Liverpool Football Club’s highly-anticipated new Anfield Road Stand, which was expected to add 7,000 seats to the stadium, will not be ready for the first home game of the season against Bournemouth on August 19. The club, along with the main contractor Buckingham Group, has confirmed that the upper tier of the stand will not be accessible to supporters at the start of the season.
The construction project, valued at £60 million, involves retaining and refurbishing the lower tier while building a new upper tier above it. Anfield Road Stand’s work started in September 2021 to increase the stadium’s capacity to 61,000, bringing in 7,000 more fans. While the existing stand will be open and operational for the Reds’ first home game, the new upper tier will remain closed initially.
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When Will the Anfield Road Stand Expansion be Finished?
Liverpool FC stated that the additional capacity is planned to be incrementally phased in over the course of future home fixtures. Buckingham Group aims to complete this phased opening process by October 2023.
Andy Hughes, the managing director of Liverpool FC, acknowledged the ambitious and complex nature of the construction project, expressing gratitude to everyone involved. He explained that the delay in opening the upper tier is due to the challenges faced in executing a major construction project of this scale. Hughes reassured supporters that the club will work closely with Buckingham Group and Liverpool City Council’s licensing team to ensure a smooth and successful phased opening process.
Despite the setback, the club is eager to have the impressive new Anfield Road Stand fully accessible to fans once the phased opening is complete. Liverpool FC thanked the supporters for their patience and understanding during this phase and looks forward to the stand’s eventual unveiling. The Anfield Road Stand expansion project will lead to the creation of 400 new jobs upon completion. This results in a total matchday workforce of 2,800 individuals. Notably, 95 percent of these positions will be filled by local employees.
