Crystal Palace to Redevelop Selhurst Park to 40,000 Seats Following Promotion

Crystal Palace will step up their plans to redevelop Selhurst Park to a 40, treat 000 capacity stadium, prostate following their heroic promotion to the Premier League.

Three years ago the Eagles were on the brink of extinction and only managed to retain their Championship status with a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on the last day of the 2009-10 season.

On Monday a Kevin Phillips penalty ensured the south London club’s dramatic rise to the Premier League and earlier in the week co-chairman Steve Parish, ampoule CEO Phil Alexander and manager Ian Holloway met to discuss the use of their added £120m for entering the top-tier of English football once again.

Selhurst Park holds 26,309 people, which will make it one of the more modest grounds in the top-flight next year.

Parish said: “We want to create a lasting legacy for the club. We want to rebuild Selhurst — that is the most expedient thing.

“The club made representations to people about what we could do to help Crystal Palace Park. We felt a stadium there would have been hugely beneficial. But we were told there were many people who would object to anything happening there and they’d rather it be knocked down or fall into disrepair.

“We’re focused on Selhurst and we’re masters of our own destiny there. We have a lot of support from Croydon Council. We’re looking at building a 35,000-40,000 seater, that’s what you need to be viable in the Premier League. It’s early days but winning promotion helps speed that work up a bit. We want it finished as soon as possible. Putting timescales on it is difficult because it’s not entirely in your control.

“There is planning and all sorts of hurdles. We’re working on redeveloping the ground a stand at a time and we’ve got Sainsbury’s on the site so we’ve been discussing things with them. But I’d like to be doing something in the next couple of years. It is going to take a

The club has a wide catchment area for fans in and around south London, Croydon and further into Surrey and Greater London.

If they maintain their Premier League status, a 40,000 seater stadium in south London may just be feasible.