Home of the Kop (Anfield (Liverpool FC))

Member Name: The Duke

Product:	Anfield (Liverpool FC)
Date:	26/01/02 (3229 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Liverpool play here

Disadvantages: Hard to get to from Belfast, Limited tickets

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."
Bill Shankly

Since I was a wee nipper, I've been a Liverpool supporter. Over the years, my dad and my uncle (also a Liverpool supporter) promised me on many, many occasions that we would definitely go to Anfield to see Liverpool "this season". Year after year, I would be bitterly disappointed that, by the end of the season, I still hadn't made the pilgrimage across.

So, it was with a large, smug grin (and not a hint of irony) that my first major investment when I started work "properly" was a trip for my father and I to Anfield. I think we were fortunate in that we got to see one of the "big" sides (Arsenal), but it was only a nil all draw. A young striker who had one of his first Premier League starts that day had wasted many, many chances. ("He's rubbish" I proclaimed, "That boy Fowler will never be any good").

So, enough about my ability to spot footballing talent ? what about Anfield? Before I go into the ground, I have to point out that one thing that surprised me when first seeing the playing surface, and the match is how much smaller it is compared to the way it looks on the telly. The cameras seem to provide the illusion that the pitch is about three times the size that it is in real life. When you're sitting watching your team play, and it looks as if they have acres of space, it's not really the case!

"Mind you, I've been here during the bad times too - one year we came second."
Bob Paisley

**** A Very brief History ****

Anfield was originally the home of Everton Football Club, who played there from 1884 to 1892 when an argument forced them to move to move across Stanley Park to Goodison Road. In their place, the old landlord formed his own
football club and named it Liverpool. The first proper stand (the Main Stand) was built in 1895, and remains to this day (albeit upgraded and expanded).

**** How to get there ****

The ground is well signposted around the city, and motorists shouldn't have any difficulty in finding it irrespective of which direction they approach from. It's only 3 miles from the city centre, 4 miles from the M62 and 7 miles from the M57/M58. Each time I've visited Anfield, I've approached from different directions, using different modes of transport. There are regular bus routes that lead right past the ground. I can't remember the specific route numbers off hand because the only time I've taken the bus to Anfield was nearly 10 years ago.

**** Stuff to do ****

There's a museum of Liverpool Football Club within the ground, and you can also take a tour.

The museum contains lots of things to see and do. There are a few films documenting life at Anfield, as well as some of the more interesting periods of Liverpool FC's history plus displays of trophies won over the years. There are various exhibits showing footballing equipment over the years with donations from ex-Liverpool players. It's not just looking at things behind glass though ? you have a chance of being a TV director or even becoming a commentator! For the more energetic amongst you, why not try your hand at the penalty gallery? Unfortunately, I was unable to take part in this because as you may guess, it was impossible to get the ankle biters off it.

The tour is what I was really interested in. The obligatory cheeky Scouse chap showed us around the ground and he was very entertaining. The tour includes seeing the dressing rooms, the dugout and the Spion Kop. During this time, your guide should talk non-stop while his accomplice will sneak out and steal your hubcaps. No, that bit's a lie actually. Your guide will divulge lots of intere
sting facts about the stand, the ground etc. during the trip round. (Did you know to light the entire ground including floodlights on a mid-Winder match day costs less than £50?) I do remember that the tour was quite short, although I did see all that I wanted to. I even touched the "This is Anfield" sign, and I'll never wash that hand again.

Our tour was the day before a match day, and so we were unable to see the home team's dressing room where apparently preparations were already underway. We did see the away changing room, complete with shirts. We were informed that these shirts were replicas, but later in the season, the club replaced them with "proper" shirts. I've always wondered what the difference between replica and proper shirts were, so I was disappointed not to have had the opportunity to investigate. You're not allowed onto the grass, never mind the pitch, but I did sneak a few blades into my pocket to cherish.

There are a few other main points of interest at the ground. The first is a bronze statue of Shankly which is in front of the Kop Grandstand. If you're going to the shop or the museum, you can't miss it.

The Paisley Gateway is, of course, in tribute to Bob Paisley and leads to the Kop forecourt.

At the Anfield Road end, you have the famous Shankly Gates bearing the phrase "You'll Never Walk Alone", and right beside that is the Hillsborough Memorial, naming all 96 Liverpool supporters who died at Hillsborough on 15th April 1989. An eternal flame is also lit, and the memorial is always decorated with flowers and tributes.

Parking for the museum and tour is available within the ground during the week (except match days) in the Centenary and Main Stand car parks.

"I was the best manager in Britain because I was never devious or cheated anyone. I'd break my wife's legs if I played against her, but I'd never cheat her."

