Liverpool’s £80m Anfield Road grandstand renovation could face FURTHER delays as contractors issue administrative notice – with workers leaving the site for the day after the news broke
- Earlier, the club announced that they would move to a phased opening
- Work to increase the site’s capacity to 61,000 began in September 2021
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The contractors behind the Anfield redevelopment project in Liverpool have applied for administration as work continues on the new top tier of the Anfield Road grandstand.
A source told Mail Sport that workers at the construction site were sent home this morning after news broke that Buckingham Group Contractors had filed a notice of intent to appoint administration on Wednesday, appearing to be seen at the construction site later that day in a shared video. to X (formerly Twitter).
The club previously faced an £80 million setback in stadium developments after it was announced that the new tier will not be open for the club’s first home game, against Bournemouth on 19 August.
Development of the stand started in September 2021 with the aim of completing the stand before the 2023/24 campaign.
Liverpool received special permission from the Premier League ahead of the season to play their opener away from home in a bid to complete the project, which will see the stadium’s capacity increase to 61,000.
Redevelopment of the grandstand at Anfield Road in Liverpool could face further delays after contractor Buckingham Group requests administration
Workers were seen apparently leaving the site after a source told them they had resigned on Thursday
But to meet the demands of Liverpool City Council, more work needs to be done and the club will fall back on a plan where extra capacity is phased in over future home games.
Jürgen Klopp’s team only plays two more home games before the international break in September.
In a statement shared by a Liverpool spokesman in the wake of the administration news, the club said: ‘Buckingham Group has informed us that it has submitted a notice of intent to appoint administrators. This request does not affect the planned opening of the new Anfield Road Stand on Saturday before the game against Bournemouth.
“Following the successful test events earlier this week, Liverpool City Council’s construction control team have issued a safety certificate to operate the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand and we look forward to welcoming supporters to Anfield for our first Premier League home game of the season. season against Bournemouth.
“We will work with Buckingham Group on the planned phased opening of the rest of the new stand and will continue to update supporters on arrangements for future matches. In particular, our intention is to inform all supporters who have a ticket for the Aston Villa match as soon as possible.’
Delays in the works may impact the timeline for the full reopening of the stand.
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Construction of Craven Cottage’s Riverside Stand – another Buckingham Group project – is two years behind schedule
In Buckingham Group’s latest reports from 2021, the company suffered a pre-tax loss of almost £11m amid serious delays in their other major stadium work, Fulham’s Craven Cottage Riverside Stand project.
The project is currently two years behind schedule and is itself subject to a phased opening.
Fulham told supporters this week that the extra stand capacity would be available at the start of the 2024/25 season – five years after the project’s start date.
From This is Anfieldthe company responsible for cladding the new stand subcontractor SD Samuels filed for administration earlier in December, partially delaying some work on the stand.