Construction Of AFC Bournemouth's 7000 Seat South Stand Is Now Underway!

Yesterday, the Vitality Stadium was busy with construction workers who were all putting in the hard work to kickstart the building of the new two tiered, 7000 seater South Stand.

The aim is for the upper tier of the stand to be in action and hosting fans by April 2027, and workers will be on site at the ground for 7 days a week (excluding matchdays), to try and reach the goal set by the club.

With the current temporary South Stand having a capacity of around 3000, it was widely recognised that the main emphasis of the stadium redevelopment project should be to get rid of the temporary stand, and have a much more Premier League level stand behind the goal.

Bill Foley has done an excellent job at developing the club on the pitch by signing some excellent young talent and off the pitch by selling players for huge fees and building the new training ground. However, the new South Stand feels like the next piece in the AFC Bournemouth puzzle that could be a driving force for Cherries competing at the highest level for many years to come.

On face value, the building of the new South Stand may just seem like a much needed increase in capacity, which of course it is, but there is much more to it. Increased hospitality, improved atmosphere and higher overall ticket sales will be much needed for the club if they want to compete in Europe long term.

When speaking to founder of Back of the Net Sam Davis yesterday, he said:" Hospitality makes up 40 per cent of Bournemouth’s match-day revenue, and this will help generate more money for the club to comply with the strict SCR rules, as well as the European financial regulations as well.”

Bournemouth's fans have a reputation of being one of the quietest in the Premier League, and it doesn't help that they have the smallest ground in the league by quite some distance, and there isn't a stand big enough yet to generate an intimidating atmosphere.

When asked about if the South Stand will lead to a much-needed improvement to the atmosphere, Sam Davis said: “Naturally a stand with a new influx of younger fans should help enhance the atmosphere, and its proximity to the away fan section will certainly help create an improved decibel level.”

The aim of the new South Stand is for there to be a 'red wall'-esque stand behind the south facing goal, however, the movement of the more vocal fans who stand in the North Stand is yet to be figured out yet.