Explore Anfield like never before

The new and improved Liverpool FC Five Star stadium and museum tour was given its maiden run at Anfield this week.

Check out our behind-the-scenes video>>

Replacing the old tour, this new 55 minute-long excursion around one of the most famous football grounds on the planet offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore never before seen areas of the stadium.

Fans are accompanied on their journey by a variety of knowledgeable guides, who paint vivid portraits of bygone eras when the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish helped the Reds rule the roost both home and abroad - with the scripts influenced by acclaimed local playwright and author Dave Kirby.

Liverpool FC Commercial Tourism Manager Tom Cassidy said: "It wasn't a bad tour we had before by any means, but we needed something fresh and new. We found there was no motivation for people to come back.

"Dave and I have worked on many projects together over the years, so it just seemed natural to have him involved on this project as we were looking to add a performance element.

"We started the process about five months ago and it just made sense that we appointed a highly-acclaimed script writer who knows everything about the club and capture the emotion, humour and everything we're about.

"We're always going be looking to refresh the tour and make it better, so if you come back in six months or a year, you'll notice little tweaks and improvements."

15 Minutes That Shook the World writer Dave added: "I followed the tour guides around for a few weeks and I extracted all the good stuff that I thought they were saying and tried to inject my own experiences, having followed Liverpool since the days of the Boys' Pen.

"Each guide has their own mini-monologues and it's a bit theatre. We didn't want it to be like a history lesson, as it is on some other tours.

"It's only going to get better - this is just page one of what we hope to achieve."

After gathering at the Shankly statue outside the Kop, visitors are led into the Main Stand's Legends Lounge for an opportunity to reminisce about Kop idols past and present.

A quick trip up the stairs and into the Directors' Box follows, presenting punters with the perfect photo opportunity to grab snaps of the stadium from seats that have played host to an eclectic mix of royalty and celebrity through the decades.

The tour then returns back into the bowls of Main Stand and on to the Press Room - which was formerly the legendary Anfield Boot Room, where illustrious members of the Reds management and coaching staff would meet to plot the downfall of the opposition. 

It's here visitors are given the opportunity to take part in some new and unique interactive features.

Fans are able to ask the likes of Rafa Benitez, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fernando Torres those burning questions they've always wanted to know the answer to - with YouTube sensation and impersonator Darren Farley supplying the hilarious responses.

From there, tour guests are led down the Hall of Fame towards the dressing rooms, with the cries of the Kop bellowing the names of the club's greatest managers echoing through the corridor.

Visitors are able to explore both the home and away team dressing rooms before congregating at the top of the world famous Anfield tunnel.

If the tour guide's rousing speech prior to heading down the steps and outside doesn't get your heart racing, the ingenious concept of broadcasting the sounds of studs clattering and chatter will have the hair on the back of your neck standing to attention as you pass under - and touch - the notorious 'This is Anfield' plaque.

The expedition concludes with fans taking a seat in football's most famous stand - the Kop - presenting even more special photo opportunities before visitors are offered the chance to explore the club's museum.

"As with anything, change can take a little bit of time, but we're here now," said Tom. "We've opened up a few new areas, which I think all compliment the tour.

"There are a lot of audio enhancements and what we're looking for is the 'wow factor'. All the small things add to the experience.

"I certainly hope there is more to come. We don't ever want to stand still. Already we're looking at advancements we can make down the line. We aspire to be the best in what we do and I think we're certainly making good strides towards it.

"We can get tours leaving every 15 minutes now,  the demand is there, so I think there are exciting times ahead."

And what do the customers make of the changes?

"I have to say thanks for a smashing day. I particularly liked the script, which didn't seemed scripted at all," remarked a happy visitor after taking the tour.

"It was delivered as if the staff owned the words because they believed what they were saying and spoke with real passion."

Click here for details on the tours and to book>>