USM purchase naming rights option for Bramley-Moore Dock

Tuesday, 14 January, 2020 111comments  |  Jump to most recent

USM Holdings, the company part-owned by Everton owner Farhad Moshiri's long-time business partner, Alisher Usmanov, have taken up a naming rights option for the club's proposed new stadium.

USM, which already sponsors Everton's Finch Farm training complex, has paid £30m to be first in the queue for the naming rights to the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, it was announced at this evening's Annual General Meeting of shareholders.

That could lead to a £20m-a-year sponsorship contract to have either the USM name or one of its subsidiary companies attached to the new ground.

The initial £30m figure is said to be ring-fenced for the development of the stadium and Everton have reportedly negotiated debt agreements with American financiers JP Morgan and Japan's Mitsubishi United Financial Group with "several [other] options still under consideration" for the funding of construction.  



Reader Comments (111)

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Neil Copeland
1 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:32:12
No real surprise here, does anyone know how this impacts FFP rules, if at all?
Karl Masters
2 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:35:47
It has to help. That's another £20m a year on the top line and a reduction of losses by £60m over 3 years, with £30m now to help balance the FFP books.
Steve Ferns
3 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:37:03
No, it has been ring fenced for expenditure on the stadium.
John P McFarlane
4 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:43:02
i don't think this money will impact on the playing side, but it will give the club some wriggle room. I also think that we will revert to our more traditional method of squad additions, as the last four years have been extremely expensive and largely unproductive. Can we keep our better players though that's the big question, if we can't then we face the same sorts of challenges we had pre-Moshiri.
Des Farren
5 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:43:29
Seems to be in the upper end of such payments.
Nice work, if you can get it.
Philip Bunting
6 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:46:46
Fantastic when you consider Spurs and the Olympic stadium can't get a sponsor. Great stuff
Steve Ferns
7 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:50:06
Phil, you do realise that Usmanov just paid £30m for the right to be first in line to name the new stadium. It's a very dubious deal.

It's a bit like all them Megafon adverts around Goodison Park. You know the major Russian Mobile Phone Provider, but whereas the Chinese adverts are in Chinese, the Russian adverts are in English. May as well just put: "This is not a fake advert" instead.

John P McFarlane
8 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:54:40
Steve #7 What's dubious about it? Owner of an independent company wants to have first dibs on naming rights, hence he pays a sum of money in order to do that - albeit he's a friend of our owner - it's still business.
Steve Ferns
9 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:56:15
"Independent", right John. There's absolutely no shared personnel between USM and Everton FC. None at all. Wink, wink.
Nick Dogan
10 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:56:26
Wish they would sponsor Goodison for 20 million a year until we leave.
USM Goodison arena sure we could all live with it for a few years
John P McFarlane
11 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:59:07
Steve#9 I do understand but I don't believe we'll ever see Usmanov front and centre at Everton, he can keep his options open this way.
Steve Ferns
12 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:02:13
It's very dubious John, and we could face investigation further down the road. We need to be careful here.
Joe McMahon
13 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:02:22
Christ this really does put into perspective the combined 70 million (plus wages) spent of Sigurdson and Micheal Keane
Brent Stephens
14 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:12:03
Steve "This is not a fake advert". Just like the pipe?!

Brian Harrison
15 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:15:54
Steve,

There is nothing dubious about what USM are doing, they are a commercial company who see an opportunity to raise their profile so they have paid to have first call on the naming rights. Their accountant is the major shareholder so if they want to put their money into football why not the club that their accountant is the major shareholder. Know what I mean John, as Eric Idle might say.

Colin Leckey
16 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:17:26
Nick Dogan #10 that's actually not a bad idea! And would be hard to fault from an FFP perspective...
Steve Ferns
17 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:22:21
Brian, Farad Moshiri has a major shareholding in both Companies. That's dubious, and rest assured there is going to be problems here further down the road.
John P McFarlane
18 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:26:36
Another way to raise money would be for USM or another company to purchase every season ticket at four or five times their current value for our remaining time at Goodison and the buying company resell them to us fans at normal value. I suppose there is a rule to prevent that sort of thing happening?

Darren Hind
19 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:29:09
Steve FFS stop being so cryptic.

You can obviously see legal problems. spell them out.

I feel like we are waiting for a VAR judgement after scoring what we thought was a perfectly good goal.

