Parry:

[Jezzman]

I'm really excited about this new stadium. Can't wait to see the final result!

 

We?ll keep the Kop at new ground ? Parry

Mar 1 2007

By Liverpool Echo

 

LIVERPOOL chief executive Rick Parry insists the club are fully committed to ensuring the Stanley Park Stadium incorporates a distinctive Kop End.

 

Designs for the new arena reveal that, unike the current Anfield, there won?t be one larger stand eclipsing the others, which has prompted some fears the impact of the current Kop won?t be replicated.

 

The Reds chief says both the current hierarchy and the new owners have been considering several alternative ways to ensure the most famous stand in football is recreated within the modern stadium.

 

George Gillett and Tom Hicks are in the process of analysing what minor improvements can be made to the current design, but there will be no compromise on preserving the The Kop End.

 

"The plan is to have a single tier Kop. There?s no question of that. That?s one of the priorities we don?t want to change," said Parry.

 

"In terms of whether one stand will be bigger than others, that?s difficult. When you?re designing a new stadium that?s not particularly logical. But all of us at the club know that making The Kop distinctive is very important. George and Tom absolutely understand that. There are a variety of different ways we can do that, but we don?t have any specifics to discuss at the moment."

 

Parry is also acutely aware of the need to preserve the unique Anfield atmosphere likely in the forthcoming fixtures against Manchester United and Barcelona, while also supporting fans? efforts to enhance the noise levels at less high profile games.

 

One theory is that if the facilities in the Stanley Park Stadium are good enough, more fans may be encouraged to arrive at the ground earlier, which tends to build an atmosphere prior to kick-off.

 

However, Parry recognises changing the match going routines of Liverpool supporters is easier in theory than practice.

 

"We can certainly improve facilities and if we do that well, perhaps we can encourage more people to congregate in the stadium earlier.

 

"But changing habits is difficult," he said.

 

"If we can provide more football related pre-match entertainment which isn?t marching bands or dancing girls, there must be ways of doing it. But that has to come from the fans. We want to listen to them and hear ways of making that difference.

 

"We have a dialogue with the fans involved with the Reclaim The Kop camapaign, but we know they?re not an exclusive voice on these issues and don?t necessarily speak for everyone.

 

"But with the Reclaim The Kop campaign we respect that someone is trying to take the initiative and take positive action. That should be applauded and we?re always keen to hear more ideas."

 

Gillett and Hicks will bring their own matchday experiences from the United States, but there is clearly a different culture separating American and English sports fans.

 

Parry added: "With American sports, the whole event is much longer. In all their sports there are more time-outs and breaks, so for an hour long ice hockey match you?re there three hours. Baseball is even longer, so there?s a lot of stop-starting which couldn?t be the case here.

 

"You also have car parking for 12,000 people so there?s more picnic areas and the like. It?s completely different here. The reason people went to the ground earlier in football grounds in the old days is because you didn?t always have a seat and needed to queue up to get in.

 

"Nowadays people have their seat in advance."

[Rushian]

so it'll be exactly the same as the original plans.

[rikf]

Whats wrong with dancing girls???

[fyds]

Like Me, Rushian, Mike, Ricflairandy and several others have stated what you see in the Vernon Sangster is not the last word. I'd heard over a year ago that although there were no public pronouncements or publically available plans, the board were insistent on keeping a single tier Kop, and that there would be some reasonable gain in seat numbers as a by-product. Mike posted that the council or H&S had insisted there be rather more bogs available throughout the ground and I also know several large sculptural murals are to be included within internal public corridors/passageways illustrating the history of the club. The plans at Vernon Sangster are the basic agreed spec and in a broad strokes format - there is still some significant scope for rejigging non-structurally dependent elements.

 

so it'll be exactly the same as the original plans.

There are enough arl gits on here without you starting!

[Cobs]

well considering the digging is supposed to start in a few weeks can they release an update drawing or two of what the feck they're inteding to do ?

