Anfield’s new Main Stand is to be officially opened today. A local friend who is a Liverpool supporter has a seat in the top tier. I hope he doesn’t suffer from vertigo and has a good pair of binoculars! There is an incredible view, not just over the rest of the city, but as far as Snowdonia. It is the largest individual stand in the country.
Anfield’s new Main Stand is to be officially opened today. A local friend who is a Liverpool supporter has a seat in the top tier. I hope he doesn’t suffer from vertigo and has a good pair of binoculars! There is an incredible view, not just over the rest of the city, but as far as Snowdonia. It is the largest individual stand in the country.
Construction has taken two years at a cost estimated between £115m and £150m. The club has lagged behind its rivals in matchday revenue, an issue first identified by former chief executive Rick Parry in 1999. Two attempts to build a new stadium in nearby Stanley Park came to nothing.
I have always regarded Anfield as the most atmospheric stadium I have ever visited and I am pleased that the club is staying. We should also remember the Liverpool fans who had their lives needlessly sacrificed at Hillsborough.
A sellout crowd of 54,000 is expected today, the biggest number since 55,675 watched Liverpool play West Ham on the final day of the 1976-77 season. Some 20,500 of them will be in the new Main Stand where 8,500 new seats have been added. It also includes 14 new executive boxes, a facility that was under provided at Anfield. It should boost matchday revenue by £20m-£30m.
Manchester United has the biggest capacity of any Premier League club with 75,675, providing £108.1m of revenue last season. The Emirates, with a capacity of 60,432, brought in £100.2m for Arsenal. Liverpool earnt just over half that at £50.9m.
The optimal capacity for a major Premier League club is seen as 60,000. Planning permission has already been granted to redevelop the Anfield Road end and accommodate another 6,000 fans. It’s good to see such a great club rebuilding in a way that will help it to match its ambitions.