Liverpool’s Anfield Road Stand rebuild is facing fresh delays.
A phased opening of the new 7,000-seat structure will be in effect from Saturday’s opening Premier League home encounter against Bournemouth.
The Reds will kick off with a reduced capacity as measures to ensure the stand is partially operational means only 51,000 fans will be in attendance.
That number is a drop of 3,000 seats from last season’s unrestricted figure with the new 61,000 capacity previously expected to take effect in October.
But Anfield chiefs’ plans to complete their £50 million project in full by then now appear unlikely after Buckingham Group prepared to enter receivership.
“Buckingham Group has made us aware that it has filed for a notice of intention to appoint administrators,” confirmed a Liverpool statement.
“This filing does not impact the planned opening of the new Anfield Road Stand’s lower tier on Saturday for the match against Bournemouth.
“Following the successful test events earlier this week, Liverpool City Council’s building control team issued a safety certificate to operate the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand.
“We look forward to welcoming supporters to Anfield for our first Premier League home game of the season against Bournemouth.
“We will work with Buckingham Group on the planned phased opening of the remainder of the new stand and will continue to keep supporters updated on arrangements for future games.
“Specifically, our intention is to update all supporters who have a ticket for Aston Villa match at the earliest opportunity.”
The construction firm filed a notice to appoint administrators with the delayed completion of Fulham’s new Riverside Stand reported to be a key factor.
Craven Cottage’s rebuild is two years behind schedule, having started in 2019, and is not expected to be fully ready until the 2024/25 season.
Liverpool, meanwhile, targeted the start of the current campaign for the Anfield Road Stand’s full reopening before encountering their various delays.
Buckingham are the second company to file for administration while working on the new stand alongside cladding subcontractor SD Samuels in December.