Liverpool’s Stadium Plans Progressing says Ayre

Liverpool FC’s managing director, Ian Ayre, has insisted progress has been made on a new stadium being developed.

Ayre has also given renewed hope to fans wanting the club to redevelop Anfield as opposed to building a new stadium in Stanley Park.

Ayre points to the issue of ‘right to light’, which impacts nearby housing through the necessity to build upwards, as being one of the major obstacles in the way of a redeveloped Anfield. Ayre insists however that ‘great dialogue’ has finally taken place with local residents in relation to overcoming the issue.

“People assume that because we haven’t made a major announcement, or can show any spade in the ground, that nothing has gone on and no progress has been made. There is progress. The most important thing for us, especially under this owner, has been about certainty on the stadium. We are not going to make comments that we’re doing something until we’ve got certainty. And that certainty quite often is in other people’s hands,” explained the 49-year-old in a welcome change from endlessly discussing the club’s search for a new manager.

“In the case of staying at Anfield that certainty is with residents in and around that area that we would need to convince. We’re having some great dialogue with them. When we have that certainty we will make the announcement and move on it. It’s all right for people to say Liverpool is a big football club – 60,000 seats, why don’t you just go and get on with it? But look at the economics of that, of a £300m build for 15,000 new seats. It’s pretty hard to make that stack up. The work is going on and a decision will be announced when we’ve got certainty.”

If Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group choose to go ahead with the new development on Stanley Park then the key has always been to sell the naming rights to help fund the build. On this matter Ayre added: “We are fairly well down the line with a couple of major brands who have shown significant rights in naming rights for a new stadium.”

The comments will come as a timely boost to fans worried by a lack of physical progress and the recent disclosure that costs relating to the stadium amounted to £35m in the last financial year.