I don't know whether to celebrate or not

Carl Manning
20 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:29:55
I think the billionaires Behind the scenes who run enormous cross continent companies with an army of the worlds highest paid lawyers and accountants To call upon when needed, will already be pre empting anything that may occur further down the line and will also be preparing for it. FFP when put in place has proven to be weak anyway when it comes to punishments. Look at city and Chelsea's punishments. Some clubs have even just paid a fine to make the problem disappear!
John P McFarlane
21 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:30:06
Let's suppose that members of FSG have major interests in Standard Chartered would that be dubious or merely overlooked ? If the sum paid by USM was in the 100s of millions I could understand the fretting but £30m isn't going to transform our fortunes in the short-term is it?
Steve Ferns
22 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:32:41
Brian, the rumour is that Usmanov gave Everton £50m, and wanted nothing in return. We then decided to slap USM all over Finch Farm and say he sponsored the training ground. Even this was dubious so Everton, on legal advice, started putting up adverts for divisions of USM in various places. It was around the time of this Article in the Echo Link Note it is said that nothing happened to see Everton extend to this.

As I said, joking, above. Why is an advert for a Russian Mobile Phone company in English? British people cannot purchase from Megafon, unless they intend to go to Russia. Surely, if this was a genuine advert it would be in Russian? As I said, check the Chinese Adverts that are in Chinese as they are clearly aimed at people watching in China. Why aren't the Megafon adverts in Russian? they don't even use the same alphabet!

If you guys aren't a bit worried by this, and have completely forgotten the BBC Panorama program where they alleged that Usmanov gave Moshiri the money to buy his Arsenal shares which he then sold and used the proceeds to buy Everton, making Alisher Usmanov a de facto owner of Everton and Arsenal at the same time. We need to be a bit cleverer about how we are going about all of this. Man City, their owners, and their company Etihad have already treaded this path and UEFA are determined to crack down now.

Steve Ferns
23 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:39:21
Darren, I have serious concerns about this path. Spurs and West Ham cannot find a sponsor, and yet our Owner just happens to find a company who hand over 㿊m, not for the naming rights, but for pole position, to pay a mooted 㿀m a season for the naming rights. And said company just so happens to be one HE is a major shareholder of, and that's without getting into Usmanov's involvement in Everton.

Link
City are still fighting FFP issues over doing all this with their owners airline company.

Ciarán McGlone
24 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:40:51
"Usmanov gave Moshiri the money to buy his Arsenal shares which he then sold and used the proceeds to buy Everton, making Alisher Usmanov a de facto owner of Everton and Arsenal at the same time."

I don't do much company law.. but that's legal gibberish and you know it Steve.

Tony Abrahams
25 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:41:14
Would that not put Arsenal, in the same boat as Everton, Steve, or has Darren says, would VAR, step in and save them!?
Steve Ferns
26 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:47:17
Ciaran, it's not gibberish at all. BBC Panorama Link I'm sure you will find the full program somewhere. And no one has ever explained how the accountant became a Billionaire.
John Keating
27 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:53:34
Steve there are numerous clubs where the owners, main sponsors, lesser sponsors are the same or have intermingled interests

The last people who will go really deep into some sort of corruption are the two worse, FIFA and UEFA

Lee Paige
28 Posted 14/01/2020 at 20:56:29
This is just to have first dibs on naming rights. If he takes up the option the sponsorship will bring in far more. This is better than owning us and swerves the FFP rules.
Steve Ferns
29 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:00:03
John, you mean like the Royal family of Abu Dhabi who own Man City and Etihad Airlines, amongst other things. Did you skip the part whereby they are deep in the brown stuff over FFP because of naming rights and sponsorship and all the over ways they have tried to get around FFP?
Ryan Holroyd
30 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:00:51
Steve Ferns, I'd be careful what you say as the panorma claim was denied at the time.
Chris Mason
31 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:01:43
Giving money sounds like a gift to me. In which case, any monies belong to the recipient.
Paul Smith
32 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:04:58
Hey Steve I would swallow a court case to have City's success.
John Keating
33 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:07:14
Steve forget Man City that's chicken feed
Think PSG. What about Bayern Munich.

The list is endless

Real Madrid got the government to buy their training ground for hundreds of millions then the government gave it them back because they represented the country !!!!

Everton and USM at present do not even register on the richter scale

Mike Benjamin
34 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:13:38
Steve#23. The issue with City is that the figures handed over were deemed to be above market rates. It was emphasised during the presentation that our deal reflects market rates
Carl Manning
35 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:15:18
They've been threatening city, psg and Real Madrid for years. They will never sanction them severely enough to be taken seriously. In football there is such a thing as being too big and powerful. With city and psg they would be going up against countries! FFP is all bluster and ends up in fines. AC Milan purposely spent like crazy, knew they'd beach FFP and to “get away” with it, voluntarily skipped Europa league football. UEFA, FIFA, don't have the balls to take the big clubs on. ESP when they're already threatening breakaway competitions.
Chris James
36 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:24:35
Considering the breaches elsewhere at much higher rate I'd say its very unlikely we're going to get into any bother. This is business, there's no such thing as 'free market' or level playing field, you need to use whatever leverage you have.

