Council grants LFC permission to welcome more fans to Anfield Road stand extension
Liverpool City Council has granted health and safety licences which will enable Liverpool FC to welcome more fans to its Anfield Road stand extension for this Sunday’s game against Manchester United.
Work came to a halt on the stand in August this year when main contractor, Buckingham Group, filed a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators. It collapsed into administration the following month.
The club has appointed new contractors and work has continued, but it has been unable to fully open the upper terracing, which would take Anfield’s capacity to 61,000. It aims to open remaining sections on a phased basis.
However, following a test event this Monday, when manager Jürgen Klopp treated 7,000 Reds fans seated in the new section to a special Anfield Q&A session, the club will be able to welcome 57,000 fans to the weekend clash with arch rivals United.
It will be the biggest home league crowd since Bill Shankly’s Reds drew 0-0 with Leicester City in the old First Division back in April 1973, watched by 56,202 people.
There is still more work to be completed before the stand can be fully operational and LFC is able to welcome 61,000 fans to Anfield on a matchday. However, this is significant progress and ahead of the revised schedule, which anticipated no fans in the upper tier until January 2024.
Paul Cuttill, vice-president of stadium operations, said: “This is fantastic news and testament to the sheer hard work and commitment that all involved in this complex project have put in.
“We were forced to revise on construction schedules after Buckingham went into administration in September and thought we wouldn’t be able to open the upper tier until January.
“So to find ourselves ahead of that schedule is great, a real credit to all involved. The priority has always been to get fans into the upper tier safely and as soon as possible. We must thank all those fans who attended our test event on Monday evening to make this possible.
“Now we can’t wait to welcome those 57,000 fans to Anfield and see the new upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand come alive on matchday.”