 

not much to ask, is it ?

[mrjunk]

what he said

[fyds]

well considering the digging is supposed to start in a few weeks can they release an update drawing or two of what the feck they're inteding to do ?

 

not much to ask, is it ?

I suppose once Gillette and Hicks have had their people finish having a look at tweaking things they might do so - even then it may not be the final, final version.

[Lee W]

Well surely, any changes must only be very minor and "cosmetic" otherwise the plans would have to re-submitted through some sort of change process.

 

Non ?

[The Hitman]

Maybe we're just making things up as we go along.

[fyds]

Well surely, any changes must only be very minor and "cosmetic" otherwise the plans would have to re-submitted through some sort of change process.

 

Non ?

Non!

For the most part, as long as the footprint isn't changed, the height exceeded, the agreed capacity range (unless by negotiation), Structural integrity not altered and in keeping with pre-agreed strictures, regs H&S and access laws and all that basic stuff, you can play around with the internals a fair bit making sure you keep all those that need to know fully informed, onside and briefed. So it's tight in many ways, but not as cosmetic as may first seem.

Edited March 1, 2007 by fyds

[kacangpool]

Whats wrong with dancing girls???

 

Maybe we can feed a Neville to the lions at half time.

[fyds]

Maybe we can feed a Neville to the lions at half time.

Now you're talking...this is just the sort of creative thinking we need. Only problem is the RSPCA would never allow such cruelty.

[Spike]

that alone is worth building a new stadium for

[Dan]

so it'll be exactly the same as the original plans.

 

Got a link?

[Lee W]

Non!

For the most part, as long as the footprint isn't changed, the height exceeded, the agreed capacity range (unless by negotiation), Structural integrity not altered and in keeping with pre-agreed strictures, regs H&S and access laws and all that basic stuff, you can play around with the internals a fair bit making sure you keep all those that need to know fully informed, onside and briefed. So it's tight in many ways, but not as cosmetic as may first seem.

 

You are the Master of Caveats.

 

.....so not a lot then in summary.

Edited March 1, 2007 by Lee W

[fyds]

You are the Master of Caveats.

 

.....so not a lot then in summary.

No, more than you think - and I don't just mean which colour paint!

[Munching Gladbach]

No, more than you think - and I don't just mean which colour paint!

 

Speaking of paint, can we have a giant pot of Crown paint on the centre circle like in the good old days? The opportunity to see that should get the people in nice and early.

[trowie]

Now you're talking...this is just the sort of creative thinking we need. Only problem is the RSPCA would never allow such cruelty.

Surely the RSPCA hate him as well

[Rushian]

Got a link?

 

The plans which were resubmitted in 2006 were the same as those submitted in 2003. The "Kop" hasn't changed one iota and will be the same as the opposite end - a single lift stand separated in two by a gangway.

[Kite]

Surely the RSPCA hate him as well

I think fyds was referring to the lions ...

[trowie]

I think fyds was referring to the lions ...

[Maldini]

The plans which were resubmitted in 2006 were the same as those submitted in 2003. The "Kop" hasn't changed one iota and will be the same as the opposite end - a single lift stand separated in two by a gangway.

How does that differentiate it from the far end then?

[Guest Jonny-B]

How does that differentiate it from the far end then?

 

It doesn't - thats the point and why people are (sadly only now) getting angry.

 

Parry can talk about changes - but he's practically said in the echo piece that both stands will be the same.

[Gomez]

Parry can talk about changes - but he's practically said in the echo piece that both stands will be the same.

 

That does make sense though. If you are building from scratch, making one end bigger is effectively making one end smaller just for the sake of having them different sizes. People are already complaining that it is not big enough.

[DaveLFC]

What about these bunkers that were muted a few weeks ago? I'm guessing these are built under the pitch and with a lift for access allow some corporate members a place to chill when the game is not on.

 

This should not get in the way of the plans too much and raise some decent revenue.