Liverpool owner John Henry has suggested that the club’s fans’ opposition to ticket price rises could jeopardise plans for further stadium expansion.
Development work on the Main Stand over the summer added an extra 8,500 seats to Anfield’s capacity, which now stands at 54,074. Plans for the next phase of the redevelopment would see the Anfield Road end extended, adding another 5,000 seats.
However, while the estimated £120m (€138.7m/$155.6m) cost of the Main Stand work could pay for itself within five years due to high levels of hospitality seating, Henry has expressed his concerns as to whether the Anfield Road end can provide a return on investment.
Earlier this year, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced new ticket prices which included some seats at £77 and a first £1,000-a-year season ticket. Fans opposed the rise and more than 10,000 exited Anfield in protest after 77 minutes of the game against Sunderland in February, which led to a u-turn from FSG.
Speaking to the Associated Press about his Anfield plans, Henry said: "I don't know if there is a next step because ticket prices are an issue in England. That may foreclose further expansion. We'll have to see."
According to the Liverpool Echo newspaper around half of the extra 8,500 seats in the new Main Stand are allocated for hospitality, and it is hoped the £120m loan from the club's owners which paid for it can be recouped within five to six years.
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