ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Ask a Kopite

A letter drops through the door, the same letter lands in another 33,000 hallways. The contents are crucial to future generations of football fans who haven?t even been born yet. A simple question is asked and it requires a simple YES or NO answer,

"Hmmm... I?m not really sure..." ponders the troubled Evertonian who is torn between the vision of moving to Kirkby in ?The Deal of the Ventury? or staying at an outdated Goodison in danger of being closed for safety reasons within 10 years. Not much choice really; the pen hovers over the Yes vote, a quick tick or cross that?s all it needs... EASY.

But wait! For some reason, the Evertonian stops and remembers. He remembers being in school and picking a team to play footie. "We?ll be Everton!" shouts his mate. Another kids shouts "And we?ll be Liverpool!" His pen moves slowly but surely and hovers over the No vote; a quick tick or cross, that?s all it needs... EASY.

But this time it is easy, as he thinks about a time in 15 to 20 years when he pictures a group of kids picking a footie team but they are only picking one team and they play in RED.

He places his NO vote and smiles "Thank God that will never happen..." or will it?
Eddy Bernard, Litherland Posted 24/07/2007 at 22:31:32

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Comments

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Tommy Gibbons
1 Posted 25/07/2007 at 02:06:29

Why oh why do we take any notice of what the redshite say? If your only worry about moving to Kirkby is because of what they say or what they put on a banner, you must be easily led. All you do is remember your history and remind them of where they come from and the harm they have done to English fotball. It shuts them up every time!! And, when was the last time you sang 'we're the pride of Liverpool'?

Nick Harrison
2 Posted 25/07/2007 at 06:50:39

That story was very cheesy.

If Evertonians do the right thing and MAKE their kids support the right team, we’ll have no problems. We’ll never beat Liverpool for fans in this city anyway.

Nicko in Sydney
3 Posted 25/07/2007 at 07:39:48

The idea that we’ll lose scouse support becuase we’re moving 5 minutes down the road across an imaginary boundary is ridiculous.

Please, think about it people.

Ray Robinson
4 Posted 25/07/2007 at 08:39:57

Don’t be dismissive of Eddy’s piece, I understand where he is coming from. You can’t always MAKE a child follow your team - otherwise I would have been a red!

Geography (even if it is only 4 miles) can make a huge difference. If a kid cannot identify with a location, he probably won’t support the team that comes from it. It’s just another added factor (probably lack of success being the main one) that could well lead to the erosion of our support, possily over the generations.

Andy Baker
5 Posted 25/07/2007 at 09:42:59

I live in Kirkby and driving home the other day i saw a group of about 8 kids, 3 or 4 had liverpool kits on and 3 or 4 had everton kits on. How dare people who dont come from liverpool support teams from liverpool? Geography is fuck all and this Kikrby debate is bollocks otherwise all them kids would have been supporting St Helens rugby club

Ray Robinson
6 Posted 25/07/2007 at 10:30:23

Andy, unless we’re talking the prawn sandwich or glory hunter type of football supporter, I think you’ll find that geography IS important.

And as for the lads playing football in red and blue shirts, that’s surely a case of lads supporting the nearest big town teams - i.e. looking inwards. Do city people look outwards to support their team of choice? Would a impressionable youngster, say whose father wasn’t a mad on football, look to Kirkby to choose his football team when he’s got one that bears his city’s name right on the doorstep?

This is not an attack on Kirkby. For Kirkby, substitute any out of city area

Dave Torley
7 Posted 25/07/2007 at 11:04:44

If that kid can never get a $100 ticket to the Redsox Asbodome he may well pop along to the (what I’m assured will be empty) Dixie Dean Stadium in Kirkby.

This all boils down to success on the pitch. Kids support successful teams. If moving to Kirkby gives us a good team by giving the manager more money to spend then let’s go.

Andy Baker
8 Posted 25/07/2007 at 11:49:59

To be honest Ray i understand your point but i would argue that the kids you are talkin about, ie the kids whos dads are not arsed and have no team, would follow the shite anyway irrespective of our location. They’re on tele more for a start and kids want to replicate players like gerrard bangin them in form 30 yards etc (i still dont know why Arteta doesnt shoot more from outside the box). We offer kids something different...a chance to actually go the game and sample an atmosphere for themselves, not be another skypudlian.

A. Kopite
9 Posted 25/07/2007 at 12:37:51

I can’t wait till you move out of the city to a little hillbilly town.

Our plans for city domination are well underway, our new impressive stadium will become a cultural icon, like the liver birds and alber docks.

thats right liverpool, capital of culture 2008 home to Liverpool FC and the Beatles.

Today the city tomorrow the world.

P.s. you can keep kirkby to yourselfs. It’s a dump and all the residents support liverpool anyway. well majority!

john
10 Posted 25/07/2007 at 12:37:04

Eddy, there’s plenty of blues in litherland mate, and even though there not from liverpool, it did’nt stop them supporting Everton.

Andy Baker
11 Posted 25/07/2007 at 12:49:33

Proof again as if it were needed that kopites are GOBSHITES, never a truer word spoken. Kirkby is majority EFC and who does he think he is a fuckin james bond villain? tomorrow the world....WANKER. you still wont go the game you muppet.

Lee Spargo
12 Posted 25/07/2007 at 12:59:37

Bollocks

Why would kids growing up in Liverpool only have the option to support the redshite simply because we may be playing in Kirkby?

I dont subscribe to this false argument the EFC will be outside the city. Its complete rubbish.

Kirkby may be under control of Knowlsey Council, but for all intents and purposes it is a part of Liverpool, just as Halewood, Huyton, Aintree, and even Birkenhead and Wallasey for that matter.

My two Sons will continue to be brought up Blue no matter where we play, and I have no doubt that my future grandchildren will be too.

By the way, we live in Wallasey now, but it doesn’t matter - we’re still scousers - get it?

Lee Spargo
13 Posted 25/07/2007 at 13:11:08

ha ha ha - i’ve just noticed - he’s from Litherland - that’s not in Liverpool - ha ha ha!

This is madness.

Michael Phillips
14 Posted 25/07/2007 at 13:24:06

I was born and bred in London with a family who didn’t follow football. i became a blue for some reason (probably watching Bally on TV) and my son has followed me, despite the state of the club in the 90’s and all his firiends supporting the Arse, Man U or other London clubs. So why should moving a few miles away stop future generations following the blues.

I was in Liverpool on busines a few weeks ago and had a look at Finch Farm. It seems that that is also in Knowsley.

Eddy
15 Posted 25/07/2007 at 13:51:37

Appreciate all the comments boys. The point I am trying to make is if we move to Kirkby, in twenty years time, kids won?t have a real choice between two teams who play in the city.
Liverpool will be the first choice for all footy supporters and Everton?s fan base inside the city will decline. If the boot was on the other foot and we were rebuilding in Stanley Park and Liverpool moving to Kirkby how happy would that make all Evertonians. If we move we are raising the white flag and accepting defeat ONLY LFC will benefit from this deal, why not wait to see if the Bestway/LCC loop option is viable, if Knowsley council and Tesco want us so badly I?m sure they can wait a few more months for a decision.

Don?t get railroaded into moving or we will all have a lifetime to regret it.

VOTE NO TO KIRKBY

Ray Robinson
16 Posted 25/07/2007 at 16:06:33

I’m with Eddy on this one but I respect all other opinions - ’cos that’s all it is - an opinion. I just hope we don’t live to regret our collective decision in 20 - 30 years time.