Final Project

1
List of Figures
Figure 4.1: Evans, L. (2015) Table showing Likert scale statement with mode and mean
of each
Figure 4.2: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- On match days there is a
noticeable amount of noise and congestion
Figure 4.3: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- When it’s not match days there is
still a noticeable amount of noise and congestion
Figure 4.4: Evans, L. (2015) Respondents Answers to Question 3
Figure 4.5: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- The Stadium brings an influx of
tourism which helps local businesses thrive
Figure 4.6: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- The Emirates Stadium provides a
boost for the local economy
Figure 4.7: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- There would not be as many
available service and transport links if the stadium was not present
Figure 4.8: Evans, L. (2015) Responses to Statement- The local area would not be as
popular without the stadium
Figure 4.9: Google Maps. (2015) Map showing street locations in relation to The
Emirates and Highbury
Figure 4.10: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Bryantwood Road EQS results (Normal
Day)

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Figure 4.11: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Bryantwood Road EQS results (Match
Day)
Figure 4.12: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Queensland Road EQS results (Normal
Day)
Figure 4.13: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Queensland Road EQS results (Match
Day)
Figure 4.14: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Drayton Park EQS results (Normal Day)
Figure 4.15: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Drayton Park EQS results (Match Day)
Figure 4.16: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Highbury Square EQS results (Normal
Day)
Figure 4.17: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Highbury Square EQS results (Match
Day)
Figure 4.18: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Highbury Hill EQS results (Normal Day)
Figure 4.19: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Highbury Hill EQS results (Match Day)
Figure 4.20: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Avenell Road EQS results (Normal Day)
Figure 4.21: Evans, L. (2015) Web diagram of Avenell Road EQS results (Match Day)
Figure 4.22: Evans, L. (2015) Column Chart of EQS Overall Scores
Figure 4.23: Evans, L. (2015) Column Chart of Highbury vs Emirates Street Scores
Figure 4.24: Evans, L. (2015) Respondents Positive Answers to Question 6
Figure 4.25: Evans, L. (2015) Respondents Negative Answers to Question 6

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Figure 4.26: Google Maps. (2015) Map Showing Distance from Stoke Railway Station to
Britannia Stadium
Figure 4.27: Evans, L. (2015) Respondents Answers to Britannia Questionnaire pt 1
Figure 4.28: First. (2015) Stoke City FC Bus Information. [Online] Available from:
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/staffordshire_cheshire/journey_planning/stoke_city_fc_
buses/
Figure 4.29: Evans, L. (2015) Respondents Answers to Britannia Questionnaire pt 2
Figure 5.1: The Telegraph (2015) Premier League’s Broadcasting Deals 1992-2019.
[Online] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11403761/Premier-
League-TV-deal-Sky-Sports-break-bank-to-dominate-5.136bn-contract.html

4
List of Photographs
Photo 4.1: Evans, L. (2015) Bryantwood Road (Match Day)
Photo 4.2: Evans, L. (2015) Queensland Road (Match Day)
Photo 4.3: Evans, L. (2015) Drayton Park (Match Day)
Photo 4.4: Evans, L. (2015) Highbury Hill (Match Day)
Photo 4.5: Evans, L. (2015) Finsbury Park Volunteer
Photo 5.1: Evans, L. (2014) Highbury Square Garden
Photo 5.2: Evans, L. (2014) Britannia Traffic Management Sign
Photo 5.3: Evans, L. (2014) Britannia On-site Car Park
Photo 5.4: Evans, L. (2014) Queensland Road Development and Emirates Stadium
Photo 5.5: Evans, L. (2014) Queensland Road Development

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Abstract
Football Stadiums around the world represent arenas where the world’s most popular
sport is played, such stadiums can have big impacts on the area that surrounds them.
Research from similar studies, questionnaires and environmental quality surveys were
all analysed to determine the scale of these impacts on the local area. In the study site
of London, research showed that The Emirates Stadium is having multiple effects in the
area it resides in, residents opinions show that the stadium has a noticeable impact on
noise levels and congestion, as well as impacts from the community work implemented
by the club itself. Research also found that with it a stadium can bring regeneration to an
area in the form of new housing and services. The accessibility of out of town football
stadiums has also been researched, the case study of The Britannia Stadium shows that
transport links aren’t as available for suburb stadiums, this is evident in the non-existent
rail link to the stadium. Future studies need to be done to gain more detail on this
subject area, also providing more research on the impact of stadiums to the local
economy.

6
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Rationale
Over the past 100 years football has grown into the world’s leading sport and a massive
leading sports industry, out of teams, franchises have been made and enticing
opportunities have opened up for the world’s leading business people to shovel huge
copious of money into clubs to compete at the highest level. As football becomes more
popular and clubs become bigger; infrastructure has to be built to withstand this growth.
On 15th April 1989 an incident occurred that would forever change the requirements for
football ground safety, the Hillsborough disaster forced an inquiry called the Taylor
Inquiry which would later produce two reports, the interim report and the Taylor Report.
The latter set out requirements for clubs to abide by including the introduction of all-
seater stadiums, this coupled with the need for newer modern facilities caused many
football teams to expand or build new stadiums.
The introduction of new modern stadiums in England has encouraged me to find out
the impact of building massive infrastructure in populated areas, it brings up a variety of
questions that I will want to investigate by gathering the opinions of those directly
impacted by the stadium in their everyday lives and analysing this in the discussion
section.
1.2 Aims and Research Questions
In order to gain a purpose for my report and to send me in a certain direction I have
come up with some aims and research questions regarding new football stadiums to
base my research upon.

7
Aims:
 To gain an overall understanding of the impact of building a new football stadium
in a populous area
 To investigate transport issues surrounding out of town football stadiums
Research questions:
 What are the reasons as to why football teams move? - I will investigate the
varying factors as to why it might be that football teams decide to move stadium, I
will conduct secondary research to explain why this is the case.
 How are old stadiums used to benefit the local community/economy?- I will refer
to secondary research as well as focusing on the Highbury Stadium as an
example, I will investigate this by visiting the old ground and reviewing its present
uses.
 In what ways does a football club engage with the community?- When a football
club moves to an area it is important for them to engage with the local community
to form a bond which can be used to gain the support of the locals. When
investigating Arsenal FC and the Emirates Stadium I will question locals on how
much they know about any community based schemes by the club, I will also look
to see if there is any information on these directly from the club itself.
 In what ways are out of town football stadiums accessible and what are the
problems related to this?- For this particular question I will draw on the Brtiannia

