Sam Hammam has been telling the Echo of his
progress with a new stadium for Cardiff City.
"I would have preferred it if we were
moving a bit faster, but we are 100 per cent on the right track,"
said Hammam.
Sam has always said the club has no future if
it has no Stadium, he is working hard with local dignitary's and said the
following.
"I am moving at the speed I am told
is the right speed. And, much more importantly, quality-wise, we are
perfect.
"The chance of getting this stadium is very high. I believe Cardiff County
Council will soon give the contract the go-ahead. I am very encouraged."
"I am well pleased with the quality of the progress on the stadium," said Hammam. "I was hoping that by March we would have signed the
preliminary contract, but now it will take a bit longer.
"Not much, but we are running a little behind schedule. Much more important,
though, is that quality-wise we are perfect.
"We have had overwhelming support in general from councillors and what is
more I am impressed by the lead taken by Russell Goodway, our Lord Mayor.
"Everybody talks about Sam Hammam, but, believe me, Russell Goodway and
First Minister Rhodri Morgan are as important to the future of Cardiff City
as I am or a good manager is.
"Russell Goodway is doing things correctly. He has to do that. I am
impatient to start, but he has done great. He has to go through due process.
"And for the City of Cardiff he will deliver what he is thinking he can
deliver. We have to put in for planning, but the man is as good as his word.
" He is a special man and I believe he deserves a statue higher than
Nelson's Column. He is doing for Wales more than Nelson did for the nation."
""We have agreement with MEPC, the biggest private development company in
the country.
"We have to have heavyweights to do the thing properly. They know Cardiff
inside out, they are the major private developer.
"We are engaging Ove Arup, one of the 10 biggest, if not the biggest,
consultants in the country. They are leaders, in some cases World leaders.
"They are excellent on structural issues and roads.
"We have hired one of the best architects in the world, J Parrish, who has
worked on Stadium Australia, Huddersfield Town's McAlpine Stadium, Bolton
Wanderers' Reebok Stadium and the Commonwealth Stadium which will become
Manchester City's ground.
"KPMG is the financial advisor. They are one of the biggest.
"We are also working with other major companies like TPC (Town Planning
Consultants).
"These are consultants we are talking about, an array of the highest
calibre.
"We are not just looking to build a stadium, but we are looking for
fantastic design suitable if we were top of the Premier League. We have to
cover that from the start.
"We want a beautiful stadium. Clearly, we would not set out to be the
sexiest and most beautiful stadium at 30,000 capacity, but when we build it
to 60,000 we will have something which is very sexy indeed.
"But we must have the design now. The planning, including the retail
development and new athletics track, costs a quarter of a million pounds.
"I am well pleased with the way things have gone. I am getting impatient,
but I am wrong and Russell Goodway is right."