Having listened to literally years of whingeing on these pages about how BK is out of his depth, doesn't have enough money to properly bank roll the club and has taken us as far as he can and how we needed some proper money to compete with the big boys...
...now we have the big players (who were previously investing at Arsenal) and there's a whole load of different whingeing starting, its not the right sort of money or invested in the right way now...jesus.

What if, what if, what if... if ever someone brings a free round of drinks to the ToffeeWeb faithful you can be sure the glasses will be half empty.

Carl Manning
37 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:26:18
John, I have worked in Madrid for many years. I'm have done consultancy work for the construction company who bought and built the three super towers on Real Madrid's former training base guess what. the construction company that bought the land and then got all the contracts to build on it were owned by a certain Florentino Pérez! So he sold the land to himself!
The rumors at the time were the king of Spain fought for the government to wipe out reals debt with the banks and it was close to 1 billion euros!!
Steve Ferns
38 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:26:37
There's cases on going for City and PSG. Real Madrid get away with lots and always have done. I think Bayern are in the clear.

I'm glad you guys are dismissive of my concerns over USM various sponsorships of Everton, and hope you are right and there is no need to worry here. Time will tell.

John Keating
39 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:31:38
Carl I knew there was some sort of dirty dealings with Real so your comments have cleared that up

Based on other top Clubs I doubt Everton and USM will ever register with the Cowboys st UEFA/FIFA

Carl Manning
40 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:39:07
Ive never understood why the worlds federations and leagues haven't gotten together, as our clubs did when they formed the premier league, and told UEFA and FIFA to do one and run the world game themselves. Formed organizations that they can audit and see the workings of, like our clubs with the premier league.
David Cooper
41 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:39:13
I hope our resident expert knows more about financial matters than he did about telling us Marco Silva was a good coach!
Philip Bunting
42 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:39:40
If the club borrows 350m for the new Bramley Moore and we receive at a guess 20m per year on naming rights would that cover repayments or interest per year on that figure based on a 25year term? Anyone know the figures
Colin Glassar
43 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:50:27
Ouch, David. I understand Steve's concerns but money talks in football and billionaires talk very loud.
Dave Williams
44 Posted 14/01/2020 at 21:59:03
I don't think Usmanov owns any part of us. If the naming rights and sponsorship promotes his business then it is legitimate I had never heard of USM or Megafon before the names appeared at Everton so the promotion is working. Old clients of mine went into sponsorship in a similar manner and like they did I am sure Usmanov and Farhad will have taken the best legal and tax advice before doing this.
Bobby Mallon
45 Posted 14/01/2020 at 22:00:51
Yes a Steve he gave him money GAVE, he can do with it what he likes it was a present. So he bought shares sold them for profit bought us. Just be happy we have a rich benefactor who wants to help our owner. Long may it continue
Paul Birmingham
46 Posted 14/01/2020 at 22:42:13
You'd believe after the wilderness decades and in athe strongest financial position in its history, relatively speaking, that the clubs lawyers would have over seen and sanctioned such an agreement.

I'm sure when the Emirates was being built Arsenal also undertook a similar exercise.

To have progressed so far with ambitious and progressing new stadium plans, surely this transaction is legitimate and legal and compliant with FFP.

I'm trusting the board and their business advisors. The whole north end dock area redevelopment plans are all linked in with BMD, and Peel Holdings.

In time and the Everton we trust.

There's too much at stake to take risks, so for me we trust the club, unless there's bona vide facts being supplied.

Andrew James
47 Posted 14/01/2020 at 23:02:26
Steve is right to be cautious and worried.

FIFA and UEFA and our own FA have a record of not making examples of certain clubs when they have broken rules or not played in the spirit of the game or competition.

But we are not part of the European co-efficient and you could sure as Hell see us being one of those clubs the "authorities" punish to justify their role and show that they're cracking down on misdemeanours.

We will attract scrutiny if we keep being in the Top 20 richest clubs with a stadium our size, paying out so much in wages to the coach and players while not being in the Champions League and never winning anything.

Watford already had a pop and the media are regularly talking about the net spend since 2016.

Paul Columb
48 Posted 14/01/2020 at 23:24:12
Why curse the stadium project with the combination of terms ‘30 million' and ‘ring fenced' shudder.
Rob Young
49 Posted 14/01/2020 at 23:32:16
Love it, we get 30m and only hand over first dibs to USM and guess what... It's also only for one year!

As this Stadium will not be built before what, summer '23 at the earliest, they can give us 30m every year.
When it's build they will name the ground USM something at 20m a year!
Or even better, against whatever the market rate will be then.

