England: Three new Premier League stadiums. Where will new league newcomers play?

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Jakub Ducki

England: Three new Premier League stadiums. Where will new league newcomers play? The day after the FA Cup final, in which Manchester United won the trophy, a play-off match took place at the same stadium to determine the third and final newcomer to the Premier League. Where will stars such as Erling Haaland or Mohammed Salah play in the coming season?

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Portman Road - Ipswich Town

This stadium, with a capacity of just under 30,000, can draw crowds in the Premier League. Last season's phenomenal performance on the pitch translated into a fantastic attendance in the stands, in excess of 95%! This is arguably only the beginning. Portman Road was at its best a long time ago, as the stadium was built in 1884.

The attendance record was set here on 8 March 1975 during the Ipswich Town - Leeds United match, with 38,010 spectators. The stadium has four main stands: the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, the Cobbold Stand, the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and the West Stand. Their unique atmosphere is perfectly suited to the charms of the Premier League. However, the club is committed to redeveloping the arena to ensure it matches the demands of the league.

Portman Road© groundhopping.se 

King Power Stadium - Leicester City

Win a few, lose a few. The 2015/16 English champions have bounced back from the bottom and, after one season in the Championship, are back in the Premier League in style. King Power Stadium, formerly known as Walkers Stadium, was built in 2002. The move to the new stadium coincided with the collapse of the transfer market and relegation from the Premier League. Financial problems brought Leicester City to the brink of relegation and the club lost the stadium.

In March 2013, the venue was bought back by Thai company King Power, who had also previously taken over the club. As a result, Leicester City saw a burst of form in the following seasons, topped by winning the championship, and for many years the club rubbed shoulders with European cups. It will be interesting to see if the team, led by Jamie Vardy and a player with a past in Ligue 1, Stephy Mavididi, can follow up on their best performances of the past.

King Power Stadium (Filbert Way)© Martin Handley 

St. Mary's Stadium - Southampton

The last team we met in the play-offs on Sunday was Southampton. The team led by coach Martin will be playing in the biggest arena in the South East of England and among the newcomers to the Premier League. St Mary's Stadium was built in 2001 and cost around £32 million. The result was single-tier stands for 32,689 spectators, which can be expanded to around 50,000 seats if required, assuming the roof is removed.

The roof is partially transparent to ensure adequate light on the pitch. The club can draw income from 42 business boxes and four large banqueting halls, named after Saints' greatest players. The attendance record was set on 28 April 2012 during the Southampton-Coventry City match with 32,363 spectators. Will a similar number of fans come to Saints' stadium this coming season?

St. Mary’s Stadium© Stadiontour.at

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