#TDS22 Guest Q&A: Tranmere Rovers’ Nicola Palios

Ahead of TheStadiumBusiness Design & Development Summit 2022, we caught up with Nicola Palios, co-owner and vice chairman of Tranmere Rovers, to discuss the League Two football club’s plans for a potential new stadium…

Back in June, Tranmere welcomed news that a proposed new stadium project could be resurrected. Wirral Council later matched a £100,000 (€114,000/$110,000) pledge from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for a feasibility study on the ‘Sports City’ project, which would be anchored by a 15,000-seat stadium for the club.

Tranmere initially confirmed discussions about the possibility of building a new stadium back in August 2019. Palios said at the time that a new stadium would be a “massive and complicated project” for the club, which has been based at the 16,500-capacity Prenton Park for more than a century.

Positive developments over the summer have led to increased optimism around the new stadium, and Palios said the club is daring to dream big…

TheStadiumBusiness: What’s exciting you in the field of stadium design at present? 

Nicola Palios: “I’m interested in how stadium technology can help us improve the matchday experience. The hospitality industry is struggling to get the staff needed to run operations as effectively as we would like, and so things like automated systems and facial recognition technology could be a game changer. 

“I’m also interested in the latest developments in how we can be more environmentally friendly by reducing energy costs and wastage, and looking at how others have managed to make their spaces multi-functional, to serve different needs on a matchday and a non-matchday.”

TSB: What’s in the pipeline for Tranmere Rovers over the next six to 12 months?  

NP: “A feasibility study is currently being undertaken into a potential stadium move, which could open up huge new opportunities for the club and the regeneration of our local community. It’s a very exciting time and we are daring to dream big.”

TSB: What are you most looking forward to about the Summit?

NP: “It’s a great opportunity to see what’s new and to meet others who have been down the stadium development journey – often, learning from their mistakes can be even more valuable than understanding what went well.”

Explore the future of stadium design with Nicola Palios and 400+ stadium industry leaders – exclusively at #TDS22.

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