Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Sustainable future

By Ciaran   Duff  ::  25/08/2011   17 Comments (»Last) It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks in the history of Everton. As many articles have pointed out already, we have hit the financial wall. I think this has made all of us swallow a large dose of realism and realise that the way Everton have been going is unsustainable.

We cannot rely on some white knight coming along. We need to take control of our own destiny. So, this go me thinking about how we can possibly move forward?

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about running a club but using common sense and various ideas that have been floating around, here is what I have come up with.

The first thing that we need going forward is a united approach by club and fanbase. While I did not agree with some of the vilification of BK, I do agree that the handling of fan relations has been very poor. Fans should be allowed to attend AGMs, ask questions and be treated with respect. On the other hand, the Evertonians for Change group who met BK recently did not cover themselves in glory. Both sides need to show a bit of maturity here and work together.

The second area is the running of the club itself. I'm not going to go into who or how but more the overall philosophy. As Lyndon Lloyd alluded to in his recent article, the club needs to live within its means. If this means having to sell some valuable assets (ie high value player/s) for a good price to secure our short- and medium-term future, then so be it. We may need to rely on developing young players, bargain basement shopping and capping salaries. As fans we would need to accept this new philosophy.

I guess that just stabilises the patient but we need to look at how we can nurture him to back to good health... So, the third issue is the ground.

For me, anyway, I think that the current crisis issue at the club has at least crystallised one thing: We cannot move anywhere (incl ground share) as we have no money. The only option left is Goodison and somehow redeveloping it. So, the first thing I would like to see is the club acknowledging this, so that we can start taking the first tentative steps on that path.

The next thing is that the club should create a separate entity and group to look at the options and funding of an upgrade. Any plans should have the buy in of all interested parties (Club, fans, LCC, local community etc). I'm not sure of the legalities etc but the main point is that funds for the stadium should be kept completely separate from day-to-day costs.

Okay, I know that money to redevelop is substantial but I believe that at least it can be done in a phased manner over time. I also believe that fans & others will be willing to put their hands in their pockets if there are clear tangible plans and any money contributed is solely for redevelopment.

In terms of generating some funds, here are some ideas (I'm sure others will have more):?

• Fan "buy a brick" or name a seat schemes. These could be drip fed (eg installment payments).
• Naming rights for the stadium (eg Chang Stadium?) for 5-10 years
• Large benefactors buying naming rights for new stands (Sir Terence Leahy stand?)
• Corporate box sponsorship & naming
• Co-development of parts with external partners (eg retail, conference, hotel etc)

While I'm not saying that this is an easy solution and it could well be a long slow process, I do think that if the club has a clear vision then a lot of things will start falling into place.

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