English Premier League football club Watford is considering moving away from its Vicarage Road home to build a new stadium, according to reports.
The Athletic website and Watford Observer newspaper have both published renderings of what a new stadium could look like, with the site identified for the project believed to be Bushey Hall Golf Club, located around 1.5 miles from Vicarage Road.
In October, it was reported that Populous had been enlisted to advise Watford on the expansion of Vicarage Road, specifically to finalise designs for a two-phase, £40m (€46m/$52.2m) project that would significantly increase the stadium’s capacity from 21,577 to 32,000.
The Athletic has said that although designs for a new stadium have been developed, short to mid-term plans to expand Vicarage Road remain an option. It’s believed that plans for a new home, with a capacity of around 30,000, may include a hotel, flats and casino.
Watford has played at Vicarage Road since the stadium opened in 1922. The ground last underwent expansion in 2015 when 700 seats were added to the Sir Elton John Stand. The Observer said that the club recently entered plans to Watford Borough Council to add 537 seats in the section of the stadium between the Sir Elton John Stand and the Rookery End.
The newspaper added that Bushey Hall Golf Club is currently vacant after members left the course in October. The site is being earmarked for redevelopment into flats.
TheStadiumBusiness.com has contacted Watford and Populous for comment.
Image: Watford FC
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