Turnstiles & Corner Steel Imminent in Bournemouth Stadium Revamp

Fresh images from Dean Court have provided the latest glimpse of AFC Bournemouth's ambitious stadium redevelopment, with significant progress now visible across multiple areas of the site as work continues towards increasing Vitality Stadium's capacity to more than 20,000.

With just over a month remaining until the Cherries welcome Everton for their first Premier League home fixture of the new season, activity around the ground is expected to intensify dramatically. The project has now reached a stage where several important structural milestones are imminent, with the first steelwork for the new corner expansion expected to begin appearing within days.

One of the most noticeable developments can be seen in the South East corner of the stadium, where supporters have captured photographs of a concrete pump pouring material into the reinforced foundation formwork. This is a significant step towards constructing the first of the new stadium corners, which will ultimately link the South Stand with the East Stand as part of the phased redevelopment.

Contractors are using a high-strength, fast-curing concrete mix that allows steel installation to begin far sooner than with conventional concrete. Once poured, the foundations will be capable of supporting structural steel as early as this weekend or the beginning of next week, before continuing to gain their full design strength over the following three weeks. The arrival of the first steel framework will mark one of the most visually dramatic stages of the redevelopment to date.

This corner will provide more of a challenge to contractors, and even when complete, it may not be fully open, due to sight line issues for certain seats - caused by the non-cantilevered roof of the Ted MacDougall stand. Originally, the plan was going to be to construct the new South Stand over the course of the summer, however, planning delays and a rethink in its build has meant a stay of execution for the temporary terrace for another season. 

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Elsewhere in the same area, excavation work is continuing in front of the Pavilion building, where deep holes are being created for new sections of the stadium's perimeter fencing. The Pavilion, once AFC Bournemouth's primary training headquarters before the club relocated to its state-of-the-art performance centre at Canford Magna, has more recently served as office accommodation. The Canford Magna complex has since achieved prestigious Category One academy status, underlining the club's long-term investment in its football infrastructure.

To complete the fencing works, contractors are using a Longo Rhino Z Pro suction excavator rather than a traditional digging machine. The specialist equipment removes both dry and wet material using powerful suction, allowing engineers to excavate precise holes without disturbing large surrounding areas. The approach is particularly beneficial on a busy stadium site, reducing the size of excavations while also minimising the risk of damaging buried utility services that may not be accurately recorded.

Progress is also continuing on the opposite side of the ground. As highlighted in a recent Back of the Net redevelopment update, a perimeter fence is being installed just beyond the Heald Matador sliding bollard system - which restricts entry into the campus from the corner of Thistlebarrow Road.

The adjustment forms part of wider changes to supporter access around the redeveloped stadium, as the club are creating a dedicated pedestrian route that directs supporters entering from the North/North East - diverting them around the Parkview Apartments before leading them safely towards the new turnstile entrances on the West side of the stadium. These changes are designed to improve crowd flow and accommodate the significantly larger attendances expected once the redevelopment is complete.

Another major development is the arrival of the new turnstile carousels. After the installation of the steel canopies and external cladding over recent weeks, the carousel mechanisms themselves have now been delivered to the stadium by lorry and are awaiting installation.

Their arrival represents another important piece of infrastructure falling into place ahead of the new campaign, with the completed entrance complex set to play a key role in handling increased supporter numbers both this season and as future phases of the redevelopment are completed.

With concrete works advancing, specialist fencing being installed, pedestrian access routes taking shape and the turnstile equipment now on site, Dean Court is entering one of the busiest periods of its transformation. Supporters can also expect the first sections of structural steel to begin rising shortly, providing the clearest visual indication yet of AFC Bournemouth's long-term vision to transform the stadium into a modern 20,000-plus capacity home while remaining operational throughout construction.