Bill Shankly

****The Ground Itself ****

Well, apart from the obvious club shop, there's also a McDonalds and the obligatory ticket shop. At first glance, while being an impressive size, it was a lot smaller than I imagined it to be. There are four main stands at Anfield, and the above-mentioned shops are part of the back of the Spion Kop grandstand.

The Spion Kop grandstand is possibly the most famous stand in the world of football. A local journalist named it after a hill in South Africa when many local soldiers lost their lives as part of the Boer War at the start of the last century. It once held 30,000 supporters, and during it's heyday was home to probably the most passionate set of supporters in football. However, due to the changes in the game, the old Kop was replaced in 1995 with the new stand seen today. In fact, as an indication to how famous the Spion Kop was, on the day before it was demolished, over 10,000 people turned up to pay their respects.
Current capacity: 12,390

The Main Stand is the oldest stand left at Anfield. It is in this stand that the television gantries are. It was last updated in 1973 (and could do with another face lift, if you ask me). My advice here is that if you want to go to a Liverpool match, then avoid the Main Stand if possible. This is because practically every seat is a restricted view due to the supporting pillars used. While some views are obviously more restrictive than others, why take the chance when the other stands have no supporting pillars (and are thus less likely to have restricted views).
Current Capacity: 9,575 (plus a paddock of 2,454)

The Anfield Road (the one at the left hand end of the ground, if you're watching Liverpool on the telly) has recently been expanded to a second tier. This is where the away supporters are, and if you are in that end of the Main Stand, there's some great fun to be had trading "insults" with the awa
y supporters. A few years ago there were worries, shortly after the new tier opened, that the second tier was unstable and may have to be closed, but a few tests and minor repairs were carried out and everything is "sound" (or so they say on Brookside).
Current Capacity: 9,116

The Centenary Stand was opened in 1992, and as the name might suggest, this was named because of the club's centenary which was celebrated that year. It's a very impressive stand with plenty of seats with excellent views of the action. One point worth mentioning is that it was built to get as many people in as possible. The seat treads are the shortest legally allowed, and if you need some relief during the match, you could be forced to climb over up to 23 other people to get out. The luxury boxes are also housed in this stand.
Current Capacity: 11,411

(Plus corporate boxes have 344 seats and there are 80 disabled positions)

Total Capacity: 45,370

I found the atmosphere at Anfield to be brilliant. People were friendly, and the banter with the opposing supporters was a lot of fun and good-natured. My friend, who supports Man. City, has been to a lot of Premiership grounds has said that Anfield was one of the friendliest he'd been to (Elland Road was the most hostile, according to him).

The pitch, especially at the start of the season, is like a bowling green. It's level, trimmed to perfection and if you play football, is just asking for you to kick a ball around on it. Surprisingly, football pitches are replaced every three or four years due to the limited life span of the turf used (and the heavy duty usage of today's pitches). The last major work done on the pitch was in 1998 when a totally new surface was put down new drainage and under-soil heating systems were also installed. The pitch length at Anfield is 111 yards long by 74 yards wide (approx. 101 meters by 68 meters) if that's the sort of thing that
floats your boat.

There is now a decision making process in operation to decide whether it is better to move the club to a new stadium at a massive cost, or to choose the cheaper option of expanding the ground further, and spend some extra cash on the team.

(At Dixie Dean's funeral) "I know this is a sad occasion but I think that Dixie would be amazed to know that even in death he could draw a bigger crowd than Everton can on a Saturday Afternoon."
Bill Shankly

**** Getting Match tickets ***

I found the methods used by Liverpool to sell match tickets to be quite strange. However, for most league matches, the tickets go on sale between three and four weeks before the match date for postal and credit card applications. To buy in person at Anfield, tickets will go on sale around a week after the credit card/postal applications, and if you're a member of the priority ticket scheme, you can get the tickets a week before the cc/postal applicants.

Tickets cost between £22 and £27 depending on the match and stand.

Kop Grandstand: Category A games £25 Category B games £22
Main Stand: Category A games £27 Category B games £24
Centenary Stand: Category A games £27 Category B games £24
Paddock: Category A games £27 Category B games £24
Anfield Road: Category A games £27 Category B games £24

Category A Matches:
Everton, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Sunderland.

There are, of course, concessionary prices for children and senior citizens available to both classes of match.

Credit card line
0870 220 2151

European Champions League
0870 220 0034

Worthington Cup (bit useless now!)
0870 220 0056

Postal applications
You must include a stamped addressed envelope or international reply envelope with each application. Se
nd cheque made payable to Liverpool FC to:
LFC Ticket Office,
P.O. Box 204,
Liverpool.
L69 4PQ.

**** Contact Details ****
Liverpool Football Club,
Anfield Road,
Liverpool
L4 0TH

Tel: (0151) 263 2361,
Fax: (0151) 260 8813

We've just got time for one final quote:
"Liverpool rock."
The Duke.

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