Everton stadium move doesn't sound like the real deal
THIS report from DTZ, detailing the actual cost of a new Everton stadium in Kirkby, would certainly appear to suggest that Tesco are not in fact in the habit of giving money away, whether their chairman is an Evertonian or not.
Any new ground is certainly not going to be free, with the club expected to stump up a £78million share of the costs.
The question raised then, is whether that still represents 'the deal of the century'. Actually, perhaps even the rhetoric isn't really that important, although given the recent experience with the Kings Dock, the powers that might have considered reining in their hyperbole from the start.
What matters, ultimately, is whether, given these figures, moving to Kirkby still represents the best way forward for the club. We all know that the decision to go was purely based on looking at the numbers, because everyone would rather stay at Goodison, etc. So do they still indicate that a partnership with Tesco and Knowsley Council is the best option for the football club?
The figure of £78m is certainly a lot of money, especially for Everton who have already got a fair chunk of debt hanging over them.
Presumably the powers-that-be at Goodison would argue that any other move would cost even more than that, while we seem to have established that staying put isn't an option that allows us much potential for growth.
They would be reasonable points too, however, the fact does remain that there was very little talk of £78m, or anything like that amount, before the fans' vote on the move. That ballot took place with the understanding that this was a far better deal for Everton - the proverbial no-brainer. Now, no-one expects to see the ballot taken again, and there are those who wonder whether it should have ever taken place in the first instance. We all know at the end of the day, Bill Kenwright owns the club and if he chooses to move it to Kirkby, Carlisle or Karachi he can if he so pleases.
However, during the ongoing debates and discussions about this move, the powers-that-be at Everton might be advised to think long and hard about talking about their mandate, because there is definitely some validity in the argument that they obtained it under false pretences.
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The Kirkby deal is far too risky. Problems concerning laboured accessibility with insufficient bus services, lack of car parking, crush loaded train services etc will undoubtedly lead to apathetic Evertonians choosing to watch the game on TV or via live streaming which will no doubt become more prevalent by 2010. Parents will be deterred from taking their children to the game and ultimately attendances will fall. Moving to Kirkby will not lead to the rebirth of Everton Football Club, it will result in a slow death for the club as the fanbase is gradually eroded down to the levels of the likes of Bolton and Derby.
If the board are basing their business plan off the back of 50,000 sell outs for each game they are clearly making the wrong decision.
Is Kirkby and an extra 10,000 empty seats worth £78m?
Add £78m to our current level of borrowing which is already over £60m and the club will clearly be stretching itself to the financial limit.
If the ground fails to sell out, we are in serious trouble.
Is this worth it?
I don’t think so
I still think the deal is as good as when it was first mooted. The cost to the club is £78m yes but at least half of that should be paid for by naming rights, sale of Goodison and Bellefied, so if the club has to find £30m or £40m does not that still represent a 'deal of the century' for a 50,000 stadium - of course it does.
In reply to jim davies
I would have thought if you sell your cow for a bag of magic beans the price of the beans is still the cow.. assets still add up to 78 mill, which isn`t the figure offered at the time of the ballot.
the last para of the article is fairly clear and should be replied to by the board with vigour as it goes to the heart of the fans faith in them and the validity of the ballot
Nobody wants to move to Kirkby it just appeared we have no alternative. Kings Dock would have been great, but that option long since gone.
An option that hasn't been mooted is taking over Anfield. I appreciate most will think that's a mad idea to begin. But if you take a bit if time, think about it, forget its currently LFC's, it is a great stadium in the city, room for expansion, would cost next to nothing. The pull for me is it is our former home, where we started out and now we should reclaim.
I for one do not relish the thought of attending matches in Kirby. But the offer is indeed to good to miss. With all the rubbish bandied about staying in the city. And Liverpool city council would like us to stay. I may be wrong but when have they come up with the same offer as Knowsley. What area have they offered for FREE. Surely the investment and benefits would be worth it. Having said that. A move to Speke is a less attractive proposition than Kirby.
I don't believe anything that Everton say about the costs of moving to Kirkby. What they've said has never been consistently the same. Firstly, it was not going to cost anything now it's 78 million. Secondly, the good communication to the motorway and now its buses from Aintree. The new stadium is being built on the site of a former rubbish tip. I'm not prepared to take the jibes -every little matters etc. When EFC move to Kirkby I'm going to Tranmere. As simple as that. Part of the attraction of going to game is meeting friends in pub. There are no pubs that I like in Kirkby. I used to live there.
The Kirkby deal needs to be scrapped right now. As someone who has put in 45 years mostly as a season ticket holder, I will not renew if we go. I'm sure there are many thousands like me but Kenwright refuses to listen.
Mark O'brian and other people with a voice in the media need to put into print the scandelous behavior of the efc board into railroading this move that I'm certain will spell the end of our club. The true facts are that most evertonians do not want this move.
The Kirkby deal needs to be scrapped right now. As someone who has put in 45 years mostly as a season ticket holder, I will not renew if we go. I'm sure there are many thousands like me but Kenwright refuses to listen.
Mark O'brian and other people with a voice in the media need to put into print the scandelous behavior of the efc board into railroading this move that I'm certain will spell the end of our club. The true facts are that most evertonians do not want this move.
If EFC move from the City of Liverpool to Kirkby Town, then all that is left to say is that no longer will Everton be in our Hearts and in our Soul.
David Moyes said upon arrival at our beloved club in 2002, that "The people on the street support Everton. Everton are The Peoples Club of LIVERPOOL"
Does this mean that if we move that the club will be forced to remove this Peoples Club slogan that it has plastered all over the place??
Say NO to Kirkby.
the deal involvin kirkby has created too much talk and possibly distracted fans from events off the pitch. i think that KEIOC are nothin short of spoilt brats, they got a vote and the results never went in their favour, and in the last 12 months they have embarked on a mission that has involved planes being flown and tryin to force their opinions upon their own kind the fellow blues. havin used outlets such as this and other fans forums to personally attack anybody who has shown support to the move, they hav taken to ruining match days by again forcing their ideas upon fellow blues. kirkby IS in liverpool, which member of the illustrious KEIOC comittee will tell alan stubbs he's not a scouser. wot a joke KEIOC are.
the day that the club announce the move to kirkby is the day that KEIOC will form FC Everton. or somethin similar to AFC wimbledon. im sorry if this sounds like a rant but everywhere i go i hear someone affiliated with them bangin on about ow kenwright and wyness are killin are club. do they seriously think that loosing a couple of hundred season ticket holders will stop them?? i dont.
i think everyone needs to get a grip of them selfs, liverpool council has stopped everton fc in every step it has takin to improve and progress ,to match the so called bigger clubs. they stopped us from having the stanley park site first give us the kings dock and say it is not viable because the city centre could not take the demands of over forty thousand fans, so what does liverpool council do , they give liverpool fc the stanley park site and letting them build a 65,000 seater stadium. There has been protest about the l'pool stadium but the council have still chosen to grant development. then the council decide that they need everton to stay in l'pool so they offer us a worse site than the docks , they gave us a poxy little site above the tunnel and how the hell is forty thousand fans going to get there. i love goodison ground it is our history and the decision i take to move to kirby is not lightly. i have thought long and hard but i only see one way to take us forward and on to better things. everyone forgets goodison park is our second home. and if we all love everton has much as we say we do then this is the right move . we have all got to stick together . because it is not the move that will make a laughing stock out off us. it is us that the other side of merseyside, are laughing at us