Big dig starts on Reds Stanley Park stadium
Story by Luke Traynor
WORK has finally begun on paving the way for the new Liverpool FC stadium.
A licence issued by Liverpool council to Anfield officials prompted the start of preparatory work on the site on Monday.
Construction company Laing O'Rourke moved into Stanley Park as the project was finally given the green light
Large hoardings are being erected along Anfield Road, between the ground and the park, and will soon surround the whole site.
But no spades will go into the ground until September, when it's claimed the main construction work is then scheduled to begin.
However, an announcement on the major funding needed to complete the stadium is still to come from the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The announcement of preliminary work has, nonetheless, been heralded by the Americans.
Co-chairman Gillett said: "This is a significant milestone for the club and I am delighted that the design received full planning consent and that we are now on site.
"The stadium design is unique and will be recognised across the world as the Liverpool FC stadium."
The owners have also claimed the stadium - initally planned at 60,000 seats - will be open for the start of the 2011-2012 season, even though they have so far only committed funding for the earliest stages of its 'enabling' and have only just started speaking to each other again following a long feud.
Texas based Hicks said: "We recognise the importance of a new LFC stadium as part of the wider regeneration of the local area.
"I am pleased that now the club has received full planning permission it can join the regeneration process with the commencement of enabling works."
Planning permission for the stadium was granted by Liverpool council in May, but approved consent was given only six days ago.
Despite the go-ahead of groundwork, it remains unclear as to where the Americans will get the money from to actually build stadium, set to cost at least £300m.
They borrowed most of the money to buy Liverpool in the first place - with a standing £350m loan due for refinancing next year and the club now liable to repay £30m a year on their borrowings..
If Hicks and Gillett were to borrow again to build the stadium, then given the global credit crunch, banks would expect the pair to put up a minimum one third deposit from them - around £100m.
James McKenna, of fans group Spirit of Shankly, said: "We will believe it when we see it, when the new Kop is there in front of us."
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Am Steven Oduro Awuah from ghana and am 18yrs of age.Am a truely Liverpool fan and i would like to know more about what is going on in the team and about the Club.I like the new Stanley Park that is still in progress.Well i would also like to know a little bit history about Liverpool F.C,The new Stadium and also a magazine of The Team.