Liverpool confirm Anfield stadium expansion delay
- Anfield Road stand will not be fully opened for the first home game of the season
- Liverpool are due to face Bournemouth at Anfield on 19th August
- Expansion to be completed in next few months
Liverpool have confirmed that the Anfield Road stand expansion will not be completed ahead of the club's first home game of the season.
Work on upgrades to the Anfield Road stand have been ongoing since 2021, with the the capacity of the stand set to increase by 7,000 - taking the total capacity of Anfield to 61,000.
Plans had been in place to open the stand ahead of the club's first Premier League home game of the 2023/24 season against Bournemouth, but delays with construction have meant that the stand will now not be fully opened until later in the campaign and will operate at a slightly reduced capacity.
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Explaining the situation to the club's official website, Liverpool's managing director Andy Hughes explained: "This has been a hugely ambitious and complex construction project right from the start and I would like to thank everyone who has played a part.
"Unfortunately, the upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand is not quite ready for the Bournemouth game. The main contractor, Buckingham, will therefore work with Liverpool City Council’s licensing team to deliver a phased opening process.
"As with any complex major construction project of this scale, there are always so many variables and challenges along the way.
"We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding while we work through the next few weeks with Buckingham to complete this programme and we can't wait to have this great new Anfield Road Stand fully open for supporters."
Anfield has been under redevelopment for the best part of the last decade. The Main Stand at the ground was the first to be overhauled, opening fully during the 2016/17 season.