Today Minister for Sport Don Farrell and Member for Parramatta Julie Owens announced the renovation to the A-League Premiers’ home stadium.

The RBB end of the ground is set to enjoy a modest increase in size with extra seating planned, though no roof will be built in this phase of renovating. 

The additional seats amounts to 3,300 installed at the Northern and Southern ends will bring the stadium capacity to 24,000.

Work is set to begin in early 2014 with funding coming from the Commonwealth government and completion of the upgrade is set for 2015.

The investment will include upgrading the Eastern Stand, including a new concourse, new food and drink outlets and improved facilities for players and corporate visitors.

Gallop welcomed the announcement said this should be viewed as a first step in the stadium’s redevelopment, not the last.

“We’re grateful for the increased capacity from around 20,000 to 25,000 but it’s certainly conceivable in years to come that demand will again exceed supply,” he said.

“And we’ll need to consider what to do but that’s a few years off at this stage.”

The Wanderers have attracted over 174,000 people into the Stadium since its inception with a financial contribution in excess of $18.3 million of additional expenditure into the entertainment and lifestyle precinct of the Parramatta CBD.

Underlining the club’s growth are the membership figures for next season. After three weeks on sale, Foundation Membership renewals are at 7,500. New memberships will be available from July 22.

Gallop added today’s announcement of a stadium upgrade was a response to the success of the Wanderers, who won the A-League Premiership in their first season and were grand final runners up last April.

“It’s pleasing to see the government respond to that with additional funding for increased capacity. As the Wanderers go into the Asian Champions League next season, it’s a reminder that football is the bridge for this nation into Asia,” he said.  

“It’s also a reminder that the success of the Wanderers was a result of them being planted into fertile ground in Western Sydney. Football’s infrastructure and grassroots support has been in place for decades.

"And the creation of the Wanderers was a response to the decades of work put in by volunteers at grassroots level and grew from there.”