Liverpool's Anfield stadium expansion

Liverpool Football Club, established in the city of Liverpool, England, plans to expand its iconic Anfield stadium.

Anfield stadium was constructed during the 19th century but it was initially rented by Everton (in September 1884), another football club of the city. 7 years later, Liverpool moved into the stadium.

Over the decades, the stadium has received significant structural reforms, including the erection of the main stand and the well-known Spion Kop. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the main stand was demolished and reconstructed after being found inadequate.

About a decade ago, the owners of Liverpool considered abandoning Anfield and build a more modern stadium. A permission to construct a new facility near Stanley Park was granted but the funding was insufficient, therefore, the administration decided not to follow that plan but to try to improve Anfield. The main stand was re-developed and its capacity increased by 8,500 seats by 2017.

The current expansion of the stadium aims at increasing its maximum capacity that will reach from about 54,000 to 61,000 visitors. Moreover, it will possibly enable the club to receive permission for conducting subsequent events such as Gaelic games, American football games, box fights or music concerts. The total cost of the project is expected to reach $78,2 million.

Currently, the only stadium in the United Kingdom that is specially designed to host NFL (the professional American Football League) games is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the endeavor has been successful. Consequently, more clubs are interested in establishing similar facilities.

The plan is to expand the Anfield Road stand. Initially, the project would result in closing the Anfield road transforming it into a pedestrian passage. However, the scheme changed after a series of complaints were issued by local residents. People were worried about the potential congestion that such an intervention would cause. As a result, new designs were implemented and the road will remain operational but it will be re-routed to pass around the new stand. "We've actually shrunk down the ground floor of the building a small amount but it allows just enough room that we can divert the road around the back of the stadium without encroaching into Stanley Park. These updated plans reflect that we have listened and we thank all of those people who took the time to share their views,” Andy Hughes, Chief Operating Officer at Liverpool Football Club, stated.

Construction works will begin later in 2020 and the project will be possibly ready for the 2022-2023 season. The stand will be demolished during the next season but, officials, ensure a certain timeline that will not impact many of Liverpool's games will be followed.

Sources: BBC, Forbes