Football stadiums are forever evolving with new features, captivating designs and capacities we have never seen before. In the modern day, we see a lot of clubs choose to abandon their historic homes and make the venture to a new, top-of-the-range stadium with technology that the traditional grounds cannot match.
Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen the likes of Tottenham Hotspur move from White Hart Lane, Everton move from Goodison Park, and West Ham United move from Upton Park. Whilst it might not affect your value betting, it is controversial to leave the heritage of your club behind. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at some of the proposed football stadiums we may see in the future.
New Trafford?
One of the most recent announcements of a new proposed stadium came rather unexpectedly from Manchester United. Manchester United is one of the world’s biggest clubs and has called Old Trafford its home for 115 years. The ‘Theatre Of Dreams’ has a capacity of around 74,000 spectators and holds some of Manchester United’s biggest achievements, most notably during the Sir Alex Ferguson period. However, despite all the heritage built around the ground, Manchester United have proposed an all-new 100,000-capacity stadium that looks like nothing we have seen before, especially in this country. The stadium is valued to cost around £2 billion to build and is definitely interesting. The club is aiming to use the stadium as a hub for Manchester, creating thousands of jobs whilst building a ‘Wembley of the North’. Despite the stadium being proposed to have many positive impacts on the North of England economy, the 200-metre tall ground with a 3-peaked canopy has taken some criticism online, with rival fans comparing the unique design to a circus tent. There have been many mixed reviews online, and it is certainly the most modern and peculiar-looking stadium in the UK if it is to be built.
Milan
While the stadium proposed isn’t the strangest-looking stadium in the world, like Manchester United’s, it is the history behind the 2 clubs and the stadium that makes the move a strange one. AC Milan and Inter Milan had shared the iconic San Siro since 1947 when Inter Milan became tenants of the already AC Milan home ground. The stadium has become one of Europe’s most iconic and recognisable, with an intimidating atmosphere and a bucket list visit for any football fan. However, in recent years, after the 2 clubs decided to refurbish their ground, they have decided to leave the San Siro completely. Both teams have potential stadium designs that don’t differ too much from the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium and the Everton Stadium, but it has also been said that both teams would be open to sharing a new state-of-the-art stadium. If both clubs were to move out to a new stadium each, it would be the first time in 78 years that the two giants wouldn’t be sharing a stadium. It is very much up in the air for the future of the 2 Milan club’s home grounds, but it is a very strange situation and leaves fans wondering why they would even want to leave such an iconic ground in the first place.
New Murabba Stadium
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has begun to make a name for itself in the world of sports, hosting several boxing events and even being accepted to host the 2034 World Cup. One of the many proposed stadiums in the capital, Riyadh, is extremely impressive and very unique. The main purpose of the stadium is to be used for the World Cup, which will open in 2032. After the games in 2034, the use of the stadium will become varied thanks to the considerate design that will host residents and a hub for all sports in Saudi Arabia. The stadium is designed in a way that it can be used for concerts, other sporting events and even Esport events. The design, as expected, is a unique one inspired by the Acacia tree, with several different parts and buildings separate from each other, engulfing a pitch in the centre. Whilst on paper this is a good design, planning for the future and not leaving the building derelict after 2034, we have seen these promises made in the likes of Qatar and Brazil, and some stadiums have still faced a lack of use and dereliction.
Eco Park
Eco Park is the new proposed stadium of Forest Green Rovers, the National League side fighting for promotion back into the Football League. Forest Green has called The New Lawn home since 2006 and has built the club from a non-league side to reach the heights of League One. However, the new proposed stadium seems a relatively strange one. The National League club has proposed a 5,000 seater stadium costing £100 million made entirely out of wood. Forest Green Rovers have used their name to promote green practices with proposals to plant trees, increase biodiversity and even use wood as the primary material. While one concern is the large costs for the lower-league club, seen before by Darlington FC, who had to abandon their modern ground, the main concern is the material used in the ground being wood. This has created safety concerns amongst fans, as previously, we have seen a large stadium fire in Bradford, killing 53 spectators and injuring over 280 people. Forest Green Rovers’ future is bright, with their new stadium being a talking point surrounding the club, however, the design and potential safety issues are a major concern for fans.
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