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Anfield
(Liverpool)
Address: Anfield Road,
Liverpool,
Merseyside,
England,
L4 0TH
Capacity: 53,394 (All-Seater)
There's a number of Kops around in English football, but there's only one that's known the world over.
First built in 1884, Anfield has been home to Liverpool Football Club since their formation in 1892, but perhaps less known is that the ground was also the former home of the Reds’ city-rivals Everton between 1884 and 1892.
The Toffees moved out that year following a row over its rent, heading a short distance away to their current home.
Location and Getting There
Anfield is located on the east side of the River Mersey, in the Anfield suburb of Liverpool, a little under 2.5 miles north of the City Centre.
The ground itself is at the southern point of Stanley Park, and less than a mile north on the west side of the park is Goodison Park, the home of Everton Football Club.
Anfield and Goodison are two of the closest football grounds in the whole United Kingdom.
As with most major city football grounds, there are several ways that fans can get to Anfield for a match.
Travelling directly to the stadium by the car is perhaps the most difficult, as there are a lot of tight streets around Anfield that are regularly shut off to vehicles, and I wouldn’t recommend driving down these even if they were open. Chances are if you do find somewhere free to park, you’re going to need to walk a very long distance to the stadium anyway.
Stanley Park Car Park is located a short distance away from the stadium's northern side, but is normally only accessible on a first-come-first-served basis if you are heading to Anfield for a non-matchday stadium tour. If you are coming on a matchday tour, Liverpool FC recommend using the St. Domingo Car Park, less than 0.5 miles west of Anfield along St. Domingo Road.
My best recommendation for arriving at Anfield is using a combination of rail and bus.
The nearest railway stations to Anfield are Kirkdale, Bank Hall and Sandhills, all served by Merseyrail. The one I would suggest choosing for Liverpool matches is Sandhills, less than 1.5 miles west of the stadium, it’s a relatively straight route from the station, and should take around 25 minutes at a good pace.
The first time I visited Anfield though was for an evening fixture and involved the combination of rail and bus. Liverpool Lime Street is the main station in the City Centre, and tends to be the end of the line for a lot of services heading up to the Northwest.
Once you arrive here, you can take a short walk outside to the Bus Station at Queens Square, which is right outside the Liverpool Marriott Hotel. From here, there are a few routes you can take, but I’d recommend the 917 Stagecoach Merseyside service which takes you to the ground in about 20 minutes.
Outside the Stadium
If you're coming from Liverpool Lime Street, the first stand you will arrive at is the famous Kop on the southern side of the ground. You enter here through Paisley Gateway off Walton Breck Road (A5089).
The gates are named after Bob Paisley. Born in Hetton-le-Hole on 23rd January 1919, Paisley played more than 250 times for Liverpool between 1939 and 1954. What he is best remembered however is his time as Liverpool manager between 1974 and 1983. His list of accolades during that time included six First Division Titles, three League Cups, three UEFA European Cups, and one UEFA Cup, making him one of the greatest British managers of all time.
Associated with Liverpool Football Club for almost 50 years, Paisley passed away on 14th February 1996 at the age of 77.
The design of the Paisley gates includes the Liverpool club crest, as well as the crest of Paisley's birthplace, Hetton-le-Hole in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
The Kop's exterior is made up mostly of brickwork, though the centre holds a large panelled picture of current Liverpool players.
Turnstiles into the stand are based near to either end, with the Main Ticket Office also close by.
The Kop used to hold the Liverpool Superstore, but that can now be found in a completely separate building away from Anfield's southwest corner.
Near to here is a statue of Bill Shankly. Born in Glenbuck on 2nd September 1913, Shankly is well known for being the predecessor to the success Bob Paisley had as Liverpool manager. Shankly was at the helm of the Reds between 1959 and 1974, during which time he won three First Divison Titles, a Second Division Title, two FA Cups, and the UEFA Cup in 1973.
Regarded as one of the most important figures in Liverpool's history, Shankly passed away on 29th September 1981 at the age of 68.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction brings you to the Main Stand, easily the largest part of Anfield. It has taken 76 years in total to complete this side of the stadium, with work finally being completed in 2016.
The stand's exterior consists of two levels, with the much larger upper level perched upon a podium that you can get to via one of three staircases. These are at either end of the stand and there is also one in the very centre.
Anfield's Main Reception and the two turnstiles (T and V) are based on the upper level, whilst the lower level holds the Players' Entrance and a lift that allows disabled supporters to get up to this very impressive top level.
Slightly to the left of the central staircase is a memorial plaque dedicated to the victims of the Hillsborough Disaster. On the 15th April 1989, during an FA Cup Semi-Final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest which was taking place at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, a fatal human crush occurred in the Leppings Lane End where Liverpool supporters were being housed. 96 people lost their lives that day, with 766 suffering injuries. It remains the worst disaster in British sporting history.
