Liverpool has taken a major step in its Anfield Road Stand expansion project by removing the massive roof — weighing more than 600,000 pounds — from the 139-year-old stadium.
The Premier League club — the fourth-most valuable in the world at $5.2 billion, according to Forbes — began efforts to expand Anfield’s capacity from 53,000 to 61,000 in 2021. The work will reportedly cost $97 million.
Two huge cranes were built on the pitch to facilitate the roof’s removal, a process that required significant testing, given the weight of the cranes amounted to nearly four times the weight of the roof itself.
Fans in Liverpool can expect new upper-level seating when they are welcomed back to the venue this fall. The club anticipates construction to be completed before the start of the 2023-34 season.
The club recently released time-lapsed footage of the project, giving fans an in-depth look at the lengthy efforts being made to modernize Anfield.
More seating should bring in more revenue for the club that finally turned a profit this year after two straight years of financial losses.
Liverpool has recently been linked to a potential sale, but current owners Fenway Sports Group don’t appear totally set on moving on from the club.
