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A solution?

By Lee Spargo :  24/08/2007 :  Comments (17) :
Below is a letter that I have sent to Bill Kenwright, Keith Wyness and Graeme Sharp (as the fans liason officer)

Dear Mr Kenwright, Like many of my fellow Evertonians, I received a ballot paper recently. I will tell you at this point that I was one of those who voted ?Yes? in support of the Kirkby project. For me, my decision was based upon the principle that I support Everton Football Club. Those charged with running ?my? club, including your good-self, advised that the Kirkby project was the best option for us all. I was aware that there are various other ?options?, but was never convinced, personally, that any of those alternatives were either viable or achievable. That left me with one very simple question to answer ? do I support those in charge club to take us forward? The answer, as I have already stated, was ?yes?.

I do however respect the opinions of those who voted ?No? to Kirkby. The main reason which is often cited by those ?No? voters, is that we would be leaving the City of Liverpool, and that would be detrimental in terms of our future fan-base, our ability to attract investment, and most pertinently ? our identity. Now, personally again, I do not lend much weight to such arguments in terms of the fan-base or investment. But as I have said I do respect people?s opinions. I also acknowledge that the ?identity? point is probably the most crucial aspect here, and certainly the most problematic.

Many fans are asking one simple question: Does the Kirkby project spell the end of the presence of Everton Football Club in the City of Liverpool? Many would be forgiven for thinking that it does. However, it certainly does not need to, and I believe that I could have a solution that would please all concerned.

Everton Football Club will be playing first team matches at Kirkby, and the training ground and youth Academy will both be just outside Halewood. So what? Everton Football Club is more that just a team, a stadium or a training ground. It is a business. It is a limited company. One of the requirements of being a legal entity such as a limited company, is of course registration with Companies House. Another is having an official registered office. Most football clubs, as far as I am aware, list their registered address as the stadium itself. Let us buck that trend.

Imagine for one moment that the club, after moving the stadium to Kirkby, retained a presence in the City of Liverpool, more specifically the City Centre itself, by way of the registered office. Wouldn?t that be fantastic? Imagine an office in the middle of town with a massive Everton crest on the wall. The words ?Nil Satis Nisi Optimum? emblazoned above the doors. Right in the heart of the City. This is where all club officials, including yourself, could have their office. It could be where we hold press-conferences. Where we unveil new signings ? in the middle of the City Centre ? imagine that! We could even have our box office there. It could, quite possibly, be the brain-centre of our Club, where the day to day business is carried out. In these circumstances, Everton Football Club will not have left the City of Liverpool, and every visitor to our City Centre will be aware of the presence of Everton Football Club. Moreover, our first team will still be playing in a fantastic new stadium in Kirkby.

Please consider what I have suggested. I am not for one minute suggesting that I know better than those who run the club, or that I am an expert in football or even business, but you can rest assured that it would make a lot of people very happy indeed.

Kind and sincere regards,

Mr Lee Spargo, a loyal Evertonian.

Reader Comments (17)

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Sarah Smith
1 Posted 25/08/2007 at 03:45:01
Best idea i’ve heard yet!!!!!!

I voted YES too
Paul Gaffney
2 Posted 25/08/2007 at 03:46:30
Lee, After having read some of your previous posts with your snide comments towards NO voters, your suggestion is hilarious!! When we move to the metropoliltan borough of Knowsley as voted for by over 1500 fans we are no longer a "Liverpool" club. We should have the admin offices in Kirkby civic suite - only a goal kick away from the Tesco dome. This developing town is to be our new home. We no longer wish to stay in the city.

This is what we democratically voted for evidently.
David Hall
3 Posted 25/08/2007 at 08:59:57
Sound idea,Lee.The FA have set the trend by retaining their prestige offices in Soho in spite of the temptation to move the whole outfit to New Wembley.Let us know the Club’s response.
Gavin Ramejkis
4 Posted 25/08/2007 at 09:30:28
What a ridiculous idea, why have an administrative function in a city the club has forsaken? In business terms what would be the justification of the office? Would it generate income as the club is a company and not a charity the simple answer is the office would be a financial drain and utterly meaningless. Liverpool will be known as the only club in the city and no token office with any size logo or crest will change that. Several yes voters have already intimated their decision was based upon leaving LCC with nothing so I can’t see a "majority" vote for it.
Mark Creevy
5 Posted 25/08/2007 at 09:33:36
Isn’t Martins Bank, next to the town hall available now that Barclays have moved to Lord Street? Can’t think of anywhere better myself, having the ticket office in the marble banking hall!

Probably cost more than the entire Kirkby project though...
Peter Jones
6 Posted 25/08/2007 at 10:59:51
Votes have been cast and decisions made.
This suggestion would serve only to compound the irony of "The Peoples Club" mantra.

