Anfield stadium redevelopment: Liverpool close to biggest crowd for 50 years as test event goes ahead

The biggest crowd that Anfield has seen for more than 50 years could be in attendance when Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday, provided a test event being held this season sees the green light given.

Having seen the plans to open up the redeveloped Anfield Road End in time for the start of this season thrown into disarray back in August when the previous contractors, Buckingham Group, collapsed into administration, the Reds were handed the task of finding someone else to take over the project and deliver it both quickly and safely.

The £80m project will see an additional 7,000 seats, seeing the capacity of the stadium raised to 61,000 by the time it is fully operational. The increased capacity will greater satisfy demand for tickets and push Liverpool closer to the £100m per year mark when it comes to matchday revenue.

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Monday evening will see a test event for Phase One of the project take place, where ‘7,000 to 7,500’ fans will head to Anfield to use the stand as they would on a matchday, except the action on offer will be an LFC Foundation game and a Q&A session with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

In order for the club to obtain the necessary licences from Liverpool City Council, a test event must be held with a limited number of fans in the stand, where such things as fire evacuation must take place to ensure everything is fully compliant and safe.

Should the test event go to plan this evening and permission be granted, a capacity of 57,000 will be allowed, with the upper tier of the Anfield Road End open to supporters for the visit of Manchester United