Exclusive:Sheffield United's £700,000 stand repair bill confirmed as Bramall Lane upper tier timescale emerges
Further significant work on the Bramall Lane upper tier is expected to continue into next summer as Sheffield United look to the stand’s long-term future...
The “significant work” Sheffield United are undertaking on one of their stands is expected to continue into next summer after the eye-catching cost of the project so far was detailed. The Blades confirmed in the summer that ticket sales in the Bramall Lane upper had been suspended.
Annual safety checks of the entire stadium had flagged up some issues with the roof which required remedial work, with fans who normally enjoy one of the best views in the ground rehomed elsewhere.
At the time the work was confirmed in the summer, United confirmed that “tickets will not be available in the BL Upper Tier for a number of fixtures.” Unitedites have wondered since exactly how long the process may go on for.
And although renovations commenced in the summer, and continued during the recent international break, there is no quick fix, with chief executive Stephen Bettis admitting: “I expect there to be significant work going on to it next summer.”
The remedial works alone have cost close the Blades’ owners close to three quarters of a million pounds and the bill is only expected to rise with further works.
The Star understands, though, that the Blades could open the upper tier if the demand was there and other areas of Bramall Lane sold out - although supporters sitting up there would be exposed to the elements.
Explaining the situation, Bettis told The Star recently: “I don't know how much we've publicly said about it, but we do annual safety checks on all the stadium at the start of the season.
“There were some bits flagged up about the Bramall Lane stand and some structural elements which were a cause for concern for us. We've done remedial works, which probably cost £600,000 to £700,000, which have been paid for.
“They've been going on during pre-season and during the international break to make it structurally sound and a safe environment for the supporters to be in. We can get away with not using the upper tier at the moment and just filling the rest of the stadium.
“But there are going to be further works that need to be done to it, and we're still finalising what those works look like and what they're going to cost. I expect there to be significant work going on to it next summer, so it's not like a quick fix.”
The issues on the roof date back to the addition of the corner stand two decades ago. “We’re really investigating the way it was structurally built,” Bettis added.
“If you built it that way now, it wouldn't pass code. And there need to be significant changes made to it, to allow it to stay there for the next 20 or 30 years as well.”
And while the repairs are ongoing, Bettis and United are also looking at what other work can be done at the same time to further enhance supporters’ matchday experience.
“I always want to push and move it forward,” he added. “We have to see where the costs come out. But if it's a significant cost, I'd rather look at improvements we can add on at the same time to try and move us forward as well.
“My thinking is: ‘Well, if we're doing all this work, could we do some extra work that then gives a better facility and a better experience for the supporters as well?’ I'm looking at all these options at the moment and seeing where they get to over the next couple of months.”
The upper tier work has at least deflected some attention away from the Kop, with supporters always keen to ask about when the poles can be removed and further modernisation done to the biggest stand in Bramall Lane.
“Again, it's on the list, but it comes down to priorities, doesn't it?” said Bettis. “The Bramall Lane upper tier has got to go before it, because structurally it's got to be safe. And that's the most important thing.
“I'd probably put Dore [the new training ground] before that as well, in all honesty, because I think Dore is such a huge thing for the club. The Kop and the columns probably come after that.
“We'd all like them gone, but there's only so much resource to actually spend. So it's probably not going to happen for a little while yet.”
The comments offer an interesting glimpse into Bettis’ role as chief executive, which he believes is “80 per cent saying no to people.” He has to balance the books across every area of the club, on and off the pitch, at a time when the finances are becoming increasingly stretched.
“I don't criticise people for it, because ultimately every head of department is striving to be better, wanting to be better,” Bettis added. And that normally comes with: ‘I want more resource, I want more equipment.’
“I've got no problem with it because you want people to be ambitious. You want people to be excelling, you want people to be better at their jobs.
“But I ain't got a blank cheque. So ultimately, as I say, 80 per cent of my time is: ‘I hear you, but I can't give it to you at this point in time because I've only got so much, and I've got to prioritise where that money gets spent.’”