ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Kirkby welcomes Everton???

I lived in Kirkby for most of my life and the last time I went there, last week, there was more than 500 people. Can somebody educate me, how to get the true feeling of 40 plus thousand residents by asking 500 people? Were half of them kopites? Did they ask at Kirkby railway station as the Wigan train pulled in? The propaganda war has started.

Let's not lose our identity. KEEP EVERTON IN OUR CITY
Colin Malone, Wirral Posted 27/07/2007 at 15:55:51

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Michael Kenrick

Not sure what your point really is, Colin. It wasn't a random Gallup poll, were 1024 is the magic number, is it not? Plus or minus 4%. This was just people attending a public meeting. Of course they are more likely to be people who have an opinion about the issue, otherwise why would they bother getting off their arses? Unless there's some free wine and waffers on offer...

John Anson
1 Posted 27/07/2007 at 08:33:08

I see the general consensus of the people of Kirkby welcome the thought of the redevelopment project which includes the relocation of EFC, albeit a "significant minority? was referred to by the BBC.

Should the ballot (God forbid) deliver a move to Kirkby result perhaps Everton Football Club should consider re-naming our great club to reflect the new location of our club - perhaps Kirkby Town or Knowsley United?

Colin Malone
2 Posted 27/07/2007 at 17:53:20

The storey i read was, the Kirkby welcomes Everton, in which they polled over 500 people. Then their was the meeting of the residents in st chads of about 500 people who rejecteded it.I,m puzzled.

Mike Benjamin
3 Posted 27/07/2007 at 18:03:25

After all the conjecture on the content of the wording for the ballot question is there any comment from anyone on the actual wording released by the club?

Lyndon Lloyd
Editorial Team
4 Posted 27/07/2007 at 18:25:37

Knowsley Council undertook an independent ICM poll of 500 people of which a majority said they were in favour of the proposed stadium. Around 500 people also went to the church last night to protest the move.

Supporters of our relocation to Kirkby will say that the protest was organised by KRAG and therefore denounce it as staged and not spontaenous while others would say that 500 people is such a small sample for a survey that it cannot be deemed representative of the views of Kirkby’s residents as a whole.

Ultimately, it’s largely irrelevant to everything except the propaganda war — it’s Everton’s fans who will be voting on the scheme not the town of Kirkby, although there will, of course, be Kirkby residents among those eligible to vote.

Greg Murphy
5 Posted 27/07/2007 at 18:06:02

Colin, you’re quite right, the propaganda is obviously under way and you’re clearly referring to the Echo story which innacurately reports MP George Howarth’s ICM poll of 500 Kirkby residents (it’s just coincidence that there was a residents’ event at St Chad’s with 500 people in attendance.) Two different stories.
In response to the Echo coverage of the ICM poll story, I wrote the following letter this afternoon (N.B. the "Ms Bailey" I refer to is Sly Bailey, CEO of Trinity Mirror, which owns The Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, which, in turn, is a commercial partner of EFC - the matchday programme, The Evertonian).
STARTS LETTER.
Re: Kirkby says yes to Everton, (website, icliverpool, Friday 27 July).
I could punch several holes in this highly tendentious piece. Instead I will underscore just one, in order to highlight the lack of accuracy and veracity in your report.
You say, verbatim: ’53pc of Kirkby residents believe the plan will improve their quality of life...’
No they don’t. Was every ’Kirkby resident’ polled? No. By your own admission just 500 were polled. In selected wards.
Therefore, you should have written: ’53pc of those Kirkby residents polled (in selected wards) believe the plan will improve their quality of life...’.
In other words just 255 people out of a population of 37,000 believe the plan will improve their quality of life. Big deal.
Conversely, 245 people out of a population of 37,000 don’t believe it. Big deal.
Therefore Kirkby doesn’t say yes to Everton. Nor does it say no.
Your headline, then, I would venture, should have pithily read something like ’Kirkby warming to Everton?’
As it is, your headline is wrong. And several ’facts’ within the piece have been (willingly?) distorted.
If ever I needed proof that, for the third time in its history (1997, 2000 and now), the Liverpool Echo is blithely and impartially doing Everton FC’s (stadium) bidding, then you have supplied it in abundance.
You’d think the title would have learned its lesson by now instead of fawning and pandering towards the wishes of the Everton executive. Then again, Ms Bailey wouldn’t take too kindly to one of the chief Trinity Mirror companies upsetting one of its leading joint venture parties.
That piece was as transparent as it gets. What’s more, I think you know it. Lame."
ENDS LETTER

Bob Fletcher
6 Posted 27/07/2007 at 22:07:50

Every household in Kirkby was sent a brochure with a voting form. As a resident I replied. As with general elections and local elections the majority of people did not bother. This is not Knowsleys fault. It is the apathy of people who can’t be bothered and is symtomatic of people today.

colin malone
7 Posted 27/07/2007 at 22:46:04

I agree Bob,we are not only fighting against, i,m only in it for myself Wyness, but also the media.The only way we will stay the peoples club, is staying in the city.

Paul Cooke
8 Posted 29/07/2007 at 17:36:37

I think this is a joke, if your against this move to Kirkby, i really think now is the time to be letting your friends know via email and tell them to do the same.
Everton FC must remain in the City Of Liverpool, and there is a Plan A, B ,C
Lets look at these options before voting.

Remember there is NO going back !!

VOTE NO !!