December 12 – Hull City’s future could depend on the KC Stadium being chosen to be one of the venues for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid is successful, the club’s chairman Adam Pearson has claimed.
Hull’s capacity of 25,404 is one of the smallest in the Premiership with only Wigan Athletic, Burnley and Portsmouth playing in stadia with less capacity.
Officials behind Hull’s bid to be a host city have committed to add up to 20,000 seats if they are chosen to be one of the venues for England 2018.
Around 10,000 seats would be temporary, leaving the stadium with an increased permanent capacity of 35,000.
Such a move would also boost Hull City’s chances of competing in top-flight football, with extra revenue coming through the turnstiles.
Hull only avoided relegation in May at the end of their first season in the Premiership on the last day of the season and are currently towards the bottom again this year.
Pearson said: ”Clearly, it would allow the club to grow and compete on a level playing field with the more established Premier League sides.”
The Council, who own the stadium, have already promised to raise the finance to help expand the size of the ground if Hull is chosen when England 2018 announce its choice of host cities and towns from a list of 15 at a press conference in London on Wednesday.
Carl Minns, the Leader of Hull City Council, said: ”The commitment is there from the council, the Stadium Management Company (SMC), Hull City and Hull FC [the rugby league club].
“If we get to the next stage, work will start on exploring the funding options open to us to make it happen.
“It’s no secret that because the way public finances are going it’s unlikely that the Council will be able to foot the bill on its own.
“That’s why we need to look at every possible funding route.
“For me, the ultimate solution will have to be right for the taxpayer, right for Hull City and right for Hull FC because they are the two main tenants of the stadium.”
Hull are considered to be the outsiders to be chosen but Minns is confident they will be among the list of cities chosen.
He said: ”I am not in the business of talking down other cities but outside of London and Manchester I can’t see any other bid that is better than ours.
“I feel quite confident we are very well placed.
“Some of the other cities haven’t even got a stadium built.”