Bournemouth have ambitious plans to double the size of the Vitality Stadium, currently the smallest in the Premier League.
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Bournemouth targeting new stadiumCheries at centre of multi-club modelChampions League is ultimate ambitionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Cherries can only fit 11,500 fans inside the Vitality Stadium, trailing far behind Brentford's 17,250-capacity home, and with no others in the Premier League smaller than 24,500. But American owner Bill Foley has revealed intentions to build a new stadium on the existing site that will raise the capacity to at least 19,000 and potentially up to 23,000. That alone should see Bournemouth's revenues shoot up as they aim to shed their status as Premier League minnows and underdogs.
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It all forms part of a wider strategy for 80-year-old American billionaire Foley. He is no stranger to building sports teams up, with his Vegas Golden Knights going from new franchise startups to NHL champions in the space of jut six years. His Black Knight Sports & Entertainment group took over Bournmeouth in December 2022, while he also owns or holds stakes in Auckland FC, Lorient and Hibernian, with the intention that Bournemouth will be the flagship side in a multi-club model. Andoni Iraola's Cherries are the blueprint in terms of philosophy and style, on the cusp of qualifying for European football for the first time in their history – they are seventh in the Premier League, but only one point behind Manchester City in the last Champions League berth.
WHAT BILL FOLEY SAID
Speaking to , Foley said: "We have a waiting list of 15,000 or 16,000 people that want tickets, so we're not going to have trouble filling the stadium.
"We're a little ahead of schedule. I thought we'd be in Europe next year [2026]. We may have a chance this year if we can keep on going and keep on playing well. If we just get lucky on injuries and get these guys healthy the second half of the season, we should be very successful, and if we're successful we will play in Europe. The Champions League? That's my dream."
DID YOU KNOW?
The Vitality Stadium doesn't actually meet UEFA requirements in its current form, so no European football could be played there anyway, unless upgrades to its infrastructure are carried it out to tick UEFA Category 4 criteria. Its size would not be the issue.