Anfield "could soon shake to the sound of the Foo Fighters or Rolling Stones" as Liverpool "draws up plans to stage rock concerts as part of an effort to compete with the giants of the game," according to Andy Bounds of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The "big trucks needed to set up stages cannot pass through pitchside tunnels" built in 1892. It is something Liverpool CEO Peter Moore "wants to tackle" as he pushes the club toward £500M ($662M) in annual turnover -- "the benchmark that he said would allow it to compete" with clubs such as Man City, ManU and Real Madrid. Moore: "Non-football events are massive. What do those events do? They fund football." The"last big concert" at Anfield was in '08 by Paul McCartney. Moore: "They needed cranes to lift the stage over the top of the stands." He admitted that there was "tension" between Liverpool’s "need to compete with richer rivals while retaining its identity as a club rooted in its community and the fans who create the atmosphere." Moore: "We have a local heart with a global pulse." Last season’s run to the final of the Champions League after missing out on the competition in '16-17 "has given a financial and marketing boost." He added, "We are back where we belong. ... If you are not a £500 million football team you are not going to win anything" (FT, 7/16).