Sounds good to me.

Peter Thistle
50 Posted 15/01/2020 at 01:51:50
Other fans are laughing at us for only getting 㿊 million. I dunno what other teams got paid for naming rights but I'd guess it's a shitload more than 㿊M. Rob Young makes it sound a slightly better deal I guess. Does anyone have any info on the money other Premier League clubs got by renaming their stadiums?
Ed Prytherch
51 Posted 15/01/2020 at 02:28:02
The involvement of JP Morgan is encouraging. They are the largest and probably best run bank in the US. They won't get involved in anything that is not being done properly.
Ed Prytherch
52 Posted 15/01/2020 at 02:34:17
Peter #50 – fans that think that are either dense or cannot read. The 㿊M is to be at the front of the queue for naming rights – which could be another 㿀M/year.
Laurie Hartley
53 Posted 15/01/2020 at 04:36:31
Nice bit of cash flow to get the dock drained. He must like the look of Dan Meis's design for the MEGAfon* stadium.

*Make Everton Great Again (with apologies to Mike Gaynes, Jamie Crowley, and Jim Harding).

Jay Harris
54 Posted 15/01/2020 at 05:05:20
That's M E G A, Laurie.

Let's just hope Usmanov and Moshiri arent impeached by the rednoses for pissing on their parade in a few years time.

Jim Harrison
55 Posted 15/01/2020 at 06:44:24
Isn't USM involved in steel and construction? Or steel at least.

So guess where the week comes from for construction of the stadium.

As for people thinking the stadium naming rights are not enough. Just a point, there is no stadium at present. Not even a bag of cement.

John Zapa
56 Posted 15/01/2020 at 07:22:38
There is a lot to be worried about in this transaction.

1: What is Usmanov hoping to gain by funnelling tens of millions of pounds into the club?

2: As the losses continue to accumulate, will we be seeing more such dubious deals?

3: What will happen to the club when the dubious sponsorship stops (which it will at some point)? The club cost base continues to rise while genuine income is relatively stagnant. It's a recipe for disaster, alarm bells should be ringing, there is a lot to be worried about here.

Tony Abrahams
57 Posted 15/01/2020 at 07:58:53
Normally when the dubious sponsorship stops, it means they have now got the club, to where they wanted it to be, so it can now be ran in a much more sufficient way?

I don't want to wish away time, but I can't wait for the day that Everton is back amongst the big-boys, but after reading Kenwright, talking about how talking about Duncan, became the caretaker, I just hope it was one of his romantic fairytales, because otherwise, how can we ever trust the people at the top of our club, to get anything right, even if I feel Carlo Ancelotti is a major step in the right direction.

Contradictions are everywhere, but they had a plan, then they had another plan, and there was even a spin on the “he's behind you” in this pantomime, because when they went for that walk, Duncan, was standing straight in front of them!

Peter Warren
58 Posted 15/01/2020 at 08:51:30
Andrew 47 - agreed and is a concern. Spurs / CL finalists and in London with a built stadium can not sell their naming rights yet. It appears to me to makes no sense for a third party to give Everton £30m for first option in naming the stadium - even at a pre-agreed price going forward - particularly when that stadium not even have planning yet, yet alone anywhere near building (which presumably must be minimum of 3/4 years away).

Already concerns about ownership structure and fifa / UEFA / premier league with have no qualms trying to make an example of us.

I'm not saying I'm unhappy by anybody this but it is undoubtedly a concern, as too is over 85% which is scary

Ryan Holroyd
59 Posted 15/01/2020 at 08:54:25
Peter Thistle - the other fans you mention are obviously thick as mince. The 30 m is just for the first option. None refundable, first option on naming rights. Quite brilliant from Moshiri
Liam Reilly
60 Posted 15/01/2020 at 09:43:58
Nothing wrong with this.

It's a Option To Buy; essentially a billionaire financier speculating that in 3 years time, naming rights on the shiny new BM stadium would far exceed 20M a year.

With all the money in football today, it's not an unreasonable wager.

Steve Ferns
61 Posted 15/01/2020 at 10:30:56
If that is correct Liam, then why can't Tottenham or West Ham secure naming rights for their Stadiums? Why is Man City's stadium only sponsored by a company whose ownership goes back to the same source as the ownership of the club?
Derek Knox
62 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:08:16
It could work out to £30M per letter of the new Stadium naming rights - now we're talking!

The New Merseyside Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock?

