Manchester City: Construction on Etihad Stadium enters second phase, to take capacity to 55,000

Manchester City FC (Premier League) announced on 26/04/2014 the start of the second phase of construction on Etihad Stadium (currently capacity 47,800), which will increase the capacity of the stadium to 55,000 beginning in the 2015-16 season.

This second phase will add three rows of seats on the edge of the pitch. The first phase of the Etihad Stadium construction -- started in March 2014 and still ongoing -- is enlarging the South Stand by adding another floor. With these two phases together, 7,200 more seats (an increase 15%) will be available at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Manchester City announced a third phase that is expected to add another 6,000 seats -- bringing the stadium capacity to 61,000 -- with the addition of a floor to the North Stand, without specifying start- and end-dates for the construction.

"We have always been committed to bringing fans closer to Manchester City, to the players and to the pitch. Whether that's through digital innovation, community work, international tours, or as in this case, physically allowing fans to be right next to the…