PICTURED: Vitality Stadium Expansion Ramps Up As Corners Take Shape

AFC Bournemouth supporters have been given another encouraging glimpse of the club's ambitious stadium redevelopment plans, with fresh photographs revealing significant progress on the first of the new corner infills at Vitality Stadium.

Fans attending Dean Court over the past week have been quick to notice the pace of construction work, particularly in the north-west corner of the ground, where the Main Stand and North Stand will soon be linked by a brand-new seating section.

Images shared on social media by Bournemouth Vitals owner Dave Jennings and the AFCB Disabled Supporters Association highlight just how much has been achieved in a relatively short space of time.

The work forms part of a much wider stadium expansion project that will transform Vitality Stadium from its current capacity of around 11,300 to approximately 20,200 over the next two seasons. The centrepiece of the redevelopment will be a brand-new South Stand, replacing the temporary Ted MacDougall Stand, while additional rows will be added to the rear of both the North and East Stands, increasing their height by around five metres.

Four corner infills are also planned as part of the project, with the first two expected to be completed around the start of the 2026/27 campaign. This will provide an initial boost to the ground's capacity, helping to create a more enclosed and modern stadium bowl ready for Europa League football.

While the increase in numbers from the corner sections alone will be relatively modest, their importance extends beyond simply adding seats. Around 600 supporters were displaced from their long-standing Main Stand locations following the introduction of new hospitality areas. Rehoming those fans inevitably reduced the number of general admission tickets available, but the additional seating created by the corners should restore that balance and potentially add a further 200 or so seats, taking the stadium's capacity to around 12,000 in the short term.

The latest photographs show substantial structural work already underway. Following the removal of the former corner television studio, the historic Jubilee Gates and adjoining wall, sections of steel cladding have been stripped away from the Main Stand, while side panels on both the Main Stand and North Stand have also been removed to allow the redevelopment to progress.

Further steelwork is now being installed in the recess to the left to the outdoor video screen and close to the Main Stand turnstiles that serve Blocks 6, 7, 8 and 9. Supporters have speculated that this area could ultimately house new media and broadcasting facilities, although the club has yet to confirm the precise use of the space.

Meanwhile, preparations continue for the installation of the corner structure itself. Additional steel supports between the North and Main Stands will eventually need to be removed to create the necessary space, with extensive scaffolding currently in place to provide temporary roof support during the process.

The redevelopment activity extends well beyond the corner infill though.

Posts over on Bournemouth's Vitals website, shows that, around the stadium, work is continuing on the playing surface, plus there are new trenches being excavated and new cabling installed. Elsewhere, supporters have noticed that a number of older seats are being replaced, with several of the faded red seats that had become synonymous with the stadium's ageing appearance swapped out for newer black versions that should prove more durable in the years ahead.

Another milestone was reached earlier this week when the newly re-routed cycle path behind the South Stand officially opened. The pathway now curves around the expanded outside broadcasting compound, providing improved access while accommodating the ongoing redevelopment works.

For supporters who have visited the stadium recently, the scale of change has been impossible to ignore.

Jennings, posting on the Bournemouth Vitals forum, said: "It was quite exciting walking around. There was activity everywhere, inside and outside. Obviously a lot of pitch preparation is going on, as well as replacing all the seats. It may well feel like a new ground even before the corners are added."

Another fan was equally impressed by the speed of progress, commenting: "I'm always amazed at how quickly the steelwork is assembled; so much done in the 6 hours or so since I saw it. I suppose for civil engineers it's just a glorified Meccano set."

With steelwork rising, infrastructure being upgraded and the first visible signs of the stadium's future beginning to take shape, there is a growing sense of anticipation around Dean Court.

While the completed 20,000-capacity venue remains some way off, supporters are now getting their first tangible glimpse of what promises to be the most significant transformation in the stadium's history.