Steve Ferns
63 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:12:55
*The USM Holdings Limited Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, Home of the Everton Football Club.
Paul Smith
64 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:15:29
Steve because Spuds & The Hammers don't have an Oligarch looking to pump millions into their team. We all know it, everyone can see it, exciting times.
Carl Manning
65 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:40:10
West ham are quite possibly struggling to get sponsorship due to the stadiums past and image. The fan base still hate the move, so a sponsor would surely need a lot to put their name to it. Also the west ham fans love an aggressive protest and a bit of fan naughtiness, would you want your company's name on the back of every national newspaper next time they kick off.
With spurs, everybody knows levys reputation. Not many people want to deal with him. He's known for screwing the last penny out of everybody, players included.
The only way Usmanovs money is dangerous is if it can be proved he has any ownership of the club, even 1%. He doesn't. End of. Their is no paper trail for FIFA, UEFA or the FA to find. Moshiri works for him, so they may be a verbal contract or a handshake shared, but they are not stupid enough to leave a trail or pieces of paper. I'm sure we would fly through any audit or investigation.
Usmanov is a clever man, he doesn't own a local shop, he owns one of the biggest conglomerates on the planet and is one of the worlds richest men. They will already know what's coming their way and would have made sure that everything legally, Is above board.
Brian Harrison
66 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:44:02
I think another avenue for USM to be involved will be when our current deal with our shirt sponsor finishes. DBB when asked at the meeting about having a betting company as a shirt sponsor, she said it did go against what ETIC are doing. There is no doubt the FFP rules are a worry in how strict they would punish us if we transgressed the rules. I think that is one of the reasons that Tom Canon brought up Marcel Brands position within the club. When you think of the money he and our former DOF spent on players, its bordering on a dereliction of duty to have spent £450 million between them in 4 years and be further away from the top 4/6. Then added to the fact that the chances of moving on some of their high earners will prove to be very difficult.

When you look at the high earners they would like to ship out, Keane, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Walcott, Tosun, considering what we paid for these players and their ages never mind their form I doubt we would get £50 million for all of them. But when you factor in the ridiculous wages these average players are on it makes it almost impossible to move them on. Most of these players are on wages that only regular Champions league players earn, yet we cant even make Europa league with them. So I think moving these players permanently out of the club has to be Marcel Brands top priority. No use moving these players out on loan moves while still paying most of their wages that does not help us in relation to FFP rules.

Brian Harrison
67 Posted 15/01/2020 at 11:51:00
Sorry forgot to add Bolasie and Sandro to my previous post, just that its that long since we have seen either I had forgotten about them.
Liam Reilly
68 Posted 15/01/2020 at 12:22:09
"Find a buyer before you buy it, or build it Steve".

Sound business from Moshiri and it's in Usmanovs interest to see the build proceeds because his companies will be heavily involved in the construction.

Steve Ferns
69 Posted 15/01/2020 at 12:44:06
Brian, I believe that Brands has been able to ship most of them out without us paying any of the wages. In particular Tosun and Bolasie. Not sure about Sandro.

Bolasie plays for Sporting. I don't follow them like I did 18 months ago, before my Dad died and I stopped going regularly to Portugal. But I try to catch them whenever they are on FreeSports, who also have La Liga and Serie A games, by the way. It's the Lisbon derby this Friday, very much worth a watch if you've nothing better to do: Link
follow the link for website with the various channels listed. It's 422 on Sky.

Bolasie has been very much Bolasie so far. He looks quick, his tricks are back. The swagger is back and he's doing his thing. The only issue is it's obviously a lower standard, and the Portuguese from what I can gather, have not taken to him as they see him as a guy there reluctantly, and one who the club is paid €80,000 (Euros) to each week, and they think they could get better. He got sent off recently in comical circumstances so I cannot recall if he is suspended or not, I think he served it already.
Link

It'll also be worth watching as I think it'll be Bruno Fernandes' last match for Sporting, as I think they have delayed the transfer so he can play against Benfica. See if you think Bruno is worth the hype. Good player but not worth the sums being talked about and I think he'd struggle for Everton.

Brian Harrison
70 Posted 15/01/2020 at 13:13:42
Steve,

Thanks for the link I to visit Portugal every year and mix with Benfica fans mainly. I am out on Friday so wont be able to watch Sportings game. I hope your right about the wages of both Bolasie and Tosun being paid in full by both Palace and Sporting. But when the season finishes it will be interesting to see if either loan deal will be made permanent. Maybe the Tosun deal might be as Hodgson said they were interested in him before we signed him, but it will be interesting to see what they offer, not much above £12 million I reckon.

As you know I am not a great fan of the DOF role and I know you have said the majority of clubs in the Premier league have them. But I guess it depends how good they are ie Walsh despite his supposed track record at Chelsea his buys look expensive miss fits, which we will take a long time to recover from.
Brands biggest mistake was selling Gueye what business sells its best asset unless its for an extraordinary price which Gueye certainly wasn't. Far to early to asses Gbamin or Keane but time will tell.

