Video courtesy of HYEARCEPob
It’s been a very long time coming, but late yesterday Liverpool FC confirmed that work on phase one of their plans to expand Anfield will begin as early as Monday — and they’ve released this slick video showing their vision of the expansion of the Main Stand.
The project, which is expected to be completed in time for the kick-off of the 2016 – 2017 season, will first see the Main Stand expanded with an additional 8,300 seats and a new third tier before the Anfield Road End is increased by 4,800 more seats, swelling the capacity inside the stadium to a much more modern 59,000 supporters. This work will kick off not only a new era for the club, which is set to profit from the increased match-day revenue, but the regeneration of the Anfield area as a whole with the £260mil project by the city centred around the expansion of the stadium.
“They are one of the biggest sports franchises in the world, with a global reputation,” explained Professor Tom Cannon, a football finance expert from the University of Liverpool, when asked how the Reds smaller stadium has impacted them in comparison to their rivals. “The lack of a ground comparable with [Arsenal’s] Emirates, comparable with [Manchester City’s] Etihad, comparable with [Manchester United’s] Old Trafford, has hurt the club deeply.”
At this time, Anfield doesn’t fit the bill for a number of UEFA regulations which preclude it from hosting a number of major events. A capacity of at least 50,000, as well as corporate facilities and modern changing rooms for both players and officials are only a few of the items that Liverpool’s current stadium falls short of — but not for much longer.
Now, let’s see if this helps or hinders the current price of a match day ticket…
