Liverpool sign up Carillion for Anfield revamp
SUPPORT services and construction firm Carillion yesterday said it had been named preferred bidder for the £75m expansion of Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, ahead of the club’s return to the Champions League.
The proposals would increase the capacity of a new main stand by around 8,300, taking the overall capacity of the stadium to around 54,000.
Subject to planning consent, work on the project is expected to start later in 2014 and will take around 20 months to complete.
“We look forward to working closely with Liverpool Football Club to create new world-class facilities at its famous Anfield Stadium,” said chief executive Richard Howson.
Liverpool FC’s debts totalled £45.1m in the last financial year, according to the Premier League side’s latest accounts, as absence from the lucrative Champions League took its toll on the club. But a flurry of sponsorship deals with partners including carmaker Vauxhall boosted revenue to £206.1m.
Liverpool, backed by Fenway Sports Group – which also owns the Boston Red Sox – is believed to be selling disgraced Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona, with the Spanish side undeterred by a four-month ban he received for biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
Carillion said separately that its first-half performance was in line with expectations and it remains on track to meet its full-year targets, sending its shares up 3.1 per cent.
New and probable orders over the first half hit £2.7bn, bringing the firm’s total order book up to over £18.5bn.