Column

Yet Another Stadium Article

Sean Rothwell 06/08/2007 111comments  |  Jump to last
Seeing as anyone and everyone is having their say on the great stadium debate, I thought I might pass comment on some of the assertions and suggestions we have been presented with.

Many of the articles on here, although all very well written, really rile me as I read them. Far too many people present opinions as facts and far too many people attempt to interpret information, quotes and rumours to suit their own purposes. I'm not going to implore others to vote one way or another; I'm not going to quote spurious facts; I'm not going to predict what will happen if the vote goes one way or another... I'm just going to say things as I see them, issue by issue.

Before that, however, I will nail my colours to the mast and state that I will be voting to move to Kirkby and have not found it a difficult decision to come to.

Issue One: Moving out of Liverpool

To me,this argument is nonsense. For all intents and purposes, Kirkby is in Liverpool. So is Bootle, Huyton, Aintree and Maghull. As far as I'm concerned, suggesting otherwise is petty. I work in Kirkby and have many friends there and have never once heard anyone say they live in Knowlsey as opposed to Liverpool. Knowsley, Sefton and the City of Liverpool are merely glorified council wards and mean nothing to anyone other than politicians. Indeed, the three councils are to merge to form the Liverpool City Region in the next couple of years.

Some people have commented that moving out of Liverpool is the equaivalent 'doing a Wimbledon'. Comments like this make me want to bang my head against a wall in sheer disgust. To me, the area into which Everton could realistically move is common sensical, not political. Kirkby is within that area, whereas somewhere like Speke (which is in the City of Liverpool) is not. To suggest that if we move to Kirkby we may as well move to somewhere like St Helens is just ignorant and patronising.

A City Centre stadium is what I would want in an ideal world but this looks inceasingly unlikely to come into fruition. Kirkby makes sense to me and to the Board and gets a thumbs up as it ticks every box other than the bonus box of being in the city centre.

Issue Two: There is no alternative / Plan B

Of course there are alternatives. Dozens of them I would suggest. It's just that we don't have the money to explore these options at present. Keith Wyness was wrong to suggest that there is no plan B, surely the plan B is to stay at Goodison as it is? The ground is not imminently going to collapse and the Club will not wither and die if we stay. It will however be inconvenient in terms of trying to generate much-needed increased revenue and for that reason I think it is essential that we do build a new stadium.

Liverpool City Council have been incredibly unhelpful in our search for a new ground and have only acted when a public backlash was threatened. The Loop site is interesting and it is a shame that the mini-proposal has come so late in the day. I don't think, however, that the Club should be criticised for not having other options on the ballot. At the moment there is one solid, deliverable proposal. How can the Club put a possibly undeliverable option on the ballot?

If LCC had acted faster, things may have been different... but we've known for a while when the ballot was going to be and they've still done very little to sway fans or the Club. At present we only have the funds to deliver the Kirkby option. We cannot just hope that a mystery billionnaire comes and buys us and builds a floating stadium on the Mersey. We have to plan for the here and now. We all want to be a big Club this year not in ten years time. At least the Club have put forward a proposal to take the Club forward, though I would suggest that the same people criticising the Kirkby proposals would be the same people accusing the Board of sitting on their hands doing nothing if we did not have a proposal in place.

Issue Three: The ballot is a vote of confidence in the current Board.

Surely people who say this are having a laugh? The question reads 'Do you want EFC to relocate to Kirkby?' ? How has that been interpreted as 'Do you have faith in the ability of the current Board to manage our Club?' Too many people's views on the Kirkby proposal are clouded by their dislike/distrust/jealousy of Bill Kenwright and this should not be the case. This is a vote on the future of our Club, not a popularity contest. I would suggest that these people question how they would vote if a Bill Kenwright led proposal was put forward for The Loop site.

Issue Four: Redeveloping Goodison

The least desirable option of all for me. It pains me to see the heinous images of a redeveloped Goodison produced by KEIOC. I cannot believe people are still questioning 'why move when Goodison can be redeveloped?'. Of course it can be redeveloped, that is not open to question. I just really don't see the point in doing it. It would cost too much in comparison to getting a nice new home in nicer surroundings. Let's face it, Goodison is not a very nice ground. Poor facilties, obstructed views, etc. I refuse outright to believe that given its current state it could be redeveloped to a standard close to what I would consider acceptable. I would rather stay at Goodison as it is than stay at a redeveloped Goodison. At least then we could say the stadium is poor because it's old and not have to excuse the stadium being poor despite being redeveloped.

Several people have suggested that we merely need to add another tier to the Park End stand but it is not just about attendances. That would not fix the obstructed views, the rotten brickwork, the rusted metal, the lack of corporate facilities, etc.

A modern stadium cannot be used only on a matchday. I know of companies in Liverpool that hold conference events at the Reebok, I doubt this would happen if we had a new stadium in Kirkby or wherever.

I would also take issue with Goodison being dwarfed in size and class by the new Anfield and will refuse to entertain any proposal to redevelop Goodison. The space, the money and the enthusiasm just isn't there. I wish the Board would just come out and say, 'yes it can be redeveloped, but we're not going to do it because it's not worth it and we don't want to'.

Overall I think the Kirkby proposal is a good one and one that we cannot afford to ignore. I do not like being told that I am jeopardising the future of our Club by voting Yes to Kirkby. As far as I'm concered the opposite is true. I will vote Yes knowing that I feel I'm doing what is right for the Club at the present time. If the stadium is not going to be in the City Centre then Kirkby is as good a place as any is and better than Walton.

I would be extremely content for the outcome of the vote to be a Yes to Kirkby and for LCC to then produce a detailed proposal for The Loop or any other City Centre site that forces a Club to do a re-vote on the two deliverable sites. In reality, however, I can't see The Loop as more than smoke and mirrors at the moment and I think the Kirkby proposal is too good to ignore on the basis of a couple of soundbites from a dodgy politician and an even dodgier splinter group of Evertonians.

I would just like to conclude by suggesting that we should not forget that, first and foremost, we are supporters of the team ? not the stadium in which it plays.

Reader Comments

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Lyndon Lloyd
Editorial Team
1   Posted 07/08/2007 at 05:34:13

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Sean, you argue your positions well and while I don’t have the energy to pick up all your points, I will take up the challenge of your third point. This vote very much is a vote of confidence in the current board because the whole reason why we’re embroiled in this divisive debate over Kirkby is because the current custodians have only been able to offer up one choice on the ballot.

The Kings Dock, the NTL fiasco, the current debt, suspected impediments to investment opportunities... all down to the current Board.

I’d rather not be railroaded into a move miles away from the club’s roots for questionable revenue projections just because those in charge of the club can’t get their act together.

I don’t doubt for a minute that running a football club is a difficult and complex business but how a club of Everton’s stature and support can be out-spent by Sheffield United, a relegated team, and Sunderland, a newly-promoted team, is cause for real concern. I’d rather not risk condemning our club to the status of a provincial also-ran for the next century simply for a quick fix.

Dave
2   Posted 07/08/2007 at 06:37:16

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Sean

WHilst I disagreed with most of your comments, I respected your views, at least up until you described the no voters as a "dodgy splinter group of Evertonians "

You conclude your first point by saying "ticks all the boxes except the bonus box" are you not guilty of the very thing that riles you so much ? just because this time the opinion is yours , it is still only that, your opinion, please dont portray it as fact, because a large number of us believe it ticks hardly any boxes.
your bonus box comment was like saying, I’ve met a bird, she’s fit, she’s good fun, brilliant cook, so what if you dont love her - thats only the bonus box - she ticks some of the other boxes, I’ll marry her anyway
Not only will Kirby never be loved, to some its too unsavory to even tolerate, thats fact

point two
You say the loop would cost too much money to explore, how much would it cost BK to take the blinkers ear plugs off and listen ?I’m guessing zilch opinion or fact ?
Finally sean you state that you believe there are alternatives but we cant afford to explore them. Sean mate, with the future of our club at stake, we cant afford not to ! ! !
neil
3   Posted 07/08/2007 at 05:49:57

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Clap Clap Clap!!!!

this is a geat article. It might be that i have lways lived overseas and have tried my best to get to a game when in england but what nonsense is this "must not move out of Liverpool" Unless Kirkby is part of manchester all of a sudden, it will be Liverpool in no time with population growth. Not only will the majority of Evertonians still follow the club and go to games (i dont count people who claim to no longer want to follow the club as true blue, your cuting your nose off to spite your face) plus think of the new fans that will be encouraged to go!

Please look to the future, we did it when booted out of anfield, it didnt break us then, it shouldnt break us now...

Personally, i think there is allot of rubbish being thrown around
jaybee_efc
4   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:06:04

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Neil, just where are these people desperate to watch Everton but too coy to come to Goodison going to spring from.
This ’greater potential’ is just a myth perpertrated to try and bring some credence to moving to a backwater.
vin bleu
5   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:13:07

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An excellent perspective of the issues. Well done. The "greater potential," jaybee, are the tens of thousands of schoolkids who develope an interest in football every year. If they visit the stadium of a club they intend to support it needs to be impressive and easy to get to. Kirby will tick both those boxes for many more kids than Goodison.
Andrew
6   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:39:29

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Surely it is not beyond LCC to put together a quick blueprint for the Bestway / Gt Homer St / Scotland Rd area with the stadium suitably located on the loop. Surely Warren Bradley can gain all party suport for the blueprint. Surely the cost to EFC can be ascertained for that scheme.
Put the deal on the table boys before it is too late.
Bentley
7   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:35:29

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I pretty much agree with what you’re saying, but the claim at the outset that this piece will be distinguishable from most others because it won’t use opinion and spurious facts was rather spectacularly unrealised. This is indistinguishable from all other pieces Ive seen that have nailed colours to respective posts.

"Far too many people present opinions as facts and far too many people attempt to interpret information, quotes and rumours to suit their own purposes."

Followed by:

"I would suggest that the same people criticising the Kirkby proposals would be the same people accusing the Board of sitting on their hands doing nothing if we did not have a proposal in place."

"I can’t see The Loop as more than smoke and mirrors at the moment and I think the Kirkby proposal is too good to ignore on the basis of a couple of soundbites from a dodgy politician and an even dodgier splinter group of Evertonians."

