New Liverpool Stadium Is Likely To Be Off

Third_Echelon

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

<snip> Who did we inherit Anfield from, again?

Someone knows their history

zing

On redeveloping Anfield - afaik it is possible but would seriously limit the design scope and short of completely moving out for a few seasons there is no way to incorporate some of the requirements such as underground parking, etc.. The club do own a lot of the houses in the neighbouring streets that have been tinned up over the years so it would be a case of closing off one or 2 of those streets (which happens all over the place so nothing special there) and rotating the pitch through 90 degrees. That's assuming they own entire streets worth. And while the Parry bowl might work there the likes of the Hicks bowl most likely wouldn't.

On groundshare there's one aspect that's not talked about much and that's the wear & tear on the pitch over the course of the season. While it might work in drier climates such as Italy would the pitch stand up to that many games in the slightly wetter north west England ? As it is many clubs partially or completely returf during the season if they get a break of 2 or 3 weeks with no home games - such a window is highly unlikely to occur with a groundshare so you'd be looking to try keep the pitch in tip top condition over twice as many games as are currently played at either ground. I know the likes of the JJB is shared and from what I can recall seeing that pitch on a few occasions in a far from great state. In terms of the pitch is a groundshare practical ?

Third_Echelon

JJB is shared with a Rugby League team though. Thats a very different type of wear and tear... Rugby games tear up the pitch a lot more than football would.

Rugby league doesn't have scrums though, so the wear on the pitch I reckon would be less than that if Rugby Union was played on it..

If there was a groundshare, the pitch would be something that they'd have to get their thinking-caps on for alright...

There are quite a few technologies available nowadays when it comes to turf for football pitches than there has been in the past.. Croke Park for example..

http://www.hoganstand.com/general/ground/articles/0313033.htm

http://www.geocities.com/jorgenpfhartogs/Croke_Park.html

Pitch The new pitch at Croke Park was laid during spring/summer 2002 in time for the Leinster hurling final but its use was limited in its first winter to minimise the damage ahead of the Special Olympics and All-Ireland Club finals, which took place on 17 March 2003. This was the first replacement of the pitch surface in the history of the stadium. Supplied and installed by Leicester-based, Hewitt's Sportsturf, the new surface is a DD GrassMaster Desso pitch. The yarn and DD GrassMaster system, comprises of a stable, free-draining base layer topped by a layer of compost-enriched sand. During installation computer controlled machines injected a special yarn into the ground to a depth of approximately 20cm leaving 2cm above the ground. A rye grass especially developed for Croke Park was then seeded between the artificial grass fibres. Once the natural grass has grown fully and the turf is dense, the artificial grass fibres carry out their work almost invisibly. This natural grass is hard-wearing, quick growing and has a quick recovery time, taking between only four and six weeks to grow. The close proximity of the stitching and the natural grass roots growing around the stitching is what gives the pitch its stability and is the key to the success of this type of surface. The system is employed in a number of English soccer stadia, including Anfield (Liverpool FC), Upton Park (West Ham United) and Villa Park (Aston Villa).

Doing a search on google for 'Hewitt Sportsturf' throws up loads more info... Looks like they did the Emirates as well..

citytillidie

Yea and Rugby leage is manily now played in the summer when the football is off, just a few weeks either side of the end of one season and the start of the new season are they played at the same time.

Third_Echelon

RL season seems to be February to October, so the overlay is 4 months at the end of the season (Feb - May) and 2 months at the beginning (August, September // Just the grand final game at the beginning of October).

If I remember back to last season, the Wigan pitch was a mess in Feb, March. They had an underground heating issue as well, which scorched the grass right up the middle of the pitch

leninbenjamin

citytillidie wrote: »

As for talking about how it works in Italy and Germany there is a completly different story they have been doing it for years and weather in Italy is better, only have to look at when Palace and Wimbledon were sharing a ground look at the state of the pitch during the winter.

the weather should make no difference. Salthill Devon in Galway recently hosted the Galway cup on their pitches, featuring about 60 teams. each of their 4 pitches hosted somewhere between 5 to 8 hours of football a day, over a 5 day period. And despite heavy rain during the week, by the close of the tournament the pitches were still in fantastic condition; such is the leap in pitch technology and maintenance. If we can do that here, Pool and Everton wont have anything to worry about.

Dub13

Liverpool FC owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks deny stadium claim

The Echo

Oct 1 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL'S American owners today denied claims that the company contracted to the club's new stadium has been stood down.

But fears persist that the project may now be held up for more than year.

Rumours surfaced yesterday that builders Laing O'Rourke and other companies involved in the building of the Reds new stadium had been ordered to down tools.

But Jonathan Brill, London-based spokesman for Kop Football Ltd which represents Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, insisted this is not the case.

He said: "Laing O'Rourke are still very much part of the team here.

"Obviously because of the delay in the stadium there may not be as much work at present.

“But we can categorically say they have not been stood down and are still part of our team."

The start of basic ‘enabling works’ on the new stadium were announced with a loud fanfare this summer, and began on June 23.

But only last month the club confirmed a "short term" delay in the project.

The problem was believed to be a lack of funds due in part to the American economic downturn and credit crunch climate.

Hicks and Gillett have until January to seek and secure a refinancing package on the £350m they took out, but until then appear to have run out funds to continue work on the stadium.

Laing O'Rourke chiefs have come to believe construction of the £350m stadium will not start until the end of 2009 at the earliest.

A source said to be close to the project was quoted earlier this month in the building trade magazine Contract Journal, saying: "The earliest date the contractors are looking at starting on the stadium is late next year - if it happens at all.

"The bottom line is that the club has no money.”