HistoryThe drawings that show the first transformation of Anfield
These drawings document how Anfield was first transformed into one of the country’s leading football grounds during the early part of the last century.
They are the work of renowned stadium engineer and architect Archibald Leitch and form part of a collection that is now almost 120 years old.
Glasgow-based Leitch became synonymous back then with redesigning the homes of countless clubs across Britain and was appointed by Liverpool in 1906.
At the time, Anfield held roughly 25,000-30,000 but, in tandem with on-field success, crowds were on the increase and for the club’s continued growth, a bigger and better ground was required.
The task facing Leitch was huge. Anfield had changed little in appearance since the club’s inception 14 year earlier and his remit was to oversee a revolutionary expansion.
Work began during that summer and would be completed to widespread acclaim, with the Liverpool Echo commenting, ‘The entire scheme is modelled on new departure from what football grounds are supposed to be.’
Leitch’s vision resulted in the appearance of the ground being changed almost entirely.
The main stand was carefully dismantled and rebuilt on Kemlyn Road and, in its place, a new grandstand erected that featured his trademark gable roof and iconic mock Tudor centrepiece.
Perhaps more famously, a vast bank of uncovered terracing was constructed at the Walton Breck Road end that would later be christened the Spion Kop.
The complete set of Leitch’s intricate hand-drawn plans now reside in the club archive but only after some were thankfully rescued from a skip outside the city council surveyor’s office several years back.
In charting the early development of Anfield, they are extremely important historical artefacts, and one is currently on public display at a new exhibition in Liverpool city centre.
‘Home Ground: The Architecture of Football’ is a collaboration between Tate Liverpool and RIBA North at Mann Island. Admission is free and it’s open until January.
- To visit the new and improved LFC Museum, which is included in all Anfield tours and experiences, book via liverpoolfc.com/stadium-tours