I would have just said what I wanted to say without the undermining intro.
ian
8   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:51:19

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sean, your article sums up my sentiments exactly,could it be the same people who are slagging BK and the board off now the same people who wanted him to replace agent johnson in the first place.kirby is the only viable offer on the table
Stu Mac
9   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:22:04

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Good article, and I agree with most of the points.
I am not eligible to vote, but if I was I would probably be inclined to vote yes. Although I am not 100% in favour of moving out of the ’City’, I am in favour of moving away from Goodison - no matter how much it hurts me to say that. Plus I certainly do not want to wallow in nostalgia, I just want to be realistic.
The club and the new fans need a new, modern stadium. Lets face it, the only way we are going to generate the type income required to compete on a higher level is through having adequate & modern corporate facilites. Is redeveloping going to provide this? I dont think so. Being honest, if I had the cash, Id have a box so that friends and family could go and watch the home games, enjoying a few drinks!
Goodison is normally filled to around 88% of capacity for home PL games, why is the remaining 12% never filled? - Obstructed views! In the past, how often have we gone to away games and started singing ’Shitty ground’, because we’ve just paid full price, to be stuck behind a post? Therefore one isn’t going to subject themselves to that at home either? Is re-developing Goodison going to solve this?
Do you remember the cartoon strip in WSAG - ’Laugh along with those loveable Reds? The way both the Club, Fans and LCC are acting at the moment...lets take a look at ourselves.
Blue In Bolton
10   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:59:08

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Great article Sean, calmly written, and refreshingly devoid of emotional blackmail.
Top marks.
Greg Murphy
11   Posted 07/08/2007 at 08:29:20

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Sean, you set yourself up loftily there and you patently failed to deliver the objective article you promised. Instead you fell into the very trap you accuse others of succumbing to.

For example, it seems to have completely escaped you that many of those who object to the ground move, on the basis of Kirkby?s geography, don?t casually do so because of the existence of a boundary, arbitrary of otherwise.

No. For so, so many of the anti-Kirkby Evertonian electorate, we simply believe that Kirkby is just the wrong location. It?s out of the way. It?s off the beaten track. It?s all too easily bypassed by every one of the major transport arteries that it boasts proximity to. It?s low profile. It?s low on visibility. And it?s a town of some 40,000 population which is an entirely wrong 21st century choice as a base for a Premier League football club like Everton which so clearly needs to be at the heart of the city.

And the only reason Everton are headed there is that Tesco wants to go there. Take Tesco out of the equation and would you really think Everton had made a sound business decision to voluntarily move to Kirkby? That argument, though, doesn?t suit ?yes? voters, especially ?riled? ones like you, because, similar to the tired old refrain that the ?no? campaign can only think with its heart and not its head, or that we just like our pre-match pints in the ?Myboozer Arms?, it suits the pro-Kirkby lobby to present the naysayers as luddites or dimwits who are hung-up about ?conceding the city to Kopites?.

Like many ?yes? voters, you fail, in my opinion, to present a really cogent argument as to why we should move to Kirkby. Again, this is a trait I?ve seen at large amongst the ?yes? campaign. Rather than present its reasons ?for? moving, all it seems to do is denigrate the ?no? campaign as a dysfunctional generality. The difference between the ?no? campaign and the ?yes? is this: the former channels most of its energy into criticism of the club and its short-sightedness; while the latter just resorts to belittling its ?fellow? Evertonians.

This fan base has been rent-asunder this summer by as spectacular an own goal as you could dread to see, for while the premise of a fans? vote is indeed a laudable one, the flow of accurate information from the club has fuelled the acrimony that now prevails across Evertonia. And I would suggest that the majority of the invective arrows have been fired from the ?yes? towards the ?no? camps. Sure there?s been a fight-back but for the most part the latter camp has been too busy racing against time to disprove the club?s propaganda rather than waste valuable time name-calling those who are prepared to vote ?yes?.

You also seem unable to understand that not all in the ?no? campaign have an affiliation to KEIOC. I have no connection with KEIOC. I don?t need to. I came to my own own ?head? based conclusions. However, I?ll willingly leap to their defence when you describe the result of their efforts as ?heinous?. You mean as in utterly ?odious? or ?wicked?? You mean as in ?atrocious, monstrous, abominable, contemptible, horrific or iniquitous?? Either you need a new thesaurus or you don?t know the meaning of ?heinous?.

Let me tell you, Sean, what Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot got up to was ?heinous? not what the KEIOC lads produced as imagery for a reworked Goodison. Of all the rhetoric that has volleyed back and forth this summer, that ?heinous? accusation of yours is perhaps the most crass yet. To then dismiss the KEIOC lads as ?an even dodgier splinter group of Evertonians? is as unacceptable as the lazy thinking that riddles your presentation; such as your assertion that Liverpool City Council has been ?incredibly unhelpful? towards Everton.

Have you forgotten about King?s Dock? Since 2003? Get this right, Sean, Everton embarrassed itself big time, before the city and the nation, concerning King?s Dock. As it did concerning the Fortress Sports Fund. Your frustration about Liverpool City Council could have been presented better if you had a greater grasp of realities relating to how much or how little (and it?s debatable) EFC has interacted with the council over the last decade, however you indicate just how tenuous your handle on matters is by your early assertion that the three councils of Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley are to ?merge? in the next ?couple of years?. Really? Do tell. Or have you confused political reality with the, admittedly promising, strategic marketing and tourism initiatives forwarded by the likes of The Mersey Partnership and other related quangos?

And you say you?re ?riled? and you?re not going to quote ?spurious? facts! Rich. Sean, I can barely believe that you?ve presented such a poorly framed submission so late in the debating day, especially when you could have put your ?yes? leaning convictions to much greater use by testing the veracity of some of Wyness? quoted figures, such as the £15m real estate value he attaches to Goodison Park. But why bother, hey, when it?s easier to attack KEIOC and the likes, especially when you?ve got the likes of the entire EFC lobby including Moyes, Arteta, Stubbs, Carsley, Cahill and Johnson doing your own ?pro move? bidding?

The key to your piece lay in your opening gambit. You really just were spouting off for the sake of it because efryone else has. And because you were ?riled?. And you?ve successfully managed to drive an even firmer wedge between a fan base which, as I say, I fear is already so rent-asunder that I?m actually dreading the Wigan game and the whole alcohol-fuelled nonsense that will surely come with it.

Brian Waring
12   Posted 07/08/2007 at 09:46:11

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Greg Murphy,what a great response mate.After reading it,I actually clapped.
Richard Hindley
13   Posted 07/08/2007 at 09:39:20

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If anyone’s still reading comments down here, then all I would say is this: Kirkby’s the wrong place for Everton. Read Greg Murphy’s comments above to see why. Vote NO to Kirkby!
Lee Mandaracas
14   Posted 07/08/2007 at 09:51:57

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Greg Murphy

Fantastic retort leaving me with little to add. I congratulate you. I have a firm opinion as to which way I wish to vote but that is not the point of my posting. I simply wish people would stick to facts and respect that an oposing opinion is no less valid simply because it comes from a different viewpoint. Hence my amazement that Blue in Bolton considers this balanced...?

Sean, you clearly have thought long and hard about your decision and I respect you for your conclusions. However, I (and I can only presume quite a number of others reading your post) would have liked it to have been as factual and unbiased as it promised. Instead, I found items stated as fact that I could have countered and far too much emotion. In spite of that there were some fair points to be taken such as the admission of other sites but that the obstacle is not the location but the funding. If only our club could be as honest as to say that outright.

Let’s stop all playing petty politics. We all want the same thing, however disappionted we may be with the route we have to take to get there, be it pro or con Kirkby. COYB
steve flynn
15   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:16:04

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Well said Greg,sean can you tell me why "Kirkby is better than Walton"? also anyone thinking of voting yes should read Ian Mcdonalds article on this site.Vote NO
Tom
16   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:32:06

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My ballot paper came this morning, and I have just posted it off with a nice big X in the Yes box.

It’s so sad and pathetic that we actually have to have a ballot, but here we are.

Tom Davies
17   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:38:59

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I fear that if the majority vote against Kirkby, EvertonFC will choose to go anyway and make up the vote’s results.

Bill Kenwright is mislead, he needs to be shown the right way, he can still be a hero. Wyness however is a discrace he only wants to fund his own pocket like most in football now do!
Blue In Bolton
18   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:32:34

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Lee... Please don’t put words into my mouth, i did not use the words balanced.. I said calmly written, unlike Greg Murphys response.
robert carney
19   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:33:12

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Greg Murphy;

What a fantastic reassoned article to a person so ill-informed. I was preparing a response to the ’heinious jibe’ but you have eloquently saved me the bother. The yes vote is now getting desparate as we NO VOTERS are gaining and probably leading the charge.
Blue in Bolton
20   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:45:29

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Oh, and also ’devoid of emotional blackmail’.. Sorry.
Simon Reason
21   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:46:36

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Greg Murphy asks "Take Tesco out of the equation and would you really think Everton had made a sound business decision to voluntarily move to Kirkby?". What this equates to is "Take £75m out of the equation and could we afford a new stadium?".

No.
Carl Cole
22   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:55:50

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Dont forget people Everton do not have 200-300 million for a new ground. The Loop will never happen! Option B is to stay where we are and fade away with time. 3 great year left at the old lady then time for a move.
david collins
23   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:58:34

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greg murphy take a bow, brilliant and anyone who votes yer will have to live with their conscience., kirkby my a**e.
Strewth
24   Posted 07/08/2007 at 09:58:24

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Blimey with even Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot popping up on here, things are getting off the point (I’m sure they’re ineligible to vote). But all these exchanges keep avoiding the central fact in all this. We are skint. We cannot afford to go it alone on construction/land costs, anywhere. Even our operating financial position remains flakey. This is not going to improve any time soon because as we stand we aren’t attractive to any investors willing to put serious money in. A below par stadium plays its part in this disincentive to invest. So one option to Kirkby is to stay put and stay as we are - ageing stadium, increased costs of maintenance and little no new investment and all reflected in players we attract /retain. We cannot redevelop GP as would have to do so on our own (we’re skint remember). A truly viable alternative close to GP might have been to develop on a bit of Walton Hall Park with commercial partners in abundance - but the LCC even lead by Warren won’t/can’t consider that. Then there’s the Loop. City centre bigwig developers are already declaring their opposition - so that’ll snooker us into a planning appeal quagmire for years. Thats before we get started on a site that’s too small - we’d barely squeeze into it with our current footprint - and with difficult site conditions, access and traffic and pollution problems etc. All represent additional big costs to be met (by developers?? coz remember we’re skint). Against this background it’ll take one/several generations or more before we get another chance of a decent stadium like the one on offer in Kirkby which we could be moving into by 2010/11.
Gareth Humphreys
25   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:49:38

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Big fat no from me on its way back to the Electoral Reform Services. Why ? because the new ground looks very very average. Some people may be happy with it but I’m not. Stick another 50K on the ground and make it the biggest ground in the country and the No votes will turn into Yes votes. Yes I know we won’t fill it but its about standards and the moment we start settling for an average ground (which make no mistake the new one looks like compared to others - Arsenal must be pissing themselves) is the moment Everton Football club are no longer a big club. We are then akin to Man City and that isn’t acceptable. The new ground has potential to increase to 60K capacity. Just the 20000 seats behing Man Utd who we are hoping to catch in the future. Nice to see the board reaching for the stars. Not for me thanks.
Blue2
26   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:02:36

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And that Simon Reason is the key to this - no new stadium, no new revenue = less competitive and falling further away from those at the top of the league. We need new funding streams ASAP (not in 5 years or 10 years) but NOW.

