Stoke City stadium expansion to start next week
Thursday 26 January 2017 15:50, UK
Stoke City will welcome contractors to their Bet365 Stadium from next week as work starts to increase the ground's capacity.
The south east corner will be filled in to add 1,800 seats, taking the home attendance over 30,000.
Work is expected to be completed by the start of the 2017-18 season, with two LED screens to be installed as well as further provisions for disabled supporters.
The club's existing big screen will be removed after Stoke's game against Everton on Wednesday.
"The contractors are due on site next Monday and people will soon start to notice that work is underway," said Richard Smith, managing director of Stoke City Property.
"Removing the big screen will be one of the first things to happen to release the area of the south east corner within the stadium for groundworks.
"In parallel, work will start on a new retaining wall outside the ground intended to release space behind the South East corner which will also permit the diversion of the perimeter track. Following completion of the new wall, work will really start in earnest on the new stand."
In accordance with the Accessible Stadia Guide recommendations, Stoke are installing additional disabled bays and improving mid-terrace bays.
A high-level wheelchair platform will be added in the north east corner above Delilah's Bar, while almost 17,000 seats will be replaced.
