Source: Team_Talk
Coates rules out Britannia expansion
Stoke will not consider expanding the Britannia Stadium for at least a year despite record season ticket sales for this stage of the summer.[LNB] Stoke have sold 18,000 season tickets for the new Premier League campaign - 2,000 more than at this stage last year - and are confident of exceeding the 20,500 they sold in total for last season.[LNB]However, the club will not be expanding the stadium this summer. Plans are in place to fill in one and possibly even two of the open corners but that will not happen for at least another 12 months.[LNB]Potters chairman Peter Coates told the Stoke Sentinel: "You probably wouldn't get any change out of £3m (to fill in a corner), so you don't do these things lightly.[LNB]"You would probably get 2,500 people in the corner, so it takes a while to get the money back. It is on the drawing board and is something we will consider.[LNB]"But we want to feel confident we can justify it in terms of getting the increased capacity, filling it... and it making economic sense."[LNB]Meanwhile West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has revealed his delight that Stoke target Carlton Cole was not included in England's World Cup squad.[LNB]He told the Daily Mail: "I was elated when Carlton Cole wasn't picked because he's got legs which have taken a lot of grief and a good break is what he needs. He's a bit like Ledley King, he's got a recurring problem but properly managed he can play with it.[LNB]"He might struggle to play two games a week but he's playing 30 games a season, every season. Whether he can play 45 I don't know. But every game for England is a game less for West Ham."[LNB]As it is, Cole is widely expected to leave Upton Park this summer and Stoke are one of a number of clubs to have already expressed their interest in the 26-year-old.
