15/06/2012 01:54 PM
Liverpool FC's stadium saga continues to rumble on as the club's owner has voiced concerns over the building of a new ground as opposed to redeveloping the team's Anfield home.
John W. Henry, principal owner of Liverpool and leader of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), believes that there are a number of problems surrounding proposals to move the club to the long-awaited Stanley Park project. The club has earmarked the nearby site for a long time and has already drawn up and published images of what the new 60,000-seater ground will look like. It would be expected to cost £400 million to construct, and there has been much toing and froing surrounding the plans with the club's previous regime suggesting a possible groundshare with neighbours and rivals Everton FC.
Now Mr Henry has cast doubt over the construction of a new ground, believing that it will see ticket prices increase and has stated that it does not necessarily transform the financial fortunes of a club. In an email to the Anfield Wrap website, Mr Henry notes that there has been a "long-term myth" around Liverpool moving to the Stanley Park project.
He went on to say that to compete financially with the top clubs in European football it was important to have a stream of worldwide commercial revenue outlets the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona have already tapped into. The construction of a new stadium can have contrasting fortunes with clubs in the lower leagues taking huge gambles on the developments which can have disastrous consequences should the grounds not be filled.
Mr Henry wrote: "We've been exploring a new stadium for the past 18 months. At one point we made it clear that if a naming rights deal could be secured of sufficient size, we would make every effort to build a new facility.
"Liverpool FC has an advantage in being a global club and a naming rights deal could make a new stadium a reality. It is something we are working on. There has been interest."
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John W. Henry, principal owner of Liverpool and leader of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), believes that there are a number of problems surrounding proposals to move the club to the long-awaited Stanley Park project. The club has earmarked the nearby site for a long time and has already drawn up and published images of what the new 60,000-seater ground will look like. It would be expected to cost £400 million to construct, and there has been much toing and froing surrounding the plans with the club's previous regime suggesting a possible groundshare with neighbours and rivals Everton FC.
Now Mr Henry has cast doubt over the construction of a new ground, believing that it will see ticket prices increase and has stated that it does not necessarily transform the financial fortunes of a club. In an email to the Anfield Wrap website, Mr Henry notes that there has been a "long-term myth" around Liverpool moving to the Stanley Park project.
He went on to say that to compete financially with the top clubs in European football it was important to have a stream of worldwide commercial revenue outlets the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona have already tapped into. The construction of a new stadium can have contrasting fortunes with clubs in the lower leagues taking huge gambles on the developments which can have disastrous consequences should the grounds not be filled.
Mr Henry wrote: "We've been exploring a new stadium for the past 18 months. At one point we made it clear that if a naming rights deal could be secured of sufficient size, we would make every effort to build a new facility.
"Liverpool FC has an advantage in being a global club and a naming rights deal could make a new stadium a reality. It is something we are working on. There has been interest."
Contact us for a security fencing quote.
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