Stadium pictures up on the offish

[Monkeywool]

As far as I remember from last pictures and the previous thread the thing doubles as a high capacity fire exit or something - something about you cant have x number of rows back being too far away from the high capacity exit.

 

I dont know, I am just glad they kept the design and by the sounds of it 71,000 is the official capacity and they can get started on building it tomorrow if they want.

[elvis]

Wonderful design – stunning! A pity it’s only a drawing never meant to be built.

 

71000 capacity, cost reduction £150M, plans presented at the same time as finance plan goes through. How thick do you really think we are FatFace?

 

Assuming you are right, at what stage do they put a halt to the project?

I imagine there will be contracts signed with HKS etc?

[Moo]

This is all very fishy to me.

 

To the untrained eye it's virtually the same design as before.

So why the big announcement saying the previous design had to be shelved for a lesser model? Seems such an unecessary fuss over nothing.

Unless of course the lesser model was originally, before the shit storm, going to be significantly different?

 

This stadium is not going to be built, not by G&H anyway.

[Mr T]

This is all very fishy to me.

 

To the untrained eye it's virtually the same design as before.

So why the big announcement saying the previous design had to be shelved for a lesser model? Seems such an unecessary fuss over nothing.

Unless of course the lesser model was originally, before the shit storm, going to be significantly different?

 

This stadium is not going to be built, not by G&H anyway.

 

I think you're bang on the money there. This whole thing stinks of PR.

[RedinSweden]

 

Mmmm pie

[elvis]

This is all very fishy to me.

 

To the untrained eye it's virtually the same design as before.

So why the big announcement saying the previous design had to be shelved for a lesser model? Seems such an unecessary fuss over nothing.

Unless of course the lesser model was originally, before the shit storm, going to be significantly different?

 

This stadium is not going to be built, not by G&H anyway.

 

This reminds me of the scooby doo endings , pulling off the masks and unveiling the real crooks faces .

Wonder they would turn out to be?

[spider-neil]

if they have indeed secured the loan the work on the stadium can start now giving them time to secure the loan for the stadium (which can be secured against the stadium).

[billybonzo]

Why have they not yet specified a start date, surely they know something as simple as that ?

[hamstrung]

Echo article on it is interesting

 

Liverpool stadium latest: Is this Anfield? - Liverpool Echo.co.uk

 

TOM Hicks today released an image of Liverpool's planned new stadium as fans awaited the details of the promised refinancing deal.

 

A design submitted by architects HKS has been selected after the Dallas-based firm revised their initial design which was scrapped because of spiralling costs last month.

 

HKS met a request by Liverpool's owners to make the design more cost-effective, and in doing so beat off competition from Manchester architects AFL to win the contract.

 

But while the designs for Liverpool's new home are now in place, the fans are still awaiting details of how it will be paid for.

 

The refinancing package which the Hicks camp had indicated would be completed by yesterday had still not been concluded by the time the ECHO went to print today.

 

It is being stressed that the hold- up is an administrative one with lawyers having to plough through the necessary paperwork of such a major deal, and the ECHO understands Hicks is totally confident that it will now go through without a hitch.

 

But sources close to the proposed deal have suggested that George Gillett's necessary financial contribution to the deal is still to be received by the Royal Bank of Scotland and American investment back Wachovia who have come up with the proposed £350m loan.

That loan would allow Hicks and Gillett to totally refinance their takeover of the club and allow work to start on the new 71,000-seat stadium.

 

But whether today's news is enough to placate the fans is another matter entirely.

 

John Mackin of supporters group Reclaim The Kop said: "Unless the owners come out and say they are giving Rafa Benitez a new deal, they are going to support him extensively in the transfer market, and that none of the money to fund that will put the club in debt, they have got no chance of winning us over.

 

"Such is the level of disquiet among the fans that a meeting is to be held next week when we will discuss the next phase in our ongoing protests against the owners.

 

"We have seen pretty pictures of stadium designs before and we're still waiting for a single spade to go into the ground at Stanley Park, something Hicks and Gillett promised would happen within 60 days of takeover, so it'll take a lot more than a new picture and a major PR offensive for us to be won over."

 

Despite being aware of the ongoing fans’ rebellion, Hicks is hoping the release of the new stadium plans will at least begin a process which will result in them being placated.

 

He said: "HKS has developed a more efficient design that, at the same time, is just as stunning as its original design.

 

"Liverpool supporters should have high expectations for the future: a premier sporting experience at their new stadium at Stanley Park and a winning club on the pitch for years to come".

 

Interestingly, George Gillett's name is conspicuous only by its absence on the press release which was issued to the ECHO by London PR firm Financial Dynamics today.

 

The new design incorporates the 18,500 capacity stand-alone Kop which Hicks had insisted was crucial to his plans, and KUD International has been selected as project manager for the stadium.

 

Laing O'Rourke, which is currently working with developer Grosvenor on The Paradise Project in Liverpool, has also joined the project development team.

 

Despite speculation that today's developments might signal the end of Dubai International's pursuit of Liverpool Football Club, the ECHO believes the opposite is true and that DIC has not given up hope of buying the club.

 

Hicks had been hopeful that he would be in a position to come up with a double whammy of a new stadium design and a completed financial package with details of both to be released at exactly the same time.

 

The loan on the table from RBS and Wachovia will enable Hicks and Gillett to repay the £298m they have borrowed over the past 12 months to buy the club, absorb existing debts of £44.8m, sign players and finance work on the new stadium.

