Stadium decision imminent!

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Okay, so this will surely get you going! A friend of EOTK posted some comments on one of my articles were I tackled the ‘should we redevelop or go for a new-build?’ According to this fellow Kopite an announcement about what NESV plan to do with regards to the stadium issue is will be done by the end of this week.

These indiscretions are claiming that the NESV top brass met with Liverpool City Authority and they have received full backing for a redevelopment of Anfield with a view to re-develop the area surrounding the current stadium in the process. These rumours also say that Lothiar Road will get the axe and Anfield Road will be re-routed.

The plan is for an initial extension to push to capacity up to 60,000 with a view to eventually arrive at 70,000! The project would also include about 50 corporate boxes. It has also been muted that plans are in place to add capacity to the Kop by raising its angle rather than pushing it backwards.

Now, while all comments are more than welcome and much appreciated, the issue here is not to re-argue if it is best to have a new stadium or redevelop Anfield. From comments received the MAJORITY of Liverpool fans would support a re-development! What I really want is for anyone who has heard any realistic rumours, especially you guys on location, to let your fellow LFC supporters get any breaking news in this regard before we get the official announcement.

Are these indiscretions true as far as you know?

49 Comments

  1. 70,000 sounds good enough for me considering a remodel would cost less and take less time to complete. Considering it would be around the size of old trafford we could compete with them on ticket funds again. And the idea of keeping anfield will keep our history in place, no need to destroy it.

  2. I’m all for a re-development of the current stadium.

    Lothair Road (behind main stand) is empty with the exception of the odd squatter, and Anfield road could be diverted into the park, allowing expansion upwards and backwards of the Anfield Road End.

    The big problem would be the reduced capacity during the development process.

    1. @ LL22Red. I wish to ask a question at this point! Do you guys think that with careful planning and a bit of prep work done on the perimeter before the season is over, do you think that with today’s technology and equipment,is it possible to knock down and rebuild a stand say between mid-May and the end of August (3 and a half months)?

  3. Redevelopment is the best idea. 70,000 would be ideal. We need a capacity to rival Real Madrid etc.. befitting our stature in the world game.

    Liverpool FC are a huge global club and our stadium should reflect that.

    Also, I hope the design is as nice as the current stadium design, which is small but classy.

    1. @ Alan. Thanks for your comment. Well, I would not say in the Real bracket as they are towards th 90,000+ mark if I am not mistaken. The enthusiasm for a 70,000 seater prompts a question: would we be able to have a packed Anfield if the capacity was raised from the current 44,000 plus to 70,000? It’s not double the amount, but nearly…..!

  4. Spot on L22Red. Thought that for a while. Annie Road is re-routed from Lothair Road and into Stanley Park to Arkles, as all the housing is flattened anyway. Redevelop all area around Anfield. Remember they demolished Kemlyn Road to build the Centenary. It will be just natural progression, but the Community of Anfield (Residents) must not suffer. The Albert and Sandon must remain, all part of our heritage.

  5. Dear Tonio Bone, yes! It is possible to rebuild the stand and other extension for Anfield stadium within 3 months time. Have u ever heard of the Ark Hotel in China? They constructed the 15 storey building in 6 days time (the building may absorb 9.0 magnitutde earthquake).. Therefore, in our own Anfield case, we have more than enough time. Bring the best engineers in the world to help us. Come on Liverpool. Stay with Anfield. Just expand it. YNWA. -from malaysia-

    1. @ John. I agree that it is possible. With agreement with the FA some end of season and beginning of season games can be adjusted to get the Reds to play more away games at this time. The FA will help for sure as a renewed Anfield will be another valid venue for a future World Cup bid.

