Manchester City Women’s Lauren Hemp and Jill Roord swapped the pitch for hard hats and high-vis vests, as they were given an exclusive tour of the ongoing £300m Etihad Stadium expansion and the development of Manchester’s newest entertainment destination.
Ahead of the first of three Barclays Women’s Super League home fixtures set to be played at the Etihad this season, the visit offered the duo a sneak peek at what’s soon to come.
The Club’s ambitious plans will aim to deliver one of the best matchday experiences in world sport and a world-class, year-round entertainment destination at the Etihad Campus, in the heart of East Manchester.
The development will see the Club increase the capacity at the stadium to more than 60,000 and includes a new 3,000-capacity covered fan zone, a 400-bed hotel and a stunning new sky bar.
Walking through the site, Hemp and Roord were in awe of the scale of the project and expressed their excitement about what is coming for fans and global visitors alike.
Roord was impressed with the entertainment destination plans, calling it “a great addition to Manchester.”
After seeing how the project will transform both the matchday experience and appeal to visitors year-round, Roord added that “there’s so much opportunity for fans to come here” and she’s “very excited to see it once it’s finished.”
Additionally, the new development will also feature a wide variety of food and drink outlets, a new club shop, museum experience, commercial office space and a stadium roof walk experience.
Hemp was equally blown away by the development plans, stating “it looks amazing – there’s something to do for everyone”. As the progress on site continues, Hemp expressed her excitement about what the new amenities will bring for fans attending matches both at the Etihad and Joie Stadium, as well as concert goers coming to the Co-op Live.
More information on the plans can be found here.
The Etihad will play host to Gareth Taylor’s side for the first time this season when they face Tottenham Hotspur on the 8th November.
Supporters can still secure their seats for all three WSL encounters through the Hat-Trick Pack – which are on-sale at a price of £40 for adults and £12 for U16s.
Singular match tickets are also still available for our match against Spurs.