We are skint (amazing but true) Tesco have offered us a brand new stadium for (relative) peanuts.

Snap their hands off and lets move on, I support Everton not Goodison.
Simon Reason
27   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:27:47

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We have been crying out for new investment for years. Other clubs have had it but they are saddled with massive debts and owners with questionable records and motivations. We have a company who in effect are giving us £75m (more than the estimated value of the club) towards a new stadium. All we have to do is move a few miles down the road... to a Scouse heartland. If this does not go through we will continue to fall behind and find it harder and harder to compete. It will be utter madness to turn it down
ryan crest
28   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:41:31

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Greg Murphy - if you can’t be arsed leaving the pub to travel the 4 miles to Kirkby then why didn’t you say so in the first place?

You could have saved us all the cringeful "keep Everton in ’our’ city" parochial bullshit.
Lee Mandaracas
29   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:51:51

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Bolton Blue "...refreshingly devoid of emotional blackmail." I didn’t see irrationale or emotion in Greg’s reply. It seems to me he could, and did, easliy qualify each point/accusation/complaint with fact. Are we reading the same posts here?
Lee Mandaracas
30   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:55:08

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Shot my bolt a bit early there and just read your further point noticing my observation. Sorry. One all!
Joseph Brierley
31   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:47:36

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Greg Murphy hit’s the nail on the head with that response, superb.

VOTE NO TO SELLING OUR SOUL!!! COYB!!!
Stephen Ryan
32   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:41:38

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Outstanding, compelling response Greg; well done mate. Vote NO to Kirkby.
Marc R
33   Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:55:36

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TAXI FOR ROTHWELL!!!
Simon Reason
34   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:08:48

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sorry but I dont see anything compelling about the actual move in Greg Murphy’s response. Its an excellent piece about the arguments and the mudslinging and the effect there having on the fanbase. But it offers nothing for the actual issue at the heart of it all - how the club we all love is going to compete.

The only mention of the issue is about Kirkby’s transport connections. Maybe Kirkby is easily bipassed at the minute - but I certainly wont be bipassing it when I’m going to watch Everton play there. This is the 21st century. In a global media age kids across the world are supporting premiership clubs - do we honestly believe that if a Kirkby-based Everton were succesful that kids on Merseyside will say "Dad, I’m not gonna follow in your footsteps and support the Blues - thanks for all the games you took me to but I’m afraid the journey to Kirkby just took too long so I’m gonna support Liverpool instead."

I say vote yes and spend 3 years celebrating Goodison and our memories there - all the while knowing that we actually have a future to look forward to
Lee Mandaracas
35   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:16:57

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Before we get carried away with the whole ’Tesco are contributing £75m to the cost’ idea can I just point out a reminder. Tesco statement to their shareholders emphasised that they would not be contributing any finances to the stadium whatsoever.

Our principle benefit would be that of their construction company being able to take off 33% of the cost as it is ’in house’ from £150m to £100m approximately. The land would be donated by the local council so there would be massive savings, to that there is no argument.

However, Bestway’s offer is to donate their land in a swap deal with the council for equable property. Bestway own one Swiss and two Pakistani Banks. Their are the UK’s second largest cash and carry operator. They own the Pakistan’s largest cement producer. As such, surely they too will have excellent construction contacts to offer great savings on the build. Is Tesco realy the only partner?

To be fair, I doubt the ’No’ vote would have such impetus if the board were actually prepared to qualify their insistance that there is ’no plan B’. Tell us why something that appears feasible is such a resounding "NO" and we may face the reality of accepting the move, warts and all. Without that, you force many of your own voters to procrastinate or vote against whilst we wait for the information we need to make a balanced judgement . . . or maybe that is just what LCC want, in which case our board of directors are playing right into their hands.
Bentley
36   Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:27:27

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Greg, that’s an awesome response.

I’ve seen little genuine debate on this, but that theses of yours has swayed me! I just wish there were more tangible facts to help opinion-forming.

I think the givens for those in favour of Kirkby are primarily "The distance isn?t a problem for me" and "It’s so cheap that we won’t get anywhere near as good a deal in time for when we would need it".

The first is individually subjective and the second is an understandable assumption given what our board is saying - that this is indeed the deal of the century.

I know we’re not rich, and we might well need a partner to get any new stadium (an assumption), so resenting Tesco’s existence in the Kirkby proposal might well be moot, as any new proposal would have to have the prerequisite of a partner of some kind.

Given for the sake of argument that there is the need for a partner for any new stadium plan and the obvious limitations that presents, I would like the board to tell us what else has been considered, then rejected and why. If this is not possible due to confidentiality agreements (eg with Tesco/Knowsley council/rejected partners/partners that pulled out) then the board could atleast say as much.

The board?s output or ’propaganda’ thus far has forced people to form differing views and levels of trust in their understandably skewed output ? they have an agenda which for me is forgivable. Assuming for a moment the figures are realistic, the stadium as an asset would make total sense. So cheap, it could be said, that we could even deem it a temporary situation.

Assuming on the other hand that the board?s figures are massively optimistic and the stadium would in reality cost significantly more and / or gets delayed, in addition the touted increase in attendance and revenue never materialize, we would then have a very different more worrying scenario.

Any leap that we make will be supported or countered using projections of cost and income. Projections which will doubless transpire to be inaccurtate in some way, that’s just business.


I have no clue who is right and have changed my mind twice on this debate already, I?m currently on the fence and that could change again if more facts emerge or for that matter if the debate is as good as Greg?s post.
Dave
37   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:06:15

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Tom

Wise men say only fools rush in, you are indeed a fool, not because you voted yes, but because you havent taken the whole of your allocated time to get all of the facts before deadline, rest assured more will come out, you display a childish stupidity casting your vote almost before the envelope has hit the mat just so you can come and gloat, no doubt you’ll be calling for unity in the comming weeks
Lee
38   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:52:04

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Very well said Dave. There is no excuse for such blatant, impatient irresponsibility when you have such an important decision that could affect so many thousands of present and future fans. Please, anyone with a vote - irrespective of how certain you are and may have been since day one - soak up every tiny bit of information you can until the time to cast your vote approaches. Even if you dismiss the counter arguments to your belief as utter crap. Use it as reassurance if need be. Either way, base your judgement on information, not conjecture or desperation to prove a point. It could be an incredibly expensive point you end up proving.
Bentley
39   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:58:47

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How much mileage is going to be made out of our new blue-through-and-through signing’s birthplace?!
Stu Mac
40   Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:47:11

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Greg Murphy - I thought your ’Too late Cry’ article was very enlighting to the whole stadium debate. I am inclined to say that I do not agree with some of your comments in your posting, I have my own opinions, but I am not going to quote you on any of them.
What I do agree with you is the dread I also fear for this weekends match.
From gate opening to gate close, Saturday inside Goodison should only be reserved as place to shout, scream, sing, laugh, cry for the exploits of the 11 or so players that pull on that beloved Royal Blue shirt for 1 team - EVERTON.
At no time should Inside Goodison be a place for 1 set of supporters, supporting 1 club and 1 team to vent their difference of opinions on the Stadium issue. That also includes those who may feel it necessary to aim critism towards the board. Leave that to outside.
Any supporter even contemplating using Saturdays match inside Goodison as a soapbox, should be ashamed of themselves and steer clear.
C’mon lads be sensible and ensure the media reports only on the footballing and not the non-footballing issues!
Tom
41   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:10:54

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Dave, Lee.

Thanks for that.

What possible more information do I need?

3 weeks of LCC trying to find funding for us? More Lego structures being made for the Loop site.

So I’m foolish, irresponsible and stupid apparently.

Well I’ll take that from you two. I don’t know you and I have no wish to know you.

I can hardly have rushed in after 9 MONTHS of knowing what was coming.

It appears that LCC didn’t know it was coming which is why they pulled The Loop site out of their bag at the last minute. To give Evertonians something to cling to.

I believe Kirkby is right for us.
nick blue
42   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:11:19

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At last, someone who has risen above all the petty name calling and negative emotion. Well done Sean - I couldn’t agree more.

I’m also pleased that, despite the obvious NO bias on this site, you have been able to voice the opininon that I’m sure is shared by the vast majority of level-headed and forward-thinking Evertonians.
Tony Marsh
43   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:34:35

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What a load of garrbage by a sucker who has fallen for the Kenwright 3 card trick.I would sooner chuck some jumpers down for goal posts opn Stanley Park than drag the club out to Kirkby.

The no voters are note a splinter group we are the majority in this city and I havent spoken to one match going Evertonian fron Liverpool who wants this move.

Sean you are a traitor who has no idea what this move will do to us
new ground in Kirkby doesnt gaurantee fuck all but more heartache and misery.
Sean Rothwell
44   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:54:09

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Another quality comment from Tony Marsh!
What right have you got to call me a traitor? Who are you to tell me what’s right and wrong?
Just note the difference between the reasoned way in which my article was written and the way the pathetic response from Tony ’the self appointed patron saint of Everton’ Marsh was written. Says a lot as far as I’m concerned.
Steve Pugh
45   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:50:55

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Great arguments all round people. But why are we arguing without all of the facts. I have been in touch with Malcolm Carter this morning. I asked some questions about the FUNDING for the loop. He is going to put together a package for me and we will all have the answers soon. PLEASE don’t vote until we have the answers. If the loop is financially viable and deliverable and iconic and everything else wouldn’t we be stupid to move to Kirkby. I know some of you are just going to tell me I am being stupid and of course its not. All I am saying is will it hurt to wait a couple of days to find out. If it isn’t viable you can still vote YES, but if it is viable and ticks all of the boxes you will still be able to reconsider.

