Cardiff stadium hit with more delays

Peter Ridsdale, chairman of Welsh Cardiff City, told the BBC that the development of the club's new 30,000 seat stadium saw more delays and most likely will not be finished until May 2009.

Construction firm Laing O'Rourke had won the project contract, which includes an athletics venue, a multipurpose sports facility and a retail development in addition to the football stadium, and Ridsdale said that while the club had decided to have a top price of GBP 42.3 million, the final price is still to be announced by the contractor on Friday.

Ridsdale also said the club hoped to start the 2008-2009 season in Ninian Park and then move to the new grounds before Christmas 2008.

The latest news comes as the club faces High Court action by its financial backers Langston, which claims it is owed GBP 31 million. Ridsdale however told Cardiff Council's economic scrutiny committee that the club has until 2016 to pay GBP 15 million to Langston, and is preparing its defence in the case. Ridsdale also assured that neither the club, nor the stadium project, is at risk from the legal action.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.