Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has told the Liverpool Supporters Committee that it is not currently economically viable to redevelop the Anfield Road End of the ground.
Redeveloping the Anfield Road End was planned to be the second phase of Anfield’s expansion after the main stand with the capacity set to reach close to 60,000 but Ayre told the committee meeting yesterday that it would take Fenway Sports Group 15 years to get a return on their investment. He is quoted by the Liverpool Echo as saying:
“A stand behind a goal doesn’t have the benefit of hospitality that would go a long way to meet the redevelopment costs. If you consider the redevelopment of Anfield Road from a purely General Admission perspective, building, say, 6,000 extra seats to take the capacity up to 60,000 would cost somewhere between £60m and £70m.”
“At £12,000 to £13,000 per seat, it would take approximately 15 years to pay back, which is not a smart investment for the business. Therefore the Club needs to find a rounded solution that’s in the best interests of the football club.”
The £12,000 is based on a season ticket price of around £800. Ayre did not however rule out future development of the Anfield Road End but it looks unlikely that the expansion will take place in the immediate future. Liverpool have planning permission to develop that side of the ground after plans were approved back in April 2014 but much will now depend on the club finding a creative solution.