Sean Rothwell
46   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:06:13

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PS Tony, as I assume most people will have gathered, I was not referring to the ’No voters’ as a dodgy splinter group - that was a reference to KEIOC whose dodginess has been demonstrated by underhand tactics and an unparalleled level of self-indulgence.
Ann Adlington
47   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:52:40

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When are people going to read the small print coming out of EFC as in the following response from Wyness:

"Q: How much will this move cost Everton FC? I’ve seen the number �10m. Is that accurate?
A: It’s still too early to say. The club’s total contribution will be around �50m. Out of that �15m there will be the proceeds from the sale of Goodison and the stadium naming rights. Dependent on how successful we are in those areas, we would top up to that �50m figure."

Also, I resent being described as part of "an even dodgier splinter group of Evertonians."
Pablo
48   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:20:23

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Was it said a few months ago that EFC had the highest dispersal rate from getting away from any ground in the country? I’d love to see that with the one road into K**kby!
magicjuan
49   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:01:19

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well done greg. I can’t believe that anyone against this move is seen as divisive, on what basis? for questioning the motives of a mere spokesperson, wyness, and his inability to treat evertonians as adults and give us facts, unchanging figures, what he bases his information on and without spin? The travelling isn’t an issue , I’ve left this country to watch EFC, boundary doesn’t bother me, but amateur attempts at playing with the big boys is embarrassing and the support the club have had from us over the last couple of decades warrants a lot more respect than we are currently being given.
John S
50   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:57:16

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Tony Marsh

Once again the ’No’ voters rubbish anyone who both dare consider a ’Yes’ vote and more meaningfully dare support Everton from outside the city boundary.

Now when Greg tells us ’Yes’ voters who care just as much as anyone about EFC that we should not refer to the ’No’ contingent as luddites he should spend five minutes reading contributions from mien fuehrer Tony Marsh who seems to own the rights to being an Everton supporter.

We have no money, Goodison is falling-down, the Loop may well be an option but not for today and anything other than a ’Yes’ vote commits us to further purgatory.
colin
51   Posted 07/08/2007 at 13:58:55

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Great response Greg Murphy to the utter twaddle from Sean Rothwell,youv’e come out with some claptrap in your time Sean,but this takes first prize hands down.
rob
52   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:30:33

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what are all the everton fans who vote no going to do if the move to kirkby goes through ? as for one road into kirkby some people should check their a to z or sat nav
Julie Naybour
53   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:46:51

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The most outstanding argument presented in this piece is that
Knowsley, Sefton and the city of Liverpool are to merge to form ’Liverpool City Region’. Is that fact or speculation? If it is definite, that would influence my decision.
There are many issues being discussed here and some people object to Kirkby regardless. I, and many others, am not one of them.
My only objection is being outside the city boundaries - not because I don’t consider Kirkby part of Liverpool, but because of other people’s perceptions. If the councils were to merge and Kirkby was soon to be part of the Liverpool City Region, surely tha solves the main hurdle in what is otherwise a reasonable, if not good proposal. I know I am way down at the bottom so many might not get this far, but please please, can anyone give more facts about this merge?
mark
54   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:48:24

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how many no voters watch all home games from park end compared to upper gwladys and lower main stand near church posts and all. just a thought
magicjuan
55   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:13:16

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Julie, the idea of regional assemblies is where this little misconception lies. It is a name by which quangos can attract funding etc without a definitive location. It is used in the same way we use the term Merseyside but wouldn’t have a unifying effect of uniting all councils under one elected board, so for it to be used in such a way is misleading.
Lee
56   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:25:28

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Tony Re: your reply to Dave & I

"What possible more information do I need? 3 weeks of LCC trying to find funding for us? More Lego structures being made for the Loop site." More derisory comments based entirely on presumption with no evidence. Why would The Loop be any more Lego than Kirkby?

"So I?m foolish, irresponsible and stupid apparently." I did not say stupid or even foolish, I simply stated my belief that there was no reason to cast a vote before being in posession of all of the FACTS - even if one of those facts happens to confirm your original belief. For that reason I called your action irresponsible.

"Well I?ll take that from you two. I don?t know you and I have no wish to know you." Why not? Simply because we disagree about your haste?

"I can hardly have rushed in after 9 MONTHS of knowing what was coming." You did not know what was coming as it has not been completely unveiled. I don’t disagree it is shady timing, hence my point the board could be handing the ace to the LCC with their elusiveness making people hope for a salvation that could be false.

"It appears that LCC didn?t know it was coming which is why they pulled The Loop site out of their bag at the last minute. To give Evertonians something to cling to." Everyone knew it was coming but Everton FC chose to enter an exclusivity agreement, making other proposals redundant during that period.

"I believe Kirkby is right for us." You perfectly are entitled to your beliefs and I never disagreed with that. I found the celebration of your having cast such a prompt vote a little confrontational and, as such, was bound to court a reaction. What I wanted most of all (and still do) is for us to have a debate based upon all of the information, most of which we still await. Please let’s not disintergrate into the sort of base slanging match offerred by Tony Marsh and the original poster - who still believes his piece to have been written in a reasoned way...?!!! Comparatively with Tony’s comments, perhaps. Factually, fairly and impartially, no.
mike franks
57   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:25:46

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In agreement with one of the previous posters I too am dreading the negative atmosphere that could develop at the Wigan game as a result of what is becoming more and more like a civil war between the Yes and No camps.
We have been given (much to my surprise and to the clubs credit) a democratic right to exercise a vote on a very simple question ? to go or to stay?. In such a democratic arrangement the will of the majority will dictate the outcome and those that backed the other side of the argument will either have to put up with the outcome or make other plans for their Saturdays.
While I am happy for everyone to express their views as passionately as they like lets try and keep it civilized. The bottom line is that we are all in this together and what should have been the most optimistic time of the season (a clean slate and all to play for) is turning into some kind of self-destructive madness that we would laugh at if it were any other club.
All Blues together regardless of the outcome - please?
For the record?.
1. I am eligible to vote.
2. I prefer Tesco as a sponsor to many of the oil oligarchs, South East Asian ?businessmen? and other colonial investors currently washing around the Premiership
3. I am affiliated to no special interest group
4. I think financially it makes great sense to move
5. I have no problem getting to and from Kirkby and have reason to like or dislike the place
6. I have visited the proposed location
7. I will be voting ?No? because I don?t feel it is the right location for my club.
And that is my democratic right.
Good luck in the ballot to all those with the good fortune to be able to vote.
And most importantly Good Luck to the Blue Boys on Saturday
jonney
58   Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:56:55

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I’ve read far too many words on this now the facts seem quite simple:
- EFC has extremely limited funds as evidenced by our pre-season transfer business
- tesco/knowsley council are funding the majority of the project with us coming up with around £20-30m (those numbers are NOT plucked from thin air)
- other clubs with new stadiums already are or will be in massive debt which has to be repaid; redshi*e air terminal money will have to be paid back one day
- knowsley is part of Liverpool unless you’re desparate to find an excuse to vote no
- pretty amazing the board is letting the fans decide which has shocked me (as hate Bully as he has no idea of winning people round)
- finally I’m a Blue till I die wherever they run out
exitandy
59   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:24:34

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couple of questions

Where are these people from who are constantly tryin to describe kirkby as ’backwater’ and ’provincial’? Its laughable.

Secondly, what is it greg murphy you want? A complete sale of the club to an unknown foreigner? There is no such thing as investment, only a complete take over.
Kevin Sparke
60   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:39:00

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Greg Murphy - excellent response to a very poorly constructed argument for the ’yes’ lobby masquerading as an even-handed assessment.

Well done sir

Efc-Liam
61   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:55:39

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What a disappointing article. When I 1st saw it i fort this wud b a gud read that wud show the pro?s n cons of both arguments. Instead av jst read a load ov s**t that?s completely biased to the Kirby move.
4 a start I have never thought of or even said that Kirby was not in Liverpool, the people from down ther r as scouse as any one from the city itself (just listen to Stubbs spk lol), but as greg ses Kirby is the wrong location for a new modern football stadium. It is a small town ? FACT. We are a team with roots, traditions and history in the city of Liverpool and have a massive fan base ? many of whom live within walking distance of Walton ? FACT. Kirby is out of the way for a gud number of are fans. Its 2 far to relocate to as it would mean uprooting are fanbase.
For those fans who think that moving stadiums will bring back the glory yrs ? WAKE UP. What have Man City, M?boro, Bolton, Sunderland, Leister, Southampton, Coventry or even Arsenal won since they moved stadiums?? 5 of them have been relegated since moving, Arsenal went backwards, City still needed an investor, Wow Boro Won The League Cup(and that still took tem sum 9yrs after oving)! And Coventry don?t seem to be going anywer. As for the extra 10mil (which isn?t garanteed) ? what will that get us in a few years time? Still No wer near enuf to compete with the best ? would it really be worth selling r selves to tesco 4 that? Would it be worth leaving r heritage, roots, traditions and most of all the city of Liverpool ? especially to r rivals( who?s new stadium wud attract more fans, tourism and investment than r?s as it would b located inside the city of Liverpool ? a city that is improving & developing more n more every yr)
Stu Mac
62   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:53:03

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Mike F - I like your post. To me, you take a very honest and pragmatic approach. You stated your viewpoint and reason without falling into the petty, obtuse, name-calling, boundary-riddled, comments that have been posted today.
Efc-Liam
63   Posted 07/08/2007 at 16:11:05

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CONT - If Everton wer locked in an exclusively period with bestway and LCC for as long as they wer with Knowlsey & Tesco then surely they could attract investment and further partners to make the ?Loop? site a reality & help to develop the Everton region aswell (Liverpool wer going to to use a similar strategy to fund ther ?New? Anfield and the Anfield area b4 ther American Suggar daddys came in). Why Are We rushing this thru ? Goodison will NOT fall down if we decided to take a bit longer to look into other possibilities (can?t be 2 much longer neda - if bestway have already started talking to stadium planners etc.) Why Are We Rushing This Thru? If A large number of r fans want to look in2 the loop site, then the club SHUD do this ? If the board can?t cum up with a ?deliverable? plan B then they shudnt b in the jobs that they are. They deffo shudnt be thinking about relocating the club (against a large number of hard core supporters will) jst because they cant bring in sum kind of investment (when half the league has).
As far as I am concerned and from what I you hear & see around Liverpool, Football is about Pride, Tradition and values. We Take Pride in the numbers of Local Support that we have ? we take great pride in are history ? on its day goodison can be the worst ground in the league for an away team to come to ? especially with the crowd in full voice (United 05?!). Move the club to a new stadium in Kirby whilst any fans r against the move and I doubt u will get to recreate games like that ? especially if wer at a stadium that many of us don?t wanna b at.

