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“Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
― Albert Einstein
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First Supporters' Committee Meeting Saturday, 13 August 2011 at Anfield Question 13. The LFC Supporters' Committee held their First
meeting at Anfield and put their questions to
senior club officials.
Click Here to read the full minutes from the first meeting between Liverpool Football Club and the Liverpool Football Club Supporters' Committee. Question 13 from James Benson representing Anfield and Breckfield Supporters, Aaron Cardoso representing UK Supporters and Samantha Armstrong representing Female Fans What new information can you provide regarding the stadium and what dialogue has been had with the local community regards the changes and regeneration of the area and do you have any timescales regarding the future of Anfield? Tom Werner: We've had a lot of dialogue. We've had private communication with the city council and Ian can fill you in on some of that. Obviously we are aware that the status quo is not as anyone would want. It would be very helpful to increase capacity but there are challenges in both directions and we're cognisant of not wanting to assure our supporters we are doing something until we are ready to really take action. We're aware of the history of this. While we're not saddled with the burden of doing something immediately, we certainly would like to do something expeditiously. There are challenges and we don't want to take action until we are really clear of the direction we are going on. We are in constant discussion about this. Ian can give us the specifics but it's a vexing problem for everybody and we hope to have a solution. It's fair to say that John and I just do not want to promise something and then not be able to deliver it. Ian Ayre: We are going down two parallel paths at the moment and I think the biggest issue, particularly for the very local residents, is that there has been a path for a long time. The unfortunate thing I think is the club that exists today is not necessarily relevant to that past. That doesn't help anyone, it's just a fact. I think there have been a lot of things promised, a lot of mistakes made, a lot of money spent and all those are detrimental in many ways to where we are today. One path is the refurbishment of Anfield. We have done a lot of work with some very good people who really understand what may or may not be possible. We have some designs that we've looked at that encompass all of the types of things we have talked about today - better access for disabled supporters, more tickets, more seats - but in order to deliver that it involves the acquisition of a lot of property between here and however far we need to go. It's not because we want to knock people’s houses down, it's because if we build it this big you have to build it so far back. It also involves some other investment around that area, so in order to even understand whether that's possible we have to continue to explore a process which says 'would we be able to acquire those properties?' Would we be able to get all of those properties or some of them, and if we can't get all of them what is the next stage of process and would that be successful?' As Tom said, we can't promise we can do that because we don't know the outcome and it could take years to reach that outcome. So in parallel with that we are also looking at a new stadium. We have a design, we have a site - which is Stanley Park - and we have planning permission. But economically it costs about twice as much as redeveloping Anfield, roughly. For that reason, from the club's point of view and as fans you all want us to invest our money, your money, wisely in the football club and if there's a solution that costs half the money - if it's actually a real solution and we don't know that - then I'm sure you'd much rather us invest the money in that cheaper solution, the more economically viable solution than the more expensive solution. One of the ways of making the new stadium proposition more economically viable is to find a naming rights partner. That takes time. It's not something we started five years ago, it's something we started in January and deals like our Standard Chartered deal, and other big deals that we've done, take a long time. The Standard Chartered deal took 14 months. So we are going along those two paths. It doesn't placate anybody I don't think from a day to day point of view very locally, but I am absolutely certain we are doing the right thing for the football club and its fans, and ultimately the right thing for the community because we could promise we're going to stay at Anfield today and we could promise we were going to seek permissions to knock those houses down around Anfield, but if something gets in the way and it doesn't happen then we have let everyone down and I think the only assurance I can give you is we are doing everything we can as expediently as we can for the right outcome for Liverpool Football Club, whichever of the two outcomes it may be. Committee Member: The time it takes is inconsequential to me, to be honest. I just want the right decision to be made for the area long-term. I want to make sure the area grows and is a better place to live. Ian Ayre: We have talked a lot about the matchday experience today and as someone who grew up in Liverpool 4, the last thing I want to see is ITV or Granada showing some pre-match thing where they go down the streets which are boarded up and make everybody think that's Liverpool. It's not. It's not even Liverpool 4. We all want that outcome and the sooner we can get there the better, but only for the right outcome and not promise something or deliver something that gets the club into significant debt or doesn't pay back. If we build a new stadium and it costs too much money we'll have to put that money in from somewhere else and it'll mean we're not putting money elsewhere, like for players. So we have to get the mix right. John Henry: Yesterday I toured the Allianz Arena in Munich. We are spending an extraordinary amount of time on this issue. Having seen state of the art, there is still a desire here, as Ian expressed, to do the right thing economically for the club. Anfield has a history. At Fenway Park in Boston we had a similar situation. We had tremendous support from the Mayor and the redevelopment agency there, from the historical society, they made everything easy for us. Here I think it's a much more difficult issue because you are talking about homes that would need to be removed or destroyed. Some people, I have heard, have recommended that's a very good idea because of the situation in this area. Some people also think the club is somewhat responsible for regeneration of this area and that we're somehow holding it up. I don't believe that whatever we do will cause regeneration in itself in the Anfield area. I don't think you can rely upon the building of a new stadium or a refurbishment. The fact remains we need help and assistance if we're going to be able to deal with the issues which surround this if we're going to refurbish Anfield. As Ian said, if we're able to get a naming rights deal then a new stadium may be what's necessary because we're blocked from other standpoints. It's a very difficult issue and it may not be answered for a long time. People are saying 'you need to answer this question now because Anfield and its citizens are waiting to hear' but, again, I don't believe that whatever happens is going to necessarily solve all of the issues here locally. When things don't go your way people look for people to blame. I don't think it's fair to blame any one individual or the city council at this point. But we need their help and the help of various agencies and we may not get it. Committee Member: The 'right to light' is obviously an issue for the local residents. If you were to redevelop this stadium, presumably the 'right to light' could be a stumbling block... Ian Ayre: The right to light issue is the reason we need to take the other streets out. There isn't a design that doesn't have the right to light issue. There is only the Main Stand and the Anfield Road Stand that could be redeveloped. John Henry: We physically have to move outwards to where there are homes right now so there is the 'right to light' and also other issues. Click Here to read the full minutes from the first meeting
between Liverpool Football Club and the Liverpool Football Club
Supporters' Committee.
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. The Triangle website and forum may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorised by the copyright owner. In the wider interests of the Anfield community - The Triangle website has made this material available – in an effort to advance the understanding of social and environmental responsibility issues, corporate accountability and human rights. Where possible The Triangle website has endeavoured to acknowledge ownership of such content contained herein.
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