▁of ▁S under land , ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁yards ▁from ▁R oker ▁Park , ▁and ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁S under land ' s ▁planned ▁new ▁stad ium ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁short list ▁for ▁Euro ▁ 9 6 ▁ven ues , ▁as ▁England ▁had ▁been ▁named ▁as ▁hosts ▁of ▁the ▁competition ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁However , ▁it ▁soon ▁become ▁clear ▁that ▁a ▁new ▁stad ium ▁in ▁S under land ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁ready ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁tournament . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁the ▁S under land ▁chairman ▁Bob ▁Murray ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Ty ne ▁and ▁W ear ▁Development ▁Corporation ▁had ▁approved ▁plans ▁for ▁S under land ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁ 3 4 , 0 0 0 - se ater ▁stad ium ▁on ▁the ▁Mon k we arm outh ▁site . ▁Ball ast ▁W ilt sh ier ▁pl c , ▁a ▁contract ing ▁company ▁that ▁had ▁built ▁the ▁Amsterdam ▁Arena , ▁was ▁contract ed ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁stad ium ▁at ▁an ▁initial ▁cost ▁of ▁£ 1 5   mill ion . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁as ▁the ▁planned ▁capacity ▁rose ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁construction ▁work ▁began . ▁The ▁capacity ▁was ▁re vised ▁again ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁stad ium ▁was ▁completed ▁on ▁time , ▁with ▁a ▁capacity ▁of