Newcastle UnitedSt. James’ Park – Capacity: 52,354
St. James’ Park first opened in 1880 (in at least some form) though Newcastle didn’t use it until their formation until 1892. St. James’ Park was used as an Olympic venue in 2012. It also received notice by Talksport magazine as one of the top 30 stadiums in Europe. The Stadium has grown substantially in the last decades moving from the mid-30,000 to its current capacity.
Aston VillaVilla Park – Capacity: 42,785
Villa Park is the Premier League Stadium with the most FA Cup Semi-Finals, having hosted more than 50. It has been home for Aston Villa FC since 1897. The club is currently in the planning stages to complete a substantial upgrade to the Premier League Stadium which would see its capacity to increase to over 50,000.
ChelseaStamford Bridge – Capacity: 40,853
Stamford Bridge actually predates Chelsea Football Club with London Athletic Club playing here until the club’s inception. When Chelsea Football Club was created in 1905 by the owner of Stamford bridge, they became the primary tenant. The official capacity for the club was over 100,000 before being forced to “move” to an all-seated ground. Chelsea has begun planning for an expansion to roughly 63,000 with the possibility of a brief stay at Wembley during construction.
EvertonGoodison Park – Capacity: 39,221
Goodison Park’s history is rife with politics and was actually birthed from a disagreement, eventually leading to the creation of Liverpool FC. Goodison Park was the first soccer-specific stadium in England. In another first, undersoil hearing made its debut in 1958 at this same ground. How much longer Goodison Park will be their home as they’ve begun discussions to build a stadium with an approximate capacity of 52,000.
Elland Road – Capacity: 37,890
Elland Road began its life as Old Peacock Ground once owned by Holbeck Rugby Club. It was purchased from a local pub for £1,100 in 1898. The stadium was ultimately acquired by Leeds City, who were eventually disbanded. The final owners became Leeds United in 1919. The Leeds United CEO has pitched stunning designs for a 50,000-seater stadium upon promotion.
SouthamptonSt. Mary’s Stadium – Capacity: 32,384
Southampton’s stadium is new as of 2001, after outgrowing their prior stadium. After converting to an all-seater stadium — it had seated only slightly over 15,000. St. Mary’s Stadium can be expanded on three of its four sides, meaning it could be expanded to somewhere above 50,000. It was rumored that during construction that Portsmouth (a rival team) fans buried a team jersey under the North stand. A pagan was called in to clear up the curse for the Southampton team.
Leicester City King Power Stadium – Capacity: 32,273
King Power Stadium is also one of the newest, built only in 2002. Leicester left their old stadium, Filbert Street after the English Football League mandated stadiums become all-seaters. After consistently selling out the 21,500 seats they evaluated (and eventually) moved to a larger stadium. Leicester has already confirmed that plans are underway for what’s expected to move them beyond 40,000. Despite the coronavirus pandemic which hit the club hard, plans for expansion have continued.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Molineux Stadium – Capacity: 32,050
Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium is one of the elders of Premier League stadiums. Molineux Stadium used to harbor a much larger capacity through the English Football League has revised its stance on stadium terracing. Development plans are in place, though they were previously delayed. Premier League Owner Jeff Shi noted that He wants the club “to get to 50,000 as soon as possible“.
Falmer Stadium – Capacity: 30,666
Falmer Stadium is one of the newest Premier League stadiums having only been built, in 2011. For sponsorship reasons, Falmer Stadium is known as the American Express Community Stadium. The club calls it the biggest deal in their history but does not provide specifics. There are no plans to expand the stadium at this time.
Carrow Road – Capacity: 27,244
Carrow Road was built in 1935 after safety concerns necessitated a move from the prior ground (“The Nest”). Initial construction of the site took a mere 82 days featuring three terraced stands (which would later be converted to seats in 1975) and seated nearly 38,000 fans. The ground now has four stands (Regency, Barclay, Geoffrey Watling, and the Sound Stand) which were built in 1979, 1984, 1992, and 2004, respectively. The club has explored options for expanding the stadium, but significant costs have led to the team stating they would only consider expansion when they have become a fixture in the Premier League. An expansion estimate in the range of $30M has been identified to build an additional 7,000 seats.
Crystal Palace Selhurst Park – Capacity: 26,074
Selhurst Park is part of the multitude of stadiums in/near London. The stadium and the land were separately owned until the dissolution of the Rock Group in 2009. There had been a discussion about moving to a former home, but serious concerns from fans and the city council have jeopardized those. Crystal Palace has received tentative approval for an expansion to about 34,000.
Vicarage Road – Capacity: 22,200
‘The Vic’ as it’s lovingly referred to was built in 1922 after the club decided to relocate from a previous ground and was owned by a local brewery. In 2002, the club bought the ground from the brewery but its finances were so poor that they were forced to sell the ground securing a new lease deal in order to stay financially solvent. The club hosted a campaign to repurchase the stadium and donations poured in from fans, including Sir Elton John, who held a concert at the Stadium and donated all proceeds to the club. The ground has undergone several renovations and additions to bring it to compliance with modern soccer requirements including the removal of terracing. The most recent of which was completed in 2017 to bring it to its current capacity. The club’s chairman began stating the desire to increase the stadium to 30,000 in April 2018.
BurnleyTurf Moor – Capacity: 21,944
Turf Moor has a bit of interesting history that accompanies it. Turf Moor is the longest continuously used ground of any of the 50 teams which have played in the Premier League. The club has had several plans for expansion scrapped after bouncing up and down between the Premier League and the Champions League. Although the club has not had any major development plans to date, they do have a unique addition, a Football University.
Brentford Community Stadium – Capacity: 17,250
Brentford Community Stadium likely has a new paint smell to it because it’s barely hosted fans after the clubs move from about a mile away. The smallest stadium in the Premier League was completed in the summer of 2020 and officially opened in September 2020. It is also the newest of all the Premier League stadiums. The stadium’s construction plans originally sought 20,000 seats with the possibility to expand in the future. It is also home to the London Irish rugby team.
