26 July 2023 , 11:04
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Liverpool will start the new season with a reduced capacity at Anfield after work on the redevelopment of the Anfield Road stand was delayed.
The Reds had hoped to debut their new stand in full - a construction which will take the capacity of Anfield to 61,000 - at their opening home game of the new Premier League season against Bournemouth on August 19.
However, contractor Buckingham Group has now missed that deadline, and the Reds will be forced to keep the top tier of the stand at least partially closed for the first two months of the season, with a phased opening hopefully being completed in October.
As a result, Anfield will instead operate at a reduced capacity of around 51,000 for the Bournemouth game and potentially the first two months of the season, down from its previous capacity of 54,000.
Season ticket holders in the top tier of the stand will be accommodated elsewhere in the stadium during these two months, with the Reds having paused sales of tickets for the first half of the season last week.
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The new stand won't be fully ready for the start of the new season (PA)Liverpool managing director Andy Hughes said: “This has been a hugely ambitious and complex construction project right from the start. Unfortunately, the upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand is not quite ready for the Bournemouth game.
“The main contractor, Buckingham, will therefore work with Liverpool City Council’s licensing team to deliver a phased opening process.
“As with any complex major construction project of this scale, there are always so many variables and challenges along the way.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while we work through the next few weeks with Buckingham to complete this programme and we can’t wait to have this great new Anfield Road stand fully open for supporters.”
After the Bournemouth game the Reds welcome Aston Villa and West Ham to Anfield before the October international break, while they will also stage one Europa League group stage game and potentially a Carabao Cup tie before the new deadline to open the stand fully.
Should the deadline be met then the top tier would be open for the first time for the Merseyside derby on the weekend of October 21.
Liverpool will hope the stand will be completed in time for the Merseyside derby in October (AFP via Getty Images)Work had taken place on the Anfield Road stand - the end opposite the Kop which also houses away supporters - throughout last season, but it didn't impact on capacity, with the increased stand lifted onto the existing structure at the end of the campaign.
The challenge to get the stand fully ready for the start of the new season was always seen as an ambitious one, although Liverpool elected not to ask the Premier League to switch the Bournemouth fixture to the Vitality Stadium.
In the 2016-17 season the Reds played their first three games away from home as construction on their new Main Stand was completed.