Kirby or not

Comments (4)

There will be people with the knowledge and the memory to put fact to perception, it would be interesting to see their views on the following. I have a perception that, many years ago, Everton considered Stanley Park as a alternate to Goodison but were turned down by the council; something about not developing in open spaces. Another idea that I think fell foul of the council was redevelopment at Goodison by acquiring property and demolishing it. Something about loss of valuable housing stock blocked that scheme. Then there was Kings Dock; perhaps it was never financially viable but there were howls of protest from the council. This time traffic was the problem.

Now, when a financialy viable means of acquiring a stadium that can generate the revenue Everton needs to stay in the top flight, all sorts of new ideas for keeping Everton in our city emerge. The most prominent, the loop is unsuitable. Traffic will empty onto the same urban highway that the Kings Dock would have used, the site has no potential for the supporting commercial development a major stadium needs. It is derelict land created when Scotland road was demolished.

It was fine for the council to demolish a whole community and move them to Kirby so they could build a tunnel but not fine for Everton to demolish a row of houses to create a stadium essential to the survival of the club. It is fine for the Red side to build on Stanley Park and why traffic emptying directly onto urban trunk roads from Kings Dock was a problem when the red side can empty traffic onto inadequate roads around Stanley Park has not been addressed. Of course the Everton could listen to Keep Everton in our City brigade and spend several more years declining gently away, being thwarted at every turn: perhaps that is the movements real intent.

Alternativley the club can go somewhere where it is wanted and secure its long term future. The loser will be the city of Liverpool and they deserve no better given the grossly biased way the city has addressed the needs of Liverpool FC and Everton FC. A 60,000 seat stadium as part of the Kings Dock even if it cost a bit more than Kirby would be great but Everton will get no support in Liverpool for a stadium that is better in anyway than that the City will organise for the Red side. Let's get out and get on.
John White, London     Posted 25/08/2007 at 18:01:55

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