8
Stadium case study which is located away from the main residential area of Stoke
on Trent, I will question the fans to gain their opinions on the transport links
available to them from which I can get an idea of the issues as well as the
resolutions to these problems.
 How do football stadiums impact the quality of the local area and residents’ daily
life?- A football stadium can bring a huge influence on an area and its people, this
research question heavily relates to my first aim so I have put extra detail into the
research of this question. I have focused on the Emirates stadium and the scale
of its impact on the surrounding area and its residents, to achieve this I have
implemented questionnaires and EQS’s on the local area.
1.3 Dissertation Structure
The structure of my dissertation is split into six main chapters, the first of those is the
introduction where I have made known the topic of my dissertation and the rationale, the
research aims and questions, providing a background on each. The literature review will
put my study in context by examining journals relating to my topic and finding any
research done similar to my study, I will try and find areas that still need to be properly
researched. My methodology comes next and it introduces my key research methods
and why I have chosen them, the methodology also explains how these methods were
implemented and the advantages and disadvantages of using such methods. The fifth
chapter is the research analysis where I have gone over my findings from the research
that took place in Stoke and London, the completed questionnaires and EQS’s will be

9
presented in appropriate graphs and tables alongside a interpretation of each. My final
section is the discussion and conclusion, the discussion will bring together discussed
topics in the introduction and literature review as well as my findings in the research
analysis, during this chapter I have related to my research questions and summarised
my conclusions.

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2.0 Literature Review
Introducing a football stadium into any community can bring both positive and negative
impacts to the local area introducing varying effects on the new location and the old one.
I will assess both the positive and negative impacts of stadium relocation on the
surrounding area referring to relevant academic literature to strengthen my assessment
and to find a gap in this area of research. Considering the movement of football teams
into new areas brings focus on how sustainable the move is, how it will impact the new
area, what will be left behind in the old area and how the old stadium will be utilised.
The decision to build new football stadiums to replace existing ones comes about due
to the business wanting to expand, “In the nineties, professional football (and
professional sports in general) has become a booming business and an increasingly
marketable commodity; all over Europe. With a significant and notable effect on stadium
redevelopment or relocation.” (van Dam, F, 2000), this commodification of the football
industry has caused football teams to rely more on an inflow of money, from ticket prices
to multimillion TV rights deals this money is used to expand the club. Football clubs also
choose to expand their stadiums to fit in with league regulations brought about by the
Taylor Report or simply just to create more space for potential customers. Another
reason for the introduction of football stadia into a city is to help the growth of the city
and its economy; which Tallon (2010) expands on, “Many cities have made considerable
efforts to build new sports stadia with the intent of attracting a professional sports team
that would provide them with a big city status, a vital and youthful image, and a powerful
vehicle for economic development.” (Tallon, A, 2010, p. 239). Bulley (2002) states that
many stadiums in the UK have achieved this by building on brownfield sites in the cities

11
to bring in other developments nearby to create jobs and bring investment into the area,
he mentions Stoke, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Sunderland these are examples of post-
industrial towns and cities who have used stadia to propel regeneration in the area.
A way of ensuring that regeneration in an area follows the introduction of a football
stadium is the sports team working with the local authority and other partners to help
towards developing the area, Jones and Evans (2013) explain how Arsenal FC have
achieved this following their move to the Emirates by engaging in regeneration activity
such as Newlon Housing to provide affordable housing in the area which there was a
shortage of as well as overseeing the creation of business units and the promotion of
community development projects (Jones, P & Evans, J, 2013, p. 182-183). Gratton,
Shibli & Coleman identifies sporting events as a major platform for city regeneration
stadiums built for sporting events can act as opportunities for football teams to move to
better venues, “Events are a major vehicle for attracting visitors to the city and hence
contributing to urban regeneration.” (Gratton, Shibli & Coleman, 2005). Instead of new
stadia being built to boost regeneration, an existing stadium from after an event, is often
offered to sports teams to take up tenancy in order to help secure the future of the site,
“One way of achieving efficient utilisation of new event venues is to nominate an anchor
tenant for the new facilities in advance of an event.” (Smith, A. 2012, p. 76), this
happened with Manchester City’s current stadium where they agreed a deal to ensure
the future of the site, similar to West Ham securing the Olympic stadium in London, but
the deal for this was agreed after the event.

12
Davies (2008) explains negatives of the jobs brought about by the introduction of
stadiums, “Although comprehensive research has been undertaken on the economic
effects of stadia development since the 1980s, there is little agreement amongst
academics and policy makers as to whether stadia generate net positive outcomes for
local economic development in the longer term.” This is assumed because the jobs that
are created by stadia tend to be low paid and sometimes temporary which is not
beneficial for the economy in the long term, in order to combat this the development
around the football stadium has to be mixed use to bring different types of jobs such as
service jobs, office jobs and creative jobs. This is also assumed as there is little
evidence of successful examples.
Penn (2005) talks about how a football stadium can attract tourists to the area, “They
act as tourist attractions: large numbers come to eat, drink, shop, visit museums and
take tours of the stadia themselves.” (Penn, R. 2005) All cities rely on tourism as part of
its global status and for its local economy, so the introduction of a football stadium is an
important way to bring more visitors to the area. Football is a world known and loved
sport, with the Premier League in England being the most viewed football league in the
world, a lot of interest is brought to the stadiums of the top teams, on match days
especially visitors to the local area are expected to boom and they are likely to spend
their money in the local area thus helping the local economy. “Football can be active in
local development by preventing spending leakage, persuading people to visit the area,
and acting as a positive image for the locality, thereby encouraging economic growth.”
(Johnstone, Southern & Taylor, 2000).

13
Football teams moving from an area can have a big impact on the economy, “These
will likely impact on established uses and activities adjacent to the ground.” (Black &
Lloyd, 1994); many businesses who relied on the visitors to stadium would have to move
on or shut down, merchandisers, food outlets, pubs, leisure and retail businesses and
restaurants would all be hit hard. House prices in the area would be likely to drop in
contrast to the house prices rising when the stadium was introduced. Larger name
businesses who were in the area because of the stadium might also be likely to move on
which thus damaging the local economy even more, alternatively, this could be
beneficial for smaller businesses as there would be less competition. Although these
impacts show a disadvantage for the area losing the stadium, there are some
advantages that need to be considered, the increased congestion, noise pollution and
hooliganism would be greatly reduced in the area adding to the quality of life for
residents.
In order for a football team to move location it must overcome a number of barriers.
Football fans are known to share a strong bond with their teams and the location as to
where their team is situated, “English football clubs pride themselves on their home
ground being central to their heritage and identity. Stadiums are viewed in emotional
terms that one usually associates with places of religious worship.” (Kennedy, D. 2012),
moving from a stadium that the fans have grown to love can raise different problems for
the football club, in order to overcome these problems clubs have to communicate with
the fans. In an attempt to do this, Football Clubs like to hear opinions of their fans and
they set up polls and surveys to see what the fans want as well as listening to their

