Crystal Palace unveiled Selhurst Park renewal plans

Every now and then, Italian newspapers and televisions talk about the ancient problem of Italian football’s infrastructural deficiency. Particularly about stadiums that, excepting for some little but bright exception, are old, crumbling and often unsuitable to host a football game. Is as much known as things work differently in the Premier League, where the majority of the stadiums are state of the art arenas and they usually try to improve everything they can. Crystal Palace is a proof of that, as the club, that right now is 18th in the league, has just announced a redevelopment plan for Selhurst Park worth £100M.

Palace’s arena has always been considered one of the most old-school stadiums in the British league, one of those where you can truly feel the passion of the fans. And on the very preservation of Selhurst Park’s soul was crafted the redevelopment project, that won’t affect the principal stands. In the next three years, the job organized by KSS - the firm that also worked on Anfield, Twickenham, and Wimbledon - will focus on the Main Stand, increasing the seating capacity from 5,400 to 13,500, and on the external of the stadium.

The Main Stand will be covered by a glass covering inspired by the design of 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition Hall, with a central vaulted arch featuring a golden club’s crest. There will also be new seats in the secondary stand and a club museum. The pitch will be enlarged to meet UEFA regulation about international tournaments, and the visibility will be improved in every sector. Not a bad thing for a club that has spent most of his seasons in the second and third tiers (70) than in the Premier League (18). The Selhurst Park, that hosts Crystal Palace since 1924, is ready to reborn.