Anfield

Lore & Background

The stadium is named after the surrounding area, Anfield. The word originated in the combination of Old and Middle English words, which mean 'a field on a slope'. Anfield, and its deviations, has been associated with the area since at least 1642. Opened in 1884, Anfield was originally owned by John Orrell. The first match at the ground was between Everton and Earlestown on 28 September 1884, which Everton won 5–0. Anfield's first league match was played on 8 September 1888, between Everton and Accrington F.C. Everton became Anfield's first league champions in the 1890–91 season. In 1892, negotiations to purchase the land from Orrell escalated into a dispute between Houlding and the Everton committee, culminating in Everton's move to Goodison Park. Houlding formed a new club, Liverpool F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd, and the club's first match at Anfield was a friendly on 1 September 1892 against Rotherham Town. Liverpool's first Football League match at Anfield was played on 9 September 1893 against Lincoln City. The Spion Kop stand was built in 1906 and named after a hill in South Africa where a local regiment suffered heavy losses during the Boer War. The record attendance of 61,905 was set at a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952. The ground converted to an all-seater stadium in 1994 as a result of the Taylor Report. Two gates are named after former Liverpool managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. Statues of Shankly (unveiled in 1997) and Paisley (unveiled in 2020) stand outside the stadium. The club proposed relocating to a new stadium in Stanley Park in 2002; after Fenway Sports Group acquired Liverpool in 2010, the decision was taken to expand Anfield instead. This extension opened on 9 September 2016, increasing capacity to 54,074. Redevelopments to the Anfield Road Stand in 2024 increased capacity to over 61,000.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicks the famous red brick exterior as the floodlights hum to life against the grey Liverpool sky. Inside, the air is thick with anticipation, a palpable energy that vibrates through the concrete seats of The Kop.

Reader's Guide

The stadium has four stands: the Spion Kop, the Main Stand, the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, and the Anfield Road End. The ground is 2 miles (3 km) from Liverpool Lime Street railway station. The Hillsborough memorial is situated next to 97 Avenue in front of the redeveloped main stand.

Did You Know?

• Anfield was originally the home of Everton from 1884 to 1891.
• The Spion Kop stand was named after a hill in South Africa where many Liverpool soldiers died in the Boer War.
• The topmast of the SS Great Britain, one of the first iron ships, was erected as a flagpole at Anfield in 1928.
• The Shankly Gates were erected in 1982 and bear the words 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.