Loans too expensive for Liverpool, Stanley Park construction delayed
The global credit crunch - you’ll be hearing about that in football for some time - means that borrowing money for Stanley Park’s construction is too expensive and as a result Liverpool are going to delay construction till things get better.
It’s not a catastrophe, but it’s hardly a confidence-building measure, is it? Imagine what Liverpool could be doing at this point if they had money of their own, and didn’t have debts to service on top of the loans they need to build a new stadium?
Every football club doesn’t need a Roman Abramovich. But if your football club aims to compete with the likes of Abramovich then they need success on and off the pitch, otherwise they will always be running to play catch up. The Barry move (fine, he’s not worth 18m but back your manager please) is a good example, and it’ll be interesting to see how Reira, if he does come over from Espanyol, will fit into Rafa’s plans considering that he’s distinctly second-choice for the Liverpool gaffer.
A top-two finish? At this point a top-three finish (and automatic Champions League qualification in the new format being tried from 09-12) will do, but that’s still playing catch up.
First Liverpool were going to build a stadium 70,000 seats with extension plans to 75,000.
Then Liverpool going to build 60,000 with extension plans to 70,000.
Now we are building a 0 seater stadium with extension plans to 60,000.
While they wait, they’re looking at the plans to expand the stadium from 70k to 73k. Looking. And then some.