Liverpool’s resurgence as a Champions League team – and their run to last season’s final – was worth £575million to the UK economy, a new study has revealed.
A remarkable £497million of this figure was pumped into Liverpool, the city and surrounding region, during the 2017/18 and the research, undertaken by the Deloitte Sports Business Group, illustrated how important a successful football team is to Merseyside.
More than 1.5million fans visited Anfield – 750,000 of whom came from outside the city – and the vast demand to see Jurgen Klopp’s team means that club officials will consider in the future the prospect of extending the Anfield Road stand.
Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owners, oversaw a hugely successful renovation of the club’s stadium and the new Main Stand has been responsible for helping bring in significant extra revenue and Peter Moore, the club’s Chief Executive, is aware of the potential that remains for expansion.
‘In the first year it (the new stand) brought an extra £12 million to the bottom line, but more importantly it brought a different experience to the visitors,’ said Moore. ‘You bring in a consumer – if you want to call it that – that wants to enjoy sports in a different way.
‘We have things we did not have before. I used to come to the old Directors’ Box when invited by a friend. The experience in the old Main Stand was nice, but it was quaint. When you travel the world you know what a football club like this should have.
‘It is clear that many of our matchday visitors came to Liverpool for the football, but return for the city itself, so there is longevity and a continuous cycle to the impact we’re creating.’
Liverpool are currently committed to building a new training ground at their Academy in Kirkby – work is well underway on the £50million project – and until that is completed, they will not look at revamping Anfield.
Liverpool will sell their historic Melwood base and it will be turned into properties but that decision has caused dismay to local residents in West Derby.
‘We know what needs to happen, but we are absorbed with Kirkby,’ said Moore.
‘FSG have written the cheque to move away from Melwood and get all our teams playing in the same facility. We are also building community pitches for the kids in Kirkby and Knowsley. One bite at a time.
‘Then we will figure out what to do with regards expansion of the stadium itself.’
Moore, meanwhile, did not wish to answer a question about Liverpool’s £250,000 contribution to the £5million pay-off that former Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore received last autumn. The issue surrounding Scudamore was met with huge opposition on Merseyside.
He did admit, though, that the ongoing quest to replace Scudamore has caused a degree of anxiety.
‘You’ve seen the statement from the league,’ said Moore. ‘We’re more interested in replacing him right now, which is proving a little bit more challenging than we would have hoped it would. Although, having attended a meeting last week, Richard Masters who has stepped in is doing a great job, so that’s about as much as I want to say on that.’
Liverpool’s CL run
PLAY-OFF ROUND
Hoffenheim 1 Liverpool 2
Liverpool 4 Hoffenheim 2
GROUP STAGE
Liverpool 2 Sevilla 2
Spartak Moscow 1 Liverpool 1
Maribor 0 Liverpool 7
Liverpool 3 Maribor 0
Sevilla 3 Liverpool 3
Liverpool 7 Spartak Moscow 0
LAST-16
Porto 0 Liverpool 5
Liverpool 0 Porto 0
QUARTER-FINAL
Liverpool 3 Manchester City 0
Manchester City 1 Liverpool 2
SEMI-FINAL
Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Roma 4 Liverpool 2
FINAL
Real Madrid 3 Liverpool 1
