“If somebody leaned against the front of the balustrade they could fall straight over and straight down”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Headingley’s 83-year-old rugby stand may be closed until the 2019 season due to safety reasons.

As a result of this, the ground’s capacity will fall to 14,000, which will seriously affect the number of people that can attend Yorkshire’s county matches and England’s ODI against Australia on September 11 this year.

According to the Yorkshire Post, ticket sales for seats in the rugby stand have been suspended.

It is also understood that the club’s chief executive, Mark Arthur, has announced that the stand may not be used until it is rebuilt in time for the 2019 season.

“The upper-floor balustrade at the front of the balcony has been condemned, awaiting a further structural engineer’s report,” Arthur said. “It’s basically corroded at the front of the stand – some of the plaster has come off the front of the balustrade and it’s just not safe.

“If somebody leaned against the front of the balustrade they could fall straight over and straight down.

“Until we know the extent of the problem it’s better to close the stand and not sell any more tickets in case the repairs would prove to be a greater expense than any derived income over the next two years, bearing in mind that we will be rebuilding the stand in time for the 2019 season.

“We simply wouldn’t open the stand unless it was absolutely safe to do so.”