Fenway Sports Group, fronted by John Henry and Tom Werner, have a big decision to make in the next 2-3 months. Staying at Anfield would be great for all of the fans that have been to Anfield due to sentimental reasons.
I remember deliberately choosing to move to Liverpool to study and using some of my student loan to go to Anfield over the course of 2-3 years. Taking one of my study friends son’s with me to allow a youngster experience the uniqueness that is encompassed in the stadium leading upto, during and after the game.
My first game at Anfield was actually before my study years through a competition with ITV. This allowed me a reason as a teen to make sure my mum drove me, my friend and my younger brother (all Liverpool fans), over 3 hours to Liverpool and stay overnight. The first time I heard You’ll Never Walk Alone inside Anfield the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The atmosphere is always first class leading up to a game and after when people exit the ground and the crowd randomly talks to one another to share views and opinions.
A few problems with re-developing Anfield have caused Mr Henry to consider the re-location to Stanley Park.
The work could easily take a few years to complete. During this time our revenue would be much less than the approximate £1.7million that we generate per home game. Compare it to Man United who generate approx. £3.6 million per home game and the financial gap already shows we generate just over half of what our main rivals do. Increasing capacity at Anfield would mean the revenue gap would increase. Given the financial clout of Chelsea and Man City I haven’t taken these into account because I await to see how they may get around the Financial Fair Play rules that are coming into force soon.
On the plus side if we did move, a new updated stadium to me, would not be the end of the world. More seats so more fans will be able to attend and less people would be disappointed if they couldn’t get a ticket to a game. More revenue is the clear winner in terms of our footballing future with a move. The stadium would also be able to be constructed while we are still playing at Anfield so we wouldn’t have a lower revenue like we would if Anfield is re-developed.
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To be honest there’s no sentiment in football anymore. Those fans that would like to stay at Anfield would have to accept that it clearly hinders us as a club. If we expand it to 60k, that’s it, no more expansions.
We need a new stadium if we’re to compete at the top of the premiership and to continue buying top class players. Anfield will never generate what Old Trafford does, no matter how much we expand. We’ll always be behind them financially.
New stadium please.
Although i’d like for us to stay at Anfield, moving to a new stadium would be beneficial in the long run but one thing i find very annoying is ……. why are we only expanding to 60000?
With Utd at about 80000, Arsenal – just over 60000, then surely our measily 60000 will still keep us below the high earners on match days unless there is going to be a very steep price rise on matchdays?
Come on FSG – wake up and look at the figures – 80000 minimum, LFC is a well supported club and surely if you look at your ticket subscriptions you’ll see how many fans miss out.
I’m sure the stadium will be built with the option to expand further in the future.
A ‘NEW STADIUM” is the only way to go! ‘FULL STOP’
Hopefully there will be a stand named in memory of te 96 legends of the club who have still not got JUSTICE. “Stand for the 96” or simply put “96”……YNWA……JFT96
I read the title of the article and I thought it was about Liverpool signing Downing for 18.5 million. Seriously.
I have to say that personally I would love to stay at Anfield, the history and the tradition give the old place a magical feel. However I am a realist and while we should not rush willy nilly to a new stadium, I am afraid that for business reasons it seems the only option. This of course should have been built by now but stadler and waldorf were as trustworthy as the sleaziest politucians. Let’s be grateful our new owners have taken time to consider the options and it seems highly likely that we’ll have to move. Red4Life why are you so worried on 60,000? It’s a starting point if we fill 60,000 seats, something we have never done, regularly the stadium will be increased but would it not look stupid if our 80,000 stadium only attracted 60,000 people regularly? It would be a quarter empty, something no business owner, and that’s what FSG are, would want.
It would be crazy to redevelope ‘ANFIELD’.What happens down the track when Chelsea,Spurs,ManU(YES! ManU!)decide to expand again,and yes that will happen in the future.
‘IF’& when LFC have expanded/redeveloped to 60,000(in order to ‘catch up’),and with very little chance of a further redevelopement!,what then do they do when ManU expand to 90’000,and ‘YES’ THAT WILL HAPPEN!
LIVERPOOL FC need to move on because staying where they are they will always have less income in ‘gate money’etc; compared to MU!!!
A move to a different site is ‘PARAMOUNT’ if they want to be equal to other clubs! And if it cannot be in Stanley Park,which incidentally,is a magnificent setting,(where it would stand out and be seen from miles away!),then another site should be found on the outkirts of the city,where it is easily accessable from the ‘motorways’.
To repeat,they will never keep up with the’Jones’s’,(ManU?) if they do a ‘one off’ expansion to the present Anfield!!!!!