ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Relinquishing the train-set?

Given Robert Earl's most recent public statement concerning his investment in Everton and his attendance at the AGM, are we starting to see the train-set slowly being relieved from blue Bill's grip?

Kenwright's back-track on the non-existent Plan B on the redevelopment of Goodison Park should the Kirkby project fail has been quickly extinguished by Earl's insistence of a bright new future on the banks of Kirkby town centre. The ballot of fans was clearly a statement from Kenwright aimed at easing his conscience, given a 'mandate' the business acumen of Earl is now showing through.

The recent injection of funds to bolster the squad with the acquisition of Yakubu was evidently funded by the securitization of increased borrowing underwritten by Earl. For Everton to progress we undoubtedly need a white knight providing the funds, fans are fickle after all and a future at Kirkby will undoubtedly become secondary to increasing sustainability and real progress on the pitch. However, the nightmare scenario is if it all goes tits up...?
Peter Laing, Liverpool Posted 07/12/2007 at 15:26:31

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Marcus Dawson
1 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:02:57

I?m getting more and more confused about Robert Earl?s involvement, he?s clearly getting more involved and has added his weight to the Kirkby debate. Not sure if I understand his comments about Tescoe issuing a non reimbursable cheque, didn?t Tesco come out a few months ago and state categoriacally that they weren?t giving any funds to us? I think the statement was issued through the BBC in response to comments from KW along similar lines to Earl?s. Anyone know the truth?

Barry Bragg
2 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:12:44

Tesco are paying Knowsley £50m for the land at Kirby (with planning approval) and Knowsley are putting that £50m toward the cost of the stadium development. So it could be argued that Tesco are not giving any money to Everton but in a round about way they are.

Mick Mac
3 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:26:04

Has anyone read the daily post and the interveiw with Robert Earl It makes good reading.Chesk out the site below

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Everton&search=&type=

Mick Mac
4 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:33:45

heres one from the other side of the track.
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Everton&search=&type=

Michael Kenrick
5 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:36:34

Mick, that link is to the whole Everton page on News now... and it’s the second time you’ve posted it.

Let the story you are on about come up and then snag the link for it and post that instead, please.

Neil Pearse
6 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:42:54

Michael, Mick - I think this is the same story from the Daily Post you’ve already posted on the Toffeeweb home page. Also at: http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2007/12/07/robert-earl-why-kirkby-is-right-for-everton-fc-64375-20218543/

Interesting that Earl is now coming out into the limelight. He is implicitly critical of Bill and Keith (quite rightly IMHO). They didn’t explain at the AGM that other options had in fact been explored (including by Earl himself). And they didn’t put forward the case for Kirkby. Like Leahy earlier, it looks like Earl is doing the job because Bill and Keith somehow don’t seem to be able to manage it.

On Tesco’s contribution, the numbers are still a bit difficult to grasp, but the basic concept is relatively simple. Tesco of course are not directly giving Everton money. But they appear to be (a) buying the common land on which both store and stadium will be built (so we don’t have to); (b) paying for the construction of all common parts of the site, so we are only (!) left with having to foot the bill for the stadium specifically; (c) driving down the cost of the construction given their huge buyer power as one of the UK’s biggest constructors.

Something like this anyway. Maybe Earl can tell us more precisely, since it seems to be beyond Bill and Keith. Anyway, Earl is in effect saying with respect to Tesco - don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I am inclined to agree with him.

As importantly for me, we will get the benefits of Tesco’s huge experience in large construction projects, and hence some guarantee that it might actually come in close to cost and time targets. I would not trust Wyness on this, but I am much more likely to trust Leahy and his boys. Sometimes it pays to have the ruthless bastards on your side.

Mick Mac
7 Posted 07/12/2007 at 16:56:24

This is the Robert Earl interveiw link

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2007/12/07/robert-earl-why-kirkby-is-right-for-everton-fc-64375-20218543/

mick mac
8 Posted 07/12/2007 at 17:02:01

Here is the link for the other side

http://www.footballfancast.com/blog/football-fancast-unlimited/everton

Gavin Ramejkis
9 Posted 07/12/2007 at 17:13:16

Neil the trouble with the "facilities provided" eg roads they don’t provide anything beyond token provision for the stadium such as 1000 car parking spaces for staff and guests of the club only. I also don’t believe they will be provising the transport infrastructure beyond access to the supermarket eg transport links sufficient to allow 50k plus fans to and from the stadium be it on buses or trains as no one will be able to drive there without risk of significant parking fines. Robert Earl has simply had the guts to "word" the involvement far better than KW or BK who have both been guilty of terrible or completely missing information.

Mick Mac
10 Posted 07/12/2007 at 17:34:23

Gavin How many car parking spaces do you think should be provided? Just imagine a car park providing 10 000 spaces and the gridlock that would occur around the town. I think there will be park and walk and park and ride outside of the immediate area. If they could be organised similar to Disney studios in Florida. I know they have masses of room to do it but a well organised system wuold alleviate a lot of problems. But I am sure there is enough around Knowsley to have a number of these where the exits can go onto major roadsnameley M57 and A 580 M58 and A 508 to name but 4.

Neil Pearse
11 Posted 07/12/2007 at 18:09:17

Fair point Gavin. I would certainly like to hear a lot more about the transport infrastructure and who’s going to pay for it. Presumably no-one (including Knowsley Council) is going to be stupid enough to plonk a 50,000 stadium down without adequate means to get to and from it. The question is who is going to pay for it.

Gavin Ramejkis
12 Posted 07/12/2007 at 18:14:15

Mick not an easy one to answer but two passengers I drive to the match are disabled, one of which is a pensioner, how far away should I park with these two and wait for a bus in Disneyland Kirkby more likely Aintree at increased cost having driven from Upholland and Skelmersdale past Kirkby to have to wait for a bus no matter what the weather to come back on ourselves and have a similar journey back again?

I’m not the only one to be put out by this but can only speak from my perspective, the demographic of fans is being eroded without even being noticed.

Neil I dread to think who will be asked to pay for it as it was mooted in another posting about the loop that normal funding or European funding couldn’t be used to pay for a private venture but I stand ready to be corrected, Goodison isn’t perfect but it has much better transport access and routes.

Neil Pearse
13 Posted 07/12/2007 at 19:26:02

Gavin, one thing that absolutely should come from a new stadium such as Kirkby is that there is a proper allocation of car parking spaces to those needing them because of disabilities. That’s the least we can expect.

Lee Smith
14 Posted 07/12/2007 at 19:27:57

This is an interesting thread, and i’m glad to see that (at the moment!) it is all very amicable, with none of the stupid name calling that has ruined much of the stadium threads on here. Lets see how long it lasts.....