The Reds are poised to take a step closer to Anfield’s 61,000 capacity. Liverpool are one step closer to realizing their £100m ambition at the Anfield Road final in time for their home game against Burnley. Manchester United host Vincent Kompany’s side on Saturday, looking to bounce back from Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by capital city Arsenal.
They will receive extra support in a 60,000-capacity stand for matches and further emergency domestic tests will be carried out with Liverpool City Council later this week once the redeveloped hospitality facilities are complete.
The £80 million stand opened in December to accommodate 58,000 fans. There is still work to be done in the back row and on the pitch to increase the capacity to 61,000, but opening up the Reds’ hospitality industry, which aims to significantly increase matchday revenue, will create a new revenue stream for the Reds. It will grow in the coming seasons.
The next fixture in the scheduled opening round could see the Reds break the record for the biggest attendance for a league game at Anfield since 1949 (58,757, a 2-2 draw). Draw with Chelsea. The recent increase in capacity to 58,000 marks the biggest attendance in 60 years, but the game against Burnley could set a new club record. The Anfield Road End had a capacity of 54,000 before it was developed and Anfield underwent a major redevelopment of its main stand which was completed in 2016.
The aim is to generate more than £100m a year in match day revenue. The Main Stand redevelopment increased Anfield’s capacity to around 8,500, with a further 7,000 at the Anfield Road end, increasing this to 15,500. Liverpool will thus receive more than £100 million in matchday revenue. The next two. Aspirational year.
One of the key decisions owners Fenway Sports Group had to make when they took over Liverpool was whether to stay at Anfield or look for a new purpose-built stadium elsewhere in the city. Options were explored, but ultimately the decision was made to retain the club’s spiritual home and redevelop the stadium to suit the owners’ anticipated revenue potential.
When FSG took over the club 13 years ago, matchday revenue was £40.9m at the end of the 2010/2011 financial year. A quick look at the latest accounts for the financial year ending May 2022 shows that the club raised £86.8m. Matchday revenues have more than doubled over the past decade, despite an increase in capacity of around 18%.
A £114m redevelopment of the Main Stand was completed in 2016, increasing capacity to 8,500 and delivering a significant increase in Liverpool’s revenue through a new matchday experience and a significantly improved business proposition.
According to Liverpool’s published financial accounts for 2015/2016, matchday revenue was £62.4m. Matchday revenue for the next reporting period, 2016/2017, was £73.5m, up almost 18% on the previous year. The increase in match day sales since the stand closed was 39%.Currently in the Premier League, only Manchester United (£110.5m) and Tottenham Hotspur (£106.1m) have broken the £100m barrier in matchday sales. Having confirmed a return to Champions League football and the extra games and revenue it will bring, Arsenal will be looking to increase these figures when their 2022/23 financial results are published.
However, Liverpool could join the club until 2025 after the completion of the extension of the Anfield Road end, benefiting from the fact that the stadium has been full for more than a year. Revenue potential will also increase through increased food and beverage sales to meet the growing demand for tickets.
“Liverpool FC continues to build momentum towards the completion of the new Anfield Road stand,” the club said in a statement. “The next part of the ambitious project phase-in plan will welcome more fans to Anfield for the Premier League match against Burnley FC on 10 February.
“However, this will be subject to further emergency internal testing in partnership with Liverpool City Council later this week. “The extended upper tier of the new stand at Anfield Road was opened for the first time during Manchester United’s visit in December, when more than 57,000 fans attended Anfield, the biggest attendance for 50 years.
“Work continues between the busy football festival period and some national cup matches in January, making excellent progress towards the maximum capacity of 61,000. “This was possible due to the effort, dedication and commitment of all participants. Once again, Liverpool FC would like to thank our fans for their patience and understanding.
Further details of ticket sales for the remaining Premier League home games will be posted on the club’s website in due course, with remaining tickets being sold on a match-by-match basis.