We will become a laffin stok if we move to Kirby. The Red Sh**e will always have some sort of put down to us. Do u really wna have to go thru the chants of ?just a small club from kirby? ? ?one city, one team, one name ? Liverpool?? (maybe the out of town blues don?t mind this?) These chants will hurt 10 times more when wer goals dwn to the Sh**e at home. For some reason the line ?On the banks of the ROYAL BLUE MERSEY? will sound abit out of place wen wer playing in a town that doesn?t even lie on the banks of the Mersey. (its nerli 8 ½ miles frm Kirby to the Mersey ? In front of the pier head) We are a team that is very proud of r roots in the city, r history and r traditions. We are one half of one of the greatest derbies in the world (the 2 teams being so close is one of the things that make it so special.) Why would we want to change or even possibly harm this?
jay
64   Posted 07/08/2007 at 16:18:54

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The subject of moving ground has certainly made one thing obvious and that is to make Evertonians sound like a bunch of Kopites. Whinge, whinge,whinge. It’s getting boring now. The article by Ian MacDonald about thinking of our children is pathetic. Its football not a real life disaster the likes we read about everyday. I suggest he grows up like the rest of the whingers. I’m voting yes. End of story.
triple x
65   Posted 07/08/2007 at 16:17:40

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i’d like to raise you a few questions. why everton fc has to be in the city centre? and how many fc’s are in the centre of their own native towns?? mr greg murph?? now taking tesco out of the equation, what would we have?? the answer is very simple indeed: NOTHING!! no loop, no redevelopment and no will from bestway or LCC, do you reckon that? our fan base will erode!will it?? why?? and what if we stayed at goodison and fail to complete ore even get relegated? what would that do to our fanbase number? do you think that a redevelopment would be a good ideia? knowing it would cost a fortune, reduce assistance and would never make goodison a top of the art stadium i still haven’t found a potion that changes the old to young, have you? it will always look old!! i honesty don’t know but does kirkby has a liverpool city zip code?? and wouldn’t this club still be bound with the city? isn’t everton in liverpool?
Mellow Elephant
66   Posted 07/08/2007 at 16:14:45

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My old fella is always saying to me ’let your eyes be your judge and your pocket be your guide’ and ’you don’t get something for nothing’ Granted he is a red, hasn’t been to a game in 30 years bless him. Using my old fella’s logic I’ve come to the conclusion that the proposed stadium and deal in Kirkby looks very adverage and we can’t afford it anyway unless we hook up with Tesco, hence you don’t get something for nothing. Stay at Goodison until we can move on our own terms to a place that is right for EFC and not for Tesco. No to Kirkby.
toffee rapper
67   Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:00:34

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First class article, confirms what we all know as clear-thinking evertonians, put in the most eloquent manner possible. Well done!

a big YES tick from me!
Brian Finnigan
68   Posted 07/08/2007 at 15:59:52

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As someone who has cautioned voters to take their time before making their decision/returning the ballot paper, I admit that I have been concentrating my thoughts on alternatives to the Kirkby proposal. I have done this because basically I have grave reservations about the ability of a ground at that location to maintain the current average attendance level never mind increase it over time.

Those cautioning delay, the doubters and those intent on voting no have worked hard to persuade the electorate that there might be possible alternatives to Kirkby. By doing this, we have allowed the authors of the glossy brochure (which incidentally is the only literature accompanying the ballot paper as I understand it) to escape from questioning about the contents of their leaflet.

I have looked at parts of the leaflet again today and I could see many words, phrases and statements that need to be amplified or further explained before votes are cast. Here are several examples of statements in the leaflet that are meaningless without suitable explanation;


2. The new stadium COULD produce a SIGNIFICANT amount of NEW profit that CAN go towards squad building.

(my words....for a move of such importance I would expect/demand that COULD would be replaced by WILL.......SIGNIFICANT would be quantified.....NEW would be explained in some detail......and CAN would be replaced by WILL).


3. COMPREHENSIVE BUS and RAIL PUBLIC transport services.

(my words....please describe all of these services in detail as it does matter how people are actually going to arrive at and depart from the stadium. If it is just a vote catching, hollow claim then it is dishonest and the fans deserve further details).


5. LARGE AREAS of CAR PARKING will be available.

(my words....The least that those proposing the move to Kirkby can do is answer the following questions.....what car capacity are you talking about?.....and more importantly....where is the car parking going to be located?)


10. 326 METRES of counter space and catering facilities - TWICE MORE than that at Goodison.

(my words.....you do realize that TWICE MORE is different from TWICE AS MUCH to the extent that TWICE MORE means THREE TIMES AS MUCH....so what is it? 2x or 3x and even if you answer that satisfactorily, the increased length of counters is meaningless unless there is a commensurate increase in staff who have been better trained.....is that going to be the case?).

What I am trying to point out is that Wyness has been given a very easy ride over the leaflet and I have deliberately left aside searching questions that should be asked about funding, predictions of cost inflation, liability for overspend, etc.

I am flabbergasted that people are prepared to buy into a scheme without asking the sort of basic questions that you might ask if you were buying a car or a house, etc. Have we not learned the lessons of the past when it comes to the honesty of this particular Company? Unless answers are forthcoming relating to the items I have mentioned (and no doubt others) then we could be buying into a seriously flawed scheme that will have dire consequences for generations of Evertonians.

Finally, one cannot but be amazed at the stupidity of the person who is bragging that he returned his yes-vote almost within moments of it arriving on his mat. Why is he not more questioning about the contents of the leaflet? Why is he not curious as to what Bestways might have to reveal? Quite frankly, people acting with such untold haste are to be pitied. Such lack of critical faculties bodes ill not just for the ballot result but also for the quality of football that they are willing to watch in the future.
Art
69   Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:25:59

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I have read every post on this thread and there are some very good points made by both camps , however I think the most sensible one is y steve pugh and to wait for malcolm carter’s response concerning the financing of the loop , then make a decision
Bentley
70   Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:49:02

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One thing this article isn’t is eloquent. It’s deeply flawed and doesn’t give any credit or successfully disprove the stances the author seems to so passionately resent.

I was pro-move before reading it and back on the fence following the sporadically erudite debate that followed.

To not give credit to both sides of the debate seems utterly absurd to me. We?re all Evertonians, we all love our club, we all want what?s best, we just might disagree about the one stadium plan that?s on the table ? that?s it. No vitriol or ranting necessary. Those against the move don?t want the club to stagnate and die any more than those in favour of it want to grab the first chance to drag everyone kicking and screaming out of the city to the sound of laughter coming from the Red Terminal.

Debating when we?ve got about 2 ½ established facts is pretty difficult, angry ranting is mystifying.
david kiely
71   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:00:09

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Sean, you shouldn’t take the excellent comments above too personally, because they’re a response to the generalised myopia and delusional attitude of the pro move camp.

I hope you and your friends aren’t legion enough to carry the day, or we’re all facing a future in the wilderness.
Greg Murphy
72   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:20:12

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exitandy - sincere apologies for the delay in responding. Just so as I can be sure, which particular part of my response to Sean are you referring to?
chris
73   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:26:23

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i keep on reading great articles for and against, but can someone confirm 100% how much will the move to Kirby cost everton for the stadium, i’ve read 15 mill then i read 50 mill then its something else.

Can someone please confirm and tell me the actual amount. Only then can we work out if it is a good move.

15 mill then lets move, if its more then is it worth it. Christ we cant pay our debts at the moment, if we go 50 million in debt then only god can help us.
Liam G
74   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:24:44

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I have nothing against the people of Kirby (I have family & mates from the area), Nothing Against the Place Itself, Nothing Against Tesco or Nothing Against Knowsley Council. I Will Vote No Simply because I feel that Kirby is a terrible place to relocate a Top Flight football club to and a terrible place to build a state of the art football stadium(if any one actually thinks are new stadium wud b that).I feel that the club should stick to its roots within the city and hang tight to see what happens with the ’Loop’ project or any future projects
I will also be voting no because the people of Kirby itself don’t want the club moving there. I think we have to respect there right more than anything else as it is there community, there lives and there families that will be affected. Many people in Kirby have lived there 4 years - they have grew up there and have families there. For them people to lose a college, school and houses just for a football stadium is out of order. It is the people of Kirby who will have to live with the results of this stadium debate & it is them who have to pay to live in that community.
The people of Kirby deserve that right to say No to the club moving there. If they don’t want it (and by the sounds of things they definitely don?t) then it should be a simple No. Add that to the large numbers of true blues who don’t wanna move and my vote becomes a Definite NO
McKinney
75   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:34:46

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The constant sniping and back-biting over this issue, between fans of the same club, is only proving one thing to me. Fans are not informed enough to make a decision.

The main issue that bothers me (and many others judging by the posts) is this ’take it or leave it’ proposal. I do not feel that boundaries or geography is an issue (well a few miles from GP anyway), as a supporter of EFC for the past 25 years who lives in Leeds then I admit I am less likely to be so provincial. However, if at all possible I would like the club to remain in the city, but since the Kings Dock debacle I have seen nothing to give me hope that there is a viable option.

I would like to hear more about other sites in the city boundary, but we need facts. How much will it cost? Who will be our partner(s)? (It is clear that we cannot afford it on our own). This is why I am uncomfortable with this urgency to accept the only offer of Kirkby.

I have no problem with Kirkby as it would add a very small amount of time to my journey to watch the blues, but I don’t like being backed into a corner. I think there are a lot of fans on here who are offering petty reasons for their decision, whether it be YES or NO to Kirkby, and I would like to offer my opinion of the key questions. (please note these are only my thoughts shared for you and I am still undecided on the issue)

1. Do we need to move ground?
I think yes. GP is a shed let’s face it. Great history but not much else to offer at the moment and I think any redevelopment would be very costly and like putting make-up on an ugly woman.

