Port Vale co-owner Carol Shanahan says that the highly anticipated switch of home ends is now likely to take place before next season rather than in the new year.
The Valinats had announced that they would make the move during the New Year when they announced their plans last summer. However, Shanahan has now confirmed the club are hopeful that the move will instead happen in time for the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Everybody have been very supportive. The police want this to happen as much as we do, but it will be the beginning of next season at its earliest…
Moving home fans to the Hamil, and away supporters to the Bycars would increase the capacity for home support because the Hamil holds 4,000, around 1,000 more than the Bycars and also has more modern facilities. The move also enables the home supporters to have an enlarged fanzone bordering the Hamil Road. When the unused portion of the Lorne Street is completed, that would be used as a family stand which would be better situated adjacent to a home end rather than next to an away stand. Away fans are likely to park at Dimensions and access the Bycars from there.
Shanahan, speaking in an interview to the club said: “We still have to do it. It isn’t a case of ‘do we, don’t we, can we, can’t we’.
“We have to do it. That is the first point. The fact that we have fans with season tickets already purchased for the Bycars and, secondly, the amount of work that we need to do… I have to say that the council and the police and everybody have been very supportive. The police want this to happen as much as we do, but it will be the beginning of next season at its earliest.”
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