There were more than a few murmurs of discontent and surprise when FIFA announced their World Cup 2022 would be staged in Qatar. There were a few reasons for the surprise of football fans across the globe. This will be the first World Cup played in the Arab World and
The new, long-awaited 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium is officially opening today as the team faces Crystal Palace in the Premier League. This opening comes after a host of delays and two successful testing games over the past couple of weeks. SCX, Sheffield- based engineering specialist, will be seeing its world-first dividing
The City Ground stadium redevelopment is moving forward, with Nottingham Forest soon being able to increase its capacity to 38,000. Following extensive discussion with the local council, the club reached an agreement to extend the lease on the ground. The project includes the development of a new, world-class Peter Taylor Stand,
Pure Commercial Finance, the Cardiff-based commercial finance brokers, carried out a research to reveal whether purchasing property near a football stadium is a worthy investment. The research found that homes near football stadiums are experiencing property price increases considerably higher than the UK average. The brokerage’s campaign combines Land Registry data and
Work is set to begin this week on Liverpool FC’s new flagship Anfield Stadium store, with contractors arriving on site to start working on the two-storey development. It marks the next milestone in the regeneration of Anfield and will form part of Liverpool City Council’s plan to rebuild the entire
To follow from Vital Energi’s success in being awarded the contract for the North West Lands scheme, one of the key phases for the development at Wembley Park, it has been confirmed that the scheme will be receiving a low carbon energy solution to boot. To run between February of
Final approval has now been granted for the construction of a brand new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, with 61,000 seats for fans, at its present site. The stadium, which is valued at £400m will also have a retractable pitch so that it is able to play host to both traditional
There were more than a few murmurs of discontent and surprise when FIFA announced their World Cup 2022 would be staged in Qatar. There were a few reasons for the surprise of football fans across the globe. This will be the first World Cup played in the Arab World and the first tournament of its kind not to be played during June and July. World Cup 2022 will occur between November and December, with the final played a week before Christmas. This measure was brought in to help safeguard players, officials and spectators against the searing temperatures of summer in Qatar. Qatar isn’t a nation known for its love of football. Still, FIFA was blown away by Qatar’s bid, with organisers promising a competition that leaves a legacy of comfort, accessibility and sustainability. Plans were put in place to build brand new sports stadiums capable of hosting thousands of fans and the world’s top players. It was difficult to imagine Qatar having the infrastructure in place to host football’s best-loved games. Still, as we approach the opening ceremony and big kick-off in game one, everything looks to fall into place for Qatar. The World Cup is fast-approaching, and fans can begin to dream of a memorable month of play with the stadium builds on schedule. Followers have been busy preparing for the matches, buying merchandise, planning watch parties and even making predictions on which side will lift the famous trophy. Betting apps specialising in major sports allow registered members to bet on NFL games, horse races, and NBA matches are able to wager on the World Cup. Pick the nation you expect to win the tournament or play one of the many exciting specials offered on the outright and each fixture. Qatar will be competing in the World Cup for the first time, having secured a place without having to qualify due to their status as the home nation. Fans hope that home advantage gives their players an edge, but what can we expect from the stadiums in Qatar? Let’s look at three stadiums you will become familiar with this winter. Lusail Iconic Stadium This will be the main attraction of Qatar 2022 and will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the final match, where the venue will be packed to its 80,000 capacity. This nation’s biggest stadium enjoys excellent transport links, located less than 25km from Doha. Construction of the Lusail Iconic Stadium began in April 2017 and is on course to be unveiled in time for the first game. The opening ceremony and first round of matches from the World Cup will double as an introduction to this arena which was designed by British giants of construction Foster and Partners with Populous and MANICA Architecture. Solar power will keep the stadium cool and leave a zero carbon footprint. Some of the games you can expect to find at Lusail Iconic Stadium include Argentina v Saudi Arabia, Brazil v Serbia and Portugal v Uruguay during the group stages. It will also provide the backdrop for Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and the final matches. Al Bayt Stadium This is the second most important stadium of the World Cup, and with a 60,000 capacity, this state-of-the-art venue will provide the backdrop for some crucial matches. Another stadium that will be unveiled in time for the World Cup, the likes of England, Spain and Germany will play here during the groups. Al Bayt Stadium, which is 35km from Doha, also hosts Round of 16, a quarter-final and a semi-final. Al Thumama Stadium Complete with a 40,000-seater capacity, Al Thumama Stadium is the third biggest in Qatar and will play a major role in hosting the tournament. One of the more interesting stadiums, it was designed by Ibrahim Jaidah, who is the chief architect of the Arab Engineering Bureau. This stadium has a bit of a jump on the others as it has seen competitive action before November, having hosted the Emir Cup Final played last October. It was awarded the MIPIM/Architectural Review Future Project Reward in the sports and stadiums category.
