Peter Moore Calls Previous Anfield Road Expansion Plans “Insufficient”

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool’s chief executive hints at a larger Anfield expansion than previously planned.

Liverpool’s ownership group, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are riding pretty high right now in the minds of all but the most stubborn (and at this point, misguided) Liverpool supporters. Sure, the big shiny thing goes a long way.

But so too did the expansion of the Main Stand, increasing matchday capacity 8,500 seats to 54,000. It was a clear statement of intent, as well as a tangible long-term investment in the club, one that will likely out-last their tenure.

Originally, the Main Stand expansion was supposed to be part of a multi-sept renovation plan, intended to bring Anfield closer to 60,000 seats. The second step was to be a roughly 4,000 seat expansion of the Anfield Road Stand.

Now? Chief executive Peter Moore is hinting that he thinks that is too small for their long-term ambitions.

“That is insufficient for our plans,” Moore said in an interview with AP, “We’re continuing to analyse what is the optimum number.

“I think in the next few months you’re going to hear from us as regards to what those plans will be. I can tell you definitively it won’t be the rather small-to-medium plans we had recently.”

“Of course the potential exists that following the feasibility study the initial plans may change”

This will no doubt be greeted as good news by most supporters. Tickets are hard to come by at the worst of times, and the current standing of the club makes it even more difficult.

Obviously it isn’t purely altruistic by the club. It seems likely that the previous expansion plans were too small, and after further number crunching, the short to medium-term return on investment would have been marginal.

FSG don’t just want to expand for the sake of it, but want to expand to increase their size, stature, and financial viability of the club. All good things, of course, and all things that make a puny 4,000 seats “insufficient” in the current market.

It will be interesting to hear what new plans Moore et al. cook up in a couple of months.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com