As Liverpool prepare to open the new upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand for the first time, we can take a look with 12 behind-the-scenes photos of the expansion.
The club will hold a test event for the expanded Anfield Road Stand on Monday evening, ahead of the proposed opening to fans for the visit of Man United on Sunday.
If a safety certificate is provided, as expected, around 57,000 supporters will be permitted to attend the Premier League clash on December 17, with 7,000 on top of previous games this season.
A long process impacted by delays, the Anfield Road Stand expansion will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to beyond 61,000.
The phased opening of the upper tier will take place over December and January, and This Is Anfield understands the club is hopeful of a full capacity by the end of January.
You can watch our exclusive video from inside the new stand below:
Photos, provided by the club, show how the inside of the new upper tier looks.
That includes the new turnstiles, the stand’s concourse, steps leading up and down to the seats overlooking the pitch, as well as the view of the pitch itself.
Speaking to This Is Anfield ahead of Monday’s test event, Paul Cuttill, Liverpool’s vice president of stadium operations, described plans for the clash with Man United as an “early Christmas present.”
“It’s been really challenging,” explained Paul Cuttill, Liverpool’s vice president of stadium operations.
“When what happened with Buckingham [the stadium’s original contractors, who entered administration in August] happened, it changed the programme.
“I’m really proud of everybody, the Liverpool staff and the construction team at [new contractors] Rayner Rowan. The priority was getting fans back in the stadium as soon as possible, safely.
“Billy [Hogan, LFC chief executive] said in October it would likely be 2024 before we opened, so to get ahead of that for the Man United game was a bit of an early Christmas present really, so really pleased.”
Anfield Road Stand Facts
- Capacity to be around 57,000 for next home games
- Final capacity will be 61,000
- Anfield Road Stand will hold around 16,000 supporters
- Estimated build cost of £80 million
