September 8 2016

The antiquated Main Stand

Crystal Palace are to present stadium development proposals to Croydon Council next week.

The club is looking to redevelop the antiquated Main Stand at Selhurst Park as part of a project to bring the overall capacity up to 40,000.

Palace's ground only holds around 26,000 and chairman Steve Parish wants a larger stand with improved facilities and corporate income.

Just as Liverpool have done with their new stand, Parish would like to build a block with an extra tier behind the current structure so capacity is not reduced.

"We feel Liverpool have gone down the right route," he told talkSPORT. "We want to keep that atmosphere that we have at Selhurst Park and we are going to present to the council next week and try to get everyone on side before we announce to the fans.

"For us, we want to maintain that vibrant atmosphere that we have at Selhurst Park, but if we could get to 38,000 or 40,000 in a gradual scheme, and enhance the corporate side as well, that would be great.

"We are looking at Selhurst and going down the Liverpool route – we definitely want to stay and there is nowhere really to go.

"I am a fan of the football club and that is the biggest pressure. I care about the club and we have a trajectory where we have had three years in the Premier League, having never been in the top flight for this long.

"It is the longest time we have been in the league, but there is still 20 years of under-investment in the club.

"The stadium needs money into it and the training ground too, as well as building the squad we are trying to work on that.

"But you wouldn't recognise the training ground from when we came in to now, and the stadium is going in the right direction, but there is still a lot more to do."