Anfield all set for season opener after summer works

More than 70 construction projects have taken place in and around the ground in the close season and work on the accessibility improvements announced by the club in January are nearing completion, making Anfield more accessible for supporters.

Here is what fans can expect as we enter a new season...

• More than 250 wheelchair positions are available for disabled supporters, with improved viewing positions for visiting disabled supporters.

The redevelopment work has seen an increase in the number of wheelchair bays from 195 to more than 250 positions, and added more than 150 extra amenity and easy access seats around Anfield.

• Substantial improvements for away disabled supporters, who for the first time will be seated in the away section.

Structural improvements also include the creation of new lift shafts, removing structural walls, recasting ramps to more accessible gradients and converting lounge space into raised disabled seating areas.

• A new pitch to improve the overall playing surface.

Improvements to the pitch include a new automatic irrigation system installed to help improve drainage from the pitch, and also a new undersoil heating system which will help aid growth and also prevent the ground from freezing during the winter months.

• A new flagship retail store.

The store is another milestone in the regeneration of Anfield and forms part of Liverpool City Council’s plan to rebuild Walton Breck Road. With 19,500 square feet of total space, the new store will be more than twice the size of the current Anfield store and will offer fans a premium shopping experience with exclusive product ranges, plus a specially-designed first-floor café.

• Improved Fan Zones around the stadium.

Improvements include the relocation of the Anfield Road Family Park, providing a much larger space for food and retail concessions and also activities for younger fans on matchdays.

New mini Fan Zones on the corner of Walton Breck Road and Skerries Road, and the corner of Walton Breck Road and Venmore Street, will provide new food and beverage offerings and a great place for supporters to meet before the game and soak up the atmosphere of Anfield.

• Work on the club’s Anfield Forever project is also nearing completion, with the stones now sold out due to phenomenal demand.

The area forms part of 96 Avenue and is a celebration of the club and its players, managers and global supporters, formed of specially-engraved granite stones. The stones comprise of fan messages and dedications. Each stone tells a different story and together create a memory walk that is welcoming to fans and visitors.

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Reflecting on the extensive work that has been conducted at the stadium, Liverpool FC’s operations director, Andrew Parkinson, said: “It has been a hugely successful summer in terms of delivering, and also the complexity of, these projects. These projects further demonstrate the commitment from our ownership to invest in Anfield.

“The stadium accessibility improvements have been a big part of the upgrade works and we are pleased that we will now comply with the Accessible Stadia Guide for the number of wheelchair spaces and amenity seating around the stadium.

“As a football club we are always striving to improve fans’ experience at Anfield on a matchday, and by making improvements to the Fan Zones around the stadium we hope that fans will be able to further enjoy the unique atmosphere when they visit the stadium.

“As we continue to develop Anfield, our matchday team continues to grow and we now have over 2,200 people working on matchday, with 85 per cent of them from the Merseyside area.

“We hope that our fans will benefit from the upgrade works and we look forward to welcoming them to Anfield for our first home game of the season against Crystal Palace on Saturday August 19.”