Liverpool are set to begin redevelopment work at Anfield on Monday, with an extra 13,000 seats set to be added to the Anfield Road end and Main Stand by the start of the 2016-17 season.
In September, the £260m scheme received planning permission from Liverpool City Council with the project expected to create 360 new jobs andbring in an extra £14.5m to the area annually.
The Reds have been attempting to build a new stadium since original plans were unvieled in 2000.
The failure to do so has seen off two sets of club owners, with the redevelopment set to get under way almost eight years after former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet famously promised ‘a spade in the ground within 60 days.’
‘We’ve pressed the go button,” said chief executive Ian Ayre.
“Never mind a spade being in the ground in 60 days, we’ll have one in there within six days now.”
Tom Werner, Chairman, Liverpool Football Club, added: “Since Fenway Sports Group took ownership of the Club, we were committed to explore in depth all options for the future of Anfield Stadium. We listened to fans, the community, partners, the Supporters’ Committee and key stakeholders involved in the Club.
“It was just over two years ago that we said our preference was to stay at Anfield and here we are today announcing that the expansion is going ahead. We have made more progress in the past two years than in the last decade.
“Having experience of expanding Fenway Park and being through a similar and very successful project for the Red Sox, everyone at FSG is extremely proud and excited to be part of expanding Anfield Stadium.”
