This Is Anfield

YNWA

Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45, 276. It has been the home of Liverpool F. C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F. C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park. Used as a venue during Euro 96, the ground has also hosted numerous England internationals at senior level, and is scheduled to host matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Over the course of its history the stadium has gone through various stages of renovation and development, resulting in the current configuration of four stands: the Spion Kop, Main Stand, Centenary Stand, and Anfield Road. The record attendance at the stadium is 61, 905, which was set in a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952. This record was set before the ground's conversion to an all-seater stadium in 1994; the changes, a result of the Taylor Report, include greatly reduced capacity. Notable features of the stadium include two gates named after former Liverpool managers: Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. A statue of Shankly is situated outside the stadium. Anfield's public transport links include rail and bus services, but it lacks dedicated parking facilities. The ground is 2 miles (3 km) from Lime Street Station.

Plans to replace Anfield with a new 60, 000-capacity stadium in adjacent Stanley Park were initiated in 2002, with a provisional opening date of August 2005. Subsequent problems with securing funding for the project, and the state of the financial market since 2008, make it certain as of 2011 that football will continue to be played at Anfield for at least a few more years. Fenway Sports Group's acquisition of Liverpool in 2010 has made the construction of a new stadium doubtful, as they have hinted at a preference to redevelop Anfield.