A Time for Sharing?

By Jimmy Stenson :: 26/08/2011

16 Comments (�Last) I am writing this as I feel there is nothing new to be said regarding the whole Blue Union / Bill Kenwright issue. Rather than rehash and repeat other people's arguements, ideas and opinions, I think it better I talk about something which surfaces every few months, before being forgotten about until next time..

Shared stadium

I know the mere mention of it gets some people's backs up; others are more pragmatic when the issue rears its head. For me, I was always in the camp of "We shouldn't share with those filthy red bastards. Ever." However, the longer we stay stuck at Goodison, the more I see it is the only way out of the financial shithole we find ourselves in.

The more I think about it, the plainer the issue becomes. Both teams, for different reasons, are unable to build their new ground. Both teams are falling behind every home game to other teams because of lost matchday revenue. Both teams are unable to expand or redevelop their own grounds. Both teams are unable to move forward because of this.

It seems as if neither side wants to be the first one to come out and publicly admit they want to do it, for fear of the other side declining and being made to look like a bunch of tits.

John Henry seems to be an astute businessman who looks at cold hard facts, rather than be swept up in romantic folly. If he and Kenwright could meet with Liverpool Council, is it too optimistic to think that something could be done?

Each side would need to have equal rights to the stadium and it's revenues. If each team kept 75% of profits per home game, with the council getting 25%, everyone wins. Everton and Liverpool get a subsidised stadium, which they are able to pay off with improved revenue, and the Council earn money every week. At the moment, Everton generate roughly £20m a year through matchday revenue, Liverpool over £40m.

If this were to increase by 15%, Everton would earn an extra £3m, and Liverpool £6m, which doesn't sound like a lot, but most teams see an increase of usually between 25-30% when moving to a new stadium. This would also mean the Council would be receiving roughly £17.5m a year, which would mean any funding we would receive from them could be paid back within a decade.

Having a new stadium would also make us a lot more appealing to new owners. At the moment, we are not worth buying because what would be the point of buying a team for around £75-£100m, only to find you need to shell out on a new stadium to be economically viable for the long term future, and then having to spend money on new players and wages, just to finish 5th?

A new stadium would mean we no longer have to rely on 14 mortgages to keep going. It would mean we are able to have a ground to rival the best in the world. It would mean the end of 4,000 seats having obstructed views, wooden seats, shit facilities and that fucking tent in the car park.

I feel that this is the only way forward for us; to paraphrase Kenwright, there is no Plan B.

Reader Comments (16)

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Ciaran Duff
1 Posted 26/08/2011 at 22:46:47

Last I heard the new LFC stadium was going to cost £300-400M. Given that we have no money and cannot borrow any more, how would we come up with our share of the money? That's the most fundamental issue that I have with ground sharing.

Denis Richardson
2 Posted 26/08/2011 at 22:48:41

Agree completely with the above and have been saying it (quietly) for a long time as some people get a little 'touchy' on the subject.

Halve the costs for both teams, maximise revenue from one stadium (will be used every weekend and not every other weekend) and on a wider note, would be great for the city as a whole to have one world-class stadium for concerts, cup finals and internationals.

Teams in Germany and Italy manage to share and in these harder economic times I really think this is a possiblity, and also one the UK Government would back.

My only wish would be that a completely new Everton board would be the ones dealing with Henry and Co as the ones we havs are muppets.

Onwards and upwards...

Denis Richardson
3 Posted 26/08/2011 at 22:54:53

Ciaran, if a viable plan is put forward to the council/government, with them getting their money back and a steady income via a small stake, then this could ease the costs, maybe. Financing solutions is something the Everton and Liverpool boards are paid to sort out so I would leave it to them.

Derek Thomas
5 Posted 27/08/2011 at 06:30:50

Of course it makes sense in a practical business way. But in the gut and the heart I would cut off my blunose to spite their redface.

And I still lean toward the feeling that if we get the team right the money and corporate will flock to success.

The stadium is a bit of a blue herring Re the team, as it is long term revenue streams.

We need the cash up front NOW to prime the pump. not so much a catch 22 but a catch 1878.

