Liverpool FC appoints new contractor for Anfield Road Stand

Rayner Rowen Construction has taken over the job after the former main contractor, Buckingham Group Contracting, entered administration.

Liverpool FC announced the appointment on Thursday, adding that Rayner Rowen would work with the football club’s team to craft a revised project completion programme for the final works on the 7,000-seat expansion to Anfield Stadium.

The £60m Anfield Road Stand enlargement was meant to increase the capacity of the stadium to 61,000. This would put Anfield as the third biggest ground in the Premier League, with only Manchester United’s Old Trafford and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being larger.

Buckingham had begun work on the stand expansion in 2021. The contractor went bust earlier this week, leaving the fate of the stand in the air until Rayner Rowen’s appointment.

The stand, as Rayner Rowen has inherited it, is divided into two parts. The upper tier of the stand is not ready for use, while the lower tier is operational and has been used for games.

The club expects to be able to incrementally grow capacity at Anfield as Rayner Rowen progresses the construction work.

LFC said it would work with Rayner Rowen to use as many of Buckingham’s subcontractors as reasonable.

The club said: “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.”