‘The Reds’ home stand expansion to get going

Article posted by Coliseum, September 24^th, 2021

Image: Liverpool FC

The Premier League team Liverpool F.C. (UK) confirmed on September 22^nd that the proposed expansion of the Anfield Road Stand will move forward.

The project, which has been undergoing enabling works throughout the offseason in anticipation, will begin in earnest with an official groundbreaking ceremony planned for next week.

The ‘Liverpool FC’ stated that the redevelopment of the stand will see 7,000 more seats added to Anfield, taking its overall capacity to more than 61,000. The construction of the stand will work in the same way as the redeveloped Main Stand, with the build taking place throughout the season while matches continue to be played throughout.

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The Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club in Liverpool, England (UK), which competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Domestically, the club has won 19 League titles, seven FA Cups, a record eight League Cups, and 15 FA Community Shield.

Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892.

Stated Andy Hughes, Managing Director, Liverpool F.C., “We have been clear from the beginning that in order for this expansion to go ahead we needed the cooperation of the local residents and the community, to successfully navigate the complex planning landscape, and to ensure the project is financially viable. We needed certainty for this project to progress and are now in a position to be able to move forward. We began this journey in 2014 and are grateful to everyone for the contributions they have made to bring the project to this stage.”

The ‘Liverpool FC’ further stated that following two stages of public consultation and invaluable feedback on the initial plans, Anfield Road’s expansion project will reroute Anfield Road itself around the footprint of the new stand.

The project was given planning permission by the Liverpool City Council in June 2021, with the club also awarded permission to hold up to six concerts and major events at the stadium for a period of five seasons.

The club will work with the Buckingham Group Contracting Limited (Buckingham) as Principal Contractor on the project.

Buckingham will work directly with the club’s Red Neighbours initiative on a range of activities with the local community and schools in line with the club’s current activities across food poverty, education and opportunities for young people, as well as taking the local community on the journey of the stand’s redevelopment.

They will also work with the local employment groups and education establishments to offer work experience, apprenticeships, graduate placements, and employment to local people. Buckingham is committed to offering around 35 work placements and more than 800 apprentice and training weeks across the build.

When complete, the expanded Anfield Road Stand is expected to create around 400 matchday roles in addition to the 2,200 people currently employed in various operations at each home game, of which 95 percent are known to live in the Liverpool City Region.

The redeveloped Anfield Road Stand is anticipated to be ready for the 2023-2024 seasons and its design will see the lower tier retained and refurbished with a new upper tier built above it. As well as an increased capacity, the redeveloped stand will be similar to the Main Stand, with improved concourses and sports bar lounge hospitality facilities. This stand will also see the relocation of the Family Park to a covered position.

Throughout the design process, careful consideration has once again been given to Anfield’s world-class atmosphere through the development of an acoustic and lighting strategy to match that of the one developed with the Main Stand.

Part of the safe, secure and inclusive design plans will also provide additional pedestrian routes at the back of the expanded stand into Stanley Park in Liverpool, retain the four-stand stadium configuration and character and include historical design references.

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