Jimmy Stenn
6 Posted 27/08/2011 at 06:48:11

But where will the money come from? We won't be able to finish 4th, we've sold most of our assets and we have been borrowing on the back of Sky money for years.

The only other way would be to sell players, which would be the last thing we want. However, when your wage bill is 71% of your income, something has got to give.

If Everton Football Club was a person, it would be the type who gets the big HD telly, big leather couch, PS3 and car all on finance. Stuff they don't really need and have to use wonga loans each month to pay the bills. But rather than get rid of the stuff they don't really need and can't afford, they live in hope that they will win the lottery, even though they never buy a fucking ticket.

Would you lend/give money to that kind of person?

Mark Blair
7 Posted 27/08/2011 at 07:47:42

Derek (#4) - if your leaning is correct and we somehow become successful, whereabouts in Goodison would you put these coporates flocking to success?

Sorry, but the only way forward for the club is to share a stadium.

Ray Robinson
8 Posted 27/08/2011 at 09:44:44

Yes, by all means a groundshare but to expect Liverpool City Council to stump up any money to help fund a stadium in these cut-ridden times is as unrealistic as time travel - even if they did get their money back eventually.

David Hallwood
9 Posted 27/08/2011 at 12:01:14

Derek#4 I know when it comes to football we are all still 12 year olds, but you are taking it a bit too far. I would?ve hoped that what has happened in the global economy in general and Everton?s financial meltdown in particular would have introduced a dose of reality to football fans and they would finally realise is that football is a business, and Father Christmas doesn?t come into the equation.

Fact#1 we haven?t got a pot to piss in, Fact#2 the RS hasn?t got the finance to build a new stadium anytime soon. Ground share isn?t the only option but it is the most sensible and the most likely to attract European/government funding essentially to regenerate L4. Obviously government/European money is hard to come by therefore the clubs would have to work 24/7(so it will be ideal for our Bill) to hook up with corporations such as Tescos .

We need to move the ground debate on and all options are in and nothing should be out, sentiments such as I don?t want to sit on the same seat of a RS is just plain childish.

Steve Jones
10 Posted 27/08/2011 at 16:50:13

Why do we want to contribute £200mn (50% of the cost of the major edifice LFC seem to be planning) to a 60k+ seater ground that we cant fill in our wildest dreams?.

Eastlands, a nicely appointed ground we probably could fill with a little optimism filtered in, was built and converted for purpose for less than £150mn.

If we could find the £200mn to go in with LFC why not just build our own ground outright?.

Eric Myles
11 Posted 27/08/2011 at 18:34:19

As a QS I'm completely in favour of a shared stadium in cost terms BUT if we couldn't raise the 'ringfenced' £30 million for Kings Dock and the £70 million + for Desperation Kirkby, and the bank is calling in debt, where is the money going to come from?

Eric Myles
12 Posted 27/08/2011 at 18:43:09

Jimmy #5, you forgot to say that they are also on the dole

Eric Myles
13 Posted 27/08/2011 at 18:48:00

Steve#9 or just redevelop Goodison?

David Holroyd
14 Posted 27/08/2011 at 18:46:25

WE cannot afford any part of our share.Watching sky sports Liverpool attackingwith pace , power inventive football all seem to be enjoying it . From the comments posted on toffeeweb Evertons game the opposite applies

Steve Jones
15 Posted 27/08/2011 at 19:03:39

Eric (12) - Nope. Non starter that one.

Eric Myles
16 Posted 27/08/2011 at 19:52:34

^Steve, only in the eyes of the multi-millionaires on our board 'cos it would likely mean putting their hands in their pockets.

Mike Dolan
18 Posted 29/08/2011 at 05:15:59

The only way it would work would be for the city of Liverpool to build and own the stadium and for the two clubs each to pay a very small nominal rent. The City benefits greatly by having both Everton and Liverpool thriving and successful. The clubs do not need to own a vastly expensive pieces of property that is only used for about 4 hours every other week for just 9 months out of the year. If you really think about it they don't really own Anfield and Goodison now.......the banks do.

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