For a number of years now, Liverpool FC owners have been promising fans that a stadium expansion will allow a greater number than ever before to attend home games and cheer on their favourite team. However, thanks to financial difficulties and the longest recession in living memory, the commencement of the project has been continuously put back – until now.
Owners Fenway Sports Group have confirmed that the long-awaited expansion of Anfield Stadium will begin this week, with the appointment of Carillion as contractor finally allowing spades to go into the ground. This, it hopes, will put to rest the two decade debate over whether Liverpool FC should remain at their current home base or seek alternative space within Merseyside, cementing the club’s future and allowing for significant revenue growth over the coming years.
Phase one of the project, which will see the Main Stand’s seating capacity increased by 8,500 seats at a cost of £75 million, will officially launch this week and should, according to Carillion, be completed by the beginning of the 2016/2017 season. Forecasts from FSG indicate that the extra accommodation for fans will increase match day revenues by around £20 million per year.
During the work, Carillion intends to keep as much of the Main Stand as possible operational, thereby minimising disruption for fans on match day. Phase one will see capacity at Anfield rise to 54,000, making it the third largest stadium in league football behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
However, this will not be the end of the story for Anfield’s expansion, as phase two will focus upon increasing capacity at the Anfield Road End stand. This smaller aspect of the overall project will see the stadium’s capacity increase to a forecast 59,000 seats and will bring the total spend upon stadium works to £114 million.
In a statement to the press, Carillion confirmed its involvement with the sizeable project and laid out a timeline for the upcoming works.
It said; “Further to Carillion’s announcement on July 2, 2014, that it had been selected as the preferred bidder to deliver the expansion of Liverpool Football Club’s Main Stand and associated improvement works, Carillion announces today that it has signed a contract with Liverpool Football Club to deliver this project.
“Work on the project which will add around 8,500 seats to the Main Stand and increase the overall capacity of Anfield Stadium to some 54,000, is expected to start this week and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2016.”
As part of the works, Carillion will also install a number of retail units and ticket offices within the grounds, along with a “sensitive” relocation of the Hillsborough Memorial and Shankly Gates. Furthermore, fans willing to pay a little more on match days will benefit from 36 new corporate boxes and an upgrade to the lounge facilities at Anfield.
It’s certainly been a long time coming, but fans can now be reassured that the saga over Liverpool FC’s home ground is finally nearing its end.
Do you think the wait for Anfield’s expansion will prove worthwhile when work eventually ends on the stadium?
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