£655m-turnover firm is working on Liverpool FC’s Anfield expansion

Buckingham Group Contracting has filed a notice of administration with the High Court, giving it 10 days to keep creditors at bay. 

The 36-year-old firm, which reported turnover of £665m in its most recent results and is well-known for its stadia work, filed the notice yesterday, represented by law firm Howes Percival LLP. 

anfield

The new stand will take Anfield’s capacity up to 61,000

It comes just weeks after the departure of group managing director Ian McSeveney, who resigned citing long-term health issues after 17 years at the company. 

In accounts filed at Companies House just before last Christmas, the firm admitted it had racked up a £14.2m loss on a stadium contract on which a now-bust subcontractor and a client kept changing its mind. 

Problems on the unnamed job – thought to be its scheme to build a new stand at Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground – brought an end to five successive years of profit. 

The pre-tax loss of £10.7m for 2021 was only the second annual pre-tax loss recorded by the company in its more than two decades in business. 

Buckingham, which employs roughly 600 staff, has also been at work on adding a new £80m tier on to a stand at Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium. 

The scheme had been due to complete this month, in time for the start of the new Premier League season – Liverpool’s first home game against Bournemouth takes place this weekend. 

As reported in Building last month, delays to the job mean only the lower tier will be open for the game. The club is now eyeing an October opening for the full stand. 

Liverpool FC issued a statement today which said: ”Following the successful test events earlier this week, Liverpool City Council’s building control team issued a safety certificate to operate the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand and we look forward to welcoming supporters to Anfield for our first Premier League home game of the season.”

“We will work with Buckingham Group on the planned phased opening of the remainder of the new stand and will continue to keep supporters updated on arrangements for future games.”