14
ideas, Everton FC have done this as noted by Kennedy (2012) where they conducted a
ballot of 38,000 season ticket holders, they received a 59% positive vote of their
proposed move away from Goodison Park. This move still sparked up debate with the
people opposing the move and the proposed move didn’t go ahead showing what impact
the fans can have. West Ham United have done the same as Everton FC in their
proposed move to the Olympic Stadium and have conducted a poll for their high profile
fans on their views of the proposed move, a quote from the website says, “Vice-
Chairman Karren Brady actively encouraged all supporters to take part and have their
say on what is set to be the biggest decision to be made by the Club in the last 100
years.” (West Ham United, 2014), the poll received 85% positive voters and the move is
going ahead. Football fans like to see and remember the heritage that their stadium has
been a part of, when leaving a stadium the football club must ensure that some of the
heritage that is left behind is savoured for the fans to enjoy. The development team of
the old West Ham United ground have agreed that their main buildings will be named
after West Ham legends and sculptures and works of art will be made to commemorate
the rich history of the club, this is an example of an attempt to pay respect to the fans
and the history of the club.
Growing concerns about climate change and global warming have put more focus on
local environments and sustainable development, In order for a stadium relocation to be
sustainable it must be relocated to an area with strong transport links, this will ensure
congestion is kept at a minimum whilst also making sure the stadium is easily
accessible. “There are large areas of suburban development with no real public

15
transport service in most car-based cities.” (Newman & Kenworthy, 2000, p. 118),
relating to the quote the easiest way for this to be successful is to relocate in or nearby
the city centre where transport links are abundant, or to expand the transport links near
the suburbs. Another environmental aspect of choosing a location to move stadium is
the choice to build on a brownfield or a greenfield site, the brownfield site would use less
green space and would help with the regeneration of the city whereas the greenfield site
would require less planning permission and would be more spacious, although
brownfield sites are often avoided, De Sousa identifies them as risky ventures, “they
may be contaminated, thus making them too expensive, time-consuming and risky to
redevelop profitably.” (De Sousa, 2010). Choosing a site for a stadium takes a lot of
careful planning and the previous points need to be taken into consideration.
Football stadiums play a big role in the city; they contribute to the local economy in
different ways by attracting tourism in the area whilst also helping other businesses
thrive nearby. Stadiums also give the city a key landmark to focus regeneration around
and help bring in investment to fuel this; there has been evidence of house prices being
driven up due to the introduction of a stadium in an area, such as the case with the
Emirates Stadium and the New Wembley. When a football stadium relocates to a new
area this can adversely affect the left behind community with job loss, decrease in house
price and loss of interest in the area, but contrastingly the area may become a more
desirable place to live in terms of less pollution and congestion.
Planners of stadia relocation can face a variety of problems, social, economic and
environmental. Those that I have identified are club supporters in protest of the move,
forcing the football club to get on their side or to change their plans to suit them, another

16
is the legislation and restriction of building on a new site, and finally I have identified the
environmental problems relating to sustainability such as vital transport links need to be
considered as well as whether to build on a brownfield or a greenfield site.
Overall stadia play a big part in the local economy, providing jobs, tourism, investment
opportunities, boosting regeneration and providing a service, in today’s world they
become very important and local communities can become dependent of them to
flourish, which causes problems when they leave to a new area.
There is a lot of research on football stadiums and what role they play but I feel that
not enough research has been done on the impact on residents and the immediate area
caused by introducing a stadium to a populated area, an interesting way to do this would
be to gain opinions of residents living near a major stadium and asking what impact it
has on their lives. There is also little research on how important transport links are to a
stadium and its accessibility, out of town football stadiums can be at risk to being cut off
from fans, I will investigate how this can be overcome by providing essential transport
links, I will also look at the problems associated with the accessibility of an out of town
stadium with regards to a case study.

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3.0 Methodology
3.1 Strategy/Methods
For my project research I have employed a variety of suitable methods to obtain the
relevant data and information required, for the Arsenal case study I have used mailed
questionnaires, EQS’ (Environmental Quality Surveys) and I have also taken photos in
each of my study areas to illustrate points that I am to make in my discussion. For my
Stoke case study I have carried out face to face questionnaires and have taken photos
of relevant subjects.
Questionnaires were carried out in similar studies by Davies, L (2005), Hritz, N (2010)
and Basser, Z & Jaggernath, J (2010), they have utilised this form of qualitative research
to gain opinions from the public on the impact of stadia or sports related events on the
local area. The questionnaires I have used on the Emirates Stadium site would give me
the chance to investigate some of my research questions, keeping this in mind I asked
questions on the how the stadium engages with the community and how it impacts their
lives. In this questionnaire I demonstrated a variety of question types, open questions to
gain a detailed response when required and closed questions to gain opinions which can
be displayed in a table or graph. I also conducted a questionnaire in Stoke, although it
wasn’t a posted questionnaire it was similar to the Emirates questionnaire in the way it
was short and concise containing a mixture of question types. The aim of the Stoke
questionnaire was to see how accessible the Britannia stadium was in the eyes of
supporters, hoping to gain an insight of any problems and how they could be resolved.
I chose to do an EQS as I felt it would help me determine impact of the Emirates
Stadium on streets nearby, I did six EQS’ on a match day and another six in the same

18
areas on a normal day to compare the difference when an event is taking place in the
area. The EQS I constructed included observations on the quality of buildings,
congestion, vandalism, litter, amount of green areas, noise pollution, condition of
infrastructure and street lighting. Three were conducted in close proximity to the
Emirates and another three were in the vicinity of the old Highbury ground, three were
done by the Highbury ground because I wanted to see the quality of the area since the
move to the Emirates and how it compared to areas nearby the new ground. I felt that by
using EQS’ I would gain an understanding of how a football stadium can impact the
quality of the local area.
3.2 Implementation
I designed my Emirates Stadium questionnaires so that they would draw in the reader
and engage them, “In the case of a questionnaire, as there is no one to explain the
meaning of questions to respondents, it is important that questions are clear and easy to
understand.”(Kumar, R, 2005, p. 126), this was achieved by providing different types of
open and closed questions, such as fill in the blank questions (how long have they lived
next to the Emirates), Likert type scaling and open question invoking a detailed
response, the layout and length of the questionnaire was also done so it would not seem
too convoluted or confusing. As my questionnaires in London were posted to residents I
had to make sure I would receive a workable amount of responses this was achieved by
not only producing a succinct easy to understand questionnaire but also by supplying a
return envelope with stamp included to reduce the effort needed from the respondent.
From sixty questionnaires sent I received twenty four back which is a response rate less

