Joyce : Liverpool could expand Anfield capacity beyond 60,000 "Liverpool have until September to proceed with present plans to expand Anfield or pursue a bigger blueprint that could see the capacity exceed 60,000. The Champions League final victory over Tottenham Hotspur has restored Liverpool to the pinnacle of European football and the remarkable scenes which greeted the return of Jürgen Klopp’s triumphant squad to Merseyside on Sunday — an estimated 500,000 supporters lining the streets to salute them — merely highlighted the power of the club. Club officials have been weighing up further expansion long before the latest stage of Liverpool’s renaissance, with outline planning permission to increase the capacity of the Anfield Road stand by almost 5,000 seats, taking the overall capacity towards 59,000, due to lapse in September. Either than plan can be activated or the club can allow it to run out, continue with a feasibility study and then resubmit a new outline application. The latter appears the most likely path at present and would bring more time to present a blueprint that is bigger than the one on the drawing board. Liverpool’s priority is to complete work on a new £50 million, state-of-the-art training complex in Kirkby that will see the first team merge with the academy set-up, which is already in place on the site. That is due to open next May with owners, Fenway Sports Group, believing the football side of the business should take precedence before its commercial arm. However, further expansion of Anfield is where football and commercial strategies meet and there is a willingness at some point to increase capacity. That stance is not a knee-jerk response to last weekend’s events, although the passion Liverpool commands from its fan base provides further food for thought. Klopp sat with FSG president, Mike Gordon, at the back of the open top bus which transported Liverpool through the city and they were in awe of the size of the turnout. Expanding the stadium would be in the best interests in the club with a projected build, depending on the end proposal, of between two-and-a-half to three years. Peter Moore, the Liverpool CEO, has previously said: “If there is a smarter design option that does not fit with the current outline planning permission, then we would submit another planning application. “Only once we have completed this comprehensive process and come to a conclusion will it be the right time to move forward.” FSG have already overseen the redevelopment of the Main Stand, which opened in 2016 with an additional 8,500 seats. That has resulted in a significant rise of matchday income of more than £12 million a year."
Great news and I really rate Joyce as a writer but Christ here is a lot of fluffy bollocks written in that article.
Bigger isn't always better. It is if you can fill it, and we probably can, but if you add too many seats it can kill atmosphere... Look at Utd, Spurs or City for soulless grounds.
I don't think it changes much in a typical league game against Southampton, but it could really help Liverpool in these magical Champions League nights!
So the current application to extend the Anfield Road end by 4000 seats will be allowed to expire as Peter Moore says it's 'insufficient for our plans' and we'll hear more about it over the next few months. Interesting.
Today the club basically have confirmed this in a statement but offered very little extra. It was called a reaffirmation of commitment to do it. It's not entirely clear what this means. Actually that might be a gross understatement given there is no detail of any kind. No dates, no target capacity. It seems we need to "consult" and "analyse" If we see plans with 12month I'd be shocked. 2025? Who knows.
Funny was just looking at pictures of the stadium down the years just before I came on here in a gallery on the Echo. I think they'll have a look at it, see what the options are and go from there. I don't see any plans getting finalised for at least three more years yet, then it may be another few years after that before work gets done on the new stand, so 2025 might be a decent shout before its finished.
Not necessarily. Look at Juventus. Anfield Road End does need a revamp though. There shouldn't be seats without a view in the 21st century.
Utd be a terrible shame to take 3 years to do plans. it seems to me that to commit in some form to regeneration they must have a cost model in mind and an outline scheme of some sort. it might take 3 years to get permission if there's objections.
Just give them the same spiel that it will be good for the city, which is the same stuff they said about their new stadium.