If you need to clear your conscience please find an alternative which does not expose us to further ridicule.

COYB
Mike Keating
7 Posted 25/08/2007 at 11:24:24
Sounds like painting the stable door blue and white having securely bolted it after voting to dump the horse on Switch Island - sorry Lee this solves nothing and if you voted ?Yes? presumably you shouldn?t think we have a problem anyway.
P.S. I?ve already heard one Radio 5 news reader refer to our move to KIRK-BY - they?ve never heard of it and I?m sure the corporate customers we are hoping to attract haven?t either.
Paul Henshaw
8 Posted 25/08/2007 at 12:25:43
Now that the heathens have voted NO, what about the loop site? ;)
Lee Spargo
9 Posted 25/08/2007 at 14:16:49
I dont think we will have a problem and I dont need to clear my conscience. I made my decision to vote yes based upon my beleif that it was the best option available. I stand by that.

I just though that this could be a ’bonus’, if you will.

We really could have our cake - and eat it.
Colin Potter
10 Posted 25/08/2007 at 14:09:11
Sorry Lee,but that is the biggest load of infantile crap I have read in a long time!!You yes voters have just told the city of Liverpool,that you want nothing more to do with them!!!
Terry"marsbar"Maddock
11 Posted 25/08/2007 at 15:57:38
After reading Michael Kenricks plea for unity and respect..and then reading Lee’s Idea..I would like to make two points

1) Its a well thought out idea, presented in an intelligent and thoughtful manner, although not one that I think will work,while I like the idea of a city centre ticket office( as i work and live there) I feel it will just be an unnessacery(how do you spell that?)financial strain, especially as you can get them straight off the net.

2) Its cleary the same old insults to anything they disagree with ..from the same old people..The only childish , or infantile crap has been the responses to a well written piece.
Peter Fearon
12 Posted 25/08/2007 at 18:15:14

Sorry, no disrespect but I really think that’s hypocritical. You vote to leave Liverpool, then you want to pretend we haven’t left. It’s like mugging someone and helping them up afterwards. I suspect there’s going to be a lot of this crocodile tears stuff in the months ahead.
Mick Mac
13 Posted 25/08/2007 at 20:07:22
I am still of the opinion you all should start a campaign to get knowsley back in to Liverpool

BKBIL
Karl Masters
14 Posted 25/08/2007 at 22:17:31
Good idea, Lee. I like it - and I voted No. However, I fear that the likes of Bully Won’t want to drive 9.7 miles into town and back and will just poo-poo it like just about every other idea from us fans.

By the way, anyone see BK on Who Wants to be A millionaire earlier? Truly toe-curling stuff! In fact it offered a good insight as to how he is incapable of making a decision and sticking to it. Wound up with a grand... Nice bloke, and so’s his other half ( nice, not a bloke!) but honestly!
Les Smith
15 Posted 26/08/2007 at 00:17:20
What a sad suggestion Lee.

Surely it doesn’t matter that Kirkby is not in Liverpool and is never likely to be - though it might, one day, become part of Greater Liverpool - but that a ground located in or very near to the Liverpool city centre would have greater commercial potential than one in Kirkby town centre
Trev Clarke
16 Posted 26/08/2007 at 18:28:40
I am a yes voter but only after researching as much as possible, I was not going to be swayed by the club or the NO voters who have in my opinion in the most come up with no viable reasons other than we are taking Everton out of the city and then proceed to slag of people with a different opinion. In the end I voted yes as I see this as the only viable option for the club to progress without holding on to see if anything on the off chance comes along in the future and I for one do not want to play russian roulette with my beloved club. I think the above idea is nothing to slag him off about as it is just an idea and at least someone is trying to come up with something constructive. On the subject of EFC being taken out of the city I ask that all Everton supporters do some research on the boundries of liverpool in 1878 and then when we moved to mere green field (goodison) in 1892 I think you will be supprised what you find, so that arguement dont wash with me as in another 125yrs if we move from kirkby then there will be uproar again by supporters shouting you are abandoning our spiritual home of kirkby!!!
Mick Kesler
17 Posted 28/08/2007 at 05:18:39
All you clowns who voted for Kirkby, just remember that you were responsable for the probable downfall of the greatest football club in the world. you have been taken in by the spin and shite (inc the fernandez deal) that wyness and kenwright have spewed and then you believe over 10000 toffees didnt vote, wake up lads and girls, this is everton were talking about; remember when we bid for shearer-smith-michael owen-kuyt-kings dock-big investment-and all the other bullshit they have fed us they will try and sell our souls to tesco and wont give a shite what lies they tell on the way . mick ( very pissed off bluenose)

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