19
than half but one which I will be able to gain an idea of what impact the stadium has on
people’s day to day lives. “Providing clear background information and lucid instructions
is an essential part of good survey instrument construction.” (O’Leary, Z, 2004, p. 160), I
made sure that I included a cover letter and confidentiality pledge with each
questionnaire, the cover letter gave relevant background information about my course
and my study as well as contact details and instructions of how to return the
questionnaire. The Emirates Stadium questionnaires and EQS’ were both carried out at
the same time on two separate occasions, on Saturday 30th August 2014 and Sunday
11th January 2015 (match day), forty questionnaires were posted around on the former
day and twenty were posted on the latter, the second round of questionnaires were only
posted due to the low response rate on the first round. The households were chosen at
random whilst also paying attention to the “no junk mail” signs on certain doors; I made
sure that I didn’t stray too far away from the stadium when posting the questionnaires so
that I gained results from households in the immediate area. On the match day I made
sure that I conducted my research safely, I posted the questionnaires and filled out the
EQS’ during the match so I wouldn’t get slowed down or caught up in congestion. I
coordinated finishing the research methods with the end of the match so I could witness
the congestion and noise levels when fans are travelling from the stadium, this also
allowed me to see the congestion affecting the London Underground.
The Britannia Stadium questionnaires were designed to gain the fans perspective on
the accessibility of the stadium, the questions were designed to be brief as fans were
most likely to be in a rush, but the quality of the questions was still good enough to get
valuable information. The questionnaires were carried out on Saturday 6th December

20
2014 which was a match day, this was so there were enough fans to ask my questions
to. I carried out the questionnaires before the game so that I wouldn’t risk getting caught
up with unhappy fans after the match, in the end I managed to get eighteen completed
questionnaires which is a satisfactory amount to gain a decent insight to the problems
fans face with transport to and from the stadium.
3.3 Reflection
Overall I believe that the research methods I implemented were a good match for my
project, the questionnaires for the Emirates contained a vast amount of information on
people attitudes towards the stadium and the EQS’ helped me establish the differences
in the areas around the stadium on a match day and on a normal day as well as the
differences between the streets around the Emirates and the street around the old
ground.
Questionnaire Strengths and Weaknesses:
 The questionnaire I used allowed me to gain responses which I could easily
analyse, including Likert scales as well as having open questions to gain a more
detailed response.
 The questionnaires were posted, this allowed respondents to take more time
answering the questions which helps get a more thought about response,
respondents may also not feel so shy about their responses when alone.
 Using questionnaires saved time compared to other research methods, for
example posting a questionnaire is much more efficient that sitting down and
spending time doing an interview and then transcribing.

21
 There is typically a low response rate for posted questionnaires, although I tried
to combat this by making the questionnaires easy to return, to fill out and made
them engaging.
 “Those who return their questionnaires may have attitudes, attributes or
motivations that are different to those who do not.” (Kumar, R, 2005, p.130)
People who have returned their questionnaires to me may be likely to oppose the
stadium, whereas people who don’t return it may have no problem with it.
 Sending out questionnaires was costly, costs included travelling to London and
the price of envelopes, stamps and ink, which limited the amount I could send
out.
EQS Strengths and Weaknesses:
 Bi-polar scoring allows you to get a score for each areas making it easier to
compare the streets environmental quality in the results.
 EQS’ are easy to fill out, which saves time compared to other methods.
 Cheap to administer.
 Requires no human interaction, so no permission is needed and this can’t limit
results.
 As EQS’ are straightforward to fill out there can be a loss of quality in the results,
the bi-polar scoring will not go into as much detail as a questionnaire or interview.
 Some factors can vary on an EQS depending on what day you go, this could
include congestion, litter and noise; I went on both a match day and a non-match
day to help reduce this variety.

22
If I were to redo this project and money or time wasn’t an issue there would be some
things which I could do to improve my results. Due to money restrictions I was only able
to make two trips down to the Emirates, if I was to do it again I would visit the stadium
frequently to post more questionnaires and to do a thorough evaluation of the area as
well as some interviews. In regards to the Britannia Stadium work I would also make
more trips down there to receive more questionnaire responses, this would enable me to
get a lot more information on the available transport and opinions from the fans. If
money wasn’t an object I could experience the different travelling methods to and from
the stadium, including trains, car transport, buses and cycling.

23
4.0 Results
4.1 Emirates Questionnaire Analysis
During my visit to the Emirates Stadium I posted a number of questionnaires in an
attempt to gain opinions of residents who are living near to the stadium. The
questionnaire was designed to investigate the impacts living near to a stadium may have
on their life and the influence it has on the immediate area around it. From twenty four
respondents, I have been provided with a suitable amount of important information
which I have analysed to help me discuss my initial research questions in greater detail
and to gain an understanding of how the Emirates Stadium affects the people around it.
In my questionnaire I used a Likert type scale to get the respondents opinions on
questions I had about the Emirates Stadium’s impact, using SPSS I have retrieved the
mode and range for the different opinions on all six statements I fielded in the Likert type
scale.
Statistics
There would not
be as many
available
services and
transport links if
the stadium was
not present
On match days
there is a
noticeable
amount of noise
and congestion
The local area
would not be as
popular without
the stadium
The Emirates
Stadium
provides a boost
for the local
economy
When it's not
match day there
is still a
noticeable
amount of noise
and congestion
The stadium
brings an influx
of tourism which
helps local
businesses
thrive
N Valid 24 24 24 24 24 23
Missing 0 0 0 0 0 1
Mode Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Neutral
Range Neutral Neutral Agree Neutral Disagree Neutral
Figure 4.1 Table showing Likert scale statement with mode and
mean of each

24
Figure 4.1 shows the mode and range for all six questions as well as any missing values
there were from where respondents didn’t answer due to them not understanding the
question or simply them not wishing to answer. Below the six questions are reviewed in
more detail including the full spread of the respondents answers.
On match days there is a noticeable amount of noise and congestion
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Agree 8 33.3 33.3 33.3
Agree 12 50.0 50.0 83.3
Neutral 3 12.5 12.5 95.8
Disagree 1 4.2 4.2 100.0
Total 24 100.0 100.0
When it's not match day there is still a noticeable amount of noise and congestion
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Agree 2 8.3 8.3 8.3
Agree 2 8.3 8.3 16.7
Neutral 5 20.8 20.8 37.5
Disagree 9 37.5 37.5 75.0
Strongly Disagree 6 25.0 25.0 100.0
Total 24 100.0 100.0
Figure 4.2: Responses to Statement- On
match days there is a noticeable amount
of noise and congestion
Figure 4.3: Responses to Statement-
When it’s not match days there is still
a noticeable amount of noise and
congestion

25
Figure 4.2 and 4.3 show the respondents opinions on the difference of the amount of
noise and congestion on a match day and on a normal day, in figure 4.2 there is a clear
majority view that there is a noticeable amount of noise and congestion on a match day
with 50% of respondents agreeing and 33.3% strongly agreeing with the statement,
whereas the remaining 16.7% either disagreed or were neutral. In comparison figure 4.3
shows that when it’s not match day there is much less of a noise and congestion impact,
with 62.5% of respondents disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the statement,
although this isn’t as conclusive as the last statement the majority of people disagree.
Figure 4.4: Respondents Answers to Question 3
Figure 4.4 shows question 3 of the questionnaire, when respondents were asked to
name problems with living near to the stadium respondent 13 and 24 both noted that
stadium was also used as a site for music concert on non-match days, this use for the
stadium could explain why four respondents stated that there was still a noticeable
amount of noise on normal days.
13 Noise/Congestion
Music concerts. Getting to hypermarket in
matchdays.
24 Noise/Disruption
Match day access restrictions for residents
and transport - use of the stadium for
concerts in the close season.
ID Category Narrative

