5th Sep 2024 • Written by Nikhil Bandlish

Selhurst Park Redevelopment: Long-Term Growth Vs Short-Term Regression

You’d be forgiven for being slightly sceptical about the state of Crystal Palace at the moment, given the tumultuous summer after an historic end to the season.

Palace entered the summer break full of ambition and optimism that this year might be the year. The loss of Michael Olise has brought a significant balance issue into the mix, with the incoming Ismaila Sarr and Daichi Kamada still finding their feet in the Premier League. 

With several high-profile targets moving on for significant fees, the question is worth asking – now that we’ve sold, who can we buy? Is the ever-delayed stadium redevelopment potentially affecting our on-field performances and off-field pursuits? The answer is one we’ve known for quite a while now – yes (at least when it comes to the piggy bank). 

As a club that sits in the bottom half of the table when it comes to matchday revenue, our ability to grow and spend is dependant on our ability to remain competitive as a business. But while fans watch the likes of Fulham celebrate their brand-new Riverside stand alongside a transfer spend for the ages, it is worth asking whether the redevelopment of Selhurst Park is a grand exercise in procrastination, or whether the years of saving up will all be worth it in the end.

Most importantly, will the redevelopment finally light a spark under the club as a whole?

Years in the making

Selhurst Park represents a different era of stadium construction. Newer, modern stadiums may be placed in more conventionally ‘practical’ areas, with the residential suburbs of London presenting unique challenges.

Relocating owners of properties situated on the land immediately behind Selhurst Park’s Main Stand has been a considerable issue for the club and has been one of the primary hold-ups in obtaining planning permission. 

Despite this issue ultimately being resolved, local councils will always look to safeguard communities to the highest level, even with regard to community-friendly clubs. 

Credit: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

On a local level, the stadium means so much more than international notoriety from being in the Premier League – it really is the beating heart of SE25 and beyond. 

Alongside the Palace for Life Foundation, it is representative of more than just competitive football. It wasn’t a clear-cut deal to redevelop the stadium – thoughts have been given to a new stadium in the past and it was considered on this occasion as well, and the final decision will no doubt result in the beloved stadium being further-cemented as a landmark for the Palace community and local residents alike.

It is the passionate support that sees the club consistently ranked amongst the highest for matchday atmosphere. It is the fans that so often brave train strikes and horrendous weather on a bi-weekly basis, and an improvement in fan experience is always a high priority. 

The new development will see improved seating, a museum, café and a new club shop among other upgrades.

Despite the anticipation, the project has taken a while to get off its feet. Reported issues with Sainsbury’s proved a difficult obstacle to overcome, while council regulations on rehoming and constant unease over the funding have threatened to leave the plans in limbo. 

But with the recent news that the 2024/2025 season will be used to prep the surroundings for the work to commence, there is now optimism that the project can finally get underway

In the absence of any work, we are left wondering what has been sacrificed in order to see it through.

Potential for growth?

Eagle-eyed viewers will recall that the original 3D mockups included fans bearing the names of Cabaye and Ledley – stalwarts of their times, but names that now sit far in the past. 

When the BBC first reported the development plans in December 2017, they reported that work could start within 12 months and be completed within 3 years. 7 years later, ground has yet to be broken on the new stand, with final planning permission only recently granted following years of uncertainty.

Credit: cpfc.co.uk

At a capacity of just under 25,500, Selhurst Park in 2024/2025 ranks 17th out of 20 Premier League stadiums. The redevelopment will see an increase to over 34,000 – placing it just outside the fringes of the top 6/8 clubs. 

The cost of rennovating the stadium will not affect Palace from a PSR standpoint, however, the additional matchday revenue from new seats will be included, and therefore will allow the club to be more competitive in the market for player acquisition.

Additionally, the increase corporate corporate hospitality will generate cash flow, and there is no doubt that more jobs will be created, benefiting the local community. 

From inception through to announcement and completion, the stand will have left fans in a decade-long footballing purgatory – too good for relegation, too ‘economical’ to challenge for anything beyond the glass ceiling – but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Or regression?

In the Premier League, the cycle lasts firmly from August to May. For the majority of clubs, some level of planning is required in the event of relegation, as more and more clubs bear the brunt of PSR and habitual overspending. 

As a result of a chronic lack of sales, each year seems to go by with Palace seeking as economical a deal as possible. While there is undoubtedly value to be found in the Jordan Ayews of the world, it does limit Palace's ability to be aggressive in the market, whether targeting youth or experience. 

Dougie Freedman has proved adept at spotting talent, yet funding always proves to be a sticking point. This summer’s cash inflow as a result of player sales has certainly bucked this trend, but returning a post-window profit is unusual for Palace. 

Stability is perhaps the most valuable trait that can be applied to Crystal Palace, but after 10+ years in the Premier League, many fans are no longer merely ‘grateful’ to be playing in the best league in the world – with good reason. 

Over the years, Palace have proven a sticky opposition to some of the best teams in English football history, regularly scalping top teams while lacking consistency against the rest. For the fans, it is always a case of ‘almost there’. In the context of a marathon, we always seem to be nearing the finish line before we get pegged back – a feeling that makes us almost envy the league newcomers, who go into seasons as if it is their last, with everything on the line.

Present state

Following the West Ham loss, Oliver Glasner said “We can’t dream of what we were doing three months ago, we have to be in the present”. Sometimes, the dream is all we have and at the very least, it gets us through the summer. The management have been vindicated in many ways – it was they who sanctioned moves for Eze, Olise and Wharton from the Championship, and the model hasn’t changed. 

Maybe we are in a position that the higher-ups have never experienced; interest in the squad to a higher degree than ever before. Previously, our challenge was to grow and continue to field a competitive team. Now – the goal is to retain just as much as recruit – while establishing a global commercial appeal – starting with the stadium.

From everything we’ve read and heard, as well as based on the profiles of the players we buy, Crystal Palace is an attractive club – family-friendly, and a place that players enjoy being. 

Selhurst Park is a place that opposing teams and fans respect, and will represent the club for decades to come. It is therefore possible, to both be appreciative of the direction we are moving in, yet simultaneously frustrated at the pace, even if this is the price to be paid for financial security.

For Palace, fans are grateful that we are seemingly looking ahead rather than over our shoulder – but after a decade in no man’s land, a sense of anguish can’t be faulted, and the sooner the redevelopment is complete, the sooner we can kick on.

Thumbnail image: cpfc.co.uk

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