City billionaires plan to turn Eastlands into Las Vegas!

Or so screamed a tabloid newspaper headline in November 2009. It sparked an ongoing thread on the Blue Moon forum under the same title, but it's actually been known for much longer that something very interesting is going to be happening around the Sportcity site. Indeed, Subterranean Homesick Blue believes that the possibilities for development around the City of Manchester Stadium explain in large part why Sheikh Mansour alighted on this club in the summer of 2008. I'm intrigued by the potential developments and will return to various relevant issues in more detail soon, as well as offering reports and analysis on future developments.

It's known that a visitor attraction, intended to draw annual visitor numbers in seven figures, is one component. Rumours that I'm convinced are reliable hold that a new elite training facility near CoMS and an expanded stadium also form part of the plans. The club has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the local Council and regeneration body New East Manchester, with Council sources speaking effusively on the stellar prospects for the developments. This post merely scratches the surface, looking at when we can expect definite news and offering thoughts as to what may happen to the stadium if it's to live up to billing.