The memorial plaque at the base of the Main Stand lists the names of every single person who died on that tragic day, and their legacy will forever remain part of Liverpool Football Club and its supporters.
The northern side of Anfield is known as the Anfield Road Stand after the street which runs along outside of it.
Its exterior consists of a brickwork base, with large white panels higher up and a cantilever roof on top.
Turnstiles are spread evenly across the stand's base, and out beyond the Anfield Road Stand is the matchday VIP car park, with the larger Stanley Park Car Park further out beyond that.
The East Stand is named after Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Born in Glasgow on 4th March 1951, Dalglish joined Liverpool from Celtic in 1977. He would remain with the Reds until 1991, becoming player-manager in 1985. Having moved on to manage Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, Dalglish eventually returned to manage Liverpool between May 2011 and May 2012. Part of a hugely successful period at the club, his list of accolades as a Liverpool player and manager includes eight First Divison Titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and three UEFA European Cups.
Capped 102 times by Scotland, Dalglish is affectionately referred to by Liverpool fans as 'King Kenny', and the East Stand at Anfield has been named after him since May 2017.
The Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand's exterior is split into three sections by four large brick towers, with the two outer sections made up mostly of white panels. You can find two turnstiles at the base of each. The central section forms a giant glass façade and the entrance to the Sir Kenny Dalglish Reception is at the base.
If you are coming round to the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand from Anfield Road, you will enter through the Shankly Gates, yet another part of Anfield that pays homage to the iconic Liverpool manager.
Inside the Stadium
The Kop is arguably the most famous stand in the entire country.
It’s the only one of the four at Anfield that consists of just a single tier, but is where the most passionate and vocal Liverpool supporters can be found. The Kop goes very, very far back as the stand itself is a similar height to the Anfield Road Stand opposite. The letters L.F.C are spelt out in white along the seating blocks, with a sliver of black seats used to give each letter a 3D effect.
The Kop's cantilever roof means that there are no supporting pillars coming down and so your view from anywhere inside is perfectly clear, albeit there will no doubt be a wall of flags and scarves which emerge as Liverpool's players come out of the tunnel before the game begins.
In the southeast corner between the Kop and Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand are two adjacent electronic scoreboards which can be seen by fans from anywhere inside Anfield.
The Main Stand absolutely towers over the rest of the stadium. It is a three-tiered behemoth that looks impressive enough when empty, and even better when completely full.
The bottom tier is the largest, with the middle tier the smallest, and the stand also holds the club’s changing rooms, tunnel and dugouts.
Your view from anywhere inside is perfectly clear because of the Main Stand's cantilever roof, and there are large windshields in place up at the very top to ensure that every fan inside is well protected from the elements.
The Anfield Road Stand consists of two tiers of red seating, with the lower tier much larger than the one above.
The letters NEW BALANCE, as well as the company's logo are made out of white seating across the lower tier blocks, whilst the upper tier is made up entirely of red seating.
Your view from anywhere in the upper tier is perfectly clear, but there are supporting pillars up towards the back of the lower tier. Your view may be restricted slightly if you are sat towards the back of the lower tier, but will be perfectly clear if you are sat further forwards.
Both tiers in the Anfield Road Stand are well protected from the sides by the stadium's enclosed design.
The Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand is two-tiered with the lower level larger than the top, and a row of executive boxes separating the tiers from one another.
At the time of writing the logo for Liverpool Football club’s sponsor is made out in white seating on two of the bottom tier blocks, but on the day that the stand was unveiled to Sir Kenny Dalglish himself, these were removed and the letters THE KING were spelt out along the lower level.
The stand's cantilever roof leaves no need for supporting pillars and so your view from anywhere inside is perfectly clear, with windshields in place where necessary to offer full protection from the sides.
Away Fans
Away fans are somewhat put behind the goal in the Anfield Road Stand.
Depending on the allocation as many as 3,000 supporters are given two blocks of the lower tier, next to the stadium's northwest corner. This leaves you with Liverpool fans a few rows away to your left and more above you in the top tier, something that really adds to the atmosphere on a matchday.
Your view from any seat in the away section is perfectly clear and well protected from the elements by Anfield's enclosed design.
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include:
-The Albert (185 Walton Breck Road, L4 0RE) (Typically Home Supporters)
-The Arkles (77 Anfield Road, L4 0TJ) (Popular with Away Supporters on a Liverpool or an Everton Matchday)
-The Flat Iron (The Breckside, Walton Breck Road, L4 0SY) (Typically Home and Away Supporters)
-Plenty of pubs can be found around Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool Lime Street Station, including The Crown (43 Lime Street, L1 1JQ) and Head of Steam (85-89 Hanover Street, L1 3DZ)
Overview
There isn’t much more to say about Anfield that hasn’t already been said. This is one of not just England’s, but Europe’s most iconic football grounds. The exterior design is fantastic and each of the four stands can provide great views of the pitch from inside.
Tickets for here are always difficult to get, but if the opportunity comes, make sure you take it.
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