Anfield Stadium in Liverpool

A brief history of Anfield Stadium

Believe it or not, Anfield Stadium was actually once the home of Liverpool FC's archenemies, Everton. However, the blue-kitted footy rivals of The Reds vacated the stadium way back in 1891. A year later, John Houlding officially founded Liverpool Football Club at Anfield and went on to expand and enlarge the stadium as the reputation of his club grew and grew.

By 1928, Anfield was known for the huge Kop, a standing terrace that could host up to 30,000 people. Other additions included floodlights and an all-new Kemlyn Road terrace that significantly increased stadium capacity. Famous spots like the Shankly Gates – where visitors can see the words of Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone emblazoned on high – came in the early 1980s.

There were plans afoot to completely replace Anfield Road after the millennium. However, they were dropped in favour of further expansions, which eventually took the capacity to a whopping 53,394, putting the arena well within the top 10 largest football stadiums in the country.

What are the highlights of Anfield Stadium?

For many dedicated fans of Liverpool Football Club, simply being in the proximity of the hallowed turf that is Anfield Stadium is a major highlight. You won't even have to go in to spy out some of the most iconic monuments and stirring features of the ground.

Take the Shankly Gates, which stand at the Anfield Road end of the pitch, decorated with Scottish thistles and flags in honour of one of the club's greatest ever managers. They're directly opposite the Paisley Gateway, which pays tribute to Bob Paisley, who won a trio of European Cups with Liverpool throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Many different guided tours of Anfield Stadium can help you delve into all the secret areas and unravel the long sporting history of the place. They include the Anfield Origins Tour, which showcases Champion's League and Premier League trophy cabinets, and the LFC Stadium Tour, where you'll go through the home team dressing room and traverse the iconic player's tunnel to the grass itself.

Of course, game days are bound to be something special, too. They regularly see up to 50,000 Liverpool devotees flock to the terraces to cheer on their team. Tickets can be hard to come by but typically go on sale to the general public a week before kick-off.

Good to know about the Anfield Stadium

The Anfield Stadium is located on the northeast side of Liverpool, between the areas of Everton and Walton. The stadium is linked to the City Centre by the express 917 bus. Alternatively, Liverpool Lime Street Station is 2 miles away. The walk from there takes around 45 minutes through the Rupert Lane Recreation Ground.

Non-match day visitors can get free parking at the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand car park. There's no guaranteed parking when there's a game on and the area gets very busy then, as you might expect. The Stanley Park Car Park and Utting Ave Car Park are good options if you can find a space, immediately to the north of Anfield.

Anfield Stadium has 267 bays for wheelchair users across its 4 main stands. There are also a number of designated drop-off points for visitors who require enhanced accessibility.