 

The additional funds will repay interest and enable work on the stadium project to start.

 

Of the £350m refinancing package £105m will be saddled on Liverpool, with £185m secured on Hicks and Gillett's holding company Kop Investment.

 

The Americans are believed to have increased their personal guarantees from £30m each to about £55m.

 

In another sweetener, Rafa Benitez has been informed by Hicks that he intends to tie up the proposed £17m transfer of fans’ favourite Javier Mascherano at the earliest possible opportunity

[kop]

Why have they not yet specified a start date, surely they know something as simple as that ?

 

The probably haven't picked a contractor yet. When they do, the contractor will decide the start date. The only thing we should worry about is the finishing date.

[elvis]

The probably haven't picked a contractor yet. When they do, the contractor will decide the start date. The only thing we should worry about is the finishing date.

.

[spider-neil]

I will add I know some people are talking of giving up their season tickets but the americans would probably love that as the waiting list is years long with thousands of fair weather fan who will be only too happy to snatch them up.

[Karl_b]

Owen may be able to clarify it more but the point about the platform in the kop being for fire escape is more than likely true. There are maximum distances for escape (laid down by law and UEFA) which a single tier probably wouldn't allow for.

[billybonzo]

The probably haven't picked a contractor yet. When they do, the contractor will decide the start date. The only thing we should worry about is the finishing date.

 

Cheers Kop, i dont even know why i asked to be honest, it will probably never be built, could they have just been stalling since last summer, hoping DIC would have bought them out, and now this is the final push, so to speak in getting a firm offer from DIC.? O_o

[OnizukaEikichi]

announce the refinancing

then reveal 'new' plans

then 'gift' - JM

 

Pr muppets

[kopitegaz]

I will add I know some people are talking of giving up their season tickets but the americans would probably love that as the waiting list is years long with thousands of fair weather fan who will be only too happy to snatch them up.

 

Why are all people on the waiting list assumed to be fair weather fans?

[hamstrung]

Why are all people on the waiting list assumed to be fair weather fans?

 

Good question!

 

I am on there, and go to nearly every game as it is. There will be plenty of others like that on the list (majority I would think)

[JustTosh]

I will add I know some people are talking of giving up their season tickets but the americans would probably love that as the waiting list is years long with thousands of fair weather fan who will be only too happy to snatch them up.

 

I’m on that list, I'm an OOT'er and should according to your theory be happy to snatch that ticket. Only I won’t do it – not in a million years! Other fans give up their tickets in a boycott, and I should take advantage - No way! I've got faith other fans wouldn't either.

 

Any fan who took advantage should have their noses punched and pee-wees removed.

[spider-neil]

in regards to the stadium it will be interesting to see if the waiting list is wiped with everyone on it getting a season ticket.

[rebel23]

to me it reveals a lack of ambition, it should be 80-90,000, 71,000 is disappointing when you consider the demand and the fact that we can't charge £90 a ticket like the Arsenal

[hamstrung]

in regards to the stadium it will be interesting to see if the waiting list is wiped with everyone on it getting a season ticket.

 

It won't be. Nowhere near.

 

Personally, I think they'll have to make plans about the list because so much of it will be garbage data after all these years.

 

to me it reveals a lack of ambition, it should be 80-90,000, 71,000 is disappointing when you consider the demand and the fact that we can't charge £90 a ticket like the Arsenal

 

You'd be one othe 90K that go to watch us against Derby in the carling cup on a mid winters weekday evening would you?

 

I think we'll just about sell about out for most games at 71k. There would be a lot of games where there would be a lot of empty seats if it was 90k

 

Its not just capacity though, you have to get people to and from the stadium as well.

[Anubis]

Great design. Now fuck off. Ta.

[Randy Marsh]

Stadium design, IMO is stunning and i think people are looking for little holes to pick at. Its only a computer image so things are going to look a bit dodgy. I think once/ IF its built, it will be better than any other club stadium in the country, and totally unique, which is what we wanted. We wanted a single tier kop, which we have. There are certain safety feature which need to be incorporated so its never going to be one huge block straight up. When its full of people it will be extremely imposing. There doesnt seem to be scoreboards in the kop as people have mentioned, and im not sure if they are executive boxes. I highly doubt it. Its certainly not the parrybowl. So on that front, im prepared to give the owners credit.

 

The design does seem to be a little bit more "no frills" than the original, which is obviously where the cost-cutting has occured. Also, for people saying "how have they increased the capacity by 10,000, yet cut 150million off the price. They havnt. The old price was taking in to account the potential capacity of 80,000ish.

 

As for when it will be started, who knows? No point even trying to guess with Liverpool. And how will it be paid for? Once again, who knows, with the current situation. From what Mihir Bose has said on the BBC, the arabs are selling assets to fund a purchase of the club, so they clearly mean business. I very much doubt DIC would go to such lengths unless they believed they had a bloody good chance of gaining control. I highly doubt the BBC would publish such a claim unless it was true. Is this a PR exercise? Quite clearly it is, but what do we expect? One things for certain, this certainly isnt over, and the circus will rumble on and on and on for months to come.

[ScouseJim]

I like it! I just don't think it'll ever be built to look like that. It'll be a cut down version if the current chairmen ever get to build it at all!

[jackofdk]

The Kop looks less impressive than the Anny Road end on the new design. :(