LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Fans pose for a photo outside the stadium prior to the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on September 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Fans pose for a photo outside the stadium prior to the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
The Times report that Arsenal have started to explore how they could upgrade and expand the Emirates Stadium.
The club reportedly realise that they need to keep pace with the demand for tickets, as well as adapting to supporters’ changing needs, including improving internet access at the ground.
The report adds that it’s not clear how Arsenal could increase their capacity in a cost-effective way.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Arsenal fans show their support and hold up a banner reading "Vamos" prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brentford FC at Emirates Stadium on March 09, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Arsenal fans show their support and hold up a banner reading “Vamos” prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brentford FC at Emirates Stadium on March 09, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The key factor holding Arsenal back when it comes to increasing capacity is council restrictions. The stadium was initially designed to hold more than 60,000 people, but it was limited due to concerns over public transport.
Holloway Road tube station has always been a big issue, with the station just a few steps from the ground but without the necessary infrastructure to ferry thousands of fans to ground level in a short period of time.
With just a couple of lifts and a narrow winding staircase, the station isn’t fit for purpose. It now closes completely on either side of matches to avoid dangerous overcrowding on platforms.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Fans make their way to the stadium prior to the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on September 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Fans make their way to the stadium prior to the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
As a result of those council restrictions, Arsenal opted to install larger seats at the Emirates to bring the capacity down to 60,000.
Hypothetically, they could add around 8,000 more seats by making each seat an inch narrower, but the council would have to approve that change first.
Any more ambitious expansion plans would likely cost a lot of money, and they would still be subject to the same issues with the council.
Getting more fans in the ground would be nice, but there are a lot of hurdles to overcome first.
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