26
Figure 4.5 and 4.6 show respondents answers to questions about how the Stadium
affects the local economy, figure 4.5 shows responses on the statement that the stadium
brings in tourism which helps the businesses thrive, many respondents thought that
tourism neither does nor doesn’t help businesses in the area or that the stadium does or
doesn’t bring tourism with it, with a majority of the respondents lying under neutral and
one missing value. Of the remaining respondents, ten of them either agreed or strongly
agreed with the statement which implies that a large proportion of the remaining
The stadium brings an influx of tourism which helps local businesses thrive
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Disagree 3 12.5 13.0 13.0
Neutral 10 41.7 43.5 56.5
Agree 6 25.0 26.1 82.6
Strongly Agree 4 16.7 17.4 100.0
Total 23 95.8 100.0
Missing .00 1 4.2
Total 24 100.0
The Emirates Stadium provides a boost for the local economy
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Disagree 2 8.3 8.3 8.3
Neutral 6 25.0 25.0 33.3
Agree 14 58.3 58.3 91.7
Total 24 100.0 100.0
The stadium brings an influx of tourism
which helps local businesses thrive
The Emirates Stadium provides a boost
for the local economy

27
respondents do believe that the Emirates introduces tourism into the area consequently
helping local businesses succeed. Figure 4.6 shows responses based on whether the
stadium provides a boost for the local economy as a whole, the responses on this
statement were clearly more unanimous than the previous statement, as 58.3% of
respondents agreed with the statement whilst only 8.3% disagreed.
There would not be as many available services and transport links if the stadium was
not present
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 2 8.3 8.3 8.3
Disagree 15 62.5 62.5 70.8
Neutral 4 16.7 16.7 87.5
Agree 3 12.5 12.5 100.0
Total 24 100.0 100.0
The local area would not be as popular without the stadium
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 4.2 4.2 4.2
Disagree 9 37.5 37.5 41.7
Neutral 5 20.8 20.8 62.5
Agree 7 29.2 29.2 91.7
Total 24 100.0 100.0
There would not be as many available
services and transport links if the
stadium was not present
Figure 4.8: Responses to
Statement- The local area would not
be as popular without the stadium

28
Figure 4.7 shows residents’ responses to the statement “There would not be as many
available services and transport links if the stadium was not present”. From looking at
the given responses it is clear to see the majority of residents do not think that this
statement is true, with 70.8% of them disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with
statement. This is partially backed up in figure 4.8 where 41.7% of respondents felt that
the local area would be as popular without the stadium which would suggest that they
would also be the respondents who thought that the services and transport would still be
there without the stadium. This was only partially backed up as 37.5% of respondents in
figure 4.8 agreed with the statement, this mixed opinion on the statement given
represents a varying view from residents of how the area would be without the Emirates
Stadium. This could be due to some of the respondents living in the area before the
stadium was introduced, therefore they would know what the area would be like without
the stadium.
4.2 EQS Analysis
Whilst at the Emirates Stadium I conducted a number of EQS’ on various streets, three
streets near the Emirates Stadium and three streets near the old Highbury ground, these
tests were done both on a normal day and on a match day to record the difference in a
number of factors at the designated streets, the three streets near the Emirates Stadium
are Bryantwood Road, Drayton Park and Queensland Road, whereas the three streets
near to Highbury are Highbury Hill, Highbury Park and Avenell Road as shown overleaf
in figure 4.9.

29
Figure 4.9: Map showing street locations
in relation to The Emirates and Highbury
Source: Google Maps

30
Photo 4.1 Bryantwood Road
(Match Day)
Figure 4.10 and 4.11 show the EQS results for Bryantwood Road, these results show
that there is a deterioration of the area on a match day, although not huge, there is an
increased amount of parked cars and a lot more noise
heard from the stadium, there was also surprisingly
less litter on a match day, photo 4.1 shows the street
on a match day during the game, as seen there are a
lot of parked cars along the street as well as minimal
green areas.
Figure 4.10: Web diagram of Bryantwood
Road EQS results (Normal Day)
Figure 4.11: Web diagram of Bryantwood
Road EQS results (Match Day)

31
Photo 4.2 Queensland Road
(Match Day)
Figure 4.12 and 4.13 show EQS results for Queensland Road, the main observation
from these charts is the increase of congestion on a match day, this is due to the
appearance of a number of coaches to transport fans away from the game as seen in
photo 4.2, this attributes to the noise pollution in the area on a match day, the charts
show the fall from four points to one. On a normal
day this street is very desirable although there are
no green spaces for residents.
Figure 4.12: Web diagram of Queensland
Figure 4.13: Web diagram of Queensland

32
Fig
ure
4.1
4
and 4.15
show the scores of the Drayton Park EQS’, on a
match day there are many more parked cars along
the road, there is also much higher noise pollution as
the street runs directly alongside the stadium, this
street is a major walking path for those fans entering
and exiting the stadium which ramps up the volume
even more. Photo 4.3 shows the street on a match day during a game, food and
souvenir stalls are set up along this street and there is high pedestrian count.
Photo 4.3 Drayton Park
(Match Day)
Figure 4.14: Web diagram of Drayton
Park EQS results (Normal Day)
Figure 4.15: Web diagram of Drayton
Park EQS results (Match Day)

33
Figure 4.16 and 4.17 show the state of Highbury Square on a normal day and a match
day, the scores on the EQS’ are identical, this is due to the area being completely closed
off on a match day. Highbury Square is the site of the old Highbury ground which has
been completely regenerated to hold top of the range apartments, the site is far enough
away from the Emirates Stadium to receive little noise pollution on match days.
Figure 4.18 and 4.19 show the EQS
Figure 4.16: Web diagram of Highbury
Square EQS results (Normal Day)
Square EQS results (Match Day)
Hill EQS results (Normal Day)
Hill EQS results (Match Day)

34
results for Highbury Hill, the main change to notice is the
amount of parked cars in the area, as shown in the
charts and photo 4.4, there is an increased amount
during a match day. Along with a number of the other
sites the noise levels also increase a considerable
amount on a match day.
Figure 4.20 and 4.21 show the results for Avenell Road, this street is the furthest away
from the Emirates but it isn’t immune to the effects of a match day, the noise pollution is
higher on a match day but not by much, when I visited on both occasions there was
slightly more litter and more parked cars.
Photo 4.4 Highbury Hill
(Match Day)
Figure 4.20: Web diagram of Avenell
Figure 4.21: Web diagram of Avenell