2. If so, Must we move now?
Well if someone can convince me that there are absolutely no other options in the city then it has to be considered. The key is finance and at some point we will have to ’sell our souls’ (as one post put it) to someone because that is the nature of the game these days. Without major investment eventually we will fall away and, god forbid, be relegated. It’s no good getting scared of Tesco and what they might get out of the deal, because any large investment will bring the same fears and I think we are all agreed that we need investment. The move would not gaurantee success for the club. Of course not, it is no good looking at other examples of clubs who have moved grounds and trying to use it as a crystal ball, but it would make us a more attractive proposition for investment. Let’s face it GP is hardly the iconic stadium it may have once been. New stadiums bring new revenue streams but success will depend on the team and how it performs. How ever hard you look, you will not find a pattern of success related to moving grounds, but in the Premiership money, whilst it does not gaurantee success, is imperative if you want to compete. Currently we are struggling for cash, so making the club as attractive as possible to investors must be a step in the right direction. Surely it’s not about pro move or anti move, it’s about pro EFC. What’s best for the club in the future? If we don’t move now, are we likely to be able to attract anyone in the next 10 years? How long can we survive in the Premiership without investment, considering tin pot outfits like West Ham and Portsmouth etc suddenly have massive spending power. Of course I would love to be able to predict the future, it would make this decision easy!

It’s not about being right! Posts for both arguments have raised valid questions and points but it all brings me back to my original statement. Fans are not informed enough to make an accurate decision. Whatever the vote results I will continue to support the blues, as I am sure you all will (despite the negative rants of some). I do not appreciate the ’civil war’ that has evolved over the issue and I think it is counter productive. Normally, the debate would be confined to the chat rooms, but due to this vote it has now become like an election campaign. Certain fans seem to have radicalised to one side or the other and rubbish any counter arguments. This further convinces me that many votes will be cast with hearts and not heads.

I do not have the vote and feel somewhat relieved that I will not be directly culpable for any consequences. However, I will echo the sentiments of another post, if you do have a vote, whichever way you go make sure you have thought it through as much as possible and please don’t base it on some frivolous reason. Us non-voters are at your mercy.

Here’s hoping for a successful campaign starting on Saturday and let’s get behind the team and stop slagging each other off!

Come on the Toffees!!
danny
76   Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:45:22

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I have just voted. and its a big fat NO, sick and tired of people telling me Kikrby is in Liverpool, it is not, it is in fact a TOWN close to liverpool, which means the vote is as follows. Are you in favour of the re-location of EFC from the city of Liverpool to the town of Kirkby if you vote yes that is what you are agreeing to.
Andy Higham
77   Posted 07/08/2007 at 19:01:43

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Agree with the general sentiment of the article, if perhaps not one or two of the finer points.I think we’re all making this a lot harder than it needs to be. The only way I can understand being against the Kirkby move is if you have a genuine desire to keep Everton within the "city boundaries" - I may think this is short-sighted and slightly insular, but at least it’s understandable. I’ve yet to see another argument against which would sway me though. The absolutely over-riding issue over the whole debate is the fact that we are absolutely potless. We don’t have one to pee in. Short of some Thai/Yank/Russian fairy godmother turning up and throwing wads of cash at us, our financial future seems particularly bleak - and as we all now know, cash is king in the world of modern football.

Being realistic, huge investment looks like a remote possibility. The only thing we have going for us is a good history, relatively recent good league form and a loyal fanbase. These criteria alone will not be enough to attract new investment on the scale we need it I would suggest.

I work in investments, and the single biggest underlying principle of investment is that any investor will want to see potential long-term gains on their investment, it’s all about risk and return - our current ground and infrastructure do not really allow for much potential growth in cash flow. Ergo, we need a new stadium.

But how do you afford a new stadium without significant investment? It’s a bit like the chicken and the egg, isn’t it?

And that’s when - BANG !! It hits you like a bolt from the blue (very apt).

We’re actually being offered a new stadium FOR FREE (to all intents and purposes). Tesco are offering us what we could only dream of affording ourselves.

And still there’s objections.

As simple as I can make it...

Everton need investment. We’re unlikely to get SIGNIFICANT new investment without a new stadium. To build a new stadium, you need money. Everton have none. Tesco and Knowsley Council are offering to finance almost all of it for us. I am yet to see a single other proposal which categorically outlines where the funding would come from.

Basically - I’m voting for what I see as being best for the future of my club. If anyone can come up with another viable suggestion - with GUARANTEED funding, then I may be tempted to vote "No". In the absence of that, that "Yes" box is calling out to me.
Brian Waring
78   Posted 07/08/2007 at 19:26:46

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Jonney,"£20-30m.Those numbers are not plucked from the air"Well,can I ask where you got them from?Because,Wyness now says our share towards the stadium will be £50m.DOH!!!I just realised,you are talking about the first lot of figures we were told,or were they the second lot of figures we were told?I’ve lost track of how much it’s going to cost now.
john mchugh
79   Posted 07/08/2007 at 19:24:05

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GREG MURPHY

YOU ARE THE NEW OSCAR WILDE.
ABSOLUTLY BOSS ARTICLE,
VOTE NO TO KIRBY,
WE DO NEED A NEW STADIUM BUT KIRKBY IS NOT THE ANSWER,
SAVE OUR HISTORY AND OUR HERITAGE.
Rob F
80   Posted 07/08/2007 at 20:12:12

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phew - good to see people will be voting ’yes’ and saving our club. For the last few days TW had been publishing nothing but ’no’ arguments and it had got me worried. COYB
Dave
81   Posted 07/08/2007 at 19:51:52

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Why on earth are people coming on to tell us which way they have voted ?
The time to get involved in debate is before you vote,
Your X,regardless of which box, constitutes your final say, when the dust settles on this bitter war of words, the divisions will take a long time - if ever - to heal, foolish gloating about your vote will only widen and prolong these divisions
Tony Gee
82   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:02:25

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me and me bird, aint been a season ticket holders for over 3 years, but we got 3 voting slips in the post this morning???

what a farce!!

as it happens three big fat NO crosses went into the relevant boxes, so shove that up yer hoop billy boy..!!

any ground which equates to £1000 per seat to build would be absolute dogdirt.!! end of chat!
jonney
83   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:10:33

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To Brian Waring - from reviewing the club’s funding projections as their reporting accountants on the deal. Yes 20-30 mill does sound vague but then noone can estimate to the nearest million at this stage - suffice to say its not 120-130 mill that would be required without tesco input and to put that amount in contect the RS just spent that on a 23 year old striker - we can dream of a state of the art new stadium in the heart of liverpool but if we cant vote for a dream when a very viable (agreed far from prefect) solution is in front of our noses.
tony gee
84   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:28:33

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jonney, wake up and smell the coffee...
them shower of sh*** are spending £4000 per seat on their new ground, (£240 million... £4000 x 60, 000 seats) where as tesco are gonna spend a measly £1000 per seat (£50 million total)
do you want to sit in a bigger version of the Deva stadium..??


I dont..
Steve Mink
85   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:11:31

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I won’t try to compete with the wordsmiths on here. I’m only posting something as a way to work it all through in my head - I’ve thought of little else since the ballot paper hit the mat this morning.

Unlike many on here, I can see some merit in both sides of the argument. I agree with Sean that Kirkby is practically Liverpool, that most of the Plan B proposals are delusional. etc.

And yet, on balance, I will vote ’No’. Why? Because ultimately this IS a vote of no confidence in the Board. They have misled us for years, the failed to share information on options in the lead-up to the Kirkby deal, they issued a deeply misleading prospectus to accompany the ballot paper.

They have not earned our support and should not get it.
Sneekes
86   Posted 07/08/2007 at 20:54:16

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Andy H

Very nicely presented argument.
I’m not as eloquent as you but as I am one of the "No" brigade for whom the city boundary is not an issue I thought I’d have a go at letting you know where I at least am coming from.
For me Kirkby has a number of pitfalls that prevent me voting yes:
1. The stadium design is unimpressive and it’s in a retail park - it’s going to be like an uglier Reebok stadium! or at best the Helliwell Jones in Warrington
2. The financial’s around it are too woolly, too many presumptions, too many ifs, coulds and mays
3. I resent being told that there is no plan B. It is Wyness’s fault that there in no plan B, if I were him I’d be embarrassed to admit it. We had a great option at Kings Dock and Kenwright blew it - there will be other more palatable options out there in future even if the loop is not a goer. To say that there is no option B is a dereliction of his duty. At the very least tell us the other options researched and explain why they are not ’deliverable’.
4. I don’t believe what you say about a Fairy Godmother being impossible. No one will invest that kind of money and let Bill get on with it, but they will buy the club off him and control it themselves. How do I know? Because quite a few similar clubs without a brand-new ground have changed hands in this way in the last few years - Chelsea, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Villa, West Ham, Birmingham. In particular I can’t see how Portsmouth and Birmingham were more attractive that ourselves??

I guess the 2nd & 3rd of these throw up a point someone else mentioned earlier - we are making this decision with imperfect knowledge.
On the Kirkby side - none of us really know enough about any of the financials. There is enough doubt around construction costs, overspend responsibility, projected attendances, projected non-football income etc. to worry me.
On the non-Kirkby side - none of us really know how viable the other options are? We don’t know how deeply Wyness & Kenwright have looked into these other options, how sure they can be that Kirkby is the only "deliverable" option.

I guess it comes down to whether you trust the board or not, and it saddens me greatly to say that I do not.
Marc R
87   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:39:12

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Sorry everybody but Roy Warne has just provided THE definitive word on the stadium..

http://everton.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=887&p=2&stid=8453269

read that and you’lkl se it all clear as day, now let’s get on with the season - I for one am worried that Moyes is still gonna play Neville in midfield.. I know it’s early in the season, but I’d like to see him on the bench when fit, please not in midfield!
sonofa binman
88   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:14:00

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Dave.

For me ’Ze war iz over’ I have cast my vote.

Some but not all of the facts which helped me make up my mind where as follows.

Working within the Construction Industry in Liverpool City Centre, and the surrounding areas for many years now, I am aware that every commercially viable plot of land within the area has either been developed or is in the process of being devoloped.

Grosvenor have Invested ’ One Billion Dollars! (sic)’ into the Liverpool 1 Development.

To make any stadium development viable, it must have a certain amount of enablement works, commercial development, private apartments etc.

It is clear should any application for a new stadium be submitted within the proximity of the city , it would get bogged down in the quagmire that is the planning system today. Facing massive opposition from the developments already underway within the city.

So for me the loop will NEVER see the light of day.

It’s been said before but re-devoloping Goodison is not an option.

Other sites within the City Boundary? As I mentioned above any thing that is viable will be owned and primed for devolopment (or in the case of Peel Holdings just sat on.)

I don’t feel that we will find any site which we could afford, even with a number of commercial partners.