The new, long-awaited 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium is officially opening today as the team faces Crystal Palace in the Premier League. This opening comes after a host of delays and two successful testing games over the past couple of weeks. SCX, Sheffield- based engineering specialist, will be seeing its world-first dividing retractable pitch on display at the match. The grass surface, which can be rolled back to reveal a bespoke NFL pitch below, is the result of the vision and expertise of SCX Special Projects, the bespoke engineering arm of the SCX group. The innovative system allows the venue to be used for music concerts and other events in addition to regular football matches and NFL games. “It has been a phenomenal success, equal to what we have achieved with the retractable roofs for Centre Court and No.1 Court for the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, and within a very tight timescale,” said SCX’s Project Director, Danny Pickard. “The Tottenham pitch went from being perceived as the highest risk part of the project – with all the moving parts, the turf joins and an engineering concept that had not been tried before – to something neither we nor the client had to worry about. It’s fantastic. Everything was completed on time despite the huge scale of the project, and communication has been the key. We have a really great client in Spurs,” Danny added. The retractable real grass surface splits into three pitch-long steel trays. When the trays slide together, the join is invisible and imperceptible to the players. The trays, weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each, can be rolled under the new South Stand to reveal the NFL artificial surface in a process taking about 25 minutes. The mechanical tests included the sideways movement of the side trays to meet the centre tray, the defining feature that makes the pitch a world first.
The City Ground stadium redevelopment is moving forward, with Nottingham Forest soon being able to increase its capacity to 38,000. Following extensive discussion with the local council, the club reached an agreement to extend the lease on the ground. The project includes the development of a new, world-class Peter Taylor Stand, housing facilities such as a museum, a new club shop, range of hospitality lounge options and restaurants and executive boxes. More space will also be created for general-admission supporters as well as improved facilities for supporters with disabilities and a substantial increase in wheelchair spaces. “I would like to thank Councillors Jon Collins and Simon Robinson and all the representatives of both the City and Rushcliffe Borough councils for their co-operation and engagement in this project. The City Ground has iconic history and memories for our supporters and these legacies were fundamental in our decision us to remain on the banks of the River Trent and not relocating to an alternative site. This is our home and we will remain here forever,” commented Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. Helping the club deliver this project are Architects Benoy, who will now enter a period of consultation and engagement with the relevant supporter groups before making the necessary planning application. “We want our supporters to play an important role in the decision-making of the club. Our intention is to now consult with our supporters and the wider Nottingham public to gain your views before making a formal planning application. I encourage you all to participate. This investment is about our club and the city of Nottingham and we are all committed together to deliver a place that we will all feel proud of, The New City Ground, our home forever,” Nottingham Forest owner added. Construction work is expected to begin at the end of the 2019/20 season.
Pure Commercial Finance, the Cardiff-based commercial finance brokers, carried out a research to reveal whether purchasing property near a football stadium is a worthy investment. The research found that homes near football stadiums are experiencing property price increases considerably higher than the UK average. The brokerage’s campaign combines Land Registry data and previous reports by mortgage lenders to highlight previous property surges near new English sports stadiums such as The Emirates Stadium and the Etihad Stadium. It also predicts areas which will likely see an increase as the result of future redevelopment. “The statistics are compelling, it’s great to see that as a result of the development of new football grounds its proven to not only stimulate local infrastructure investment, regenerate tired or unused areas of the cities but to create an unprecedented rise in house prices in the immediate area of redevelopment,” said Ben Lloyd, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Pure Commercial Finance. If the same average growth is seen in the next two decades as that seen in 1997 to 2017, investors can expect an average 450% increase in property prices for buildings near Premier League stadiums, according to the research. Saying that, developments coming out of Millwall FC are definitely worth keeping an eye on. The New Den, which is Millwall’s current stadium, opened in 1993 just a few miles from London’s financial centre. In August 2018, it was reported that the club had appointed architects to draw up plans for its community programme, which involves pre-planning what the club requires in order to meet Premier League requirements. The average property price in nearby postcodes is around £505,000 – up more than 33% in the last five years, and 292% in the last two decades – and, if the club is redeveloped, this could see local property prices positively affected. Research has also revealed that investing in property surrounding West Ham, Fulham and Arsenal’s stadiums could achieve healthy returns on investment. Whereas property with the highest price per square metre can be found near stadiums belonging to Chelsea, Fulham, and Arsenal. One of the biggest increases in past property prices could be seen surrounding Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in North London. The average home value in the postal district surrounding Spurs’ stadium rose more than seven and a half times in the two decades between 1997 and 2017 from £59,638 to £450,104. Zoopla states the current average price around White Hart Lane is just under £460,000.