But my main problem is that we have bought players on ridiculous money and it will be difficult if not impossible to move these players on.

Steve Ferns
71 Posted 15/01/2020 at 13:34:21
The manager's job is too big for one man Brian. A David Moyes style manager cannot take training because his phone will not stop ringing. He cannot go scouting players himself as he needs to sleep not finishing training early to get the easyjet flight to Paris to watch a night game then catch a flight home just after the match and then be back in for training. There's a lot more to it than that, but you get the picture. Let the manager be a head coach, and let the Director of Football handle the other stuff.

As regards Tosun, we supposedly got ٟm loan fee and wages paid in full. Good deal if true. Bolasie is on 㿲,000 a week, and my mate was moaning that Sporting are paying him €80,000 a week, so that seems to be about the £ / € conversion.

As regards Gueye, it's a mistake that gets worse every week in hindsight. However, it's almost impossible to keep an unhappy player these days. I think they did a deal with him this time last year and convinced him to stay until the summer, which he did and gave us his all. The price was very high by French standards, and PSG were struggling with FFP, so I don't think we could have got more. It was only PSG where Gueye wanted to go so no auction to boost the price either.

The ridiculous signings were made by Walsh. I think he's a decent coach but clearly out of his depth as Director of Football as we got done on wages and fees in most deals. Brands has been a little more restrained with the money spent on both fees and wages, not counting Bernard who's inflated wages reflect the fact that he was a free transfer.

George Cumiskey
72 Posted 15/01/2020 at 13:36:46
Steve Ferns are you on board of Everton, you seem to have an insight into everything going on.
How do you know who's wages we are paying and who's we are not for the loanees we have out ?.
Steve Ferns
73 Posted 15/01/2020 at 13:39:45
George, there was a few reports as to the details of the Tosun move, and Bolasie's wages seem to be common knowledge in Portugal. They were all moaning about them. You might not want to believe anything you read unless it's from an official source, but that's your personal call.
Peter Neilson
74 Posted 15/01/2020 at 14:04:04
Re. naming rights at City they've pocketed £400m over 10 years off Etihad Airways which is now part of the UEFA investigation. Daniel Levy has put a price of £25M a season on Spurs stadium and only for a 15 year deal. The naming rights at West Ham see the first £4M per season going to the stadium owners not the club and anything over that split 50/50 so looks like they will struggle to make much on a deal.
Bill Watson
76 Posted 15/01/2020 at 15:39:15
If USM get naming rights for the new stadium then something simple like USM Everton
Arena would be much better.
Steve Ferns
77 Posted 15/01/2020 at 15:41:51
Bill, you didn't get Derek's joke that it was £30m per letter, therefore he wanted it to be as long as possible.
John McFarlane Snr
78 Posted 15/01/2020 at 16:05:19
Hi all, bypassing the financial issues which may be adjusted from time to time. my favoured outcome would be for the club to insist that the sponsors name be followed by, 'Trinity Park Stadium' in recognition of the services of Harvey, Kendall. and Ball. [for example], {The 'USM Trinity Park Stadium'}. just a thought to lighten the debate.
Paul Tran
79 Posted 15/01/2020 at 17:30:27
Wasn't it the case that Moshiri threatened legal action against the BBC over the Panorama programme and they backed off any follow-up?

They need to be careful, but my guess is that they're used to working in regulatory environments and know how to stay on the right side of them. I suspect that Spurs & West Ham's financial setups are such that they are seeking a high price for stadium rights that they're unlikely to get.

Interesting that so many people go on about Brands's poor performance and use Walsh's purchases as evidence. I'd say he's playing a hard hand pretty well.

Peter Neilson
80 Posted 15/01/2020 at 17:51:53
Paul the Paradise Papers was pretty thin on facts but heavy on inferred wrong doing. Worst they could come up with was that Usmanov gifted Moshiri the money for his Arsenal shares. This in itself isn't illegal and was denied at the time by Moshiri. Pretty sure I read last year that proof of the money coming from Moshiri has been revealed. He can save himself a few quid on lawyers with this one.
Bill Watson
81 Posted 15/01/2020 at 18:23:20
Steve # 77.

Ha ha! Yes, sorry Derek but I completely missed where you were coming from. lol.

Derek Thomas
82 Posted 15/01/2020 at 22:00:14
The only 'legal' problems will first envy, then jealousy. Then, If it all works to plan 'Success'.

Then we'll be seen as a threat and they'll come after us... but it will be too late by then. Wolves and a few other smaller progressive Clubs will be most likely doing the same. Won't happen.