This leaves Kirkby, ’ Deal of the Century ’ I think not! I do have concerns on how someone can build a 75 million pound stadium for 50 million, and I’m sure the amounts quoted that EFC will end up paying will probably be nearer 70 million, but I still feel this is the best option we have to enable us to play at a new stadium, within the near future, with a minimum of debt. ( Any other development would undoubtably mean more debt than this. )

Which I feel the vast majority agree we need to achieve ( location excepted ).

As I said for me the debate is over, remember it’s your vote, do what you feel is right for our club.

COYB!
Neil
89   Posted 07/08/2007 at 20:57:36

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Personaly I vote No.

I love goodison but accept we do need to move soon. I belive we need to be in the city, without moving too far from our home. We where first here etc and " I " have strong feelings on this. I would except Kirby, Bootle etc as a second choice. However in " MY " opionion the Quality of the stadium on offer is simply not good enough. I dont care what shape the stadium takes but It "MUST" be world class not ok this will do as we need a new one.
this will be our home for many years. Over the years we have been leaders with the quality of our stadium , first with 4 stands, first with undersoil heating etc.
While the teams efforts on the pitch take priority we must remeber to accept " nothing but the best". And while the players, manager, board ond over many years even ourselves as individual suporters come and go our " Class and stature for the footballing world must stay." we are one of the most sucsesful sides ever. just because of a few barron years we should not lower our standards.

what ever we choose it will be a compromise as deep down we all... " I " belive would love Goodison to be the perfect stadium.
I just think the stadium should be one the world would envy not just the Wimbledons of the world.

ok so how do we aford it. That i am afraid i have no answer to. I accept "MY" opinions are not perfect and are full of holes in this aspect but "I" do belive more can be done than is being done by the board, Knowsley and Tesco.
ALL 3 should realise the magnatude of what can and SHOULD be. A world class stadium will bring in the Money. A Rebock style wont. Why would a music concert for example show peice at the new ground, when they have the grounds of city, united and the S..ts new ground all within 30 miles. and that is just one example.
If The board, Knowsly and Tesco are genuinly wanting to bring in the money other than football they need to back it because again in "MY" opinion the new ground on offer is no better the Goodison. Newer yes, cleaner facillitys, yes.
World class like Goodison was No. and as such never will be.
neil verdin
90   Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:22:09

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Firstly, you are deluded if you think your article included facts and not your opinions. I will state no facts or opinions just a few questions? - well the odd opinion at the end of the article!
1) Look at the images of the new stadium. Do the quality of images look anywhere near as good as the ones posted several years ago for the Kings Dock?
2) Therefore, do you think we are NOW getting a cheap, low-budget facility?
3) Do you think Liverpool Football Club (and fans) were jealous of our Kings Dock blueprints? Alternatively, do you think they are jealous of our new ’blueprints’? Why?
4)Do you actually trust a man who failed to find the 30 miliion required (fact) to build a 250 million stadium on the banks of the Mersey (fact)? Furthermore, how much would that stadium cost to build now? 4 maybe 5 million?
How much is our new super stadium going to cost to build again?
Finally, some opinion. I take exception to the comment that most fans want success next year. I may be wrong here (opinion), but I feel the majority of supporters against the move are thinking about the long term future of the club for future generations (not just the next few years). I have real doubts as to the financial projections suggested by the board. Initially, I have reservations about filling the stadium unless we are challenging for the league. All the corporate benefits often highlighted is also of concern. Do you not think lots of Liverpool businesses would choose the new Anfield or the Echo arena ahead of our new ’World Class’ (Wyness) stadium? Especially considering the almost certain PR performance anticipated from LFC and LCC come 2010. How about entering Lime Street to a banner ’One City, One Club’? Buses and buildings plasterd with images of LFC players (Newcstle of the North-West). Could you live in this city under those circumstances? Do you think these predictions are far-fetched? I know I could not bear to live in this city without Everton and all the LFC bile that we will have to listen to. I suggest a vote to move will follow with a vote to move homes out of the city for many fans. And who says we are not losing our heritage? One final point, is the extra 10 million a year proposed really worth it? I dont think I will chance it somehow.



Neil V
tony gee
91   Posted 07/08/2007 at 22:02:41

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75% NO 25% yes is my prediction...

Sneekes
92   Posted 07/08/2007 at 22:12:13

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Whatever the outcome though - we just need to move on afterwards and forget our differences. There will be nothing to be gained by gloating or sulking.
Sneekes
93   Posted 07/08/2007 at 22:23:29

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God, I sound like my mum
Colin Riley
94   Posted 07/08/2007 at 19:53:23

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Lets get this straight now. Before Everton came along Bk had no experience of running a football club. A few years down the line and i think he?s none the wizer.
I think he is a die hard evertonian and he is a sentmental sod like the rest of us but he has something missing from his soul and thats his connection to our city.
Walton means nothing to him and probably the area of St Domingo too.
He spends most of his time in London ,Broadway ,LA etc.,so the world is very small to him,so he will be gobsmacked at all the fuss moving a few miles down the road.
And that ladies and gentlemen is the point.He is not like you and me,he iis detatched from reality like an actor or footballer even.He doesnt connect with you and me cos hes not like you and me.
Kenwright wants out of Everton football club in a couple of years with a few quid in his sky rocket.Tesco terry will help him achieve that aim.
Kirkby!!!!!Hello.Toy town. And you went to Bluecoat.Well i went to West Derby mate .And our school were always better at footy than your lot.
Anyhow! What of our very own buisness brain. Whats his claim to fame then.Abberdeen.What was so fantastic he did there please tell me me cos i never noticed.Did anyone else. Kept the books neat and tidy i suppose. Big deal!!!Tin hats in the post.Bravo.
Whats he done at Everton.Same crap different club.He just gets better paid by our club.And he should do quite nicely out of the Kirkby deal too.What percent is it???.
Sorry Kieth but you,ve rubbed a large sector of fans up the wrong way giving ultimatums and no plan b etc.Thats your flippin job mate .Find them.
You?ve caused divisions between honest fans .even fathers and sons are split and bemused.
One thing.you will be remembered alright.As the who couldnt get off his arse to negotiate the biggest decision in a hundred odd years of Everton football club.
How many calls did you make to Terry Tesco.? or did you just happen to meet him round at Bills house one sunday morning when you were dropping his paperrs off.
Well i hope for your sake it wasnt Terrys idea.Something fishy in all of it dont you agree.
Charlatans all of you.This football club is too big an institution to be played about with by you three amigos.
Now get on your horse and get out of town.Next time i want a cowboy i?ll go to Texas.
FLAT NO TO KIRKBY FROM ME.
Andy Higham
95   Posted 07/08/2007 at 22:20:31

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Sneekes - thanks for that.

You’re right about the trust issue. I don’t trust our board on a number of issues, I don’t even believe them when they say "There’s no Plan B". What I do at least trust Bill over, if nothing else, is for him to act in what he BELIEVES to be the best interests of the club. From a purely financial standpoint (and again, trust comes into this over the figures), what has been proposed is quite frankly an incredible deal - it really is, I struggle to imagine how we could ever find another deal as financially appealing as this one is, and I could easily be accused of looking at this from a purely economical POV, and I make no apologies for that because I think that’s what the board need to do to safeguard the future of the club, especially in light of the heavy investment going on all around us.

In an ideal world, I wouldn’t want to move to Kirkby. In an ideal world, the Kings Dock would have happened, and I’d be watching the new season from my new seat on Saturday, after walking 5 mins from Rigby’s where I’d enjoyed a pre-match pint of whatever their guest ale is. Sadly, there’s not much point in apportioning blame on that score anymore (tempting though, isn’t it?). If I just address your points though...

1) I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point. I quite liked the stadium "vision", especially the idea of staying away from the bowl shape. The retail park issue is one I think the majority of clubs will have to put up with though.

2) The financials are always likely to be estimates at this stage, there could be over-runs on construction costs etc, and any "exact" figures released now would only be a rod to beat Bill and KW around the head with when costs went up.

3) I agree, but as I alluded to above, I don’t believe for a minute that there is no plan b - I just think that this is far and away the most financially viable, and to offer a plan b, which could potentially be years more in the offing, would only result in an almost definite "no" vote across the board, something which from a financial POV, BK and KW want to avoid.

4) On a tangent slightly I guess, but there are fairly clear advantages to the majority of the clubs you mentioned:

Liverpool - Huge worldwide fanbase, and if they got it right easily as big a brand worldwide as Man Utd (sad but true).

Chelsea - large footprint in one of the most expensive real estate areas in the world. London-based, which helps.

West Ham - Prime Olympic territory, should they decide to sell any of their east end property, they’ll make a killing in the next 5 years. Again, London-based.

Villa and Brum are basically "next best" options outside of the top flight London clubs and Utd and Liverpool. Huge catchment areas, in Brum’s case an easily expandable stadium and in Villa’s case a very, very prudently run business pre-Lerner, with little or no debts despite match day revenue being absolutely nowhere near its potential.

Portsmoth - I’ll give you that one. I still can’t fathom the appeal. May be related to the new stadium they’re building, but catchment area is relatively small and little brand recognition etc. Puzzle. You’re doing yourself an injustice by the way - that was really very eloquent indeed.Trust is at the very heart of it. I trust the board up to a point, some people wouldn’t trust them as far as they could throw them (and Keith would take some throwing). The mud-slinging that’s been going on upsets me a bit - I know I’ll go into The Elm before the game on Saturday and I’ll have to watch what I say on this issue because it’s become that emotive. At the end of the day, we all want what’s best for the club, it’s just the detail we might not see eye-to-eye on.I won’t get my ballot paper til Friday (I live just outside London, but use my parents address for all EFC correspondance), and if I haven’t seen something to convince me otherwise by then I’ll be sticking a cross in that yes box.I’m reluctant to do it, because I can’t help thinking what could have been, but deals like this don’t come along very often, and it would take a miracle for a better one to land on the table by this weekend !!
Blue In Bolton
96   Posted 07/08/2007 at 22:17:06

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If the vote goes the way as some of you so confidentally predict..75% no vs 25% yes,
Then i do hope the 75per centers do not in the future complain about the lack of progress on the pitch, about the increasingly poor condition of Goodison Park.
Whinge about being mis led by Mr Bradley, express surprise and fury when the Loop fails to materialise. Weep and gnash teeth when David Moyes decides to ’do one’ because he can no longer work with his hands tied, when we decline once again to be relegation candidates..and finally but not least..we begin to tumble down the Divisions.
Trust me..The Reds will really be having a laugh then.
Remember..i don’t want to hear you complaining about it..for you will have been the reason for it.
And with
that.. i exit the debate

Good luck to the lads on Saturday.
Ringo
97   Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:10:02

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As an Everton supporter since I was 7, I fear Evertonians’ hearts will rule their heads in the end - and the NO vote will prevail.