35
Figure 4.22 compares the overall scores of the EQS’ on both a match day and a normal
day, the scores show that each street deteriorates on a match day which is to be
expected, Highbury Park exhibits the smallest change out of all the streets which is due
to the privacy of the area on a match day. The biggest changer is Drayton Park, situated
the closest to the stadium it is not surprising to see the decrease in score on a match
day, attributed to the noise levels, congestion and litter.
Figure 4.22: Column Chart of EQS Overall Scores

36
Figure 4.23 shows the comparison of the EQS results between the three streets situated
close to the Highbury Ground and the three streets closer to the Emirates Stadium both
on a normal day and on a match day. Expectedly the Highbury streets receive a higher
rating than the Emirates streets on both occasions, although this difference is not as
high as I was expecting. The Emirates Stadium has clearly had a bigger influence on the
streets closer to it, with noise levels, congestion and pedestrian count all rising,
especially on a match day. Despite the distance away from the Emirates Stadium, the
Highbury streets are still in reach to feel some effects of the Emirates, which is evident in
the results found.
Figure 4.23: Column Chart of Highbury vs Emirates Street Scores

37
4.3 Arsenal and the Community
In my research questions I wanted to find out how football clubs engaged with the local
community in terms of projects and schemes and how aware the people living near the
stadium are of these.
In my questionnaires I fielded a question asking how much the residents knew about
any projects associated with the club, I received a very mixed bag of responses. Ten of
my twenty four respondents said they had not heard of any projects set by the club
which would suggest there is not too much notice of any events or projects sent out by
Arsenal, but on the flip side there were some positive comments about the club.
Figure 4.24 shows some of the positive response from the residents, there seems to be
a lot of focus around supporting the local youth with various schemes and outreach
work, as well as help with the local schools. This is also evident on the Arsenal FC
ID Response Narrative
20 Yes
They sponsor football pitches we had a street
party & they lent us some goals & balls
21 Yes
Outreach work with schools and local street
parties. Lots of work with churches, youth
clubs, schools etc. anti bullying
22 Yes
I know they have projects but don't know any
details - Arsenal got a lot of land - They put on
events as well as football - They should pay
staff a living wage
23 Yes
They are actively involved in the local schools
(touting prizes etc.) Little else
24 Yes
Football coaching & competitions for youth.
Arsenal sponsor education, computer training.
Figure 4.24: Respondents Positive Answers to Question 6

38
website where under “the club” section there is information on The Arsenal Foundation,
quoting the webpage; “The Arsenal Foundation focuses on work that motivates and
inspires young people - often through education and sport - to help them reach their
potential and become the best they can be.” (Arsenal, 2015). Arsenal in the Community
is a more localised initiative where the focus is giving back to the community, “Over the
years, the club has developed community programmes across a range of areas which
deliver both sporting and social outcomes. Projects range from sport and education, to
health and social inclusion which are often a springboard to training and employment.”
(Arsenal, 2015) This community work outside of football sets a great example of how
clubs should act and shows just how much of an impact a Football Club can have.
Whilst I was visiting the Emirates I experienced this community work first hand, at the
end of the match there are huge queues outside the tube stations, the tube station
Finsbury Park had a volunteer helper outside with a megaphone shown in Photo 4.5,
this was a great way to collect donations for a local homeless shelter.
Photo 4.5 Finsbury Park Volunteer

39
Although there are many examples of community help and charity I picked up a few
examples of negativity from the questionnaires I handed out. For example in Figure 4.25
respondent 11 and 15 indicated that Arsenal promised local initiatives for sports facilities
and residential flats but the club broke these promises, in ID 11’s response he indicates
AFC not providing sports facilities for school children, this statement is contradictory to
the majority of work Arsenal does which is with local schools and young children, this
possibly indicates the lack of communication between the club and it’s nearby residents.
4.4 The Britannia Stadium and Travel
In my research questions I wanted to find out what the issues surrounding the
accessibility of out of town football stadiums, a great example of this is the Britannia
Stadium home of Stoke City FC. The old stadium which was home to Stoke City FC, the
Victoria Ground, was in a central location in Stoke on Trent. The club decided to move
ID Response Narrative
11 Yes
I have heard that AFC promised various things
for the community (e.g. sports facilities for
school children) and then broke their promises
13 No
They donated £5k to local primary school which
seemed a bit mean
15 Yes
I understand Arsenal FC promised lots of local
initiatives to gain planning permission for the
stadium & subsequently residential flats. I am
not aware they fulfilled any of the promises
19 No
Very sorry that they did not replace the publicly
accessible football training pitch (was at old
Highbury)
Figure 4.25: Respondents Negative Answers to Question 6

40
out of town in 1997 to the Britannia Stadium, located just off a roundabout on the A500
around 3.3 km away from Stoke on Trent train station as shown in Figure 4.26.
Moving to an out of town stadium can
cause a variety of problems for fans trying
to attend a match, I visited the Britannia
on a match day to experience some of the
travel options myself and to administer
questionnaires to travelling Stoke fans.
The main problem I saw from the
questionnaires I handed out was the
problems getting from the train station to
the stadium.
Figure 4.27 shows the fans views on the train station problem, one suggestion was to
have another train station near the stadium but I could not see that happening, buses do
run to the stadium but not from the train station itself (shown in Figure 4.28), a simple
ID Travel Time Mode of Travel Narrative
11 30 mins Train & Walk
Train station is very far away from
stadium, makes access much more
difficult, a train station near the stadium
would improve things.
17 45mins Train & Taxi Access to stadium from station a problem.
Figure 4.26: Map Showing Distance from
Stoke Railway Station to Britannia Stadium
Source: Google Maps
Figure 4.27: Respondents Answers to
Britannia Questionnaire pt 1

41
solution to the problem would be to add an extra stop at the train station making it easier
for those travelling by train.
Another problem raised was the availability of buses on midweek or Sunday matches
(Figure 4.29), this is coupled with the problem of massive queues for buses after the
game, the problem could easily be avoided with more frequent buses at this time but
that could cause more congestion.
7 25 mins Bus/Coach
Could have buses to travel to the
ground. Night matches & Sunday
matches not as frequent.
12 40 mins Car & Walk
Awkward ground, pain to get home.
Queues for the buses after game are very
long.
Figure 4.28: Stoke City FC Bus Information
Source: First
Figure 4.29: Respondents Answers to
Britannia Questionnaire pt 2

42
Moving a stadium away from an urbanised area can cause many issues relating to
transport if the new stadium isn’t located strategically, the Britannia Stadium has some
transport problems but it combats these in a number of ways. A huge car park surrounds
the ground facilitating easy parking for fans as well as coach parking, many bus stops
also surround the ground and a walking and cycling route located in between the Trent
and Mersey Canal and the A500, if a stadium doesn’t take into consideration such
transport needs, it is destined to fail.

