Bournemouth chief says Vitality Stadium will be ready for Everton despite ongoing redevelopment

Bournemouth president of business operations Jim Frevola has assured supporters that the Vitality Stadium will be ready to host Everton despite the club's ambitious redevelopment project continuing around the ground.

The Cherries are in the middle of a major multi-phase transformation that will eventually take the Premier League's smallest stadium beyond 20,000 seats by summer 2027.

However, with Everton due to visit on Saturday, August 29, there had been understandable questions over whether construction work could affect Bournemouth's ability to stage matches at their home.

Frevola has now made it clear that there is no concern over the stadium being operational for the start of the campaign.

“It will absolutely be ready,” Frevola told BBC Radio Solent. “There are pieces of the project that won't be finished, but that is going to take another year or two.”

Bournemouth confident redevelopment will not disrupt Everton fixture

Frevola explained that the club never expected every element of the redevelopment to be completed before the first home fixture.

Instead, Bournemouth's priority has been ensuring the stadium can safely host matches while construction continues around it.

“We have a long project ahead of us and a lot of work to do,” he said. “The plan was never to be 100% ready for the first match, it was just to be ready and we will be.”

The project is progressing in stages, with the club still targeting the completion of the new corner areas shortly after the beginning of the season.

Frevola revealed there is even a possibility that one of the corners could be ready in time for Everton's visit.

“The progress might come in stages, but there is a chance one corner will be ready for Everton,” he added.

The favourable summer weather has also helped Bournemouth maintain progress on the project, allowing significant work to be completed before the new season gets fully underway.

Vitality Stadium already benefiting from redevelopment work

Although the wider project remains some way from completion, supporters have already seen several improvements at the Vitality Stadium.

One of the most notable changes has been the creation of a new perimeter gate, which Frevola says will provide an open concourse and help address some of the queuing problems experienced by supporters in the past.

The club has also replaced seats that had faded from their traditional red colour, although the South Stand remains outstanding.

“We have also done work on the inside of the Main Stand and the tunnel to be Premier League and UEFA compliant,” Frevola said.

Those upgrades are particularly important as Bournemouth prepare for a season unlike any other in their history.

The Cherries qualified for European football for the first time after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, meaning the stadium must accommodate not only domestic fixtures but also UEFA requirements.

The redevelopment is ultimately intended to give Bournemouth a significantly larger and more modern home while allowing the club to remain at the Vitality Stadium.

FGG Says: Bournemouth's balancing act is crucial

A phased approach allows the Cherries to improve the stadium while continuing to welcome Premier League and European supporters. There will inevitably be some disruption while major construction takes place, but keeping the Vitality Stadium operational throughout the project is hugely important.

Bournemouth have earned their place among the Premier League's established clubs and are now entering Europe for the first time. If they can deliver a modernised 20,000-plus stadium without losing the character of their existing home, this could prove to be one of the most important developments in the club's history.