Who Cares What I Think? A Fan’s Perspective on Liverpool’s Stadium Problems
As an ardent Liverpool fan, the daily goings-on at Anfield are of constant interest to me, but recently there have been questions as to whether Anfield should remain the home of Liverpool Football Club.
It is clear to see that Anfield, with its 45,000 seats, is no longer big enough to host one of the most successful teams in the history of world football. To keep up with the match-day income of sides such as Manchester Utd and Arsenal it is generally thought that a minimum of 60,000 seats is necessary. Not only would this increase provide a boost on match-days but it would also attract better sponsorship deals and introduce the possibility of marquee games being held in the stadium. One need only look to the Champions League final in Old Trafford in 2003 to see what can be accomplished with a larger stadium capacity.
It is becoming more and more necessary for Liverpool to increase their income streams significantly since Champions League football, and the financial boost that comes with it, is no longer a guarantee. In addition to this, UEFA’s new financial fair play laws will mean that the club’s spending will be limited by what they can earn.
Liverpool fans know that upon the formation of the Premier League and the introduction of extortionate prices into the world of football, the club has been left behind financially by Manchester United, Chelsea, and more recently, Man City. If the club are to reinstate themselves as the best team in England then something needs to be done about this. But what are the options?
The first, and most talked about solution is the short move to Stanley Park. The proposed stadium on this site would hold 60,000 fans and would have the potential to be expanded to 72,000 in the future. This option would undoubtedly be an expensive solution and could potentially leave the club with large debts to pay off for a long time to come. If you look at Arsenal’s demise since the building of the Emirates it’s clear to see that a new, bigger stadium is not always better. They are unable to spend high transfer fees due to the repayments on the stadium and are slowly losing their best players due to being unable to afford to pay their desired wages. Furthermore, the Emirates has been described as bland, boring, lifeless, and lacking in atmosphere, in a way that Highbury never was. Is there a danger that a new Liverpool stadium could end up the same way?
And, what about the Kop? What about the history created by Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and many more? What about the fear that Anfield instills in the enemy? Plans are also afoot to expand our existing stadium. John Henry has a history of undertaking this type of project. When he arrived at the Boston Red Sox they were in dire need of a capacity increase and he expanded the historic Fenway Park instead of moving house. But, is something similar a viable option in Liverpool? It has long been known that the area around Anfield is not ideal for a 60,000 seat stadium, but recently there have been reports speculating that there may be plans afoot for a total redevelopment of the area. The romantic in me wants nothing more than to keep Liverpool Football in its spiritual home but there are certainly potential problems with this option too.
Then of course there is the third option, the degenerate, drug-addled cousin of the other two options. We may try to ignore its existence but it will still be there. I am talking of course about the possibility of stadium sharing with Everton. As a die-hard Liverpool fan I must admit that I would rather chew off my left arm but the idea seems to be in consideration. Why? Well, for starters, it would be the cheapest option, it would also maximise profit due to stadium expenses being shared. However, we also have the issue of the great rivalry between the two sides. Do we include a “Kop” end? If so, where do Man Utd fans sit when they come to play Everton? In our Kop. I know that I do not want a shared stadium and almost all Liverpool fans will agree with me here. It has been said by Fenway Sports Group that they will not carry out any actions without consulting with their supporter committee, who are the voice of Liverpool fans around the world, so I do not see this option as a goer.
Whatever the route taken by Liverpool Football Club, their seating capacity must increase in order to keep up with the top teams in Europe. Having won five European Cups it is unthinkable that they not be considered one of the best clubs on the continent, but unless the situation is resolved soon this may very well turn out to be the case.
