ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

CEO's questions... what a joke

Just thought I'd express me opinion on Bully's questions released on the official site.

Bully: Why, if the site is, indeed, both deliverable and suitable, is it only now being touted as a viable possibility? We, as a Club, have been engaged in talks with Knowsley Borough Council and Tesco about the possibility of relocating to Kirkby for the best part of 18 months and yet only now has this site been put forward as a possible alternative....

Answer: Because you had an exclusivity period signed

Bully: Since the announcement of the Scotland Road site there has been no mention of either ? why is this?

Answer: maybe because Scotty road is better and more 'deliverable' (by the way, I'm sick of that term)

Bully: With regard to the actual availability of the site, we understand that it is has, for some considerable time, been under consideration for the relocation of businesses to accommodate Project Jennifer for St Modwen. Is this the case? In order to provide the retail element which is essential to make any new stadium project deliverable, further land adjoining the current site would be required. Is this land available, who currently owns it and what would the purchase cost be?

Answer/Question: How much is Kirkby gonna cost again, Bully? Exactly...

Bully: Is the site actually suitable? Would a 50,000-seater stadium fit on the available land whilst guaranteeing the required circulation space for supporters and vehicles?

Answer: Yes easily, vehicles an supporters? Every single bus route will take you to the city centre. You can walk from the city centre... problem solved

Bully: We do not believe that the existing transport infrastructure in the Scotland Road area would be able to cope with the volume of traffic generated on matchdays.

Answer/Question: Would Kirkby be able too? Have we seen any plans? No. Also, again, YOU CAN WALK FROM THE CITY CENTRE

Bully: What is the proposed timeline for any development on this site? We believe it would take between six and nine months to complete a comprehensive feasibility study, a further six to nine months to prepare a planning application and then an additional four to six months to receive a formal planning decision. In addition, if the scheme was to be "called in" by central government, the entire project could be subjected to a delay of anything up to a year

Answer: With the current board and you in charge yeah it will. when u lot clear off and we get people in who know how to run a business, cut this time by half.Plus isnt Kirkby still gonna take time if and god i hope it doesnt happen, but if the vote is yes.

Bully: Scotland Road "rabbit" out of a hitherto cunningly-concealed hat, we do find it curious that it is being portrayed as a genuine, realistic and deliverable scheme at the precise moment our supporters are being invited to participate in a ballot about our proposed relocation to Kirkby.

Answer: Really? So its got nothing to do with the exclusivity period ending also as the voting for kirkby commenced. was this not a tactic by efc to only give the supporters one option? ie no plan B. maybe u should have kept the exclusivity period until after the vote bully then there would be no competition for your Kirkby dream.

How can he justify asking so many questions about a project thats only just been discussed when the same questions are left unanswered for the Kirkby project which has been ongoing for 18months...
Andy Hosie, Liverpool Posted 09/08/2007 at 14:31:32

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Comments

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Karl Jones
1 Posted 09/08/2007 at 19:21:33

Andy, If you havent already, go down and have a look at the Liverpool loop site and ask yourself just one question: How will we make a state of the art stadium, let alone a car park fit onto this traffic island?.
Also the Liverpool chamber of commerce has already stated there will be major opposition to any stadium/retail development here by Grosvenor and other city centre investors.Thats before you even get to financing it. There are major problems from all angles with this.We need to be unemotional and realistic when considering an alternative site to Kirkby.

David Barks
2 Posted 09/08/2007 at 19:38:22

No, it has nothing to do with the exclusivity period. That in no way prevented LCC getting together with Bestway as they are supposively doing now and discussing a possibility of a ground there. They could have been doing this for the past year, but they did not because they didn’t give a rat’s ass. And so what, everyone is going to park in the City Centre and walk to the match, jumping across the highways dodging traffic. Yeah, I can see that happening.

Lee Spargo
3 Posted 09/08/2007 at 19:48:48

1 - The exclusivity agreement had nothing to do with LCC. They could have identified whatever sites they had wanted to publicly. They didn’t.

2 - How do any of us know whether any of the other sites that were actually discussed with the club are more suitable that the Loop. Supposition and speculation.

3 - We have been told how much Kirkby will cost - do you have any proof that he is lying?

4 - How can you say that the Loop is easily suitable for a 50,000 seater stadium? Have you seen something that none of us have seen? The site is ridiculous for a major sports arena IMO.

5 - The club have hired an agency to work on the transport at Kirkby. Whilst you may be able to walk to the Loop from the City Centre, hoe do you intend on floating across the tunnel approach? Ah yes, we’ll build loads of bridges spanning across Scotland Road. An Eyesore waiting to be built.

6 - You response on the timescale is simply a personal attack on KW.

7 - Has the exclusivity period actually ended? Even if it has, then again it has nothing to do with Bestway or LCC. They can make public any information regarding the site that pleases them without any regard for such an agreement.

Really, if your going to respond, at least think it through first.

David Barks
4 Posted 09/08/2007 at 20:36:52

Thank you Lee, I just didn’t have the energy to lay it out as well as you did.

Richard Jones
5 Posted 09/08/2007 at 22:58:36

Is this the same Andy Hosie who got drummed out his position as Head of Mareting of the club by Bully???

If so - Axe to grind?

Chris Dottie
6 Posted 10/08/2007 at 07:36:08

I’m not saying the Loop is the answer, and I haven’t yet fully decided on my vote, but 2 quick points:
- Some of those who have responded to Andy’s comment have said there was nothing to stop LCC talking to Bestway. Why on earth would they do that when it is EFC who make the final decision and they have said they can’t even consider other options ? For all they knew, Everton were going to sign up to Kirkby without a ballot and they would have wasted a lot of taxpayers’ money investigating something that was never going to be considered.
- My main "beef" with Bully’s comments are relted to the timing. Is he really saying that we’ve got to make a decision that will affect the next 100 hundred years without looking at other options, because they might take a year or 2 longer ? Such extreme short-termism puts me off - this is a classic decision where getting it right for future generations is 100 times more important than getting it done quickly (so we don’t annoy his mate Terry ?!)