  6. Some people say anfield is a shithole…buts its our shithole! I think the grittiness of anfield adds to the atmosphere. Could do with a facelift, but i think a posh new stadium would be too much. Id much prefer to stay at anfield and increase capacity

  7. I work for city council and can guarantee there have been no such discussions this is a completely fabricated story I’m afraid

    1. @ Thekopite. That would be very sad I have to say! May I ask at what level is your employment? I hope you do realise there will be hundreds of millions involved and maybe the rumour has not arrived at your desk yet? But then, you might be right and these are just…..rumours!
      I must clarify that I wrote the article on info received and that I asked you guys on location to verify!

  8. iv heard that they will bbuild the anfield rd stand over the road as a tunnel because this road is blocked of on a match day, but iv also heard that they will spin the ground around so the kop would be on the side but wont beleive a thing till its black and white

  9. Tonio, there is an awful lot of work going on with the consultants who are exploring all options, but no imminent decision to our knowledge. We have heard that redevelopment is preferred option and viability studies being conducted but some way to go before they will confirm what their intentions are. I believe there is concern about loss of revenue from the proposed anfield plaza if current stadium is to be redeveloped

  10. 70,000 thts almost double anfield I know we have a large following but will we fill against teams like wigan,westbrom etc etc

  11. It would get the season ticket waiting list right down almost overnight so wouldn’t have to worry about filling the stadium against lesser teams

  12. Here’s a good question: How long will it actually take to complete?

    And to answer my question just a bit: probably pretty long like 6-9 months (like a baby!?)

    And if so, Where will we play in the meantime?

  13. It could take upto three years to redevelope so therfore i would go with a new stadium,this isnt a job thats going to fly up its going to take time.Anyway wont we have to submit plans for the new work.I would be very surprised if any work gets started for at least a year.We have everything in place for a new stadium so FSG should go with that,just think 2 years from now a state of the art new ground 75,000 fans and more revenue means more success.

  14. Building a new stadium is too expensive. Renovation is the better option, Utd increased their capacity from 58000 to 76000. Arsenal built a new stadium and have not won a trophy since they moved.

  15. While a redevelopment will cost less than building a new stadium, and I am sure FSG would rather go down this road for that reason, redevelopment won’t be as quick or as easy to build without the construction hazards as building a new stadium across the street in the park. I would rather upgrade the homes than demolish the homes and expand Anfield. The neighborhood is a residential neighborhood, not a ever enlarging commercial shopping center.

    But it appears money talks. You don’t save neighborhoods by expanding commercial and industrial buildings in the middle of them…

  16. What a crying shame so many of you fail to see what’s needed!

    A redeveloped Anfield is a KOP out – however you look at it… and it won’t cut the mustard.

    Talk of 60,000 is optimistic at best and if you managed to SQUASH that number in – what kind of experience would it be? Think

    the facts are NESV don’t have the MONEY for a new stadium – otherwise they would. Build.

    A new – state if the art – stadium in Stanley spark would attract fans from around the globe – it would bf used for Internationals and in would generate more than double the funds than Anfield ever will!

    NESV know this – but they are using the fans – lack of vision and fear of the future – to sneak out of doing the very job they were originally brought in to do.

    Yet again Liverpool FC misses the boat!

    Wake up

  17. So Steve and Don, you expect NESV to borrow 400-500 million to build a new stadium to add to the 300 million they borrowed to buy the club and I assume at the same time would expect NESV to provide substantial transfer funds. If this were to happen ticket prices would have to increase substantially at Anfield, do you think the fans would pay these uncreases? Or do you expect NESV to waive their justified right as owners to make profits? Man United never built a new stadium and still won plenty of major trophies in the last 19 years. Arsenal built a new stadium and have not won a league title or any trophy since. Do you want a shiny new stadium or league titles?

  18. Think rebuilding Anfield is the wayy to go no doubt. Building a new stadium would take too much time effort and money whilst redeveloping our historical stadium would continue the feeling it has with supporters and co. Also, upgrading Anfield would be much cheaper and will able to generate alot of money. Although there will be construction going on it wont be forever and the end result will be fantastic. Just hope FSG are smart enough to know this.

