The National League team Southend United F.C. (UK) has made substantial progress towards their goal to move to a new stadium where they can become a self-sustaining business, capable of competing through the leagues, something that is not possible at their residence – Roots Hall – without further unsustainable investment.
The ‘Southend United’ further stated that planning permission has been obtained for a new stadium and new training ground facilities at Fossetts Farm together with new substantial enabling residential scheme.
The Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England (UK). As of the 2021-2022 seasons, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football.
The Roots Hall Football Stadium is a football stadium located in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England (UK). The stadium is the home ground of the Vanarama National League Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392, Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of the Essex Senior Cup.
The club’s long-held ambition is to relocate to a new purpose-built stadium at Fossetts Farm in Southend-on-Sea (UK) which will provide the improved capacity and caliber of player and spectator facilities required for Southend United F.C. to usher in a new era of success, both on and off the pitch.
The ‘Southend United’ further stated that they are working through the planning conditions to enable commencement of the first phase of works comprising new training ground pitches. Construction of the new stadium and new residential community will then follow.
The club’s target is to commence the 2024-2025 seasons from the first phase of the new stadium at Fossetts comprising, initially, the South, East and West stands that will incorporate a range of corporate and entertainment space.
The club will soon be submitting a Scoping Opinion, ahead of a formal application, to refine the stadium design. It is seeking permission to amend the design to achieve the following:
- Reducing the overall capacity of the seating bowl from 21,000 to 17,000;
- Amending the West stand to create their version of the ‘Kop End’ with safe standing; and
- Increasing the commercial space throughout the first phase of the stadium (mainly in the South Stand).
The club hopes that these refinements will lead to two principal benefits for the club:
- Enhanced revenue generating opportunities for the club, both on matchdays and non-matchdays; and
- A much-improved supporter experience and better atmosphere.
Importantly, the club’s architects, world renowned stadia architects Populous, have been instructed to maintain the architectural integrity that is currently proposed.
A capacity of 17,000 is substantially more than the Premier League team A.F.C. Bournemouth and on par with the Premier League team Brentford F.C., both teams have shown themselves to be well capable of competing towards the top end of the football pyramid. The Southend United aim is to provide an infrastructure to enable them to emulate the success that teams such as these have had.
The commercial areas will include a range of bars, restaurants, the club shop, ticket office and conferencing and banqueting space. In addition to the Supporter’s Bar in the South Stand, the club will have a large bar area in the West Stand (with music and entertainment) and will also have great food offerings throughout. They plan to use this opportunity to carefully plan the detail of the various food and beverage offerings and hope to share some exciting proposals soon.
The extra commercial space in the first phase will provide additional non-matchday opportunities, supplementing the commercial offering in the North Stand (where further enhanced commercial activity will take place). The North Stand will comprise corporate boxes, several conferencing rooms and a ballroom capable of seating 700 guests.
All in all, the planned commercial space will help the club move from a 30 day a year business to something approaching a 365 day a year business.
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