Liverpool submitted plans to renovate Anfield to "provide more facilities for disabled fans" and its famous stand nicknamed "The Kop" is set to expand by 470 seats as a result. The capacity of the stadium will "remain at 54,000 but the number of wheelchair bays will increase by more than 250." The proposal, submitted to Liverpool City Council, "envisages relocating 1,000 seats, mostly to the back of the Kop, while season ticket holders will be assigned to different seats" (REUTERS, 3/15).
The Brisbane Cricket Ground could "get a drop-in wicket after Sports Minister Mick de Brenni backed the idea as a way of avoiding future clashes" between the Australian Football League and cricket. The center square of Brisbane’s ground "will undergo a rigorous independent assessment this week to determine if it is fit to host" the inaugural AFL Women's grand final next Saturday "without affecting the traditionally bouncy wicket for the first Ashes Test match in November" (Brisbane COURIER-MAIL, 3/15).
Russian Premier League (RFPL) side Rostov has been "banned from hosting league games at the Olimp-2 Stadium due to poor pitch conditions," less than a week after ManU Manager José Mourinho "complained about the playing surface." The RFPL said, "The ban is imposed until the identified shortcomings are eliminated and the fields are brought into line with the established requirements of the regulatory documents" (REUTERS, 3/15).
The Jordan FA on Monday "inaugurated its first women’s stadium in the capital Amman that is to feature in next year’s Women’s Asian Cup." Jordan will become the "first Middle East nation to host a top Asian women’s football tournament" when the cup is staged in April '18. The new stadium will hold 1,000 spectators (Pakistan DAILY TIMES, 3/14).
