Villa Park Confirmed on Euro 2028 Bid Stadium List
Villa Park has made it onto the final list of 10 stadiums of the final UK and Ireland joint bid to host Euro 2028. Aston Villa’s ground will see major redevelopment this summer, with the North Stand being rebuilt to increase the stadium’s capacity beyond the 50,000 mark for the tournament.
Villa Park is not the only stadium on the final list needing redevelopment work, with Belfast’s proposed 34,000 Casement Park revamp yet to begin. Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock has also been selected, despite the question mark over how Everton would cope if they were relegated this season, as the stadium has incurred ever increasing costs.
The likes of Anfield and Old Trafford didn’t make the final Euro 2028 bid list, despite being on an initial short list of 14.
The 10 grounds are:
• Wembley Stadium – London
• National Stadium of Wales – Cardiff
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – London
• City of Manchester Stadium – Manchester
• Everton Stadium – Liverpool
• St James’ Park – Newcastle
• Villa Park – Birmingham
• Hampden Park – Glasgow
• Dublin Arena – Dublin
• Casement Park – Belfast
Why the Announcement is good for Villa
Ultimately, the Euro 2028 bid was key to fast-track and oil the cogs of the upcoming North Stand redevelopment, especially in terms of addressing the necessary improvements needed to the transport infrastructure to and from Villa Park.
The bid uses the slogan “Football for all, football for good, football for the future”, and makes the claim that 80% of ticket-holders would potentially travel to matches by public transport.
The North Stand redevelopment in the wider sense would be privy to government-backed funding and traditionally stubborn actors such as rail networks and council bureaucrats would have to find a ‘can do’ attitude to action the plans needed to support the planned infrastructure of the Euro bid. It will certainly be very helpful to the club, in terms of improving Villa Park transport links, that such redevelopment can piggyback on a nationally backed major event.
While Villa Park was always likely to make the final cut of the 2028 Euro bid’s stadium list, it’s symbolically, the final rubber stamping of the North Stand plans, to make sure the process of Villa Park redevelopment is as smooth as possible.
UTV
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