Recent
events at Everton regarding the future of Goodison Park would suggest that
we have no option but to move from our home of the past 108 years.
It will be a sad wrench but one born out of necessity if we are to aspire
to greater things and not be left behind in the ever-moving football
world.
Those who stand still and do nothing or tread water will
flounder. Harsh words but true. Now that the shackles of PJ
have gone, great strides have been made behind the scenes by the vibrant
new Board of Everton FC. You must remember that it is still only
five moths since they dragged our club back from the brink of disaster
(and the baggage of the past few years' decline and inertia). I will
always be indebted to these people who are 'true blues'.
Our credo is still I hope Nothing but the Best so we have to
think what is the best for the future of Everton. There is a team in
place now off the field that I hope can deliver the future of Everton the
way we would want it. There are no safer hands than those of an
Evertonian on this most important chapter in our illustrious
history.
Yes, it is that important.
This decision will dictate where we will be in football and at what
level for the rest of our lives. Excuse me if I am wrong but as a
simple layman when it comes to politics, it would appear that when the
reds ask the council for anything, the council seem to reply "how
quickly do you want it? " but when Everton want anything, it's
"simply impossible � it cannot be done". To an
Evertonian, it appears that with the present council they lay more
minefields down than in Vietnam where Everton are concerned.
So, all-in-all it appears we cannot stay at Goodison � if we want to
increase our capacity to at least 55,000, the re-development plans will
not be accepted. So what is the best for Everton? If we can't
stay at our present home, let's identify the sites that could provide the
new home for our "family" � as Bill would put it.
GILMOSS
This was wildly perceived as the new 'Johnson World' when the move from
Goodison was first muted. Direct links to the M57 and land to work
on without too much disruption. The only people it might upset is
the local golfing club. Residential areas are not too close to
create other objections. Objections to any new site must be dealt
with sympathetically � never forget the fact that our support
predominately comes from such site's surrounds.
SEWAGE FARM
The title say's it all � a definite non-starter in my mind and that
of any self-respecting Evertonian. We have seen enough shite over
the last few years without sitting on it in a new stand! To get rid
of the stigma alone would cost millions that could be spent elsewhere.
BOOTLE (Switch Island)
Has the same qualities as Gilmoss with the M58 also running next to it
and the main route to Southport and Ormskirk. Also the main link to
the docks and not too far from Old Roan train station.
THE ROCKET AREA
Again, situated at the end of the main motorway running into Liverpool
(I hate using this word). A lot more residential sites surrounding
it. Objections could prove costly in time. Main railway routes
also adjacent. Transport on any match day or night could prove a
nightmare. I imagine the land to be more expensive than any of the
above.
EDGE LANE
Very much as the above. The Littlewoods site will come under
scrutiny I imagine. The area does need a lot of regeneration �
maybe a football stadium would not look quite right in this location.
CRONTON, GARSTON and SPEKE
All no-no's. We may as well ground share with Bolton or Man Utd
as alienate our fans by moving that far out. You would have to ask
yourself what type of fan do you want to attract. The main fan base
from the city would see these sites as a "we don't want you"
proclamation.
We must surely learn from the drawbacks of other new stadia.
Bolton have nearly halved their attendances since the new ground was
situated in Horwich. Not just because they are no longer a Premier
League outfit but because of the site having no rail link or surrounding
watering holes. As one Bolton fan said, it has become a chore to
watch 'the Trotters'. You would have to be a non- drinker and have
the patience of 'Job', waiting in traffic jams all the time. From my
own experience of the 'Reebok' stadium, it is a nightmare to get out of
the car parks... Nice leg room inside the stadium, though
So, if none of the above takes your fancy, where else could we go with
the blessing of the local council? It's not a good idea to put all
your eggs in one basket � there has to be a Plan 'B'. But I would
like to put a whole egg farm in the King's Dock area. Why? � you may
well ask... well, let's take a closer look.
THE KING'S DOCK AREA
We
don't have pots of money, but we could make pots of money with the Right
location. McDonalds, when giving out franchises, ask three things (apart
from the money!) LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. There has never been
a McDonald's gone bust (except in Germany where an autobahn was
re-routed).
The King's Dock has got to be the prime location in the whole of
Merseyside. A site that will undoubtedly be sought by many.
Any interested parties will come tumbling off the fence and want the site
once we take a firm interest, hopefully. It's situated on the
waterfront of a city with international fame � a brand name not fully
developed yet but taking giant strides to do so in the last five
years.
The King's Dock is next to the Albert Dock which houses such
attractions as the Tate Gallery and the Beatle Museum to name but
two. The whole area is being developed � from home developments to
Government buildings. Plans for new hotels and a new casino to
accommodate the increasing tourism industry are submitted.
We could create a silhouette on the waterfront skyline to be the envy
of all our competitors. Imagine what a postcard would look like sent
from Liverpool with our new stadium looking as proud as a peacock against
all our other famous building's. It truly could be awesome in
appearance.
Liverpool docks was the biggest dockland area in the 19th century. With geographical changes in shipping routes and commerce
came the progressive decline of the last century. Not any more, our
heritage is being re-born with tourism the main benefactor. So let's
have the tourists spend some time and money at our new home. Spend
the weekend with Everton and city of Liverpool with all it has to
offer.
The footprint of the land we could acquire is bigger than Wembley with
ample parking space in surrounding areas. As this photo-montage
shows, a stadium the size of Old Trafford will fit quite nicely in the
Kings Dock location, with plenty of space to spare.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
Drive, ambition, a dream, and co-operation of the council (and lot's of
money). We have to grasp the nettle and move quickly on the most
important decision in the club's history. It's that
clear.
