Wherever you stand on the owners’ transfer policy, there’s no doubting FSG’s commitment to investing in Liverpool’s infrastructure.
The new £110 million Main Stand, which opened in 2016, added 8,500 seats. It’s been a huge success, with match-day revenues increasing by nearly £20 million per season before the pandemic hit.
FSG then turned Klopp’s vision into reality with the £50 million new training complex at Kirkby after Liverpool outgrew their Melwood base.
Now they have given the green light to the Anfield Road project that will see the existing lower tier refurbished and a new upper tier built above it. The scheme will create around 400 new match-day roles, in addition to the 2,200 people currently employed at each home game.
Initially, the cost was expected to be around £60 million but The Athletic can reveal that has since climbed to around £80 million following changes to the design and the increase in the bill for construction.
Crucially, in terms of revenues, the existing capacity won’t be affected during the building process.
When you add in the new retail store at Anfield and the investment in the new pitch and drainage facilities, that comes to around £250 million.
Further increases in Anfield’s capacity would be difficult given the space constraints of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and the Kop. “We just haven’t looked at it. No plans, we’ve had no discussions,” says Hughes.
What about paying for the Anfield Road stand? In the case of the Main Stand, the owners gave Liverpool a low-interest £110 million loan that is being chipped away at with annual payments. Liverpool have since expanded their credit facility and has the option of taking on debt if it was necessary.
https://theathletic.com/2849657/2021/10/02/fsg-and-the-culture-wars-at-liverpool/
