Swansea City unveil plans to expand Liberty Stadium in stages
HUW Jenkins expects the Liberty Stadium's capacity to be bumped up to 22,000 next season — and says it should be 27,000 by the start of the following campaign.
Swansea City are keen to make room for more fans at their Landore home because of high demand to see them in Premier League action.
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Huw Jenkins expects the Liberty Stadium's capacity to be bumped up to 22,000 next season
And Mr Jenkins (above) is confident that work will soon be under way on expanding the Liberty.
The current record crowd at the stadium was the 20,650 sellout for the game against Manchester United just before Christmas.
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But Swansea believe they will soon be able to trump that attendance by some distance.
Work on a new area for media at the Liberty is set to take place this summer, which will in turn mean space is created for more fans.
And Swansea will lodge a planning application later this month to increase the Liberty capacity by around 5,000 at the end of next season.
Swansea may then look to increase the capacity by a further 5,000 at some point in the future.
"We will have a full application in for the end of March and once that is passed we will do part of that towards the end of next season, starting with the East Stand," Mr Jenkins explained.
"Once we get that moving we will go from there, but it all runs parallel to us still being in the Premier League and it being right for the club.
"If and when the final stage is complete the stadium will hold 32,000.
"The first bit, which we plan to do this summer, will take the figure to 22,000, and then it will go up to 27,000 with the first stage of the East Stand, starting near the end of next season and running through the summer.
"We have to make sure we do it right, but it will be led by how well we do on the field."
As well as stadium expansion — and strengthening the squad for a European adventure — Swansea's owners are also working hard to improve the club's training facilities.
Michael Laudrup's squad are already doing much of their training on a new artificial surface in Landore.
Dressing-room facilities and grass pitches will also be completed soon on that site, while Swansea are also pressing ahead with work on a second new training base at Fairwood.
"The one in RTB (Landore) will be finished in the next few weeks," Jenkins said.
"And planning permission has gone in for the one in Fairwood and has been approved for the first stage up there.
"That will push ahead in the summer."
Jenkins, meantime, says there are no plans for Swansea to try to take ownership of the Liberty.
16 Comments
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by Jagermeister
Sunday, March 03 2013, 9:00PM
“Why the insults ? Don't you think that people can have an opinion that is not yours ? Now instead of diverting this to your agenda try to stick with your glue to the topic at hand. Try reading the article if you can do that then commenting on that.”
by chelsea1955
Sunday, March 03 2013, 8:38PM
“JAGMESSEDUPAGAIN, Strange everyone seems to have been a season ticket holder since Liberty opened, THE REAL SWANS FANS are the history behind the club and future, I did not go to ABOUT 15 games a season at the Vetch I went to every league and cup game and we use to play 23 home league games in the lower leagues just in case you were not aware. lay off the glue”
by Jagermeister
Sunday, March 03 2013, 7:50PM
“Chelsea I've have supported the swans for most of my life, I've had a season ticket since the liberty opened, before that I went to about 15 games a season at the vetch. But I don't have to justify myself to someone like you.
And as the football club is a business first of course the board is looking after the pounds, we are the customers of the business. They employ a manager and players to look after the football side of things. Tell me what the board is supposed to do in your eyes ? Perhaps just look after the 'REAL SWANS FANS' ? While you there can you tell me what that term means in your little world.”
by chelsea1955
Sunday, March 03 2013, 7:01PM
“JAGMESSEDUP. you seem like the classic plastic brigade boy, I bet you only ever seen prem games at the Liberty, I bet you use to follow Ospreys but jumped ship like thousands of others, what i keep stating here is a lot of REAL SWANS FANS cannot afford season tickets and get treated like s---, the BOARD only think about £sssssss so wake up IDIOT”
by Jagermeister
Sunday, March 03 2013, 4:01PM
“Chelsea you are going on about a cup game mid week in August to back up your arguments , if you are going to do this at least get your facts straight, it was over 9k at the game. And just because people have a difference of opinion to you it doesn't make them ' numptys ' as you put it.
Some people are never happy it seems on here, this is a positive news story coming from the Swans, and its ridiculed! Can I just say that the club is in the hands of sound business people who know what they are doing, they haven't put a foot wrong in running our club. Think some people should credit them for this.”
by sirjazzfeet
Sunday, March 03 2013, 11:02AM
“There's a difference between 'good business' and acting like an increasing number of swans fans do.. staunch business people committed to the myopic discipline of efficiency.
We need to approach this situation from a holistic perspective. Even if we don't fill the stadium, those few days we do would be all worth it, something that money can't buy, and those day are also generally well covered by the media, acting as a magnet for talent. The capacity alone on paper is worth a fortune, this figure is factored into make and break decisions on a regular basis and if our's is the lowest in the premiership we will no doubt suffer. It's these less tangible aspects that businessmen generally forget about. A half empty stadium is only the end of the world to a businessman, to a fan the glass is half full and potential awaits, this is what life is all about, the high's and lows, nobody wants a consistently full stadium.”
by chelsea1955
Saturday, March 02 2013, 6:47PM
“trncjack well spoken, Iam in same boat only able to get tickets for left over games and cup except Wembley had to pay tout £150, if there is going to be an extra 7,000 in a couple of years will the plastic brigade still be going if we struggle near the bottom we know the answer to that and how many seats will be going to friends of the board (prawn sandwich and hangers on) because I know at least 500 tickets every home game are not for general sale.”
by nice_nails
Saturday, March 02 2013, 6:27PM
“It is a worry whether the stadium will sell out once extended. I remember the capital one cup semi final home leg on general sale because the glory hunters didn't fancy their chances at the bridge, although I'm sure the minute the club advertises that tickets are available someone will buy them.”
by nice_nails
Saturday, March 02 2013, 6:27PM
“It is a worry whether the stadium will sell out once extended. I remember the capital one cup semi final home leg on general sale because the glory hunters didn't fancy their chances at the bridge, although I'm sure the minute the club advertises that tickets are available someone will buy them.”
by nice_nails
Saturday, March 02 2013, 6:26PM
“It is a worry whether the stadium will sell out once extended. I remember the capital one cup semi final home leg on general sale because the glory hunters didn't fancy their chances at the bridge, although I'm sure the minute the club advertises that tickets are available someone will buy them.”