for me this is the plan we've all talked for years. the main stand is patently 70s and has no corporate boxes unlike the centenary stand and we all know th anfiled road end is not good up top. if we sped 150mil to get 15k seats instead of 300mil thats good. I'll wait and see.
Seems the logical approach to redevlop Anfield in particuliar the antiquated main stand and the sub standard anfield road end. It makes sense to spend half the money required for a new stadium to achieve the same results ( capacity ) I hope they also take the opportunity to develop the area around Anfield and give the local community better housing and community facilites, this is a chance for the club to eradicate years of ill feeling between themselves and the local community.
The problem with redeveloping Anfield is the scope for expansion in the future. If we redevelop it now, how many more seat can we get? Up to 60k? That's great. But what about in the next 10 years when we need to get up 70k? Is there any more scope? It's all well saving money now but then we will probably end up having to pay more by building another stadium 10 years down the line to accomodate more fans.
Sensible concerns, but you only have to look at the nou camp to see what could be achieved with limited space. Why not instead of going upwards and outwards, go down?
True but then that depends on the 'Right to light' law, which ensures that local residents have enough natural light which could be blocked by a taller stadium. Again, it's another reason to build another stadium in a new, open space - makes the plan/stadium more future proof.
The 'right to light' issue wont be such a big deal,LCC said they will use compulsory purchase orders to obtain properties that would be affected. This map shows only approx 4 streets would be affected due to space being already available behind Anfield Rd and on Walton Breck Rd(where the club shop is) (L4 0TH)http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
I may be wrong, but I thought the original plans for the redeveloped Kop included designing it for the possible further development of a second tier in the future. If so, you could add the capacity of the Kop again.
will there be any redisign (not necessarily expansion) to other areas of the ground? Some areas have horrific views expecially the ones tucked away at the back of the kop and in the corners
I understood that was being considered. There's a big stadium which did it, maybe the Nou, can't recall. It negates the light issue and allows for future upwards expansion once the local residents have either been bought out or compensated sufficiently. I think staying was always their preferred option but the timing of this clearly has some PR edge to it. "We may have sacked a legend in a kneejerk way but we're not going to **** over everything this club represents."
You know my opinion, staying in L4 will continue to cripple LFC. It's not just the ground, it is the whole area and infrastructure. It makes it hard to police, hard to get there, harder still to leave at the end. No rail, no air, rabbit warren roads. As it stands I park over a mile away on Rocky lane and walk the rest, as I don't want to waste half a tank edging forward a few feet at a time. But when you get there, what do you get? Greasy spoon food, and illegal goods stalls. There is no reason to ever go there on none match days, so foot fall to the shop is probably nothing compared to the L1 shop. We need to make the brave choice to up sticks and move somewhere that is fitting for a top European club. I'd like to see a Highbury done to Anfield, as you have to remember the number of people' who's ashes are scattered on the pitch and around the kop, and while in reality they have long since blown away, it would be like paving over a cemetery.
noble of course has a point... but.... somebody invest in the rail link and then the area has a reason for people to come doesn't it... someone at council and club level has to be brave sometime. but anyway... the corners of the ground have never been filled in and theres a bloody wide wall on each stand. thats 15k at least right there without doing any demolishing. I think they must take this into account
I'm torn tbh. My head says new build (Allianz anyone?) but my heart says redevelop Anfield. Would be interested in some gunners views as they went through the same a few years ago now. I have been to the Emirates and it's impressive and much more commercially orientated. However is the atmosphere as good as Highbury was? And if not is that the stadium or the fans? (there has been a definate change in atmos at Anfield over the years) I dunno...
I think the Emirate's atmosphere is ruined by the stadium design above all. The corporate "ring" of boxes stifles atmosphere and stands are further from the pitch too, this is a similar layout to Twickenham, which is ****ing dull. Ours on the other hand would have the biggest Kop in the UK which would resonate around the stadium as well as the stands being right up against the pitch
heres the thing... whats wrong with the centenary stand, really... whats really wrong with the kop end? so if you did get 60 before you even fill in cornets what harm? what if you put a third tier on the centenary stand eventually would it be worse than old trafford? really? I think the costs of the emirates was justifiable given their small stadium that was listed etc. they have no chance but realistically arsenal don't have that much more than newcastle do they?
Unfortunately you over estimate our councilS ability to do anything properly and the clubs desire to do the right thing for the local community and fans alike. You only have to look up the east lancs to see how a stadium can be built AND a whole area regenerated at the same time (bear in mind that their regen was happening way before the oil money came in). We could have had the tram system running up from town but Henshaw and his cronies at the council scuppered it because Merseytravel wouldn't grease their palms enough and the government wanted it done properly and they couldn't be arsed with that
I hope they do a quicker and better job than they did at Fenway where it took 8 years to add just 3k more seats. There are some really good comments online at the Echo about this.
Given how they seem to enjoy maxing profitability and making business deals, I wouldn't be surprised to see not only a stadium sponsor (and I'm fine with this idea - to go with an expansion of Anfield, most notably filling in the corners and renovating of the mainstand, centenary and annie road end over a few seasons), but to see a wider redevelopment similar to what City are doing, but maybe on a smaller scale - not training facilities, etc, since we're happy at Melwood. A localised development scheme which would bring in more people, beneficial to both liverpool the club and liverpool the city - along with updated infastructure. A way to apease fans and sponsors could be to have an 'Anfield sports park' which contains the 'C.A (China Airlines, for example) stadium'. The sports park would include other assets such as the proposed hotel, leisure facilities and perhaps 'touristy' things which would generate further income. Not that I've been privvy to secret discusions of course, but they strike me as the kind to go ahead with this style of long term plan which is sustainable, profitable and lets them make the most of sponsors without losing the name 'Anfield'. Win win win all around... Still, just a pipedream of mine. Who knows what we'll do, but we have a sponsor almost sorted at least, it would seem.
