Work has recommenced on Liverpool FC’s Anfield Road stand extension after the club appointed a new contractor.
It follows the collapse into administration earlier this week of previous contractor, Buckingham Construction Group, leading to the loss of almost 500 jobs at the Stowe-based group.
The £80m extension of the stand will increase the club’s capacity to 61,000.
Delays with the original development led to a phased opening, with only the lower tier of the stand available for the season so far, limiting capacity to 50,000.
Liverpool FC confirmed it has now taken control of the Anfield Road stand construction site and appointed Rayner Rowen Construction, along with a number of other contractors, to resume the final works on the project.
will begin to fully assess the construction programme and Rayner Rowen will work swiftly with the club’s internal team to produce a revised project completion programme, which will give certainty on capacity and phasing.
The original plan was to open the stand fully by this October.
Liverpool said it will provide an update on this revised completion programme as quickly as possible. In the meantime, some workers have returned to the site to continue some immediate works.
It is anticipated that the additional capacity at Anfield will be incrementally phased in after the next three home games.
The club said: “Our thoughts are with all those employees and contractors who face uncertainty at this time.
“Working with Rayner Rowen Construction, we will seek to engage as many of Buckingham’s existing sub-contractors going forward as we are reasonably able to.
“Everyone at LFC is looking forward to getting the stand completed and fully open, and we are doing everything possible to make sure that happens as quickly and safely as possible.”
Buckingham Group stopped all work on the stand on August 17, when it ceased trading and announced a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
Last month Liverpool FC chief executive, Billy Hogan, admitted the club was in a “holding pattern” regarding the scheme.
