Picking up some recently made points:
The ticket price argument is frequently misrepresented. Any idea that Anfield ,as is, remains the place for the common man at £43 a ticket is misplaced. Our existing premium seat provision is less than half that of Man U/ Arsenal. To be commercial, limited Anfield redevelopment will primarily address that. In a 55,000 seater redevelopment that may provide for another 5000 premium seats, and 5000 “ordinary “ seats. It would essentially represent an Executive upgrade.
Every seat over an extra 5000 represents a greater opportunity for fans to see LFC whether it be in the existing, or new stadium. We are not going to be able to match Emirates prices, nor could we fill an OT capacity in one leap. The objective in redevelopment or new build is to maximise existing revenues, to imaginatively seize new ones, and to leave future generations a legacy which can meet future needs for years to come.
The suggestion that Merseyside Construction Costs are 97% of Central London’s is plainly wrong ,and can be filed with the “Naming Rights are Peanuts” curio.
Anfield Plaza is a consented scheme which can contribute revenue or capital to a new stadium immediately. Any development on Walton Breck Rd is an unconsented pipe dream which may offer the Club nothing in income.
The capital/interest cost of £45m/ naming rights £10m a year is a guess which has no value.(See construction costs and naming rights)
The arguments now are quite condensed. A modest redevelopment may not be worth it and may fail to capitalise on our potential. Wholesale redevelopment may be as expensive as a New Stadium but still represent a compromise. A new stadium may represent as much a financial burden as boon, if poorly executed.
FSG hold the cards on this one. Do they have the money, or the long term commitment to back a new stadium? What is the extent of unrealised Season Ticket demand? What is the unsatisfied premium seat/hospitality demand? Can a part redeveloped Anfield offer the same Conference/ Exhibition income that a New Stadium can? How do naming rights for existing Anfield Stands versus redevelopment compare with Stadium naming rights for a new stadium?
These are the key points on which the decision will hinge.
The affection that all of us hold for Anfield requires no explanation. Anyone, though, who has sat in the lower Annie or Lower Centenary ( and experienced the pitiful “hospitality facilities” in the latter), or seen the Kop change from a magnificent terraced amphitheatre to a neutered makeshift conversion, or experienced a Main Stand almost 40 years old will wonder how long we can go on living off the legacy of our forebears and when we will set out our stall for what sort of football stadium we should have for the 21st Century, and crucially, what legacy we will leave.