Highbury Expansion Plans

Š 1998 - 2000 Edward Morton

Current Ground:
             ________________
            |________________| X
          O |________________|-----
     -------                  | | |
     | B | |                  | | |
Clock| O | |                  | | | North
End  | X | |                  | | | Bank
     | E | |                  | | |
     | S | |                  | | |
     ------- ________________ | | |
	  X |________________|-----
            |________________|
                East Stand

X = TV Screen
O = Police Control Box & TV Studio
Pitch Size = 110 x 73 yards
Capacity = 38,500 all seated

'New' Ground:

            ____________________
         X |___________________ \
      -----|__________________ \ \
      | | |                   \ \ \
      | | |                   | | |
New   | | |                   | | | North
Clock | | |                   | | | Bank
End   | | |                   | | |
      | | |                   | | |
      | | |                   | | |
      | | |  ________________ | | |
      ----- |________________|-----
	   O|________________| X
	         East Stand

X = TV Screen
O = Police Control Box & TV Studio
Pitch Size = 125 x 95 yards
Capacity = approx. 65,000 all seated

Sorry about the ASCII, what I am trying to say is that the West Stand can be knocked down, and the North Bank extended round the corner. Not only will this widen the pitch, but will increase the capacity to over 56,000, making larger than Old Trafford, and also the biggest club stadium in Britain (for the best team in Britain!). This will also retain the "Art Deco" feel of the ground, and not turn it into a late 20th century concrete eyesore (like White Hart Lane or Stamford Bridge). The two Jumbrotron TV Screens could be placed at the South\West and North\East corners of the ground, instead of South\East and North\West.

The Executive Boxes, which raise a lot of money for the club, could be bulit into the lower tier, like they are at Newcastle, and the Clock End could be turned into a mirror image of the current North Bank, increasing the capacity to nearly 65,000. The pitch could then also be lengthened if needed.

'New' West Stand Side View:
**************************

8       /    <- Seats    }
7      /     <- Seats    } Upper Tier
6     /      <- Seats    }
      ----------
5       /    <- Seats    }
4      /     <- Seats    }
3     /__    <- Seats    } Lower Tier
2     |__|   <- Boxes    }
1    /       <- Seats    }
     -----------

'New' West Stand Top View:
   ___________________________________________
8 |                                           \
7 |              Upper Tier                    \
6 |_______________________________________      \
5 |                                       \      \
4 |                                        \      \
3 |              Lower Tier                 \      \
2 |  ---------------------------------       \      \
1 |_____________________________________      \      \
                                        \      \      \
                                        |      |      |  North
  (not to scale)                        |      |      |  Bank

The only problems I can see to this, is local residents not wanting to move, and the cost, which will be in the region of Ł35million upwards. While I can appreciate that it is a lovely area to live in, but please, local residents, it is for the greater good. Also, capacity would be reduced while buliding work was in progress. If the Clock End was re-devloped first, capacity would be reduced to 32,000 for one season. Then, while the West Stand was being re-devloped, capacity would be 34,500. The time for completion would be about two seasons, after which capacity would be about 62,500 - 65,000. An alternative is that all the construction work is done in less than twelve months and the club play at Wembley or Twickenham for one season, as capacity with both the stands being re-devloped would only be 22,000.

Please note, THESE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PLANS. I came up with them one afternoon. They are however costed along the lines of the cost of the North Bank in 1993, and the capacity is accurate.

Plese note:

Islington Council have stated that:

only the East Stand and Clock End can be redevloped;
the height of the new stands cannot be taller than the North Bank;
the corners cannot be filled in;
the pitch cannot be widened;
capacity cannot be greater than 50,000.

Given that both Leicester and Coventry had stated their desire to build new 40,000 + size stadiums outside their city centres, and Newcastle had started work to increase St. James' Park to about 63,000, it is now a case of when, not if, the club quit Highbury for a new ground, probably near Kings Cross or near Highbury at Ashburton Grove. These plans could, I suppose, be used for the new stadium. See Arsenal World for press cuttings, comment and information on the on-going saga of Highbury.