Birse lines up four clubs for 'off the shelf' stadium package

Birse has entered discussions with four football clubs with a view to selling them its "off the shelf" stadium package, Nextadia.

The news will come as a surprise to those who had predicted a sharp downturn in the stadia market following the collapse of ITV Digital in March.

"The clubs in question are a mixture of league and non-league clubs," said Martin Peat, managing director of Birse Build, adding that the talks are "just beyond preliminary stages".

Nextadia is effectively a ready-made stadium, with a capacity between 7,500 and 15,000, which can include business and retail units. Birse also helps clubs with feasibility studies and outline planning consents. The price varies depending on capacity, but the top end 15,000-seater package generally costs around £7m.

Despite the current cash crisis in football, Birse still sees plenty of potential in the stadia market because so many clubs are based on prime city centre sites, which can be sold to help pay for a relocation.

But Birse's hopes of selling Nextadia to a premiership rugby union club, which had expressed interest in the package earlier in the year, appear to have ended.

The club in question now seems likely to stay at its existing ground. "Put it this way, it's not something we're planning for," said Peat.