We have to gamble to a degree on certain things, such as the council
willingness to approve our plans and create an interest amongst our fans
and the local economy. If the council will not help us at Goodison
then there had better be a damn good reason for them putting any
minefields before us on Everton King's Dock project � we are after all
the city's senior team.
We have to secure an option on the site first and foremost. The
area is � as far as I know � owned by the English Partnership and no
confirmed interest has been seen according to the land
registry.
FUNDING
The area is ripe for funding � not just from the local council
coffer's which I bet, as far as Everton are concerned, will be near empty
(prove me wrong please!) but from European funding: Objective
One.
This city is perceived by some as a third-world habitation, am English
version of Kosovo; I want some of that money before the well runs
dry. Lottery, Art and Sport 's council funding all need to be
explored. And of course our loyal fans, look to them for owning
something tangible. At Sunderland fans could buy a brick with their
name on. I know some fans would buy a wall to get Everton back to
where they belong.
The
new stadium should be designed to be used seven days a week. Not
just for match days but every conceivable thing that will earn the club
money, endorse the brand name and become a integral part of the city's
economy. We don't want tackiness but a stadium that we can all be
proud of.
Liverpool is perceived by many is as the birthplace of modern
music. It is where the Beatles were born. I imagine most major
artists would want to play in Liverpool, given a venue suitable. But
the logistics and financing currently make it impossible for
International acts to come and perform before large numbers.
Merseyside has a lot of boxing fans but they can't see world title fights
live. Our own Shay Neary, a good Blue, can't even stage a fight in
his hometown!
Merseyside people are fed up of travelling to Manchester, Birmingham or
London to see top acts. The Weekend with Everton experience could
include taking in an act or show one day, and watching a game the
following day, or vice-versa.
DESIGN
As this is such a important venture � not just for Everton but for
Merseyside � I would create a competition for all the world's leading
architects. With such a location and the prestige that would come from it,
I don't think we would be short of takers. It would be quite a
feather in your cap if you designed our stadium. Great on your r�sum�.
The Guggenheim Museum at Bilb�o in Spain came about from such
competition. The American architect Paul Gehry won the design for
this now world-renowned museum � also built on the waterfront. It is
spectacular, as it is important to the surrounding concourse. 1.3 million
visitor's in the first year of it's opening putting Bilb�o on the
map.
Cardiff's Millennium Stadium looks great, as does the new Ajax
stadium. A stadium worthy of our traditions, so tarnished these last
few years, is what we should aspire to. One negative aspect mooted
was that we would only be able to have three working sides. Well, I
don't agree. Given that Everton draw a lot of support from the
Wirral and North Wales, it would be great for our fans to park their
transport at Tranmere or Birkenhead and take a 10- minute ferry across the
Mersey to the best landing stage in the world � the riverside entrance
to our new stadium. What a view they would have from the ferryboats as
they approached our new home.
Stands could be named after our great servant's, Dixie, Young,
Catterick, Kendall or Sir John. The Moores family could be forever
sanctified (give us some money, please!) � imagine: 'The Sir John Moores
Boulevard'....
It does irk me some regarding the Moores involvement with our club
presently. The family does a lot for the educational institutes but
in my mind there is no bigger institute on Merseyside than Everton
FC.
TRANSPORT
As previously mentioned, we could utilise the ferry system one
side. Access to the main concourse could be provided by varying
methods. The council should explore the possibility of a railway
station close by. A new direct line from Speke � from the airport,
anyway. The airport now has such a huge new demand that more than a
million customers each year pass through its gates; new extensions are
underway to cope.
It is also common knowledge that a link way from the M62 to the City
Centre is needed. Tramway links also need to be explored and even an
overhead railway network. All the main bus routes converge not far
away. Most games will take place more and more on Sunday's,
decreasing congestion. An overhaul of the transport network is long
overdue given the growth of tourism and the City Centre re-vamping.
The new Everton board strikes me as wanting what we want; that is,
ultimately, a successful team � on and off the field. They both go
hand in hand. Having met the new board, I feel more confident than
ever before of them getting it right. They appear both visionary and
motivated. There is a team in place at board-level that I hope can
deliver our dreams and aspirations. We all will help, given the
chance to realise our dreams. The common factor of new stadiums
(except Bolton) is an increase in attendance. If we take on board
all the good things from the new stadia and put them in a melting pot, we
must get a recipe for success. Our fans deserve it and want it.
But with some decisions, you can't please everyone. At
Sunderland, in the beginning, the fans were fiercely against moving from
Roker Park. But look at them now; pleased as punch with their new
ground! An extension already has been added giving them a new
capacity of 48,000. At Man City, there has been no dialogue on the
ground move to the new Commonwealth stadium, they are just going.
FOOTNOTE
If and when we go from Goodison, a lot of thought has to be put into
what we leave behind � the ashes of our fellow fans in particular.
And what will come of Goodison itself? Over a hundred years of
history cannot be allowed to fade unnoticed. It MUST NOT be allowed
to become a car park for the Reds!
I know Bill still wants a mandate from the fans. It will be
difficult to organise and may still seem flawed to some. Remember
the last vote to move at the Chelsea match in 1996, right at the death of
the season. 'Rigged' came the cry but, to be fair, there was always
an undercurrent of mistrust with that vote because of who organised
it.
There can be no repeat this time of 'hidden agenda's' with the current
owner's. The time is coming soon to get a grip of this emotional
debate once and for all. Whatever path we choose to go down,
it will take a minimum of three years to bear fruition. Let's make a
decision very soon. Get off the fence each and every Evertonian and
put this matter to bed. It is a matter of urgency if we want to be
at the races.
IT'S MOSES' TIME, BILL, LEAD US INTO THE PROMISED LAND!
Any constructive ideas out there?
Yours thankfully
Ian Macdonald
Everton Independent Supporters Association
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