  19. @steve,i totally agree,and don’t forget Torres and Babel bought suarez and carrol so no outlay at the moment.as the saying goes, blinded by the light.

  20. @pbb and @steve
    what a load from you two. i can’t believe posts like these.
    1. NESV saved the club from administration and ridded the club of debt
    2. NESV and LFC turned on a dime bringing in two young talented players who are already paying dividends while getting rid of a sulky striker for far more than he is worth.
    3. Of course NESV doesn’t have 350 million sitting around for a new stadium. They just spent 300 million buying the team. Even if they did have that cash lying around, they aren’t sugar daddies and wouldn’t shell out for a new stadium. We would have to borrow the cash, putting the club back in debt. Arsene Wenger always complains that he has no cash for transfers because they are still paying back the stadium. Are you prepared for that? We don’t have the current squad or scouts to preclude transfer market activity.
    4. If this redevelopment idea comes to fruition, we will have the stadium capacity to compete in ticket revenue for years at a fraction of the cost of a new stadium. Redevelopment isn’t just jamming more seats in there. Facilities, public areas will all be renovated. Fenway Park was kind of a dump before NESV did the renovation, now it’s awesome and legendary.
    5. Where would we be if NESV didn’t buy the club: Administration, docked 9 points, players heading for the door en masse, Roy, and a serious battle for relegation. You are blinded by an insatiable need to complain about something.

    You are both turds.

  21. I don’t believe it. I can’t imagine any council in England agreeing to a plan like that this quickly.

  22. If NESV were to redevelope anfield it would have to be done in a way that what they would basicly need to do is build a new stadium by knocking down all parts of anfield one job at a time and building up a new a newly redeveloped anfield that would basicly be a state of the art 60-70,000 seater stadium.I think this is what they need to do if they are going to stay were anfield is at the moment. I think this is the best way of LFC getting the best of both worlds, state of the art stadium with history.

  23. Why are people so pesimistic about these owners? So many fans seem to spend all of there time trying to prove that the owners are no different to the last, what a joke. Yes the net spend was probably £0, but that doesnt prove anything in relation to the previous owners. The owners would have kept all or most of the torres money if all the doubters are correct, yet they went out and paid way over the odds for carroll, i can gaurantee you this wouldnt have happened a year ago, it didnt even happen in the summer. regarding the stadium, the owners have used the redevelopment strategy in boston, and from what iv readm,this has been a great success. personally i would rather redevelop anfield and the surrounding area (would anfield are be redeveloped for residents if new ground built on new site?)as this would still result in same capacity, keep atmosphere and history,help local residents,while not requiring such a big outlay, thus increasing likelihood of larger transfer budget!

  24. @PETE X2

    What a crying shame so many of you fail to see what’s needed!

    A redeveloped Anfield is a KOP out – however you look at it… and it won’t cut the mustard.

    Talk of 60,000 is optimistic at best and if you managed to SQUASH that number in – what kind of experience would it be? Think

    the facts are NESV don’t have the MONEY for a new stadium – otherwise they would. Build.

    A new – state if the art – stadium in Stanley spark would attract fans from around the globe – it would bf used for Internationals and in would generate more than double the funds than Anfield ever will!

    NESV know this – but they are using the fans – lack of vision and fear of the future – to sneak out of doing the very job they were originally brought in to do.

    Yet again Liverpool FC misses the boat!

    Wake up

    I agree

  25. NESV weren’t “brought in”. They bought the team, sparing us a 9-point deduction, a player exodus, and crippling loan payments. They certainly weren’t “brought in” to build a new stadium. Find a source that says that. That is a construction of your own imagination. From the outset they said they would weigh all options, and if redeveloping Anfield seems the best option to them then it’s their prerogative to do it.

    If we can have a 60-70K anfield at a lower price then why build a new stadium? You make it sound like they’re just going to pack in more seats. The redevelopment will make Anfield modern AND big, enabling that many fans rather than forcing that many fans in. When the redevelopment is finished and Anfield has the capacity, facilities, and the rich history and atmosphere, I hope you return to eat the generous helping of crow you deserve.

