Liverpool are set to resume and complete the redevelopment of the Anfield Road Stand after taking control of the construction site after the building firm overseeing the project was confirmed as going into administration during the summer.
Work began on the stand in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic had originally delayed the planning application being submitted. Completion of this phase of Anfield’s overall redevelopment was already behind schedule, having not been fully open for the first home game of the 2023/24 season.
Liverpool then learned last month that the company appointed to carry out the work had filed for administration. At that point, the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand was already complete and could house fans for the Premier League win over Bournemouth.
But the rest of the project remained unfinished and Liverpool have been hurt in the pocket by the limited capacity meaning lower attendances to start the campaign. Fans who also hoped that they would have benefitted from completion of the project and the extra tickets available from an increased capacity have also been affected the longer it has dragged on.
Now, three weeks after Buckingham Group went into administration, Liverpool have appointed Rayner Rowen Construction and a handful of other contractors to pick up the work
A club statement on Thursday read: “Work will begin now to fully assess the construction programme and Rayner Rowen will work swiftly with our internal team to produce a revised project completion programme, which will give us certainty on capacity and phasing.
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“We will update on this revised completion programme as quickly as possible. In the meantime, some workers have returned to the site to continue some immediate works.
“For the West Ham United, Leicester City and Union SG fixtures, the capacity of Anfield will be the same as the opening two games of the season against AFC Bournemouth and Aston Villa, meaning the upper tier of the new Anfield Road Stand will remain closed.
“It is anticipated that the additional capacity at Anfield will be incrementally phased in after the next three home games. We do not expect any impact on the continued operation of the existing Anfield Road Stand, which has remained in use throughout the development so far.
“Our thoughts are with all those employees and contractors who face uncertainty at this time. Working with Rayner Rowen Construction, we will seek to engage as many of Buckingham’s existing sub-contractors going forward as we are reasonably able to.”
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