As much as I’ve loved Goodison for the atmosphere and history over the years and would be sad to see it go, this is the 21st century, folks. And we’re living in a ground built over 100 years ago. We can’t stay there forever. Times change. Deal with it. Crap seats (I had to laugh at the "cowshed" comment - try sitting in Lower Bullens, mate)... obstructed views... tiny toilets and food stands...

To those saying we’d be "giving" the city to Liverpool, consider this: If we vote NO, do you really trust LCC to come up with anything viable in less than 5 years? Even worse... if you think the Reds would stick it to us for leaving the city, what the hell do you think they’ll say when they’re sat in their brand-new, flashy stadium while we’re still stuck at Goodison, waiting for the politicians to get their thumbs out their arses? Holy crap... talk about being in their shadow then - we’d LITERALLY be in it, given their own new stadium plans. Plus, considering they’re building it in Stanley Park, where are Evertonians going to park on Goodison matchdays?

The trouble is... for all BK’s true Blue roots, he and KW simply haven’t pitched the Kirkby idea very well. Their PR efforts are poor. The "take it or leave it, no Plan B" stuff was stupid. But it’s not like the plan they have now is that poor. A new stadium for 10-15 mill is a steal. Where else are we gonna get a deal like that? And it’s not like BK (a diehard Blue) and Everton fan Leahy (Tesco CEO) are intent on running the thing into the ground - one project will feed the other.

And if anyone seriously trusts the LCC band of idiots to come up with anything better - and more to the point, viable and something that’s not going to leave us swimming in debt for the next 50 years (since it’s obvious we have no cash), then remember that they POLITICIANS. When was the last time you trusted one of them? It’s a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save face. Think about it: While they COULD produce a viable plan, you have to ask why these so-called plans haven’t surfaced in the last few years and months, when they’ve known all about our intent to have a new ground. The KEIOC "plans" are a joke - a 4-year old could have drawn the new stadium images they came up with.

And to those crying about Kirkby not being in Liverpool, sorry... that’s just nonsense. We’re talking about a measly 4-MILE move here, across an ARBITRARY boundary line drawn by... yep, you guessed it... POLITICIANS! I live in America and have to travel 4 miles to the pub that shows Premier League games, for God’s sake. But I willingly do it so I can watch the boys play.

We simply ain’t gonna attract and retain top talent if we don’t have the facilities and the money that will help us grow. It’s embarrassing to be outspent by Fulham, Man City, Sunderland, etc. But we don’t have a rich, sugar-daddy to help us. So while you might not like it, football is now as much a business as it is a sport and you have to adapt or die. Whining about it isn’t going to achieve anything.

Even if other plans do surface, it’s all rather late in the day now and I very much doubt if anything will provide the same cost benefits and timeframe as the Kirkby one. I think the Board has considered the options and this is truly the one that represents the best move forward for EFC.
Chris Jones
98   Posted 07/08/2007 at 23:58:06

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?Move along now please, There?s nothing to see here ??

At the risk of being shouted down, can I just say I suspect enough has already been said about the whole shooting match. People ought by now to have enough information in front of them to make a decision.

I think those who have been enfranchised should get on with casting their votes and stop ranting about it on here. Likewise, once people have cast their votes, I see no need for them to come back on here and tell the rest of the electorate how to vote.

If I went into a polling station and cast my vote, and then on exiting started to scream at people going in, telling them how to cast THEIR vote (yes, it?s THEIR vote, not mine, not yours) I?d expect the boys in blue to move me along.

One thing that is certain, I’d like to see an end to all the abuse that’s flying around. While I am disappointed in the people running the club not giving the fans the widest choice of options, I am equally disappointed with some in the ?no? camp who have resorted to insult and slander in a desperate attempt to derail the board?s plans. When I read phrases like ?Wyness however is a discrace (sic) he only wants to fund his own pocket? and ?lazy fat shite who couldnt get off his arse?, I cringe. That is not how one debates. Such language merely betrays paucity of argument. I can only imagine such statements emanate from the same ?calibre of Evertonian? who attacked Howard Kendal (and his home) prior to 1984.

Finally, those of you who are enfranchised and have yet to cast your votes, can I suggest you each find a calm quiet moment in which to make your decision. Put out of your mind the emotive language and insults that have been deployed, and decide with your head as well as your heart, and whichever way you do cast your vote, please keep it to yourself. Thank you.
Duncan McDine
99   Posted 08/08/2007 at 09:21:36

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I wonder if there are a lot of fans, like me, who really don’t know what’s best???

All I want is for Everton to win more matches FULL STOP.

99% of us are attached to Goodison, but I’d rather we were in a new ground (in Kirkby or anywhere near Liverpool) if it meant we could bring in another quality player each season. It just gives us more chance on the pitch.

In my humble opinion RESULTS on the field is the only thing that matters.

Cheers, Dunc
Michael H
100   Posted 08/08/2007 at 11:44:44

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results on the pitch?

No thank you! I’d rather sit in the Elm Tree or Royal Oak on match day talking about the "good old days" than vote Yes.
Smith
101   Posted 08/08/2007 at 12:21:35

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You sit in the Royal Oak, the new ground will be a better place without tits like you.

Tommy
102   Posted 08/08/2007 at 13:18:12

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I think he was being sarcastic.

At least, I hope he was!
Paddock Boy
103   Posted 08/08/2007 at 15:51:29

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Wow! I’ve tended to stick on the ’Blue Kipper’ over recent months and I thought the debate was lively on that site - but you guys have certainly turned it up a notch or three.

Calm Down, Calm Down! - Civil War is not the answer (let’s have none of that nonsense on Saturday!). I think there is solid arguments on both sides, but also a lot of unnecessary rhetoric as well. I’ve been down the various YES and NO submissions and gone "Yep, I agree with that", or "NO, that’s not right..." on all of them. This is our problem - there is no correct answer on this one! Both sides have flaws - Kirby doesn’t feel right, but then again what’s the viable alternative. But if there is no Plan B, does that justify Plan A? etc....etc...

Whatever happens lads, can we try to abide by the ballot decision. I won’t tell you how I’ll vote, but if the majority is YES, I’ll take a deep breath and take a tentative step into that unknown. If it’s NO, then I’ll ponder where that leaves us for the next 5-10 years in a rapidly changing Premiership. I don’t think I’ll be happy with either result, actually, but at least we can get on with doing what we all do best - cheering on the lads and defying the odds against the so called big boys! COYB!!!!!!!!


true blue
104   Posted 08/08/2007 at 20:22:34

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Finally someone on this website which talks some sense.

Saying that kirby is not in liverpool is like saying stubbs isnt a scouser. He comes from kirby. also kirby is still part of merseyside.

plus man utd do not play in manchester and look how successful they are.

this move to kirby will only make Everton a better team.
Anders dived!?!
105   Posted 09/08/2007 at 09:37:04

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I can totally understand the viewpoints on both sides of the argument. The only FACT is that we are all supporters of the club.
We don’t even all want a new stadium!
My views, I admit, are based on nostalgia and history. I don’t want the club to move to Kirby regardless of whether its in or out of an invisible boundary its just too far away from where it is now. I believe LCC need more pressure put on them. Its amazing how They who should not be named were granted permission for the Vernon Sangster site!
This ’move’ is being touted as a make or break decision.
FACT is we all deserve our standpoint and some respect for it.
If we vote yes we will all still be supporters. If we vote no we will all still be supporters.
That said, I’m with the pupils of Grange Hill ’JUST SAY NO’.



Michael Brien
106   Posted 09/08/2007 at 12:28:23

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A good article Sean - I could see some of your points.However I felt you were a bit extreme with your criticism of the KEIOC group.
The description of their plans for Goodison as being heinous is a little bit over the top. Heinous is a word best associated with people like the Gestapo and the likes of Himmler & Co. The plans that KEIOC have drawn up may not be to everyone’s taste.However thay should be given great credit for at least exploring in depth the possibility of redeveloping Goodison.
I keep hearing from people like our CEO that to redevelop Goodison is out of the question.I would merely ask " What investigations have you carried out into the feasiblity of reveloping Goodison ?" What evidence do we have of such investigations ?
At least we can look at the work that KEIOC have done. In an ideal world I would love to see Goodison redeveloped .If we are to move I would accept it more if I was convinced we had looked into the possibility of staying at Goodison and found that a move was the best option.
All I am saying is lets look at ALL the options - and all includes the redevlopment of Goodison.Let’s not forget Newcatle United decided against moving and have completely redevloped St James Park - which is just as land locked as Goodison.
Paul Johnson
107   Posted 09/08/2007 at 14:36:38

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A spectacular failure to deliver the promised facts rather than opinions. Still worth a read though.

My ’no’ vote is in the post.

See you all at Goodison on Saturday...
Matt Geraghty
108   Posted 09/08/2007 at 15:05:01

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Liam - learn some English mate.
That teen/ text speak is very annoying.
Sean Rothwell
109   Posted 09/08/2007 at 16:14:27

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Where exactly did I say the article would be based only on facts?
As you can clearly see above I state that I will go through the issues AS I SEE THEM.
What I did say is that I will not present my opinions AS facts, which is something a lot of the ’No’ voters do freely, i.e. we will lose fans if we move to Kirkby. How do these people know these things?
Paul G
110   Posted 09/08/2007 at 17:30:00

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I don’t know enough to go into detail about financial implications. All i know from supporting the blues for 28 years is that i’ve had more bad times than good and i’m still as strong a blue today as the day I was born. If Kirkby is where we are going then so be it. It’s about 5 mins up the east lancs road from where I live on Priory Road, L4. If you don’t want to go then vote NO, if you do then vote YES and stop all these boring discussions. We’re all blues and we’ll move forward together regardless. Everton is in our hearts no matter where she goes.
John Nelson
111   Posted 10/08/2007 at 09:06:06

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Alright Sean mate, long time no see!

I’m not going to go off on one but I just want to say that I think your article is spot on - yes there are other options apart from the Kirkby move, but the don’t come nowhere near in comparison.

Spot on article mate.

Vote YES to Kirkby.

Come on you blues.
Intheknow
112   Posted 12/08/2007 at 18:26:19

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according to a reliable source, they number of votes recieved so far is %72 no 26% yes and 2% spoiled....

goodison it is then!
dario terracotta
113   Posted 16/08/2007 at 23:13:46

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great start blues...

the loop feels so right..

say no to Kirkby


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