Liverpool get go-ahead for new stadium

LIVERPOOL boss Rafael Benitez has hailed the latest step towards the Anfield club being able to build their new stadium after the city council confirmed the leasing of land for the scheme.

Liverpool City Council’s executive board have rubber-stamped an early committee decision to allow Liverpool a 999-year lease on an area of the nearby Stanley Park to start work on the ground, now considered to be costing the Anfield club £180m.

Benitez said: “It is very important that we have this new stadium to have more room for our fans.

“It will help us provide very important extra funds for our future, and it will help us to compete with clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, the latter who have just opened their new stadium.

“We have fantastic support at Liverpool and the Kop is a very special place, but our capacity is just 45,000. It would be even better for everyone if we had 60,000 fans in the ground.”

Benitez’s views though do not touch on the true dilemma for Liverpool, who now must provide evidence by the end of the month they have the private capital to build the stadium.

If they do not do that they are in danger of losing European and UK Government grants of around £15million that will help build the infrastructure around the new stadium and help regenerate the north Liverpool area, a key component in the council’s decision to grant them their lease.

As far as the council is concerned, the last political hurdle has been overcome and the onus is all on the club to show they have the money, a major stumbling block for the past five agonising years of negotiations.

Council leader Warren Bradley said: “Liverpool FC is one of the best known and most successful in the world yet it stands in one of the poorest areas, not only in the city, but in the country.

“We can now provide a new home for the football club fitting for their status as one of the world’s best, and at the same time use their success to spark a dramatic revival of the Anfield and Breckfield areas.”

Meanwhile, Benitez admits he will find it very difficult to leave in-form striker Peter Crouch out of the 204th Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park this lunchtime.

Crouch has now hit 11 goals in his last 14 England matches and scored three in four games for Liverpool.

Benitez said: “It does not make it a problem when strikers are scoring goals. But as a manager you feel it is the right time to use a player in such form, because he could score with his backside in his current form.”