The Watford F.C. announced a three-year renovation plan for Vicarage Road today (see plans above). The plan, a £32.5 million joint development with Watford F.C. kicking in £13.5 million and Origin Group, a housing development firm kicking in the rest (note the lack of public funding Cardinals), will bring about a number of changes, most notably to the Rookery (the home stands on the south and the newest stands at the facility) and the East stands (part of the original 1922 construction), part of which have been closed for safety reasons.
The Rous (west) stands will be upgraded to accommodate expanded luxury boxes. Other changes include the integration of 'keyworker housing' to the stadium taccommodatete Watford General Hospital (their neighbors to the west) employees and the eventual filling in of the corners.
The is just thlatestst in a series of renovations since The Vic's opening in 1922. The end zones, now the Vicarage Road (north) stands and the Rookery, were originally terraces - the Vicarage Roads stands being built in response to the Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 were crushed to death at a Sheffield/Liverpool fixture, and the subsequent Taylor Report. The Rous Stand was built in 1986, replacing the Shrodells Stand, itself built in the 1930s to replace the Union Stand which came to Vicarage Road from the club's former digs, Cassio Road.
Some fans have complained that funds are being diverted from players' salaries (though Club Chairman Graham Simpson has said Boothroyd's budget will be unaffected by the plans) and that the 'average fan' will be priced out of the stadium (building on the increase in prices since promotion to Premiership), but most seem to have a 'wait-and-see' attitude.
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