As most fans will now be aware Liverpool Football Club intends to build a new stadium to replace its current home, Anfield.  Although Anfield is the clubs spiritual home, and has been witness to some of the clubs greatest triumphs, the stadium is now beginning to show its age.  This slow deterioration coupled with the lack of available space for expansion or renovation, has left the club with no choice but to build a brand new stadium.

Liverpool FC originally began considering plans for a new stadium as far back as 2000.  When the club first announced the scheme it was intended that the new stadium would hold 70,000 people, and would be built in time for the 2004-05 season.  This plan proved to be unrealistic however, and when official plans were released in May 2002, the design had been scaled down to 55,000.

Over the next couple of years the proposed capacity fluctuated between 55,000 and 61,000.  During this period the City Council made several attempts to convince Liverpool and Everton to ground-share the new stadium.  Although neither club was particularly interested in the scheme, the Council favoured the idea, and was prepared to back the scheme with public money, if an agreement could be reached.

Eventually the ground-share idea put forward by the Council was scrapped, and Liverpool forged ahead with their own plans to build a new stadium in Stanley Park, just 300 meters from Anfield.  The new stadium was first put before the Council's Planning Office in February 2005, where the plans were approved.  Although this meant the club could start work on the new stadium, a lack of financing forced the club to put the plans on hold.

By April 2006 no further progress had been made and work on the new stadium had yet to begin.  The plans were once again approved by the Planning Office and in September 2006 permission was granted for a 61,000 seat stadium and Liverpool FC were granted a 999 year lease for the property.

In early 2007 the plans were once again suspended, to allow the takeover of the club by current Chairmen, George Gillett and Tom Hicks.  The new owners first piece of business was to review the proposed stadium plans with their own design team, after which further revisions were made.  Working alongside Architectural firm HKS Inc, with whom the new owners had developed several sports stadiums in North America, the stadiums design was radically altered and the proposed capacity raised to 76,000. 

In September 2007 the plans for the new stadium were made public for the first time amid great fanfare.  The plans met with widespread approval from Liverpool fans.

By the end of 2007 plans were continuing for the new stadium, with building work scheduled to start in early 2008.  The stadium has been designed to allow for future expansion, allowing the builders to expand the stadium during the construction process, should planning be granted for the increased capacity of 76,000.  At present the club are unlikely to be granted planning for the increased capacity, unless improvements are made to existing road and rail networks to cope with the increased number of people attending games.  However, the club is hopeful that with these improvements the stadium will open in time for the 2011-12 season with the expanded capacity of 76,000.  The club expects the new stadium to cost in the region of £300million.

**Latest developments
Since the new stadium planned were unveiled in late 2007 the Global credit crunch has severely devalued the assets of both Liverpool Football Club, and more importantly the assets of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.  This has meant both owners have been unable to secure the necessary funding to start work on the stadium.  Despite claiming that "spades would be in the ground within 60 days" of taking over the club, some 18 months later the stadium is no nearer becoming a reality. 

The stadium design has since been downgraded to reduce costs, although the capacity remains 61,000 with room for future expansion.

Both owners announced on 23rd June 2008 that workers had moved onto the Stanley Park site, and preparation work was now underway, with foundation work set to begin in September 2008.  Although a roadway has been created to provide access to the site, and fencing and screening erected around the site, we wait to see whether actual building work will commence in September.

At the end of August 2008 Tom Hicks confirmed that neither owner had been able to source the necessary funding to start work on the stadium.  As a result work on the stadium has been delayed for at least a year.  Grants from the local council and regeneration fund have since been rebuked, meaning the club has lost out on over £20million worth of funding for the stadium and local area.  As yet, there is no clear indication if the two owners will ever be able to raise the cash to complete the stadium.

Check back later in the year for further updates and pictures of any work, once it commences.

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