When enough are monied up to compete, it will cancel out and revert to how it was... how you put together you squad and played your football... As it should be.

Justin Doone
83 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:13:08
Not my money and there's nothing I can do about it but seems OK to me.

I'm much more concerned and interested in the football side of football.

We never used to have money, for now we do.

Let's hope it can be used to find, entice, keep and be a successful team.

FFP.. Free folding paper for all the use it is.

Brian Williams
84 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:18:58
It's started already!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7891947/Everton-dock-rival-clubs-arms-30m-stadium-deal.html
Mark Pringle
85 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:28:36
I think I'll trust that the multi billionaire and his long time accountant know what they're doing financially!
Brent Stephens
86 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:30:51
Well it is financial doping! We just want to get away with it!
Gordon Crawford
87 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:31:05
Yeah I read that Brian. Wouldn't surprise me if we are found guilty and made an example of. It's usually Everton who leads the way in having the piss taking out of them and then punished.
Brian Williams
88 Posted 15/01/2020 at 23:50:41
Gordon, the first complainants would have been that shower across the park!
Steve Brown
89 Posted 16/01/2020 at 00:14:43
There will be a commercial agreement in place as there was for the naming rights for Finch Farm - legally water tight as well. I understand the total of £30 million for first option on naming rights, but I hope the deal for the stadium includes a long term commitment to guarantee sustainable revenue.

Also, think it is a bit late to be holding our nose at investment from Moshiri or indirectly Usmanov. Moshiri has pumped in £350 million already and we should all imagine what our situation would be if Kenwright was still in control and he had a net amount of £5 million before player sales to spend every year.

Peter Neilson
90 Posted 16/01/2020 at 08:39:28
If the Premier League does investigate it should be a hard one to prove any wrong doing. Usmanov has no official links with the club outside of sponsorship. Also not aware of any other club selling an option on naming rights so impossible to prove market value as being anything other than what someone is willing to pay. I agree with Brent's comment.
John P McFarlane
91 Posted 16/01/2020 at 10:19:20
That Daily Fail article stinks of a Journalist having his own view and disguising it by using the old 'sources' at Premier League clubs show concerns. No direct quote from any source, save references to rules.

Remember it was the Daily Fail that campaigned to have our neighbours given the extra Champions League place in 2005 and they have been very supportive of that club on many occasions.

I would imagine that Everton FC have already put these plans in front of the appropriate authorities and have been given the green light.

Like many other areas of life, the media. if it shouts loud enough and long enough, has the power to persuade the weak-willed populist governing bodies to change their minds.

Look at the 'outrage' hurled against gambling in the UK in recent times. I'm not saying that I disagree with that 'campaign' merely that I didn't see much of that outrage in the media until relatively recently, when it became popular and therefore profitable to do so.

Everton may never be the media's favourite club, but the press will continue to point an accusing finger at the club whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I hope to read many more articles similar to the Daily Fail's in the coming decade.

chris williams
92 Posted 16/01/2020 at 10:31:58
Apparently Everton did keep EPL informed of the deal, in advance of any announcement. No comment since reported. It will be looked at once the appropriate papers and accounts are lodged, as routine.

There may be more reports to come from more serious sources than that shitty, mean spirited little tabloid. We'll have to wait and see.

Peter Gorman
93 Posted 16/01/2020 at 10:38:13
Given that he was born within spitting distance of the docks, I think the stadium should be named the USM Stuart Barlow memorial stadium.
Phil Sammon
94 Posted 16/01/2020 at 11:03:36
‘Niasse's Law'

noun

A contrived set of circumstances devised to stitch up Everton FC with a previously unheard of rule, only to abolish it before it affects anyone else.

Ray Smith
95 Posted 16/01/2020 at 11:11:01
It's about time some TW's chilled out a bit.
It's all speculation, and currently media driven.
Unless somebody actually knows what's occurring, wait and see.
I accept that generally there is no smoke without fire, but let's not get carried away with all the above doom and gloom.
Philip Bunting
96 Posted 16/01/2020 at 11:19:36
You have to laugh at this from other clubs. Just shows how worried they are that Everton are on the rise and likely to start pushing one of them back down the pecking order to their rightful place. I am reading all about market rate etc etc but firstly this is a first to my knowledge therefore we have set the going rate however is it ok for say Everton to permit other clubs to receive 100s of millions in shirt sponsorships while we sit back on peanuts. What fair market rate is that worked out on? As I say the so called top 6 cartel are starting to fear our reimergance and I am loving it.
Rob Halligan
97 Posted 16/01/2020 at 11:38:30
It's the daily mail so it's all bullshit. Daily mail = Dominic King = Red Shite. Need we say anymore.
Tim Taylor
98 Posted 16/01/2020 at 12:08:01
Phil Sammon [94] = perfect!
Rob Halligan
99 Posted 16/01/2020 at 12:25:26
From what I can see, as quoted in the OP, this £30M is "ring fenced", and therefore cannot be touched by the club. Should BMD fall through, then quite simply Usmanov gets his £30M back.
Bill Watson
100 Posted 16/01/2020 at 12:56:15
The Daily Mail article is a classic non story. Unnamed sources, no direct quotes etc etc. A completely made up story with no substance, whatsoever.
Brent Stephens
101 Posted 16/01/2020 at 13:01:41
The purchase for the naming rights should be "at a fair market value".

