admin
Liverpool will have to play the remainder of the year at reduced capacity after the club confirmed the upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand will be closed until 2024.
Supporters have been left frustrated at the speed of Liverpool’s £80million stadium redevelopment and news that there will not be any reopening until 2024 will bring further disappointment. The capacity will stay capped at around 51,000.
Between now and the end of the calendar year Liverpool host Everton in a Merseyside derby, and welcome Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Fulham, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United. Work started on the development of the stand in September 2021 with the aim of completion ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
The club were previously hit with a set back to the development after it was announced that the new top tier would not be open for the club’s first home match, against Bournemouth on August 19, and it will remain closed.
‘When Buckingham Group filed for administration, that impacted people’s livelihoods, people’s jobs so I do want to make sure that we just remember that and mention it, and I do want to thank everybody who has worked on the project and all those that are currently working on the project,’ chief executive Billy Hogan said.
‘And I certainly want to thank all of our supporters for their patience and understanding while we navigate through the situation, which as I mentioned has been incredibly challenging over the last few months.’
He added: ‘Until we have visibility of all the information needed, we’re going to have to maintain the status quo for the remainder of the calendar year.
‘Essentially meaning capacity at Anfield will remain the same as for the previous home games that we’ve seen this season.
“The lower tier of the stand remaining open and the upper tier remaining closed until the end of the calendar year.’
Back in August, Buckingham Group filed for administration and left Liverpool in limbo. A month later the Group entered administration.
Plans for the upper tier to reopen in time for the Merseyside Derby against Everton – Liverpool’s next match — have subsequently been shelved.
The Times report that fans who bought tickets in that area for the game will be contacted by the club. — Online
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
