Heightened security measures have came into force at the home of the Reds this season
Supporters wait in queues outside The Kop ahead of a Liverpool FC game earlier this season
Supporters wait in queues outside The Kop ahead of a Liverpool FC game earlier this season
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Liverpool FC has issued a statement to address issues supporters have faced getting into Anfield on a matchday. The club has introduced heightened security measures this season.
The updated security policy has become "industry best practice" as every adult will undergo a search before entering the stadium for every match at the home of the Reds. However, the new measures has also increased waiting time to get into the stadium with many supporters taking to social media to share images of long queues outside the turnstiles in the lead up to kick off.
An official statement has been issued by the club today as they re-iterated the request for supporters to arrive 10 minutes earlier than their usual matchday routine. The statement said: "We would like to thank supporters for their ongoing co-operation and patience following the introduction of searches for all adults on matchdays at Anfield.
"The club continues to ask match-going fans to arrive at Anfield turnstiles 10 minutes earlier than their normal matchday routine to help with this new safety and security entry process. The process is constantly under review to make further improvements as the club understands the changes have impacted the matchday experience for some fans.
"With supporter safety paramount, the club will continue to work in partnership with Merseyside Police and other agencies to safeguard all fans at Anfield."
The statement included a detailed explanation of why the new checks have been introduced, as it added: "First and foremost, we care about supporters’ safety and we always want to follow best practice across all our matchday operations.
"Before making this important change, the club considered current national guidance, recent intelligence trends and emerging risks across major sporting venues. It was not a decision that was taken lightly. The advice is clear: search regimes must be robust enough to deter, detect and prevent a wide range of threats.
"Following the Manchester Arena attack, and the passing of Martyn’s Law, all venues are required to have in place effective plans and policies to keep the public safe at events. The legislation is expected to be enforced across the next 12 to 18 months and the change in search policy at Anfield ensures we will be fully compliant and ahead of the enforcement.
"Ultimately, it is the club’s responsibility to ensure the matchday search operation meets the specific risks associated with the stadium footprint, crowds and matchday environment."
The club acknowledged the changes have caused issued as the statement referenced teething problems as the operational changes take hold. It added: "There were very similar challenges with the introduction of NFC digital tickets for the 2021-22 season and the return of football after the pandemic. The club was able to work with all concerned to overcome those teething issues and is confident the same can be achieved in this scenario too.
"There have been lessons learnt from each matchday as crowd profiles and dynamics change dependent upon days of the week, the competition and kick-off times.
"For example, at the Premier League home game against Leeds United, 99.45 per cent of supporters were in for kick-off, the highest number since digital ticketing was introduced. But this was not replicated at the Burnley match, with 92 per cent of fans in for kick-off, which understandably caused some frustration."
The club insisted it is working on improvements as it said new queue management measures will be introduced for tomorrow night's Champions League game against Qarabag. It said: "As a result of that feedback, changes have been made to queue management plans and for Wednesday night’s Champions League meeting with Qarabag (8pm GMT kick-off), supporters will notice a new system in place outside the Main Stand.
"Following the arrival of both team coaches, access to the Main Stand podium will be restricted to those using the entrances on the podium, with designated stairways allocated for different turnstiles.
"Fans making their way to T turnstiles will only be able to enter the podium steps at the Anfield Road end, next to S turnstiles. Supporters entering via V turnstiles will only be able to access the podium steps by Paisley Square, next to W turnstiles. And those fans entering through the Main Stand reception will only be able to access via the central podium steps, situated on 97 Avenue.
"Stewards will be on hand to provide guidance and their presence is continually reviewed throughout matchdays, and particularly at known pinch points, to help make improvements. The club also continues to trial new scanner technology in parts of the ground and will monitor its value in helping enhance the search experience for fans."
The club thanked fans who have amended their matchday routines and insisted it is working with supporters groups as the new changes continue to take shape.
It said: "The aim of this change is simple: to keep everyone who attends Anfield as safe as possible. If everyone tweaks their matchday routine and arrives at turnstiles 10 minutes earlier than they did before this change was introduced, then waiting times will be reduced and supporters will gain entry quicker.
"The club understands many supporters have a regular pre-match routine, but this small adjustment will make a lot of difference towards getting fans into the ground for kick-off.
"As a reminder, turnstiles at Anfield open two hours before kick-off for general admission and three hours for hospitality, allowing enough time for the necessary checks before entry.
"Fans can also help the process by getting ready to be searched by removing any keys or mobile phones from their pockets before they reach the turnstiles, as this will help speed things up."