    1. @ ias. I agree that NESV saved us from misery. There is no doubt that at that price they made quite a good deal and I am sure, even though it might not have been declared officially, that they were made aware of the necessity to build a new or redevelop Anfield.
      I do think and have said here on several occasion that these people seem to blend in the financial predicaments with heritage and try to come out with the best solution. Personally I think they have done really well so far and for those who so pessimistically claim that they spent nothing in January, I say that they could have well not spent the money the got from Torress, which would have left a hefty Stg 27 million in their coffers.
      At times I really cannot come to grasp why so many people are so negative in their views.

  26. I hope the redesigned Anfield meets with UEFAs standards for Elite stadiums (Emirates does not qualify, but Old Trafford does).

    Seems odd that the English team that’s won more European trophies than any other plays in a stadium that can’t even host a Europa League Final, let alone the Champions League Final.

  27. @ Tonio Bone,
    I totally agree with you. I didn’t say they didn’t commit to “Redevelopment” OR “New Build.” They made it clear they would do one or the other. My problem is with some above posters saying that they were “brought in” to build a new stadium, and are claiming that NESV using nostalgia to sneak out of the obligation. That is simply not true. They never committed to a new build, they committed to doing something on the issue of the stadium, redevelopment or new build, and they’ve made their choice.

    Not sure why some people are so upset, the renovated Anfield will be modern and big. It will be planned really well and we’ll have the best of both worlds, a modern, huge stadium with history.

  28. For me if a redeveloped anfield is possible with a capacity of 60-70k with possibility of future expansion then it’s a no brainer! Anfield is steeped in history… The very words “THIS IS ANFIELD” strike fear into opposing teams! A new stadium in Stanley park would be nice… But it wouldn’t be anfield! YNWA

  29. NESV are no more, we are officially part of Fenway. I don’t like Anfield being associated with baseball but what this does mean is the conglomorate of extremely rich investors that own our club (Including the New York Times) have more than enough finance to share assetts between their franchises.

    This article is consistent with other’s on the net in the past few days. Here is another source: http://www.kopsource.com/kopsource-exclusive-anfield-to-be-redeveloped/

    Not sure what you do at the council up top fella but unless you are the Chief Executive I suspect FSG would be negotiating with you.

    I believe this. I think it’s a goer.

    We don’t need to close parts of the current stadium to achieve it either, we didn’t when the Main Stand was rebuilt or the Centenary.

    Ian Ayre has stated on LFC.TV that the if the plan to develop Anfield was chosen (and he was an ardant supporter of it) the capacity during the build would never drop below the current capacity.

    The shovel will be in the ground this summer!

  30. Would you knock down the Vatican ? No , redevelop to 60k then the reds will florish and stay true to the real supporters and let Steve and Don continue watching soccer AM on Sky .

  31. A new stadium may not necessarily cost as much as the HKS Stanley Park design. As I recall Everton’s Kirkby proposal was for 130-150 million, not the 300-350-400 million we read for the HKS Stanley Park proposal.

    Can Anfield be redeveloped for less considering naming rights might net 100 million? FSG may choose to go with a less expensive more modest new stadium.

    I’ll support any decision FSG makes, but I believe a new stadium with better expansion avenues is the correct choice for the future…

  32. These people claiming that a re-development of Anfield is just a process of ‘cramming in more seats’ need to take a look at what Old Trafford looked like 15 years ago when it was a 40,000 capacity ground. Clearly, it has become larger, more modern and grander over the years, completely un-recognisable in a good way!!. This will happen with Anfield when it is re-developed.
    Also, I believe United won the Premiership when Old Trafford was undergoing a major facelift with the stand (Opposite the managers technical area) was completely closed and re-built during the season. (Remember when we played there and got a 2-2 draw with a Fowler Double and Cantona’s comeback from years suspension)!

    Just Relax YNWA

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