Hey there Scousers, I thought I'd give my opinion/evaluation on the Anfield redevelopment issue, therefore done a little
write-up. Hope this can incent the spirit of a good, unbiased debate.
A PLEA: Realistic reasons on constructional terms to leave Anfield behind to the other side of the road -
That's one BIG small step for a fan, but a giant leap for LiverpoolPersonally, I have been avid about the thought to stay at Anfield trying to attempt the impossible by redeveloping a vivid legend into state-of-the-art reality. So I have spent days of free time on looking onto all kinds of possibilities to refurbish current Anfield, I even found numbers (or close estimations) to compare rows per section, tried to look into different scopes (or hanging over schemes armed with a set square), grappled solutions to rebuild matching stands and calculated possible seat increase. Of course, I am not an architect of any sort, but highly interested in and fascinated by the latter.
After many indecisive moments and fluctuating moods, I had find to my horror that Anfield cannot be redeveloped at a viable price and to the benefit of LFC's needs of a modernised ground.
It requires land acquisition, major traffic/transit solutions and must overcome constructional barriers, no matter what arguments against will be advanced by stalwart supporters of the "Stay at Anfield" fraction, those end up being shaky and mainly seen through the rose-tinted glasses of sentiment and nostalgia, and what I also feel to be churned by a fair portion of justifiable abhorrence for Hicks and Gillett. Especially their main argument that it would all come off cheaper as there only would have to be 15/16,000 new seats created in stead of 61,000 at a new stadium is threadbare and made of pipe dreams. Why so? I will give you some insight.
- Is it reasonable to keep a row width of assumably 0.7m (or partially less) on current stands when modern grounds and building regulations boost the standard to 0.8m at a minimum (rather developing into a 0.85m to the merit of comfort)?
- Is it reasonable to keep an old main stand whose way past its glory days and add further tiers to its substance?
- Is it reasonable to redevelop and keep not only extremely tight seats (which contributes to the atmosphere but severely endangers safety) of which hundreds also bear obstructed views where people need to twist their heads in order to see (let's consider especially the inhuman solutions in the "corners", which narrowed wings to the side stands whatever architect created this, quite frankly, wasn't thinking straight)
For the sake of the quarter: Is it reasonable to take up space for Anfield's extended footprint by clearing further houses and changing the map, yet hinder the area's chance for
soft gentrification, whereas shops, community facilities, restaurants, housing, offices, a mall and/or a hotel could help to upgrade the area, create new jobs, regenerate urban living next to a high-class stadium and raise satisfaction and confidence of their residents and attract future residents (on a side: nope, not like Highbury, like a spiritual, affordable and sustainable mid-class quarter with a labour spirit)
An Expanded, Redeveloped High-class Anfield:Consequently, what looks like the realistic option in order to create a sustainable refurbishment that lives up to the standards of enormous financial investment and the change of fleeting time is knocking down the whole Main Stand, rebuild it from scratch and create roundabout 15-16,000 new seats including a club executive level and boxes. This action requires space, Lothair Road will have to be cleared: at least! It's obvious that Anfield Stadium lacks thoroughly of concourse and space around its footprint, so houses would most likely have to be cleared until Alroy Rd, making its extension into Gilman St the new surrounding street of the expanded ground area, a “Liverpool FC or Shankly Square” to be erected in front.
In order to optically adjust the dimension of a new main stand, Anfield Road End would have to be rebuilt in a similar shape by which the street Anfield Road would have to be either:
a) closed down, b) diverted through the park, or c) tunneled (from which going underground would be the safest option prior to tunneling the stand). Underground parking for prime seat holders of boxes or the executive level would be sufficient as well, so this would either have to be under the “LFC square” or the new Anni End.
Given those operations, it would result in another (at least) 12,000 (by losing 9,000), further expansion according to planning and needs feasible.
Rebuilding Anni Road is inevitable.Because the Pitch would have to be moved approximately 6 meter away from Centenary and about 10 meters north park side towards Anfield Rd in order to fulfill FIFA/UEFA regulations for a pitch size of 105 x 68m (currently 101x68m) and its correct distance to spectators of compulsory 6m at an absolute minimum on the sides and 7.5m behind the goals (currently: 3m at both sides, and 4m at the ends). Undersoil heating, drainage etc. should be expandable
Filling in the corner between the two new stands and building a corner at a different gradient between the new Anni and Centenary would easily boost the capacity to 60-65000 (and bigger)
(On a side: Shankly Gates and Hillsborough Memorial would have to be relocated)
The KOP Problem: The Kop would now risk to lose its intimidating effect. Changes to it, by e.g. filling the corner and sorting the sides out, would mean the roof would have to be taken off and rebuilt as well (statical reasons). Even if we considered this pricy but necessary option, in result it would once again boost the capacity wide over the capacity limit of the City Council... (congestion of existent public transport and deprivation of means (or even reluctantly missing the chance) to electrify the Canada Dock Branch rails and establish a line for passenger transit)
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/watercity/Rapid-Transit-Football.html
INCLINE/SLOPE Problem: Anfield is like a patchwork and it makes expansion of course architecturally possible, but given that complicates its implementation! It's tricky to give a finished, closed touch of esthetic unity in regard to possibly expanded and stands without a causing a mess and breaking the financial limit, as the sightline from seats on 0.8m wide rows eventually falls flatter than those from 0.7m rows at the same gradient → again view restrictions, so it would have to be engineered meticulously to fit (definitely possible but elaborate expertise needed)
TRAFFIC Problem: A bus terminal for easy handling is needed with direct access to the concourse/pedestrian precinct in front of the stadium, it would have to be built on Walton Breck likely somewhere on the derelict ruins between Tinsley and Gilman Street.
And further, ideally a connection through the park from Alroy to Priory Rd (in my opinion needed in both options: New Anfield or redevelopment) would have to be realised to resolve traffic jams and inaccessibility throughout the whole area throughout and off matchdays...
So all in all, this would be a massive, bold and aspiring fortress of a football ground, no doubt about it, but yet it would take relatively
TWO THIRDS OF REBUILT SEATS and three large rebuilt roofs to have a first-class fine stadium everyone around Anfield, Liverpool and first and foremost at LFC deserves. And in the end you'd still have a packed, seemingly outdated Centenary involved in the big picture (no object to expansion since the redevelopment of houses on Skerries Rd, the next street behind the parking lot, has recently taken place on LFC terms)
To what extent should this gratify its expanse? Only to stay on the exact same ground that has already completely undergone transformation in the past fifteen years except for a terribly outdated main stand. For the sake of history? When everything could be done from scratch a few steps over the road and entail fewer complications?
Don't get me wrong, Anfield is magic, it is mystique, it is British history at its best and it is one of the most famous stadia in the world, but you should leave things at their peak and keep them in good memory at heart and in your mind... sometimes you just have to walk away.
Adding stands up onto the existent ones or any other sort of compromising refurbishment would only be making on the cheap, remain current needs and grievance uncured, tear apart optical proportions, possibly stifle the atmosphere and overall thus improve Anfield for the worse!
Merely 15,000 seats added doesn't make it a modern, safer, overall stadium, just will enforce a two-class segregation for the infamous prawn sandwich brigade on a superior main stand, let's take them in as we must for the sake of the future of this club, but let's create some new home with merits for everybody.
Preserve the spirit of Anfield by moving over the street, stay in Anfield, not even a few blocks just a bunch of metres, yards however you want, it's a minimal distance amidst the tradition of the district. A small step, it won't hurt, it will be moving in many good ways. Liverpool, it's your turn.
