Liverpool's plans for a new 60,000 capacity stadium in Stanley Park have been delayed yet again. The announcement, which came in a club statement today, is not unexpected as it has been feared for some time that American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were having trouble raising the funds for the £400m new ground, which will be built next to the current Anfield site on Stanley Park.
When the Americans took over 18 months ago they immediately redesigned previous plans and had to allow for new planning permission. The current credit crunch is being blamed for the latest delay, even though enabling work has already started in and around Stanley Park.
A statement on the club's official website said: "Our commitment to building a new world-class Liverpool Football Club stadium is undiminished. Like many other major development projects in the UK and overseas we are affected by global market conditions and, as such, work on the project will be delayed in the short term. We will use this period productively and revisit the plans for the stadium to increase its capacity to 73,000 seats."
Only yesterday it was revealed that EU grants to fund re-generation of the Anfield area had been withdrawn. The cash, around £5m, is not a huge amount in the great scheme of things at Anfield, but it was a significant blow to the credibility of the Americans' plans.
The money had been earmarked by the European Regional Development Fund for a community partnership centre as part of the new stadium. But the timescale involved meant the money had to be re-allocated last November and the stadium centre will now have to be fully funded by Liverpool.
It is also believed that the club have yet to officially sign the lease from the council for the Stanley Park site, and contractors have also yet to sign formal agreements. It is now possible that north-west regional development grants may not be paid to the club. Meetings with Liverpool City Council recently also failed to confirm when building work would start.
Today's announcement will only add fuel to the claims that Liverpool's owners are unable to fund the work, and re-ignite suggestions they may have to sell the club or consider a groundshare.
Everton's planned move to Kirkby appeared dead in the water when the government called in the proposals. And in May this year Liverpool City Council leader Warren Bradley said he supported the idea of the two clubs sharing a ground. "I've also been working behind the scenes on a joint Liverpool and Everton stadium," said Bradley. "I've talked to the sports minister and to the Northwest Regional Development Agency and I've spoken to [Everton's chairman] Bill Kenwright."
However, such a move would be highly unpopular with both sets of supporters.
