Architects asked for cheaper Liverpool FC stadium design

Dec 19 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Picture of Liverpool FC's new stadium plans

TWO firms of architects are battling to design Liverpool FC’s new stadium, after the club’s current proposal had to be scrapped because costs had soared.

It comes after American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett revealed that they had been forced to abandon the plan because they could not afford to pay for it and fund new signings.

Costs had risen from £300m when it was announced in the summer to around £450m.

Effectively Dallas architects HKS, who were behind the spectacular proposals revealed in July, have been told to make their plan cheaper and probably less impressive.

That stadium had the capacity to be expanded to 76,000.

And Manchester-based AFL, which was behind a previous proposal rejected by Hicks and Gillett because it was “obsolete”, was told to improve on its scheme for Stanley Park.

The club is now expected to choose one of the revised plans in the New Year.

Chief executive Rick Parry last night insisted: “The objective on day one in building the new stadium was to generate more cash to fund the team and we must never get away from that objective.

“We remain confident we can achieve that and still produce a very impressive solution.”

The fact that plans for a 76,000 stadium have now been shelved is a severe blow to Hicks and Gillett who had pledged to create “a world-class stadium” to help Liverpool “compete with the Manchester Uniteds, Real Madrids and Barcelonas of the football world”.

The move means the club will have to re-submit a third planning application for a new ground – a project which has been on the drawing board for the past eight years.