The Reds have asked the Premier League if it would be possible to start our season with an away fixture, so as to give as long a window as possible for contractors to progress with the work on Anfield’s expansion.
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According to the Daily Mirror, we have taken the unprecedented step to allow building work on our Main Stand to continue without interruption.
This also means that we will not be hosting our traditional pre-season friendly against a major European side, which has customarily been held each year to welcome in the new season. In recent years that has included games with Borussia Dortmund (2014), Olympiakos (Steven Gerrard’s testimonial in 2013), Bayer Leverkusen (2012), Valencia (2011), Atletico Madrid (2009) and Lazio (2008).
The Mirror state that by the end of the summer, our bosses are hoping to have the steel works associated with the vast new structure completed. The roof truss will also have been built on a high podium and then lifted into place by the two cranes that have been present on site for several weeks. The old roof will be removed and this will make room for the additional 8,500 seats which will increase the stand’s capacity to 21,000.
A Liverpool FC spokesman confirmed: “We have requested of the Premier League that we start the first game of the Premier League season away from Anfield. Also there will be no pre-season friendlies at Anfield this summer.”
The fixtures themselves are released next Wednesday (17th June) at 9am.