FAN ARTICLES
Turning Left...

The transfer sagas of the close season and the ?drama? of deadline day initially overshadowed the Arabian capture of the Sky Blues. It is only now, as the transfer dust settles, that media and fans alike are starting to digest the real drama of 1st September, 2008; the purchase of these perennial underachievers and the immediate statement of intent made with the signing of Robinho. I read in one paper that the ?tectonic plates of the footballing landscape had shifted? and I don?t think this is an overstatement. Its effect at Everton has been immediate.
From what I have read of Blue Bill?s EGM speech he was absolutely frank in his assessment (albeit he was stating the obvious); that Everton needed a billionaire to compete and we needed that person NOW. The shift in emphasis, from what have in the past been labelled platitudes (?24/7? etc.), to this very blunt statement has, in my opinion, been brought about by the purchase of City. Everton and a host of other clubs can no longer comfort themselves with the thought that we are all in the same boat and that money goes to money i.e. the Big Four. Indeed, I doubt that the latter will be sleeping as easily as they have done for the last 15 years and next January and the following Summer will see plenty of aftershocks from the aforementioned tectonics.
However, it?s all very well to say ?go get me a billionaire?, the Club has to be an attractive proposition for there to be even a chance of a dialogue. How can City attract two (!) such billionaires on the bounce, whilst we are now officially ?paupers??
We bear comparison with City on a number of levels. We each have a cross to carry in the shape of Man Utd and Liverpool. The latter are global ?brands? whilst we hardly register. We both have good managers; currently still learning their trade. Both sets of fans are staggeringly loyal and attendances are not dissimilar at home matches. The difference seems to be the stadia; where City once inhabited a large shed, they now play their footie in a great stadium in the heart of Manchester. Whilst we play in the City, our stadium looks increasingly worn and jaded. City can already generate good revenues without a billionaire; through streams which are not open to us because our ground does not have the capability.
Poor management has also played it?s part in this latter regard; for example, at a time when outsourcing is increasingly seen as poor business practice we went against that trend and gave JJB rights which, by any stretch, cannot be said to have been fully exploited, with representation in our own backyard not even well managed. Wyness has much to answer for and has scuttled away without any explanation, which says more to me than any statement he could have made.
As we all know, City appeared to get lucky with their stadium, inheriting a modern complex off the back of the City Council?s (MCC) construction of it for the Commonwealth Games. However, did ?luck? have anything to do with it, or was it in fact ?joined up? writing between public sector and private business in a way we don?t see from Liverpool City Council (LCC)?
I believe it is the latter and that the consequence has been financial success for both parties even before the new investor turned up. It was this clear bedrock of financial credibility and the associated positive image of the club (when combined with the actual City stadium itself) which made the Arabian Bentley turn right and not left and head for Manchester and not Goodison.
My opinion is that LCC now have a responsibility to attract investment to Everton by following a similar approach to their counterparts at the MCC. Everton and Liverpool football clubs should be acknowledged as a significant part of the economic landscape of Liverpool (as a City) and LCC should react accordingly. We have a small window of opportunity brought about by the deferment of the Kirkby Planning approval and the delays to the new Anfield. Before this window closes and both Clubs commit themselves to a mountain of debt by going their separate ways, LCC need to move centre stage.
I would like to see LCC sit down with both Clubs and agree to build a stadium that LCC would own and which could be leased out to both Clubs. In this way, the economic issues of massive capital investment facing both Everton and Liverpool would be eradicated. Neither Club would own the stadium, so neither should see itself as the lesser partner. The terms of the lease would see Liverpool tax payers receive a great return on their investment over many years.
Most importantly, in the context of getting our own billionaire, a major stumbling block would have been removed and we may finally see our own Arabian Knights arriving on Goodison Road complete with Bentley and that suitcase full of cash.
Reader Comments
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Unfortunately, after a short career in Brunei and his picture in the press with both daughters under his armpits, that's maybe a factor.......
