Anfield

Lore & Background

The stadium is named after the surrounding area, Anfield, a name associated with the area since at least 1642. Opened in 1884, Anfield was originally owned by John Orrell, who lent the pitch to Everton. The first match at the ground was between Everton and Earlestown on 28 September 1884, which Everton won 5–0. After a dispute with John Houlding, Everton moved to Goodison Park in 1892, and Houlding formed Liverpool F.C. to occupy the empty stadium. Liverpool's first match at Anfield was a friendly on 1 September 1892 against Rotherham Town, won 7–1.

The stadium has four stands: the Spion Kop, the Main Stand, the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, and the Anfield Road End. The Spion Kop was named after a hill in South Africa where a local regiment suffered heavy losses during the Boer War. The Kop was redesigned in 1928 to hold 30,000 standing spectators. The ground converted to an all-seater stadium in 1994 as a result of the Taylor Report, which reduced its capacity. Two gates at the stadium are named after former Liverpool managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, and both have statues outside the stadium: Shankly's unveiled in 1997 by the Kop Stand and Paisley's in 2020 by the Main Stand.

Reader's Guide

Anfield is significant as the long-standing home of Liverpool F.C., one of the most storied clubs in English football. Its history reflects the early development of professional football in Liverpool, beginning as Everton's ground before a dispute led to the formation of a new club. The stadium's iconic Spion Kop stand, named after a Boer War battle, became legendary for its atmosphere. The Taylor Report, following the Hillsborough disaster, forced the conversion to all-seater in 1994, reducing capacity but improving safety. The club's decision to expand Anfield rather than relocate, after Fenway Sports Group's acquisition in 2010, preserved the historic site. The 2016 expansion increased capacity to 54,074, and further redevelopments in 2024 raised it to over 61,000. The Shankly Gates, erected in 1982, and the Hillsborough memorial, with its eternal flame, serve as lasting tributes. The stadium remains a symbol of the city's football heritage and the resilience of its community.

Did You Know?

• The record attendance at Anfield of 61,905 was set at a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952.
• The topmast of the ship 'The Great Eastern' was rescued from a ship breaking yard and erected alongside the Kop in 1928, serving as a flagpole.
• Two sisters, Joan and Nora Mason, refused to sell their house on Kemlyn Road, delaying expansion plans until 1990.