Work is set to begin this week on Liverpool FC’s new flagship Anfield Stadium store, with contractors arriving on site to start working on the two-storey development. It marks the next milestone in the regeneration of Anfield and will form part of Liverpool City Council’s plan to rebuild the entire Anfield high street, Walton Breck Road, on which the Club’s new store will stand. The store will provide fans with a premium shopping experience featuring exclusive product ranges and an increased number of payment stations to ease checkout congestion on match days. There will also be a specially designed first floor café – that will open on both match days and non-match days. The new store will be built on 19,500 square foot of floor space, which is four times the size of the current Anfield store and will incorporate a brand new LFC store design concept. The colour scheme and materials will take inspiration from the architecture of Anfield and will feature design references from the original and current Kop, along with the expanded Main Stand. Chief Commercial Officer at Liverpool FC, Billy Hogan, commented: “Liverpool Football Club has an ongoing commitment to the wider regeneration of the Anfield area. This development will further enhance the Main Stand development as well as the Anfield High Street and will take us a step closer to offering our fans the best in-store experience possible. “This flagship store will be the jewel in the LFC Retail crown and it is fitting that it will be situated in Anfield – the heart of this Club.” Located on the high street, the store has been designed in support of Liverpool City Council’s vision for a new-look high street. It is also aiming to further enhance the surround of the stadium by generating more activity in the area and will feature a window design that will create an attractive frontage for the existing high street. The flagship store will not only stock a greater range of LFC merchandise, it will also offer fans access to exclusive New Balance and 47 Brand products through branded shop-in-shops that will be housed within the space. The number of payment stations will increase by 100 percent and the number of shirt printing locations will increase by over 500 percent in comparison to the current Anfield store.
To follow from Vital Energi’s success in being awarded the contract for the North West Lands scheme, one of the key phases for the development at Wembley Park, it has been confirmed that the scheme will be receiving a low carbon energy solution to boot. To run between February of this year through to May of next, the initiative will see the company install a brand new energy centre fully equipped with a 854kWe CHP generator as well as 9 250kW boilers and an additional thermal store space of 12mᶟ. Positioned in the Block E basement, the aforementioned centre will be set to offer heating and hot water across 4 different developments for residential use, and will also incorporate thermally efficient district heating pipework as part of the company’s commitment to also supplying the network for distribution. Upon completion, the North West Village will incorporate around one thousand homes, in addition to amenities, food and dining venues and additional spaces for leisure and community usage. Vital Energi will be providing its solution as part of the overarching development for Quintain, under Wates Construction. And commenting on the wider project, Rob Callaghan, Regional Director for Vital Energi explained that the park will be equipped to, firstly provide a wonderful village for the London area, but will also provide further infrastructure and support from an energy generation and distribution perspective. He added: “The developers have a clear view for a low carbon, sustainable community and we are thrilled to be helping them achieve that goal.” As such, the development will showcase a modern approach to sustainable communities and how they can be developed in a way which is both of interest to the potential residents, but also facilitate further growth and prosperity in the area as well as a degree of independent sustenance.
Final approval has now been granted for the construction of a brand new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, with 61,000 seats for fans, at its present site. The stadium, which is valued at £400m will also have a retractable pitch so that it is able to play host to both traditional football as well as American football games, of which it will host two per season. And while the project does highlight a great piece of news for fans, it forms part of a larger goal for rejuvenation in the surrounding area which will no doubt support the local community in the times to come. The project, which has been dubbed the Northumberland development project, will include a centre for sports and health, as well as a 180 bedroom hotel. Warmington House will also be transformed into the club’s own museum. Additionally, it has been confirmed that there will be 585 homes developed at the site, with a confirmed minimum amount of £48.4m granted from this side of the development for the improvements of the stadium itself. The goal is for the project to be completed in time for the start of the season in 2018. £28m has been invested directly by City Hall from the Mayor’s regeneration fund and the London Enterprise Panel as part of the goal to rejuvenate the surrounding area – this includes investment into Tottenham Hale station, employment, training and highway improvements. And nodding to the integral role of the stadium in the community, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, highlighted how the venue is steeped in history and that, through the development, it will be able to increase capacity by almost 100% as well as provide first-class facilities for football, sports events and concerts.
