NINIAN Park’s famous stands will be flattened within weeks, developers announced yesterday.

The 99-year-old stadium was formally handed over to Redrow Homes by Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale yesterday, finally severing all but the sentimental ties the club has with the land.

But its history will be an integral part of the new 142-home development that will replace it – still to be known as Ninian Park.

At the new scheme’s centre will be a planted square, on the site of Ninian Park’s centre spot, while plans for street names commemorating former Bluebirds legends are also being considered, though no names have yet been decided.

A replica of the old stadium gates could also form its entrance.

Work is to begin on pulling down the stands – which have been a famous landmark on Cardiff’s skyline for a century – in just three weeks.

First to go will be the Canton Stand, with the total demolition period lasting around six months and the first new show homes of the £24m scheme up by late spring 2010.

A mixture of terraced, detached and semi-detached houses will follow.

“We will be starting as soon as we can and that probably means starting with foundations in November,” said Stuart Rowlands, Redrow’s South Wales managing director.

Yesterday, the stands’ blue seats lay strewn across what was once Ninian’s hallowed turf but is now no more than a giant patch of dirt, gravel and stones.

Underfloor piping jutted up through mounds of mud while litter lay strewn across the former field and stands.

But Redrow, one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, seems determined to treat the site with reverence and may pay tribute to its history with street names evoking its former stars.

“It’s something we’re considering at the moment in conjunction with the council,” said Mr Rowlands.

“We were determined right from the start that we wouldn’t allow it to be forgotten as a famous footballing ground.

“What we’re thinking is some sort of plaque on the centre spot commemorating some of the famous players that have played at Cardiff.

“There will be a formal square with a planted area on the centre spot. There are no names for that yet, we’re still open to suggestions.”

Mr Rowlands said Redrow’s worst ever set of annual results – announced yesterday with a pre-tax loss of £140.8m and a sales drop of 54% – would in no way affect their plans for Ninian Park.

“Not at all. We are committed to redeveloping this site,” said Mr Rowlands.

Colin Lewis, Redrow’s regional chairman, added: “You have to recognise that they are results coming out of a period of the worst housing recession for many, many years.

“We have re-based the business, refocused the business, and Ninian Park is part of that refocusing and, therefore, it is an integral part of our future.”

Despite Ninian’s ramshackle current state, Mr Ridsdale said it did not feel strange to leave it behind.

“I was brought here in the full knowledge that if we didn’t develop it, Cardiff City had no future,” he said.

“We’re delighted it’s still going to be called Ninian Park. But it is now owned by Redrow Homes.”

But one worker who did not relish his role helping to demolish the ground was lifelong fan Simon Darby.

Simon, 29, from Maesteg, who is working on site as an environmental specialist, said: “It’s horrible, absolutely devastating. I was first brought down by my grandfather when I was five.

“He passed away six years ago and I couldn’t face coming back but my missus got me a season ticket for last season.

“It’s terrible. We’ve got to move on, I know, but I don’t really want to.”