Vicarage Road could be expanded to hold 30,000

Watford FC are looking at options to increase their stadium capacity to 30,000.

The Premier League club, which play at Vicarage Road, are reportedly in talks with Watford Borough Council about the expansion plans, which could see about an extra 9,000 seats and development on either the Graham Taylor or Sir Elton John stands.

Club chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury said: “It really does make a difference, when Vicarage Road is rocking and the supporters are really behind the team, because invariably it pushes the team to a win, or at least a good performance. You see it here, particularly under floodlights in the evening.

“We’ve engaged a company to conduct a survey to see how we can expand the stadium but still keep the aesthetic look we have now. They are looking at the Sir Elton John Stand and the Graham Taylor Stand and seeing which is the most effective way for us to expand.

“We are already in dialogue with the council. While I won’t go into specific timelines, we hope that sooner rather than later we will be able to close on a plan.

“We are looking at two scenarios, one taking us to 25,000 and one taking us to 30,000. I would like to take us to 30,000, because it puts us in that tier of clubs just outside the top six.

“What we are going to do at the stadium, and our desire to increase the capacity, isn’t to generate new revenue, but to give us a technical advantage because on a matchday it does make a difference. The more numbers we can get, the more likely we are going to make this a fortress.”

Watford’s outgoing Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: “We continue to support the club’s aspirations to have a bigger stadium. Any mayor would want to keep them in the town, I don’t want to hear them talking about moving, so we will do whatever we can to support their aspirations because we know they need to have more bums on seats.

“We might have to be a bit clever and our planners might have to be a bit inventive, but I think it’s likely that they can expand the ground to the capacity they want. I’m sure we’ll get somewhere.”