Bournemouth are facing a race to complete upgrades to the Vitality Stadium to enable it to stage European football next season. Uefa has granted Bournemouth a provisional stadium licence after meeting club officials in April to review their redevelopment project, but improvements are required owing to the limited size of the hospitality areas and broadcasting facilities.
A visit from Uefa’s stadium inspection and commercial operations team will take place in June after Bournemouth secured European qualification for the first time courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Tuesday.
Club sources said their plan was to use the Vitality for next season’s European fixtures. Bournemouth have submitted plans for a phased expansion that would almost double the 11,286 capacity to more than 20,000, with the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council planning committee due to discuss their proposal on Friday.
That meeting, which will focus on the proposed demolition and replacement of the South Stand, was due to take place on 11 May, leading to concern about the potential for further delays.
Bournemouth do not have to increase their capacity to meet Uefa requirements – Bodø/Glimt competed in the Champions League this season with a stadium holding 8,000 spectators – but infrastructure improvements are needed to gain a Uefa category rating.
Planned work this summer includes creating a permanent outside broadcast compound, the installation of new perimeter fencing and turnstiles and resurfacing the pitch. They have been forced to scale back planned work, though. The club had intended to add about 1,500 seats to the ground before next season by filling in gaps in all four corners but that figure was reduced to 800, with only the north-west and south-east corners to be completed.
Bournemouth are guaranteed at least a Europa League place, but also have two possible routes to Champions League qualification. If Aston Villa win the Europa League final against Freiburg and finish fifth in the Premier League, the sixth-placed side would qualify for next season’s Champions League. Bournemouth will seal sixth if they avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest or if Brighton fail to beat Manchester United.
Bournemouth could also finish fifth on goal difference if they win and Liverpool lose at home to Brentford, though Liverpool’s goal difference is better by six.
The Premier League’s Champions League and Europa League qualifiers will go into the league stage next season, giving Bournemouth additional time to complete the work.
