Football: CASH IN HAND.
Byline: DAVID PRENTICE Chief Sports WriterLIVERPOOL'S new Anfield development will not weaken Gerard Houllier's hand in the transfer market.
The Reds' boss will still be able to spend while the project is progressing -and Reds'chief executive Rick Parry believes the new stadium will place more funds at the manager's disposal.
``We are not seeking a penny in grants for the stadium itself . . . and we are not dipping into existing funds,'' said Mr Parry.
``This absolutely does not leave us short of funds to strengthen the team. The whole purpose of this is to make us more successful.
``It's not for the sake of having a new stadium. It's to make us more successful.
``The stadium will be funded by the extra revenue generated, which is the normal model for new stadia.''
The new 60,000-seater stadia, an increase in capacity of 15,000, will generate around pounds 12m to pounds 13mextra each year,and the stadium should be paid for completely within 16 to 17 years.
``We can afford the pounds 80m the stadium will cost,'' added Parry.
``The total scheme is much closer to pounds 120m,but we hope the scheme will prove the catalyst for hundreds of millions of pounds' worth of investment in the area.''
Mr Parry is also confident the Reds will not suffer from the rising building costs which fatally hit Everton's plans to build a stadium on the Kings Dock.
``Costs should not rise,'' he explained.``We already have a contract in place with building contractors Carillion and this has been designed right down to the very, very minute level of detail.
``We haven't quite chosen the colour of the carpets yet, but they won't be blue!''
Liverpool's original stadium plan was for a 70,000-seater,but Mr Parry believes the latest design will please the fans and is more economically viable.
``We started at 70,000 because that would have given us the biggest stadium in the country,''he added. ``But looking at the economics, that stadium itself would have cost in the region of pounds 130m and there were more transport implications which was another obligation for us.
``This is not a compromise. It is something which is world-class and something Liverpool should be proud of.
``The current design is more of a traditional stadium than it was, with greater proximity to the pitch.''
A name for the new stadium has yet to be discussed, but Mr Parry reassured the traditionalists by saying: ``The presumption is that it will be called Anfield.
``We haven't sat down and discussed that yet, but why would it be anything else?''
Names for the various areas of the ground have also not been discussed, but there is one, singletier, easily identifiable section at one end of the stadium which has the potential to become a new Spion Kop.
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
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| Publication: | Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) |
| Date: | Oct 8, 2003 |
| Words: | 473 |
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