I agree with all your points, but the stadium you describe is beyond our means. The best we can hope for, assuming we agree that Kirkby is the wrong move, is to redevelop Goodison, probably at a cost of £130m, give or take. Other than that, and the ground share just will not happen, we don’t have options. In short, I see no other sensible plan other than redevelopment. God only knows where we will play during the time the work is being done, though.

Wembley sucks. Emirates too. Love Villa Park and all the traditional style grounds. Except that thing across Stanley park.

You?re right Alan.
I thought that Wembley was amazing, but obviously we?re a long way off affording that. As John says, it?s really a case of redevelloping GP as an alternative to Kirkby ? here?s hoping!

I know that feeling Alan - went to the Reebok last year, depressing as fuck.

On the coach home, the only single positive aspect of the experience I could think of, was I had a decent meat n’ potato pie.

(to be fair, wools rarely fuck up a pie)

Anyway, if it was that every week?.....Well let’s just say buying season-tickets would become something I used to do.

I’d save my money and become one of the ever-growing band of ’shouty’ Sky alehouse experts

eg: ’LOOK, HE WAS HALF A YARD OFF WHEN IT WAS PLAYED!!....No but I’m just sayin’, if you WERE a Kilmarnock fan, you’d be fucking fumin’ with the linesman".

You're right of course Alan, but half the people who argue for Kirkby on these pages don't even go to the fucken home games, how can they know, or care what your talking about ?

When we go to Kirkby, we will just get what we're given ? the cheapest simplest stadium to build. Don't get your hopes up thinking the Emirates or Wembley.

I agree entirely, the one thing that struck me more than anything was there was only 21,000 people there! What?s Kirkby going to be like if 50,000 turn up? I?ve e.mailed Robert Elstone to ask him ... I?m still "watching this space" for his reply!!

Great post Alan.

I can?t see Everton agreeing to a redesign but for a start they need to get the executive boxes out of the End Stands. That would give us a large single tier behind both goals. It is affordable to do that and the with the corporate boxes doubled up on the sides we would actually have more boxes increasing the potential for revenue.

I?ve been to the Reebok and if that?s the way forward then we might as well give up.

Re-developing Goodison is the ideal option but if we go that way then we can forget about an investor. What billionaire wants to watch their team play on a building site? I fear that Kirkby is going to happen. Kings Dock was a missed opportunity, particularly if the Lerner story is true. Bill Kenwright owes Evertonians an explanation.

WTF is going to pay for a new stadium for us ANYWHERE? This Board will never raise the money even if it's only £100M or so and the turnover wont allow them the scope to add anymore borrowings.

The only hope Kenwright has got is ?an investor? and one that will allow him to continue to pilot the ship will be impossible to find. I reckon we will just stay on at Goodison until it?s condemned and then share with Wigan.

Kirkby is already dead and buried so don't worry about it.

Someone needs to tell Kenwright Father Xmas doesn't exist ? then we might make some progress off the pitch.

It?s only Tesco that keep the torch burning for Kirkby; Kenwright couldn't get past the reported £3 million to decontaminate the land before even building, so as Tony said, it?s more than likely a non-starter for us even if it was approved.

I agree, Wigan's ground is in a retail complex and it is not an attractive proposition one bit.

Alan, that was a lovely article, I can tell you're really passionate about Everton. When I read articles like your own, it makes me very depressed by the very people who run our football club who are quite happy to bullshit their way into railroading us into a shit hole on the edge of town, they make me fuckin sick to the core.

Tony, you say Kirkby is dead and buried. I hope you?re right and that what Jay says is not wishful thinking. However, I think that Bill Kenwright is much more shrewd than he is given credit for. I think that Kirkby is the way to his ideal solution, i.e honourary chairman, a new ground and a legacy of being the fan who made good and saved the club. Believe me, Jay, do not underestimate this man.

Alan, who can say what the new stadium will look like or resemble? The point is, is that Everton fans will make it what WE want it to be no matter what the design is like! COYBs.

Dispite what the scare mongers say, Goodison is NOT going to fall down to-morrow, or the next dacade.

One stand at a time as and when the money is ring-fenced.

Not withstanding the transport and other faults, DK falling over must be the silver lining in all this credit crunch bollocks.

If redevelopment is to be the way then I propose that the resulting stadium should not be smaller than that currently planned for Kirkby. That is the size and flexibility of structure that is needed for us to compete with our rivals and we should not compromise that principle - this is not just about seats.

We would need to buy all that land - much as Spurs have done - and that will cost millions so be prepared for a reduced transfer budget over those years (at least 2?).

Money aside, the redevelopment is completely dependant on Liverpool City Council allowing us to expand the footprint i.e. all the land between Goodison Road, Priory Road and Gwladys Street. The council leader has spoken positively of his support so should be forthcoming with compulsory purchase orders. Of course that process is fraught with potential political problems and delays so we would need clear commitment from LCC, but if we are asking for this land we are already in a situation with few alternatives available.

Once we have the land bought & cleared (2-3 years if all goes well?) then we are not faced with a simple process of building new stands one by one. The whole stadium has to be moved roughly the width of a pitch sideways or even better rotated.

The two end stands could be extended sideways & backwards (year 1), then the Bullens stand demolished and rebuilt (Year 2) followed finally by the Main stand (Year 3).

If we could find the money for stage 1 but not for stage 2 (and I expect costs to be in the region of £50 - 75 million per stand) then we get some benefit of increased capacity (5-10000 increase) and better corporates at each end. If it happens between stages 2&3 then we are left with a huge number of fans (20 000?) having to watch the match from around a width of the pitch away for as long as it takes BUT roughly 40 000 will have new accomodation in the 3 new stands - not too bad. 55-60 000 once completed.

Overall it could work very well but will take over 5 years if there are no funding delays - and funding delays there must be if we are to build it without investor backing.

There are no retail partners or other supporting businesses perceived at the start but a whole cohesive area containing both merseyside clubs must be attractive (and unique!). Perhaps we need to start talks with LFC as well as LCC to produce a partnership layout? It works well for the Premiership.

If Kirkby fails surely this must be an option. Unfortunately cost rears its unforgiving head and we are looking at £2-250 million to make this happen in anything like the scale that is planned for Kirkby. Stage 1 potentially costs £110-160 million on its own with purchasing as well as demolition and building, and stage 1 only gets us up to 48 000 with thousands of restricted views still in place . Redevelopment CAN be done properly but is expensive for us to take on - a big risk that currently dwarfs the risks being taken in Kirkby. I don’t accept that we should be happy with a cheap small redevelopment at GP.