I bid £35m for the rights. There you go. Competitive market rate. All fair and square.

Do I hear any £40m?

Andrew Ellams
102 Posted 16/01/2020 at 13:29:11
The £30m could be ringfenced but at the same time would it not become revenue and in turn reduce the salaries vs income percentage in line with FFP rules?
Brian Wilkinson
103 Posted 16/01/2020 at 14:35:18
Phil@94, spot on mate, also after our neighbours win the league, what odds var being scrapped.
Anthony Murphy
104 Posted 16/01/2020 at 21:23:45
The PL now scrutinising this deal. It'll get ruled out. It's Everton, so different rules will apply.
Bobby Mallon
105 Posted 16/01/2020 at 21:41:23
Phil Sammons @94 and West Ham but never to be used again after that
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

106 Posted 16/01/2020 at 22:03:04
Anthony @ 104.

Why so despondent? There are absolutely ZERO reports that categorically state the PL WILL investigate the deal.

All and every link with the clickbait headline 'PL to Investigate Everton Deal' headline references the original 'source' of the story: the Daily Mail.

In other words (literally!) they are simply regurgiating that extremely speculative piece.

Having got people to click the headline, each and every one of them changes the absolutely certain modal verb WILL investigate to a more uncertain alternative, MAY, COULD, CAN.

As others have already pointed out, the original Daily Mail story is full of unsubstantiated claims, quoting unnamed sources who allegedly have expressed concern; a scattering of copy-paste of PL regulations vaguely related to this deal; a couple of unrelated examples of other alleged financial malpractice by a couple of clubs, still yet to be proven.

As yet, there is literary nothing to see in this fabricated story.

Anthony Murphy
107 Posted 16/01/2020 at 22:35:06
Jay, the tweet I read less than an hour ago (SSN premier League) said the PL will investigate - not may or could etc, hence posting, but I do take your point entirely - and maybe I'm just half expecting shit like this to happen?
Tom Dodds
108 Posted 16/01/2020 at 22:50:53
The Daily FAIL.

'Lahndon' clubs Come on you Spurs/Arsenal/Spurs/Arsenal on and on Dreaming of course that one day those 'Lahndon' clubs will (Finally) beat the north.

The hell they will.

Oh poss a certain Russian Oligarch a wee bit jealous ?? !

Kieran Kinsella
109 Posted 16/01/2020 at 22:58:47
Why don't we build the stadium with Nepalese slave laborers? Or have Brent council fund it then give to us for free? Seemingly this kind of set up worked for Qatar and West Ham.
Keith Harrison
110 Posted 17/01/2020 at 22:01:08
The deal was verified by Everton with the PL before being announced.

The Daily Mail sports section is used for Lfc, anti-Everton propaganda by that confirmed redshite disciple Dominic King, who used to be the Everton correspondent on the Red Echo.

Fear not for the £30 mill, and the reds are running scared.


Don Alexander
111 Posted 17/01/2020 at 22:42:46
To me this news is about as astounding as tomorrow being Saturday.

Few people, if any, KNOW (provably) if the way Usmanov (and through him Moshiri) achieved their wealth was by what the laws of this country would deem illegality. Many people think what happened to the people of the former USSR/Russia deplorable in terms of losing hundreds of billions of their country's wealth to a handful or two of Usmanov/Abramovich types, but that's not proof of illegality, very distasteful as I think it was.

And given that Moshiri is a mere single figure billionaire, allegedly, it's laughable to think the Premier League will risk taking on a man of even his wealth, never mind Usmanov's, in a legal battle that will certainly be way above their own financial resources or skill-set.

If you didn't know better you might even think all major football is such a cesspit of moral and financial decrepitude that only immoral corrupt people would be interested in "investing" in it at all, but that surely can't be the case can it?

Brian Wilkinson
112 Posted 19/01/2020 at 22:48:41
While we are on the subject, Mina received a fine for 㾶,000 for a betting advert, so how can a current Premier League Manager, Jose Mourinho, advertise Paddy Power and for that to be alright???

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