to increase capacity to around 80,000, but after two years of assessing what would be required, they have opted not to pursue a large-scale redevelopment.
The Times reports: “Any significant works may have required a temporary move to an alternative home ground, however, and Arsenal have instead decided on a “continued evolution” of the stadium rather than a grander revamp.”
That position was revealed at a meeting of the Arsenal Advisory Board last Thursday, September 24, attended by senior club figures and supporter representatives in person and online.
The meeting included updates on the Emirates, with Arsenal stressing that the focus is now on improvements to catering, safe-standing, hospitality and retail, as well as the overall visitor experience.
The club’s statement also confirmed that there is no “huge scale masterplan” currently being worked on, making a significant increase in capacity unlikely in the near future.
Arsenal are, however, continuing work on 5G mobile connectivity inside the stadium on matchdays and expect improvements during the current season.
That work is overdue. The Emirates remains one of the few major grounds without fast 5G or dedicated Wi-Fi, while several of Arsenal’s big-six rivals invested in those improvements years ago.
The club have been talking about 5G upgrades for some time. Similar promises were being made in August last year, but the work has still not been completed.
The decision not to push ahead with a major expansion is hardly surprising. Any substantial increase in capacity was always likely to be extremely expensive and disruptive, particularly if Arsenal had been forced to move away from the Emirates temporarily while work was carried out.
There is also no guarantee that such an investment would deliver sufficient financial benefit in the long term.
Instead, Arsenal appear more likely to focus on smaller, more practical upgrades, including the more lucrative hospitality areas, while also improving the matchday experience for supporters.
The 5G work, at least, should be far more straightforward. Given how long it has already been discussed, supporters will expect that particular improvement to finally arrive this season.