43
5.0 Discussionand Conclusion
5.1 What are the reasons as to why football teams move?
A football team can move stadium for a few reasons, this can be due to economic
benefits or to abide by legislation set by the 1990 Taylor Report.
In recent years, especially from the 90’s onwards the football industry has grown a
large amount, football teams are being seen more and more as businesses rather than
just a sports team, money has been flowing into the game through different sources, TV
rights deals, sponsorships and rising transfer fees are all attributing to this. Malcolm
(2000) highlights the importance of TV rights to football clubs, “Television companies
(funded by their subscribers and advertisers) continue to pay considerable, and ever
increasing, sums of money in return for the rights to schedule and broadcast fixtures.”
(Malcolm, D, 2000). With the expanding football business these TV rights deals have
exploded more recently with the latest Premier League deal for the 2016-19 seasons
rights going for £5.136bn, which will be split between the top flight teams (The
Telegraph, 2015), Figure 5.1 shows the increase in TV rights revenue from 1992 to
2019, increasing from a total of £191m to £5.1bn.

44
The rise in the commodification of football has encouraged clubs to make more
economically beneficial decisions, one of these is to relocate or expand their football
stadium. This is done to increase stadium capacity, in turn allowing more fans into the
ground and therefore gaining more revenue from ticket prices and purchases made
inside the stadium. Moving to a modern stadium can also give a club a bigger profile,
resulting in increased tourism and possibly new investment.
As a result of the Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report was published in 1990
which consequently making stadiums in the higher tiers of the English and Scottish
leagues to be all-seaters. To make this possible most clubs had to expand their stadium,
and if this was not possible due to space requirements or problems with planning
permission then they had to relocate.
Figure 5.1: Premier League’s Broadcasting Deals 1992-2019
Source: The Telegraph

45
5.2 How are old stadiums used to benefit the local community/economy?
When football teams move to a different football stadium a lot of questions are raised
over what happens to the old site, if utilised well, the old stadium can still play a vital role
in the community that it resides in, this can be done by using it to hold events or
renovating it to serve a different purpose.
When I visited the Emirates Stadium I also took a trip to the old Highbury Ground to
see what had become of the once influential building of the Highbury area. The stadium
which was once there is now being used as an apartment complex of a very high quality,
the Clock End and the North Bank were demolished and replaced with apartments whilst
the East and West stands remain listed and so can’t be demolished. “The Art Deco
façades of Highbury’s old Grade II-Listed East Stand, with its famous Marble Hall, and
the locally-listed West Stand have been preserved, in order to retain the iconic status of
the site.” (Arsenal, 2013) The pitch has been made into gardens, as buildings can’t be
built on it, which brings some green space to the apartment complex adding to the
general aesthetics of the project, (shown in photo 5.1).

46
Photo 5.1 Highbury Square Gardens
The Highbury Square project can be seen as a successful use of an old stadium which
has created more homes and jobs in the local community as well as keeping the
memories of the old ground where it once resided. Alternatively if an old stadium is not
utilised it often lays derelict serving no use to anyone, this has happened in Stoke on
Trent with the Old Victoria Ground which has been vacant since it was left in 1997, plans
have been made to build houses on the ground but up to present nothing has come to
fruition. When stadiums are demolished and the land lays vacant this can prove to be an
eyesore in the area it is located as well as proving to be no use to the community.
Unused stadiums need to follow the Highbury Ground which is an exemplar use of an
old stadium being a part of the community and using available land space which
otherwise would be derelict.

47
5.3 In what ways does a football club engage with the community?
The best way for a football club to gain support of its local residents is to engage with
the community through schemes and projects with aims to improve and help it. I looked
at the initiatives that Arsenal FC are involved with and how they engage with community
they’re in, I also gathered opinions from the residents of how much they’ve heard about
these initiatives and how they have influenced them. From Arsenal’s website there is
much evidence of them helping with the community with several projects they have set
up including the Arsenal Foundation and Arsenal in the Community which are both
organisations that help vulnerable people in the area as well as providing sporting
facilities for young children. Although there is a lot of evidence of Arsenals involvement
in the community, there was a mixed response from the residents which I gained
opinions from in my questionnaire, a lot of them were not aware of any projects or work
with the community going on, and two residents stated that any promises the club did
make about community work, they had not gone through with them. These results
suggest that the club is not doing enough to raise awareness of such projects going on,
although they are involved they are perhaps not doing enough to make people know
about them so they can take part and help out.
A few respondents did know about such projects though and they admired the work
that was being done with younger people, such as football programmes to help children
stay out of trouble. Whilst I was there I also witnessed the Arsenal Foundation collecting
money for a local homeless shelter which shows such charitable work taking place. In
Watson’s study about football clubs being involved with the community, in his conclusion
he states, “What must be avoided is a situation whereby communities living around

48
football grounds are further disadvantaged because their football club either cannot or
will not contribute to the quality of their life.” (Watson, N, 2000), Arsenal football club do
contribute to the community and this is commendable but I do not think they do enough
to make the community aware of these actions. If they build up this awareness I believe
that Arsenal FC and the community surrounding it can build up a better bond on which
they meet each other’s needs and build up a better understanding.
5.4 In what ways are out of town football stadiums accessible and what are the problems
related to this?
In some cases football teams will want to move stadium out of the compactness of the
city to out of town areas providing space to build a modern, large capacity stadium. In
order to successfully achieve this the stadium has to be widely accessible for different
modes of transport, such as car, train, buses and even walking, this can prove to be
difficult and expensive.
The research I carried out on the Britannia Stadium helped me understand this matter
better, I learned of the problems that are being faced by supporters to access this
stadium located away from the city. As there is a lack of other studies focusing on the
importance of transport and out of town football stadiums I wanted to see how much of
an issue this was for supporters of Stoke City FC which helped me understand how
crucial it is to have those transport links in place.
The results I found showed that the club had provided a spacious car park directly
outside the stadium and road controls on match days to help ease congestion (Photo 5.2

49
& 5.3), from what I could see, access to the stadium by car was not a problem. The main
problem I did find in my research was the accessibility by train, fans voiced opinions that
the stadium is a hassle to get to via train as the nearest station is far away near the
Staffordshire University campus, this would mean people travelling by train would have
to get an extra mode of transport such as a bus or taxi to get to the stadium. Building a
stadium clear of any major railway lines can not only cause problems for fans but may
also but extra strain on other modes of transport such as road transport, increased
congestion means there will be more people travelling by car or taxi. The club does
provide a shuttle bus but it is a ten minute walk from the station itself. There was also
suggestions from fans that the buses after game often form big queues to use them, a
way to overcome this would be to put on extra buses after the game but this
consequently would increase congestion further.
Photo 5.2 Britannia Traffic
Management Sign
Photo 5.3 Britannia On-site
Car Park

