London Evening Standard
20 January 2011 - Julian Bennetts and Ian Gibb
Crystal Palace will have to change plans for a new £40million home should Tottenham win the bidding for the Olympic Stadium. Palace's plans, unveiled today, are for a 25,000-seat stadium, which could be expanded to a capacity of 40,000, and includes provision for an indoor aquatics and sports complex as well as a community sports facility on the present Crystal Palace National Sports Centre site in Bromley. Significantly, the club do not include provision for a running track, meaning the plans could be scuppered if Tottenham are allowed to move into the Olympic Stadium in Stratford after the 2012 Games. |
Home from home: an artist’s impression of how the Eagles’ new £40million stadium will look if the club relocate from Selhurst Park to the current site of the National Stadium at Crystal Palace |
The north London club have pledged to redevelop the existing athletics stadium if they are granted permission to knock down and rebuild the Olympic Stadium without a running track.
And although the plans released today are contingent on West Ham moving to Stratford - the Hammers will keep the running track - Palace co-chairman Steve Parish admits that his club's proposed new home may have to become multi-purpose.
He said: "If Tottenham's plans for the Olympic Stadium and Crystal Palace are accepted and they want to have a conversation with us, then we will have that conversation.
"Our preference is for the plans that we have put forward today but if circumstances outside our control mean that can't happen, then we would talk to anybody.
"We aren't coming out for or against either Tottenham or West Ham [in the Olympic Stadium bid], we are coming out for a better and brighter future for Crystal Palace.
"I know the fans are more against that [Palace's new home also hosting athletics events] but if you do it from scratch and from the planning stage, then you might be able to do it."
Parish believes his plans would leave the area with a better, longer-lasting legacy than Tottenham's proposal.
And having had discussions with Bromley council, the London Development Agency, the local MP and UK Athletics, Parish is confident his scheme could work.
"I don't see how you could ever want a slightly revamped Crystal Palace over a new, purpose-built stadium," said Parish, who would look to raise the money for the stadium by selling Selhurst Park, their current home.
"We believe this is a plan that would suit everyone. I have never understood why Crystal Palace wasn't based in Crystal Palace. There is a sense of logic to this scheme that would build a better future for our club and the local area."
Meanwhile, Palace are considering appointing Lennie Lawrence as their director of football, giving rookie boss Dougie Freedman the benefit of his vast experience.
They also hope to get midfielder Michael Brown on loan from Portsmouth.
The 33-year-old's combative qualities are also attracting interest from Cardiff and Norwich. Playing another game for Pompey will trigger a pay rise from his current £34,000 a week and the club cannot afford it.
Crystal Palace FC
Crystal Palace is an English professional football club based in South Norwood, South London. Also known by their nickname ‘Eagles’, the club was founded in 1905. Crystal Palace’s home stadium is Selhurst Park Stadium, which seats about 26,000 fans. Crystal Palace play in The Championship, the second tier of English football. In the club’s history, Palace have won the Championship twice (1979, and 1994), the Football League Third Division south (1921) and the Zenith Date System’s Cup (1991). Palace have also been runners up in the FA Cup (1990).
