Construction at Kirkby training facility temporarily suspended
According to the Liverpool Echo, work at Liverpool’s new training facility at Kirkby has been suspended temporarily following the coronavirus pandemic.
The staff and players were due to move into the state of the art new £50million facility this summer. The move was supposed to see the Reds say goodbye to their historical base at Melwood.
Liverpool officials were confident that the new facility would be ready for operation in time for next season’s pre-season training. However, with the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, a decision to suspend work at the site has now been taken.
“The development works on the club’s new training ground at Kirkby has been paused until further notice.”
Work at the facility was ongoing even as far as last Monday. The club had earlier revealed that the decision to halt operations was under the purview of contractors McLaughlin and Harvey.
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They have now decided to do so following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement to implement stringent new guidelines. Due to work now coming to a halt, the club faces a race against time to be open by early July.
With football action across the world currently suspended, the English football calendar is due to be revised. With an extension on the cards, the construction at the site could still be completed by the time pre-season starts.
The club confirmed that McLaughlin and Harvey have closed their sites all over England, with Kirkby not being an exception. Anfield officials will continue to work closely with the contractors on developing a new timeline.
“The health and safety of everyone involved in the project is the immediate priority.”
Liverpool will not be left without a base of operations due to the delay in work. The club is free to make use of the facilities at Melwood and have the property for their liking as long as they want.
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The state of the art facility comprises of two well-equipped gyms, a full-size sports hall, pool, and a hydrotherapy complex. It also comes equipped with specialist sports rehabilitation suites for injured players.
Open-plan rooms have been designed for the gyms to allow players to recover from injury and see the training pitches. This has been done as a source of motivation in the recovery process.
The facility promises to be one of the best in Europe. You can gain a comprehensive understanding of the facilities on offer in this video by the Athletic (h/t Tifo Football).