As for LCC they are nothing but a gang of lefty fuckwits who couldn’t run a whelk stall, money, business etc all that stuff that actually makes growth is against the lefty religion and dogma. Mind you the know how to tax you till the pips squeak and then spend it the lefty PC way.
The opposition (HA!) are no better, they are only Lib Dem coz they can’t all be Labour. Tories without the bottle to wear proper boots to give the workers a decent kicking as and when we need it....
OOh a bit of politics.
My names Derek Thomas,
Goodnight
However when you think about it if someone with £6B bought EFC, how much of his fortune would he put into the club ?? I’d be surprised if they would be willing to risk even 10% of that. When you think that there is around £60m debt, what the club is valued at and then say £200m on a new stadium you are looking at over £300m before you even consider buying a player.
We have to face facts. Investors don’t want to build us a new stadium or pay for GP to be redeveloped. They want to put their money straight into the team.
I’m strongly against DK but I really now do not know what the answer is.
Basically we’re f*cked and although I never thought I’d hear myself say I think a ground share may be the best thing.
Capital of Culture , can the LCC use that as a springboard to better things - I doubt it.
As the recent government quango stated " unfortunately those living in Liverpool , Bradford and Glasgow have been let down badly by their local government and would best now move down south"
Never a truer word
It’s the dignity of the modern day fan I love
Arsenal buy them in at a young age, thats not home grown. Chelsea, well theyr’e are a joke in any case.
On the subjest at which way the Bentley turns at Warrington, my view would be to let it go to Man City. Their fans have been starved but they have still followed ther club and are amongst the finest in the land. Will this make them truly happier? Man Utd are full of glory hunters. Will City get a new type of supporter? Utd fans only in blue! We probably all know true kopites who are as passionate as we are to Everton. How do they feel? The ones I know feel cheated. Not because of the two yanks but because they have sold out and as a consequence their coaches (english ones only), have to go to spanish class so their players can understand them. Do we want a dressing room full of foreigners, players, coaches and manager? I don’t. Foreign players are good for the game but not when they are here in shedloads.
Are trophys that important when you buy them. One of my friends is a mad Rochdale fan, he never misses. The passion he feels for his team is what football should be about.
The modern game has suffered and will one day come full circle I would like to see Everton in pole position having ’grown their own’ when that day comes. If the Billionaire comes my days of supporting the blues over 35 years will be over!
So lets hope some rich consortium, feels the need for a challenge and comes a calling.
What about some imaginative marketing.How about commiting every available penny into strengthening the squad and sneaking a champions league place.
Lets try and play some attractive football and go to Chelsea and Man U with a little bit of ambition.We are Everton!
They did not get to where they are by settling for second best.
They would probably offer a deal to LFC re sharing and this time LFC would be very willing as they would know we could actually afford our share and it would save them a fortune in the current financial climate.
Hopefully they would also see the long term benefits of having the best staium in the Permier League on Stanley Park and will market the history accordingly.
Is it a coincidence that Bill was at the PSV game with Anil Ambani’s son Joi ( Ambani net worth 42 billion dollars), then at the EGM tells all he cannot go on and has to sell ( in true drama queen style) and the Indians are arriving in UK Monday for ’various’ reasons?
Could Bill be setting the scene for his show stopping announcement that Ambani is buying the club ?
It reads like one of his shows.
Just a thought as I do not believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason.
I may have missed something here but both Mike and Derek seem to be unaware of the political colours of the ruling groups on both Liverpool and Manchester City Councils.
From his post, Derek appears to think that Labour are in power on LCC. However its the Lib Dems in power with Labour in opposition.
The city council in Manchester to which Mike appears to be in thrawl is a Labour run council and has been for a very long time.
Thanks
Who would you rather be....an EFC fan in this time of uncertainty or a Toon fan, knowing that its all gone to fuck now?
There's always a silver lining :0)
Suggest you do a bit of research into Gregg.Google him and have a good read.
After all, if you’re worth half a trillion dollars, what’s £300m for a new stadium between friends?
1 Posted 05/09/2008 at 04:13:25
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