Sun: Bournemouth announces plans for home renovation, by which time the number of seats at the stadium will double

July 19th According to the Sun, Bournemouth has announced plans for a £90 million stadium renovation, which will double the number of seats on the stadium.

Bornemouth Football Club recently announced its £90 million home vibrant stadium renovation plan. As one of the smallest stadiums in the Premier League, the Cherry Legion intends to increase its seats from the existing 11,307 to about 20,500 in the next two and a half years, and reserve space for further expansion to more than 23,000.

After this renovation, the Vitality Stadium will become the second smallest stadium in the Premier League, surpassing Brentford's G-tech Community Stadium (capacity of 17,000 people). American billionaire and club owner Bill Foley said that the stadium did not need to be closed during the expansion process. Renovation work will include the removal of the existing temporary south stands and the expansion of the existing stands on the north and east sides. In addition, the four corners will also be filled to increase the number of seats.

The stadium, built in 1910 and renovated in 2001, is expected to complete all works by the end of 2027. The club also released a stunning set of computer-generated images showing what the future stadium looks like, with a slogan: “Unity, everything is possible.” The first published images reveal how the new South stands blends with the existing venue and its surroundings. In addition, the proposed new fan zone is also shown, located in the southwest corner, between the New South Stand and the current main Stand. The club also plans to fully modernize the facilities, including the installation of new fences and relocation of revolving doors, additional ticket offices and more VIP room space. Furley believes that direct renovation is a more efficient option than building a new stadium takes five to six years.

Bornemouth will start building a new South stand off the court after its final game against Manchester City next season and install it in place. The club performed strongly in the 2024/2025 season, entering the top half of the Premier League for the first time since the 2016/2017 season. In addition, through the summer sale of players such as Wyson, Kolkz and Jaton Anthony, the team received an injection of about £100 million.

head coach Iraola hopes to use this funding support and a stronger home atmosphere after the renovation to qualify for European competitions in the next few years. The Vitality Stadium will be owned by a new entity called "Black Knights Stadium Co., Ltd.", a company established by Bill Fley when he took over the club in 2022 with the goal of realizing the dream of European football.

The public exhibition on the expansion will be held at the stadium from 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm on July 21, with fans and local residents invited to attend an introduction meeting of club staff and consultants and raise their own questions and concerns. In the first game of the 2025/2026 season, the new lineup led by Iraola will go to Liverpool to challenge the Premier League championship.