New stadium update...

[rushscored4]

Some of you might remember that I've got a mate who works for the architects in Manchester who did the original 'New Anfield' 'stadium in a box' design. You might also recall that in March he gave me some info that they had been sacked and a new firm (HKS) had been appointed to revise the plans (I was told on a Friday night, posted it on the Saturday and it was all over the news on the Monday).

Anyway, I was out drinking with him again last night and he said that his firm had been approached again to build a new 70,000 seater stadium based on the original design, i.e the one that looks like the City of Manchester / Emirates / Reebok / José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon and lots of other grounds across the world.

So... it looks as though this could link in with the rumours about the fall-out with Tom Hicks and the club struggling to raise the funds for building the new design which is a lot more expensive than the original plans. Apparently the AFL design would cost around £300m including the 'fit out' (i.e. the interior) whereas the HKS design would cost around £180m more without the 'fit out'.

Remember, I'm just passing on what I heard so don't shoot the messenger but he was 100% accurate with his information in March...



From this...



...back to this...



...spot the difference - the José Alvalade Stadium, home of Sporting Lisbon...

[valoi]

Doh!

I really,really hope your mate is wrong on this one..

[bigfooty]

The new design is fantastic. I don't think the old one would be /that/ bad but doesn't appear as if there would be any room for expansion.

I've driven past that Sporting Lisbon stadium, it actually looks quite impressive from the outside.

[valoi]

If they change the plans again, doesnt that require new planning permissions?

Are they really trying to get as unpopular as possible?

[Gaz]

No offence mate but i hope he's wrong about it this time

[rushscored4]

Doh! I really,really hope your mate is wrong on this one..

No offence mate but i hope he's wrong about it this time

He was quite adamant that they have been asked formally to expand the original plans to a 70,000 capacity.

The new design is fantastic. I don't think the old one would be /that/ bad but doesn't appear as if there would be any room for expansion.

I've driven past that Sporting Lisbon stadium, it actually looks quite impressive from the outside.

There's nothing wrong with the José Alvalade Stadium but it looks just like the City of Manchester and the Emirates Stadium. There's nothing 'unique' about it and the design is very safe. I love the HKS design and was delighted when I saw the plans. Even my mate thought it was a much better design and he worked on the original plans as well as on lots of other sports stadia (most recently the new Hearts stadium).

I sincerely hope he is wrong but he was 'spot on' in March...

[blacky]

****in Joke if true. These yanks are really buggin the **** outta me know. Love it if DIC came in with an offer to but the club!!

[El Diego]

FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I ever hear is "This is going to be the design, we are going to the counil for planning permission next month" Every two months!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't they just get there arses in ****ing gear and sort it ****ing out????

[Darth Marty]

dammit. The thing is should Hicks be struggling then i think there is truth in the rumours he wants out, in which case DIC will buy him out and all will be well again!

[dom9]

To be honest I was half expecting this.

[spud_gun]

Lets be realistic here people. The supposed £180m difference between the 'standard' design and the fancy design will be 'our' debt NOT Gillette and Hicks.

If both stadiums hold 70,000 then i have no problem with the 'standard' one over the fancy one if it means our club is not saddled with an extra £180m worth of debt.

[johnp]

FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I ever hear is "This is going to be the design, we are going to the counil for planning permission next month" Every two months!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't they just get there arses in ****ing gear and sort it ****ing out????

If you're gonna spend 180m or 300m you wanna be kinda sure you know what you're doing.

But I hope we get the funky stadium and not the bowl style one.

[tomasjj]

SIGH!!!!

Hope not!!!

[Red_Al_77]

what a climbdown if true. Feck me the Yanks are really making a meal of all this. They are more Frank Spencer than top class businessmen.

[Dhav]

Disaster.

Assuming this is true (which I pray to God it is not because I would be absolutely gutted to be stuck with the bland generic design), and the yanks can't even deliver us a world-class stadium (which is supposedly one of the attractions of having Hicks on board) then I wonder what good the Americans are to us at all.

Really starting to long for DIC now!