Liverpool take step towards moving from Anfield

LIVERPOOL, England, Sep 28 (Reuters) Liverpool's plans to move to a new 60,000 seater stadium gained momentum today with the award of a nine million pound (16.90 million dollars) EU grant to help improve the environment at Stanley Park.

The money is part of a 24.6 million pound package of grants Liverpool need to improve the area around the proposed new stadium to meet planning demands.

''It's another significant step forward in our plans for the building of a new stadium, which we have always seen as a catalyst for the regeneration of the whole area,'' Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry told the club's Web site.

Liverpool had been asked to prove they had 180 pounds of funding for the building work in place before the grant was awarded.

They hope to move from Anfield to a site on nearby Stanley Park in 2008.

REUTERS DH RK2056