When are we likely to get definitive stadium news?

[dockers_strike]

From This is Anfield. Hope Dave doesnt have a problem with this, there doesnt seem to be much info on the offal.

 

In documents seen by This Is Anfield ahead of a consultation with the public on Wednesday and Thursday, the Reds intend to add around 7,038 seats and be completed in time for the 2022/23 season.

 

Work is planned to begin in autumn this year with the establishment of foundations and substructure, with the demolition of the current upper tier to take place at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

 

Key redevelopments will be undertaken out-of-season, in the summers of 2021 and 2022, to allow minimal disruption to matchdays—as with the Main Stand expansion between 2014 and 2016.

 

There will be no restriction to the current Anfield Road End during works, with the new stand to be built to the rear of the existing 8,962-seater setup.

The new two-tier stand will be the same height as the Main Stand and will create an imposing view from Stanley Park.

 

The current Anfield Road End fan zone and disabled parking areas will be occupied for construction, with these to be relocated on a temporary basis. The stadium will ultimately lose 125 parking spaces, with alternative disabled parking provided in the Stanley Park car park.

 

Liverpool will likely ask the Premier League to play at least their first two games of games at the start of the 2022/23 season away from home, as with in 2016/17 when their return to Anfield came on the fourth weekend of the Premier League.

The stand will continue to accommodate both home and away fans. The initial idea was to move the visiting fans to the opposite side as currently, but this isn’t clear if this is still the case.

 

There will be no new hospitality sections in the stand, but a new, internal hospitality lounge will be added, presumably replacing current off-side hospitality locations the club utilise.

 

There will also be improvements made to the interior and exterior concourses at the Anfield Road End, with the club releasing images of their proposed changes in November.

 

The club will submit their new planning application later this year, with design to be led by KSS architects as with redevelopments to the Main Stand and the Kirkby training ground – the latter is due to completed this spring, and is currently on course for a potential handover date in mid-March.

 

Liverpool will update the public on their plans for changes in the Anfield area later this week, with the new plans involving re-routing the road itself around the stand, rather than closing it off completely. Anfield Road will, though, be closed during the construction and on matchdays.

 

The Reds are set to apply for permanent and unrestricted use of the stadium for other events, including sports such as boxing and American football, and concerts in the off-season.

 

It all means that, should things go as planned, Liverpool will be playing football at a 61,000-capacity Anfield stadium in two-and-a-half-years’ time.

 

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2020/02/liverpools-timeline-to-complete-anfield-road-end-expansion-revealed/

 

[kemskem]

If they could find a way to redo the Kop to be the same height as the Main Stand as well - maybe with an extension with a steeper rake like they did with the Yellow Wall - that would be perfect. It’s still a great stand though.

[aws]

Interesting if we're building it without hospitality sections. A genuine 7,000 plus addition to capacity. 

[Davelfc]

I won't believe any of this until the architect gets a Liverbird tattoo

[M_B]

2 hours ago, kemskem said:

If they could find a way to redo the Kop to be the same height as the Main Stand as well - maybe with an extension with a steeper rake like they did with the Yellow Wall - that would be perfect. It’s still a great stand though.

If Safe Standing gets approved, I would expect the Kop to adopt it in some way.

[Red_or_Dead]

I'm all for this but it would be a bit unfair on all those in the SKD stand with its tiny treads and restricted leg room whilst away fans can bask in the luxury of brand new facilities!

[Numero Veinticinco]

2 hours ago, aws said:

Interesting if we're building it without hospitality sections. A genuine 7,000 plus addition to capacity. 

Yeah, impressive. Any further development would now require additions to access, right? Like a train station and log flume, go carts, and demolition derby. 

4 hours ago, kemskem said:

If they could find a way to redo the Kop to be the same height as the Main Stand as well - maybe with an extension with a steeper rake like they did with the Yellow Wall - that would be perfect. It’s still a great stand though.

That would be ace, but I think you can't build them that steep anymore. Plus, it wouldn't meet certain criteria for types of event. 

