It looks like the start of an investment planned for several years is very close. Crystal Palace is putting the final touches on the details to expand its stadium as soon as possible.

The topic of modernizing Selhurst Park has been intensely discussed since 2017, when renderings  of the refurbishment of the arena's main stand were published. The design prepared by KSS Design Group involved building it virtually from scratch. The modern design would have seen the capacity of the venue grow from 25,486 to 34,000 seats. The club already got permission from Croydon Council –  the London borough council on which the stadium stands – in 2018 to carry out the development as presented, but it has not yet started.

© Crystal Palace FC / KSS Design Group

In the meantime, there have been numerous perturbations. Problems with land ownership around Selhurst Park, as well as pandemonium and high inflation have meant that the start of construction has been delayed for the past six years. In November 2021, the club announced that the start of the upgrade was expected in 2022. Obviously, this deadline was not met either, but there can be no question of a lack of progress. In October last year, Croydon Borough Councillors approved amendments submitted by Crystal Palace authorities. These concerned redesigned circulation routes, including stairs, lifts and lobbies. The chief fire inspector had reservations about this.

It seemed, therefore, that the long-awaited refurbishment of Selhurst Park should get underway by early 2023 at the latest. However, this did not happen. As it turned out, the planning permission granted in 2018 was put on hold. The club therefore had to go through the procedure of re-issuing it from the beginning. Only when this is fully completed, work will be able to proceed. When, then and most importantly - will this take place? Initially, the authorities of the The Eagles estimate that the end of the current league season, i.e. May 2024, would be a realistic start date.

The works are then expected to take between 27-30 months. This means the new Selhurst Park main stand would be ready in the summer of 2026. The cost of the redevelopment has been provisionally estimated at over £100m. Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has repeatedly stressed that the upgrade is of great importance to his club, as it is expected to generate around £15m of extra profit annually. The maths makes it easy to calculate that the extension would pay for itself within five to seven years of completion. With this investment, The Eagles would like to further consolidate their position in the Premier League. Perhaps, in the near future, the other stands would also undergo a suitable refurbishment, as the facility has a reputation for being outdated by Premier League standards. However, you have to start somewhere.

© Crystal Palace FC / KSS Design Group