The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Fans vote to relocate the ABAX Stadium
Peterborough United fans have thrown their weight behind relocating the club’s home ground.
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony organised a poll on social media asking a carefully worded question re a stadium that is expected to revert to club ownership from Peterborough City Council in the summer.
The question read: “So say it costs £30million plus to refurbish three sides of an old stadium with limited options or to build a brand spanking new all purpose fan friendly modern day 15k stadium with loads of facilities and plenty of parking, but still within walking distance from city centre do you...a) patch up the old thing or b) move to the younger model?
Over 7,700 fans took part in the poll with 78% preferring a new stadium, presumably the favoured option of MacAnthony and his co-owners given how the question was phrased.
MacAnthony added: “Serious consultation happening now on both options with figures/budgets being put together etc.
“More news on that when we have the details.”
MacAnthony confirmed concerts would be held at any new stadium. He revealed the club had to turn down the chance to host two ‘big-name’ concerts recently because of safety limitations at the exist- ing ABAX Stadium.
It’s not obvious where a new football stadium could be constructed near the city centre, although the Embankment has been mooted as a possible destination.
The current Posh stadium capacity is just over 14,000. The average League One attendance at the ABAX Stadium this season is 7,084.
MacAnthony met up with co-owners Dr Jason Neale and Stewart ‘Randy’ Thompson in Seattle this week for their regular three-monthly meeting.
The chairman went armed with a mass of questions and suggestions sent in by Posh fans and with the results of an extensive survey which covered all aspects of the matchday experience at Posh.
MacAnthony also organised a poll based on the playing style of the Posh first team.
The chairman was conscious of criticism from many fans about the style of play under former manager Steve Evans.
That poll question read: “Is style of play as an identity more important to you when paying to watch Posh play or do you just care about the result at full-time regardless of how the team gets it?
The choices were a) style of play is important, b) ugly but winning, c) don’t care just win.
Just over half of the 3,500 people who voted went for c) with 39% choosing a) and 9% going for b).
MacAnthony is known to be a fan of the attacking, fastpaced football with which Posh won three promotions under current boss Darren Ferguson.