Anfield is one of the most famous grounds in world football. Thanks to the boisterous nature of The Kop and the achievements of the team on big European nights under the lights, the ground has become part of the folklore of Liverpool Football Club. Not everyone has been lucky enough to set foot in the stadium, however, so it’s only fair that I tell you about the different areas of the ground and where I think offers the best experience.
Whether you’re hoping to go to a game at some point in the future and want to know where to sit or you’d just like to imagine being there, this will hopefully give you a bit of an idea about what to expect. Of course I should also point out at this stage that, ticket sales being what they are, you might not have an awful lot of choice in where you end up. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, to be honest, as you’ll have a good view of the action from most places in the stadium. Still, here’s where you’ll want to go if you have carte blanche on the matter…
The Kop
The Kop is the most famous stand at the ground and, arguably, the best-known grandstand in world football. This is where the die-hard Liverpool fans sit and it is also where the atmosphere tends to be generated from. In days of yore it was believed that, if the Reds needed a goal, The Kop could suck the ball into the back of the net. Opposition players find it an intimidating stand with a life of its own, whilst Liverpool players find strength and that extra ounce of energy from the noise created by it.
The Kop stands behind the Southern goal at Anfield. As such whether you like your seats and the view you get from them depends on what you think of viewing football head-on, if you will. There’s no question that tickets in Blocks 204-206 are probably the best combination of view and atmosphere. You’re far back enough to get a sense of what’s going on there and you’ll be right in amongst the noisiest supporters. 304-306 are also good, though if you’re right at the back then you’ll find your view slightly restricted if the ball is up in the air for too long.
At the front of The Kop you’ll still have a reasonably view in Blocks 104-106, but you’ll be much closer to the action and if you’re right at the front then your view may well be impeded by the goal itself, especially in 105. Your view from 102, 108 and 109 will be restricted by the two stand either side of The Kop and you may only be able to see some of the pitch depending on how far over you are. All in all, though, The Kop is an excellent place to sit and promises the opportunity to spend a game in English football’s most iconic grandstand.
The Main Stand
The development of The Main Stand has removed some of the most restricted views in the stadium from the ticketing rosta. In days of yore the support pillars stopped vast numbers of people from having an unrestricted view of the pitch. Now they have been removed and The Main Stand is now the largest single-tier structure in Europe.
For those of you that are used to watching football on the television The Main Stand offers the view that you’ll have grown accustomed to combined with comfortable seating. There are no replays, though, so you’ll have to get used to that… The middle of the stand is given over to the Directors Box as well as corporate seating, so the likelihood is that you’ll either be right at the front, right at the back or off to one of the sides.
Apart from in the absolute extremities off to the sides or right at the front, the views from The Main Stand are uninterrupted and allow you to get a real sense of what’s going on in the game. If you’re right at the back you might feel a bit distant from the action, but you’ll get an excellent overview of the match itself. There are some restricted view seats off to the side, but even then you’ll be able to watch most of what’s going on. Middle of The Main Stand might well be the connoisseurs choice when it comes to the best seats in the ground.
The Centenary Stand
The Centenary Stand is opposite The Main Stand and is another area of the ground that promises an excellent view. Unfortunately the view is tempered slightly by the fact that the seats are really quite small, meaning that you’ll likely experience an uncomfortable ninety minutes if you’re anything other than small and slim.
That said, if you can get seats towards the back of Block KK or the front of CE5 then you’ll be absolutely delighted by the view that lies in front of you. Much like with The Main Stand, this is the stand you’ll want to sit in if you’re used to watching football on the TV. That is even more true about The Centenary Stand, given that the television gantry is located in here.
The two tiers are separated by a row of executive boxes, so you know the view is going to be reasonably good here. I watched Liverpool’s famous 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund in 2016 from Block CE2 of the Upper Centenary and the view was top-notch. Obviously if you’re off to the side of either tier then your view will be a little odd, but it will still be largely uninterrupted.
The only other thing worth mentioning about The Centenary Stand is the atmosphere. Many people still refer to it as the Kemlyn Road Stand, something it hasn’t been since 1992. That gives you an idea of their average age and it’s fair to say that many of the regulars here don’t engage in the songs and general banter of the rest of the ground. It also houses the match day hospitality suites, so don’t be expecting to join in with Poor Scouser Tommy if your tickets are for here.
The Anfield Road End
Last but not least comes The Anfield Road End. Split into two tiers, the lower left part of it as you’re looking at it – or the lower right if you’re actually sat in it – is typically given over to away supporters. If they have a large contingent then the entire lower tier can be given over to them, though this is more common at cup matches than anything else.
The away fans’ presence in the stand means that the atmosphere is less partisan than you might hope for. Sadly Anfield’s atmosphere isn’t what it once was, especially in generic league games against so called ‘lesser opponents’ like West Brom or Hull. Consequently seats in this stand will mean that you mostly end up listening to the away supporters sing ‘where’s your famous atmosphere’ and other such hilarious ditties.
Now being totally truthful, tickets towards the back of the lower section of the Annie Road really shouldn’t be sold at all by the club. Pretty much all you can see is the bottom of the upper section of seating. Avoid tickets here like the plague if you’re able to. Seats at the front of 223 to 226 offer a great view of the whole pitch, as do tickets in the middle of 123 to 126. Too close to the front and you’ll barely have a clue what’s going on, however, with the goal impeding your view of the action.