Conspiracies? Surely Not!

A spoiler by Joey Woods reveals the naked truth about all the recent gongs on... Or Not!

Joey Woods 08/08/2007 6comments  |  Jump to last

1) The Loop Site

Is anyone else suspicious of the timing given by LCC/Bestway in determining whether a stadium on the Loop/Trumpet site is feasible? According to the Liverpool Echo yesterday, LCC/Bestway will know at the end of August whether it is feasible and, in the words of Bully, 'deliverable' (ie, to build a new stadium on the site with someone other than Everton paying the majority of the costs).

Bearing in mind that EFC have set a closing date for votes of 23rd August 2007, this effort by LCC/Bestway smells more than a bit fishy. So 7 days after the closing date for votes LCC/Bestway could tell us that the Loop site just won?t work. End of. How many Evertonian?s will cast a ?No? vote in the hope that EFC would move here rather than Kirkby?

LCC have been aware that EFC have been talking to Knowsley and Tesco for over a year (the Liverpool Echo told us that in August 2006), yet have only just discovered that a ?dream? site exists less than a mile form the city centre? Come on! Bully and Kenwright have treated us like knobs for years, now LCC are as well.

LCC have failed to find a new site with the required characteristics for EFC in the years leading up to the ground move vote. Some may even view it that LCC have treated EFC with disdain or even contempt. It has now become a real possibility that EFC may leave the City and they have shit a brick. This appears to be no more than a last-ditch effort to save face by LCC. If this site had potential, LCC would have been banging down EFC?s door months and possibly years ago. Exclusivity period or not, the Feasibility Study for this site would have been done and on Kenwright's desk.

Remember, the vote is not between Kirkby and the Loop site. It?s just Kirkby or stay at Goodison. The Loop site at this moment in time doesn?t exist.

2) The ?Kirkby Project?

EFC have over the last 10-12 years excelled at dubious and naïve publicity stunts in the hope of appeasing fans. Are they doing it again?

With a vote on a new stadium due and fans becoming more and more disgruntled with both the ground move and the lack of signings, rumours suddenly appear that EFC are making an £11M bid for Argentinean international Lucho Gonzales. Is this for real? Reports this morning state that Porto and possibly the player and rebuked EFC?s offer. Was this just an educated gamble by EFC because they knew this would happen? Shearer/Owen/Kuyt/Smith (before Rooney left) anyone?

Is this the same EFC that some sources predict only had £10M to spend all summer? Surely not!

Then, lo and behold, following the reports that Porto/Gonzales have dismissed EFC?s offer, we are linked with a £10-11M bid for Yakubu and £6-8M bid for Fernandes. The Fernandes bid is interesting. This being the Manuel Fernandes that almost all Evertonians have been hoping EFC sign on a permanent deal all summer. Are we to believe that Benfica are suddenly willing to drop their asking price by a third? Why? This sounds almost as rotten as the Loop site.

Knowing Everton, we?ll end up signing Paul Dickov on deadline day.

I may be proved wrong but I think the Media push by EFC for a feel-good factor for the pro-ground move and to settle disgruntled fans is well under way...

Reader Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer


j.harris
1   Posted 08/08/2007 at 16:24:32

Report abuse

Spot on Joey we need to look behind all this propaganda.
I for one am not happy with any of the Kirby proposal(Location,stadium,costing)and would sooner wait for Goodison to fall down in 10 years time!! if no other solution is found by the current inept management.
Lyndon
Editorial Team
2   Posted 08/08/2007 at 19:39:23

Report abuse

Regarding the "Loop", much of it comes down to how far you believe:

  1. LCC are responsible for the fact that, unlike Liverpool FC, EFC can?t afford to build a stadium on any of the sites they have been proposing since the collapse of the Kings Dock
  2. LCC are obligated to assist the club in any attempt to stay in Liverpool and whether it?s LCC?s sole responsibility to find commercial partners and investment where Everton?s Board either can?t or won?t?
  3. the exclusivity period meant that LCC couldn?t bring any interested parties to the table to actually discuss anything concrete with Everton. The club locked out any discussions about alternative sites for 9 months and then went straight into a potentially binding ballot immediately afterwards. Did LCC expect that there would be a period of a few months for alternatives to be discussed or that Everton would at least present a Plan B on the ballot that would give voters the chance to vote to explore alternative proposals?
  4. the LCC didn?t know the exact ? albeit ever-changing ? costings and make-up of the Tesco-Knowsley-EFC partnership and funding initiative have only been known for the past month, so even though LCC first approached Bestway 3 months ago, they weren?t able to match what is on offer in Kirkby without knowing the specifics.

Depending on your answers to the above, have LCC already gone beyond the call of duty in their obligation to Everton FC in their attempts to meet their duty to do its best for its Evertonian constituents?

Let?s not also forget that the "loop" is only a "dream site" in the context of Everton?s inability to relocate without an enabling commercial development/partnership. In that sense, the loop is the only site that offers an alternative to the Kirkby Project but it?s probably not anyone?s first choice. Keep in my mind where the chief responsibility lies for the fact that we are left with a choice of moving outside the city or scrabbling for spare land in a roundabout.

Any scepticism you may have of LCC?s motives aside, the timescale of the release of full details of the loop is entirely due to the fact that Bestway have had very little time to pull together a full feasibility study, complete with images of the proposal (the latter are expected tomorrow, BTW). From what I understand, Bestway want to put their best foot forward on this one rather than rush incomplete plans into the public domain, which is understandable.

Eric Myles
3   Posted 09/08/2007 at 02:14:46

Report abuse

Do you really think a company like Bestway would go to all the trouble and expense (feasibility studies are not cheap)just as a smoke and mirrors exercise to save face for LCC who they have no obligation to assist?
Dan Mckie
4   Posted 09/08/2007 at 12:06:59

Report abuse

It depends how the LCC have gone about it with regards to Bestway Eric,if they have asked "can a stadium be built on your land on the loop?". The answer would most probably be yes but if they then say "oh yeah,and you have to stump up most of the cash to build it and supply the land for little or nothing!" then the answer will most certainly change to a no (with some laughter throw in)!
Bob
5   Posted 09/08/2007 at 13:38:55

Report abuse

Is this subject getting a little boring? Can I change the subject?

What do you reckon is going on with Yakubo? Surely Kenwright is playing violin concertos to impress us. Why the f---k should we pay a zillion $s (sorry - Aussie money) for a striker when we have the likes of AJ, Vaughan and Anichebe % others. Who wants to pay Pds 12m for a Middlesoro reject? I reckon we’ve a great squad of players and a brilliant coach/manager. What do you reckon "blues"?
Bob
6   Posted 09/08/2007 at 13:51:25

Report abuse

OK, I tried to deflect you but................what is Billy Boy Kenwright playing at? Player or Stadium ...... do any of us know what makes theese guys think!
How about this one.... Is it right to make a long term decision based on a short term situation? (Stadium particularly)


© ToffeeWeb