[Harry Squatter]

The good thing about this stand is that all the houses were bought up ages ago and got flattened a few years back, plus the foundations were put in place when the main stand was built. 

 

The other two stands would be costly as Skerries Road at least would need to be bought up to expand the KD stand and Walton Breck Road would need to be re routed or completely closed. Also the Park pub, Methodist church, petrol station and the row of shops that the pie shop is on would need to be cleared. Doesnt help that the council gave the green light to loads of new builds all the way up the road and opposite where the new hotel was supposed to built.

[Le Duan]

Not another fucking loft extension?

[dockers_strike]

19 minutes ago, Doctor Troy said:

The good thing about this stand is that all the houses were bought up ages ago and got flattened a few years back, plus the foundations were put in place when the main stand was built. 

 

The other two stands would be costly as Skerries Road at least would need to be bought up to expand the KD stand and Walton Breck Road would need to be re routed or completely closed. Also the Park pub, Methodist church, petrol station and the row of shops that the pie shop is on would need to be cleared. Doesnt help that the council gave the green light to loads of new builds all the way up the road and opposite where the new hotel was supposed to built.

Ive said before in my opinion the only extension to the SKD is possibly adding about 10 more rows to the top of the upper tier. It would be a feat of engineering because the roof would need to be jacked up and it and all the roof supports lengthened and strengthened. The cost would be massive to add about 2500 seats but they wouldnt encroach that much closer to the back of Skerries properties.

 

Extending the Kop is almost a no goer at all in my opinion. You've got main sewers and other utilities under Walton Breck Road and getting the utilites agreement to move them will likely be nigh on impossible, never mind buying up the businesses that would need to be bought up. That means to me a wholesale increase is out of the question.

 

It might be possible to add lopsided rows and square off the back of the Kop so it runs parallel to the road but again, you're going to have to lift the whole roof so people on the back row can see all the pitch. And again, the cost will be massive.

 

End of the day, people didnt want us to move to a new build bowl so the capacity of Anfield is always going to be a compromise.

[Barrington Womble]

2 hours ago, Red_or_Dead said:

I'm all for this but it would be a bit unfair on all those in the SKD stand with its tiny treads and restricted leg room whilst away fans can bask in the luxury of brand new facilities!

Isn't there some premier League rule now about away fans being behind the goal?

[Bjornebye]

The new Annie Road will be great until Celtic break it again. 

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Barry Wom said:

Isn't there some premier League rule now about away fans being behind the goal?

Leicester, Spurs, Palace, Bournemouth, Everton, Villa all side on fans or part side on. I'd rather we had away fans watching it on a big screen on Stanley Park. 

[Harry Squatter]

7 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

Ive said before in my opinion the only extension to the SKD is possibly adding about 10 more rows to the top of the upper tier. It would be a feat of engineering because the roof would need to be jacked up and it and all the roof supports lengthened and strengthened. The cost would be massive to add about 2500 seats but they wouldnt encroach that much closer to the back of Skerries properties.

 

Extending the Kop is almost a no goer at all in my opinion. You've got main sewers and other utilities under Walton Breck Road and getting the utilites agreement to move them will likely be nigh on impossible, never mind buying up the businesses that would need to be bought up. That means to me a wholesale increase is out of the question.

 

It might be possible to add lopsided rows and square off the back of the Kop so it runs parallel to the road but again, you're going to have to lift the whole roof so people on the back row can see all the pitch. And again, the cost will be massive.

 

End of the day, people didnt want us to move to a new build bowl so the capacity of Anfield is always going to be a compromise.

68,000 is the highest they can go without the transport links being upgraded. 

 

Safe standing might increase the Kop capacity. 

 

The Centenary stand is shit for legroom, I get cramp every time I go in there and end up walking down the road like Kevin Spacey at the end of the Usual Suspects after a game.

[kemskem]

2 hours ago, Numero Veinticinco said:

That would be ace, but I think you can't build them that steep anymore. Plus, it wouldn't meet certain criteria for types of event. 