50
My studies regarding the Britannia showed that stadium does its best out of a situation
which limits the available transport, the current links to the stadium are to a very high
standard considering the location. From what I witnessed the parking was managed very
well with several stewards on site to direct drivers, the shuttle buses are frequent on
match days from the centre of Stoke on Trent (not to be confused with Hanley), although
there is a less frequent bus that visits Hanley Bus Station on its way to the Britannia.
There is also a walking and cycling route that I walked along to access the stadium from
Glebe Street alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal, this is approximately a forty minute
walk.
The Britannia is an example of an out of town football stadium that has utilised all
transport available to a high standard, the absence of a direct railway link to the stadium
is the only fault which is very difficult to overcome. For an out of town stadium to be
successful transport has to be available in different forms, if this is lacking then
attendance figures would likely to fall. Keeping this in mind, when selecting a plot of land
outside of a city, transport links have to be looked at in depth to provide the best
possible accessibility.
5.5 How do football stadiums impact the quality of the local area and residents’ daily
life?
At the start of this project the biggest aim I had was to understand how much of an
impact a stadium can have on the area surrounding it, during my research I managed to

51
investigate the impact of the Emirates Stadium on local residents and the surrounding
environment.
In Bale’s (1990) report concerning football grounds as urban nuisances he found that
congestion and parking was much more of a nuisance than vandalism and hooliganism,
“It has been shown that traffic and car parking is viewed by more people as a nuisance
than the more ‘newsworthy’ hooliganism.” (Bale, J, 1990). I definitely agree with this
statement, from my research I found the majority of the people I had responses from had
no problems at all with hooliganism, whereas some mentioned congestion and parking
as a more predominant problem, this is also backed up by my EQS results. During my
research I found that noise pollution was another big impact caused by the stadium,
almost equal to congestion and parking. On a Likert scale question 83.3% of
respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that noise levels were a problem on match
days, this was supported by my EQS results, as the streets surrounding The Emirates
rated a two or lower in terms of noise pollution on a match day. In a Highbury community
newsletter, Shepherd (2008) describes the use of The Emirates for music concerts and
football matches, she concludes that the decibel levels the noise reaches inside the
stadium are above disruption levels, “The monitoring equipment showed levels of up to
65 dB before the match, during announcements and while a female singer performed,
and during three goals in the second half.” (Shepherd, G, 2008) the views expressed in
her newsletter reflect the results of my questionnaire and EQS data.
The introduction of a new stadium into an area can deliver an influx of tourism into the
area, especially on match days, helping local business thrive, the stadium can also bring

52
with it more services such as shops and pubs/restaurants which announces competition
to local businesses. In The Emirates case there doesn’t seem to be many major chains
of businesses in the area except for a Tesco Express located nearby, this would indicate
that local businesses thrive from being located near The Emirates without major
competition. When asking residents about the stadium bringing tourism and benefits for
the local economy, they were not as strongly convinced. Results from the questionnaire
show that residents weren’t too sure of the boost for the local economy, reacting to the
statement “The Emirates Stadium provides a boost for the local economy” (Figure 4.6)
there was a mixed response, 58.3% of respondents agreed with the statement but there
was a 25% portion of the respondents who were neutral. In regards to tourism 43.5%
cumulatively agreed/strongly agreed with the statement “The stadium brings an influx of
tourism which helps local businesses thrive” (Figure 4.5), which was the exact same
percentage that were neutral, this would suggest that the one large proportion of people
do agree whereas the other large proportion don’t understand what impact the stadium
may have on the local economy. With the introduction of a stadium into a community,
extra jobs can be created by the stadium itself and by businesses trying to get a slice of
the action, the influx of visitors to the local area for the stadium will be likely to also
spend their money on surrounding businesses, such as bars, merchandise,
entertainment and food outlets all contributing to the local economy.
“A constricted inner city club that needs to move might find a brownfield site nearby
and hence contribute to local regeneration. This can be illustrated by the example of the
Arsenal Football Club in London. The new stadium is to be built on an area of disused

53
industrial land not far from the existing ground with the club financing public
improvements to a nearby underground station that is in desperate need of investment.”
(Thornley, A, 2002)
Thornley explains how Arsenal FC moved to The Emirates due to constriction issues
at their old ground and in doing so helped regenerate the local area. This has happened
thanks to the redevelopment of the old ground as well as new apartments being
introduced to the area around the Emirates. “Overall, nearly 1,500 affordable homes
have been provided by Newlon as part of the major regeneration project that supported
Arsenal’s move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium and Queensland Road marks the
end of a 12 year programme of construction.” (Newlon Housing Trust, 2014). The
majority of the new homes are apartments on Queensland Road, which is located in a
close proximity to The Emirates, the introduction of these modern apartments to the area
not only creates new homes but also brings extra life to the area. (Photo 5.4 & 5.5)
Development and Emirates
Stadium
Development

54
5.6 Conclusion
When moving stadium there are many impacts that occur, affecting fans, local residents,
the environment and the local economy. In my study I have investigated these impacts
with reference to literature that helps indicate what some of these impacts could be. In
studying the Emirates Stadium and the Britannia Stadium as case studies I have
investigated the impacts of these stadiums being introduced to their respected areas.
Stadium relocation can have a noticeable impact on the area it is introduced to and the
local residents nearby, The Emirates displays this by bringing increased congestion and
noise levels, as well as parking difficulties to the area as voiced by the residents.
Beyond these problems the introduction of a stadium can also boost tourism in the area
helping local businesses boom, a regeneration knock on effect can also be introduced,
replicated by the Emirates, the introduction of the new apartments on Queensland Road
and the redevelopment of the Highbury Stadium are great examples, the increased
community that these projects provide will also boost the local economy.
A football club can be very influential to an area, projects and schemes funded by the
club can be implemented to help the community and people in need. Arsenal FC are
excellent examples of this, through The Arsenal Foundation and Arsenal in the
Community the club has managed to help the youth community in the area with
schemes getting them involved with sport, keeping disadvantaged children out of
trouble. Arsenal deliver other projects concerning locals and people in need such as the
homeless population or ill people.
Relocating to a suburb area of a city can bring up a variety of problems, one of the
most important of them being transport issues, looking at the Britannia Stadium I have

55
identified some of the problems that exist. The fundamental problem being the non-
existent train connection to the stadium which comes as a result of being located away
from the urban area. Relocating in an urban area can provide transport links which are
not available in suburban areas similar to that of the Britannia, but these problems can
be overcome by strengthening other transport links.
My study has solidified my understanding of how influential football stadiums can be to
an area, with the expansion of the football industry I can only imagine this impact
increasing. If I were to further my study I would look into local businesses in the areas
that surround stadiums, facilitating interviews and questionnaires to see how the
presence of the stadium influences the businesses around it, there are many impacts
that a stadium can bring to an area as highlighted in my report and there is plenty more
research to be done in this area.

56
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