New England Sports Ventures (NESV), the parent company of the Boston Red Sox, looked carefully at older English stadiums over the past couple years before making its £300 million takeover bid for Liverpool. NESV's bid has been accepted by Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton and the EPL and the case is heading to high court this week to resolve a dispute with current owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Historic Fenway Park is central to fans' cradle-to-death loyalty to the Red Sox and the ownership studied how some English stadiums shared similarities and challenges in expansion.
NESV has expressed a commitment to renovating Anfield or building a new stadium, a well-known concern of the fans and management who are limited to a maximum annual £42 million in gate income from the 45,362 seat stadium. When Uefa's financial fair play rules go into effect in 2012, which encourage clubs not to spend more than they earn, Liverpool will face further competitive constraints without a new stadium plan underway.
Fenway Park opened on April 12, 1912 and over the past century hosted legendary teams and players and survived the sport's ups and downs to become a major U.S. landmark and premier destination venue. Since John Henry's new ownership group took over in 2002, rather than displace the team from their bustling downtown Boston home, the stadium was expanded annually to where it now seats 37,402, an additional 10%. [see 2007 WBZ video of Fenway during expansion construction below] The historic significance of quirky Fenway to the fans and the sport itself trumped the option of rebuilding a large venue elsewhere, an issue that Liverpool now face at Anfield.
Last October, Fenway Sports Group's (FSG) managing director Billy Hogan spoke with me in an interview for US Soccer Players about their interest in international soccer, including their partnership with Fulham. FSG is the marketing arm of NESV, the holding company for the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network (broadcasting), and Fenway Park. Later this spring, we discussed NESV's further venture into international soccer, the inaugural Football at Fenway tournament featuring Celtic and Sporting Portugal, the first soccer game at Fenway Park in 42 years. Under NESV ownership, it's likely that Liverpool would appear and maintain a presence in the Boston landmark, which also presents other opportunities for Liverpool.
"We have an appreciation for the intimate nature of watching either a game at Fenway or a match at Craven Cottage, that the fan experience is so important," said Hogan. "Collectively there’s a lot of wisdom to be shared in terms of how you continue to maintain that experience, while at the same time adding where you can."
To take a look at the Football at Fenway match where Celtic defeated Sporting, view the slideshow here with photography by Chris Aduama.
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