The rake is already a shallow one and it might depend on where you started from to keep within limits, but I suppose if it wouldn't meet criteria for holding other events it doesn't matter anyway. Shame really because the powers that be we're going to find a way I hear otherwise.

[Numero Veinticinco]

9 minutes ago, kemskem said:

The rake is already a shallow one and it might depend on where you started from to keep within limits, but I suppose if it wouldn't meet criteria for holding other events it doesn't matter anyway. Shame really because the powers that be we're going to find a way I hear otherwise.

I’d love it though. A giant kop. Three stand fc

[dockers_strike]

28 minutes ago, Doctor Troy said:

68,000 is the highest they can go without the transport links being upgraded. 

 

Safe standing might increase the Kop capacity. 

 

The Centenary stand is shit for legroom, I get cramp every time I go in there and end up walking down the road like Kevin Spacey at the end of the Usual Suspects after a game.

'Safe standing' doesnt add any to the capacity. It's still 1 person standing or 1 seated.

 

My legroom on the 1st row of the SKD Upper is fine. The lower is still Kemlyn Knee territory though.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

4 hours ago, Red_or_Dead said:

I'm all for this but it would be a bit unfair on all those in the SKD stand with its tiny treads and restricted leg room whilst away fans can bask in the luxury of brand new facilities!

Not to mention the dearth of bogs and bars.

 

The SKD is shit, but it just makes me appreciate my occasional visits to the Main Stand.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

9 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

with the demolition of the current upper tier to take place at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

No tears shed that day.

[Barrington Womble]

11 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

68,000 is the highest they can go without the transport links being upgraded. 

 

Safe standing might increase the Kop capacity. 

 

The Centenary stand is shit for legroom, I get cramp every time I go in there and end up walking down the road like Kevin Spacey at the end of the Usual Suspects after a game.

The kop is the same for legroom. I can't actually fit my legs in and I've been made up since we've been standing every game. 

 

As for extra capacity with rail seats in the kop, I suspect we'd need to do more renovations to do that. I'm pretty sure someone told me the kop restrictions on capacity are about how much it can hold in weight and how quickly they can get people out. 

[M_B]

11 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

'Safe standing' doesnt add any to the capacity. It's still 1 person standing or 1 seated.

 

My legroom on the 1st row of the SKD Upper is fine. The lower is still Kemlyn Knee territory though.

That's not correct. Current lower league regulations have it as a ratio of 1 to 1.8, so for 40 sitting fans you could have 72 standing. Some German stadiums have a ratio of 2 to 1.

[Trumo]

The Kop in its current guise is 12000-12500 seats. If it were to be converted to safe standing (with rail seats), even at a conservative 1.5:1, they would need to add more exits, make the concourses bigger, add more toilets and concessions stands, and do a fair amount of structural work to make sure it can support the weight of another 6000-odd people. Making those changes without enlarging the physical size of the Kop would mean the actual seating capacity would have to drop to fit it all in.

 

In theory, making the Kop safe standing with a 1:1 ratio means none of the above structural work is necessary. You'd merely swap out the existing seats for rail seats.

 

In either case, I doubt we would see a reduction in the cost of tickets because any changes would still have to be paid for. Celtic converted an area of Parkhead to safe standing but I don't know what it cost them or whether tickets prices for that area are any different.

[M_B]

The Kop used to pack people in like sardines. I can't imagine it would need structural work for increased weight cause it's still going to be far less than it was in the past.

 

Could be wrong mind, I'm no expert.

[Barnesey]

The benefits to the Club of adding a few hundred more seats are limited and so I would expect the ARE redevelopment to be the last major change for the foreseeable future

[Bjornebye]

43 minutes ago, M_B said:

The Kop used to pack people in like sardines. I can't imagine it would need structural work for increased weight cause it's still going to be far less than it was in the past.

 

Could be wrong mind, I'm no expert.

Erm...... You do know they knocked the old Kop down and rebuilt it for seating right?