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Liverpool FC supporters’ union The Spirit Of Shankly spoke of their delight after the club’s world famous Anfield stadium was recognised as an ‘asset of community value’.

The group, which made the application to Liverpool city council so that it would not be sold without supporters having an opportunity to purchase it, said the news was important to Reds fans and the local community.

SOS chairman James McKenna told the ECHO: “We are delighted with this decision.

“A lot of work has gone into the process and the end result has been very positive.

“It means that if the club’s current owners ever wanted to sell the stadium within the next five years then we (Liverpool Supporters’ Union) will have a certain amount of time to bid for the asset.

“The stadium means so much to the fans, the people that live in the area, the people of Liverpool and to many other people.

“It would ridiculous if Anfield was ever be sold without the fans having a say. It has so much history.

“In the next few weeks we will sit down with LFC about this decision and beforehand we’ll put together some questions for the club.”

Under the Localism Act 2011, the council is obliged to consider applications received to list ‘assets of community value’. A number of criteria needed to be met and these included whether its current use furthers the social well-being or social interests of the local community and if there is a realistic prospect of such use continuing.

Social interest includes cultural interests, recreational interests and sporting interests.

The council sought independent legal advice before deciding to designate it as an asset.

The fans group will have a window of opportunity of up to six months to bid for the stadium if it ever went up for sale.