The Mail Bag
Goodison Park
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I'd appreciate it if someone who knows something about the subject could answer the following questions:
1) Is the re-development of Goodison Park possible and feasible?
2) How cheaply could it be done?
3) Would we have to move out during building work?
4) What would our new capacity be?
5) Finally could this be paid for in stages by the proposed fans trust?
Surely a supporters trust raising funds for a new stadium would make us much more attractive to a buyer. To me, this would be the ideal solution... but I am wondering ? is this a pipedream?
Andy Crooks, Posted 19/02/2011 at 22:55:11
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1) Liaise with Liverpool City Council to get the planning permissions;
2) Raise the money for such 'cash positive' schemes (with the facilities desired in a modern stadium, corporate, conference, entertainment facilities etc).
This would be an obvious way to help solve the financial ills. The above scheme seems to provide the 'facility led' financial model we need to compete without selling out to an unknown new owner with the huge risks that would bring.
Can the current Board make 1 and 2 happen any time soon?
In return every supporter would get a single share in the club and 10% off season ticket prices for 5 years (or off ticket prices on production of the share certificate or relevant customer number) once the redevelopment was complete. The club should declare itself a charity and supporters would get tax back on the payments. The club would then be owned (I think) by the fans en masse.
£40million would go a long way towards redevelopment. Board members and other wealthy bastards could pay a bit more for extra shares.
Or am I living in cloud cuckoo land?
Please advise.
We missed a sitter when the Old Park End was flattened. We will never get a better chance to move the pitch.
Can anyone give a brief overview of it?
I have been on "street view" to show one of my work colleagues the wasted area behind the Park Stand. In my opinion we could have looked seriously at constructing a stand at that end of the ground similar in size/capacity to the one at Villa Park - I think it may still be called the Holte End. There are no houses immediately behind the Park Stand and so a larger structure could have been built.
It pains me to say it but I think Manchester United have done a very good job in the redevelopment of Old Trafford. It looks as if it was built at the same time and not over a period of several years. They clearly had an overall plan or vision and kept to that.
Goodison Park could be restored to its former glory if Everton had a long term plan of redevelopment and a vision. How sad that such vision has been lacking. When I first went to Goodison as a 7 year old in 1964 of course the blue criss-cross paterns made an impression. It looked as if it had all been built in "one go" - like that from the start. But the stadium had been developed over a number of years.
1) The old Park End Stand was built I think in the early 1900's.
2) The old Goodison Road Stand - where I had my 1st season ticket in 1966-67 - was built I think in 1909 - the date was on the gable if I recall correctly.
3) Bullens Road Stand was built in the mid 1920's
4) Gwladys Street Stand I think was 1938.
So the old Goodison - that hosted a World Cup Semi Final was created over a period of nearly 3 decades.
The same approach could be used now. A dream ? Well perhaps the game needs more dreamers or people with vision.
Jay mentioned Archibald Leitch - one of the great names in football stadium development. I wonder if some of the designers/architects of some of the modern characterless stadiums of the current era will be remember with such fondness?
Well done mate, meat on the bone for those of us who intuitively know a stadium circa 50k capacity is both feasible and economic on our hallowed ground.
Well within the realm of possibilities via a shareholding stake as already mentioned...... get in there.
http://footballgroundguide.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=14337&st=0
[1] Yes [this was KEIOC's 'Option A' at the Public Inquiry]
[2] Probably no cheaper than a new stadium elsewhere, but with the big advantage that it can be done in affordable stages over a long period in accordance with a proper development plan.
[3] Not necessarily.
I favour a 'Conservation Option' in which much of the fabric of the historic Leitch Stands is retained ? these should be International tourist attractions in their own right ? and there is minimal disruption to the surrounding streets which could become a 'Conservation Area'. Most of the new construction would be behind the Park End and Bullens Road Stands and could be carried out during the playing season without disruption to the games or attendance figures.
[4] Between 48,000 and 58,000 depending on method adopted.
[5] Funding a phased development would, of course, be easier.
http://www.keioc.net/index.php?page=redevelopment-plans
http://www.keioc.net/index.php?page=technical-drawings
http://www.keioc.net/index.php?page=external-renderings
May I add my thanks Trevor and Tom, the effect if we transformed Goodison, retaining the priceless heritage, would be a massive shot in the arm to this club.
I've asked about this before ? the idea of supporters donating a fixed amount to the club with the proviso it's not wasted by this amateur Board. The general concensus is that the Board won't sanction anything that involves giving the donor a "share" as it dilutes the value of existing shares. (?)
My counter is sod the share ? just have your own or a loved one's name on a scroll of honour or on a brick/ plaque on the new structure.
As for cloud cuckoo, I don't think you need worry. I was on a contract in Edinburgh during part of the DK debacle and, amongst the workforce were 12 ex-pat Blues, all of whom said they'd be willing to donate to such a scheme to help our club. I'm amazed on my travels how many Blues there are nationally and worldwide and, strangely, they're all as Everton-daft as me and you, it seems!
Didn't the ground look gorgeous in the late 30s?
All the credit for the work behind it belongs to two very loyal and capable Evertonians (Tevor and Tom) who the club have chosen to ignore... clocking up £4.5 million in "expert fees" on a diabolical non-starter instead.
It makes total sense and i have re-read it about 3 times.
If only I had already made my millions I would love to be Everton's sugar daddy and build us a new stadium... fingers crossed this Tesco guy has us in mind! Makes you think, "Why didn't this happen 10 years ago?" I guess they were too worried we were going to get relegated; shortsighted if you ask me!
If it were not for this site myself and many overseas supporters would rely on the official site for any information. What is worrying is the fact many Evertonians, and I know a few, take the official site as gospel.
Whilst i agree that everything read on the official site should not be taken as gospel, i would say worryingly as well is the fact that certain people seem to take what is stated on this site as gospel.
IMO knowledge is to be shared and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the much maligned guys at KEIOC who have put so much effort into their passion for the club. It makes me sick when I see Kenwright milking any limelight that comes our way and continuously treating fans with contempt.
I agree there has been a lot of guff written about DK and Bill Kenwright.
My point was simply that whilst you should not take everything that is on the official site as gospel the same can also be said about this site as well.
For example we had someone recently telling us that the players had not been paid for a couple of months which i think we would all agree was in fact a load of bollocks. Or we were told that the club was hours away from administration. I think we can both agree that that was simply not true.
As you say, pinch of salt unless you are an avid reader of certain contributors but even then you still retain the power of choice over what you believe and what you don't given previous form. I don't think the club was hours away from administration but I also don't think we are years away from it either.
You are 'avin a laugh, aren't you?
Resubmit the DK plans?
Yes, definitely 'avin a laugh, you had me goin' there for a minute!
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1 Posted 20/02/2011 at 16:06:33
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I dont know if there is a way to post this but this is a very interesting article on redeveloping GP.
Ed Note: Err... thanks, Jay. Guess I gotta look see where you got it from before I spend a few hours reformatting it...
Okay... looks like it came from:?
Keep Everton In Our City!