Brentford FC will move into its new £70m stadium, currently being built by Buckingham Group, in summer 2020, several months after the December 2019 move-in date it originally planned.
The club said the decision had been prompted by the complexity of large scale building works and the "normal delays and problems" that arise in a complicated construction project, following a review in conjunction with developer EcoWorld London and Buckingham Group. It said it also wanted to avoid the operational challenges of a mid-season move.
The club will now play a full final season at its existing Griffin Park home before moving to the new 17,250-seater Brentford Community Stadium at the end of the 2019/20 season.
In a statement, it said: "Given the complexity of large-scale building works adjacent to railway lines, the need to anticipate the normal delays and problems that inevitably arise in a complicated construction project, and the operational challenges surrounding a mid-season move, our view is that an end of season move is best."
Nonetheless, key milestones on the new stadium’s construction have been "satisfactorily" achieved, with the piling for the foundation works now 90% complete and laying of the sections of terracing for the south stand underway.
In addition to the stadium, which will house both the Premier League football club and Premiership rugby club, the development also involves the construction of 900 new homes, a new home for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and a new public square with shops and cafes.
