Everton select Laing O”Rourke to deliver new stadium

DBB v Contractor

I understand the reluctance to believe it's going to finally happen 20 years after Kings Dock, but this must be the most elaborate and expensive charade ever if it's just not going to happen!

I'm touching wood, but this period is the best I've felt as an Evertonian, in decades.

Long may it last and now to take out Arsenal and win, it's a six-pointer, hopefully, the team will learn from last seasons match, when we should have been out of sight, 3 or 4 nil, up by half time.

In Carlo we trust.

When you see all the planning they have at Goodison Park, with apartments etc, not even the most sceptical can honestly believe it will not happen.

The PCSA is not a contract to build the stadium, it's an agreement that Laing O'Rourke will get paid for whatever work they do up until a point when a formal contract is executed, or not. It means there's nothing concrete yet. This may be conditional on planning permission, or maybe securing funding?

The statements make it sound that the planning permission process is under way, but we know from another article that it's not since the application has not been registered.

So, another positive step forward, but no breaking ground ceremonies yet. We're not as far down the road as our neighbours were with their Stanley Park stadium, and look what happened to that.

Owner Ray O'Rourke is certainly Irish, but the company is British and operates multinationally. Founded as R O'Rourke and Son in London in the '70s, it grew from small beginnings to acquire the construction arm of John Laing plc for a symbolic ٟ in 2001 and is now the largest British privately owned construction company.

Colin @20, sadly Wimpey only build houses now as Taylor Wimpey, whilst Fairclogh became known as Amec in the '80s and no longer operates.

Should read Fairclough, no excuse for this as I worked for them for 28 years!

Didn't Fawlty's builder erect an unwanted wall across the doorway? A similar move could be brilliant as a way of safeguarding Pickford's goal. It would also put the old adage about “running through brick walls” for Klopp, Mourinho, whoever.

What happened to Liverpool and the Stanley Park project...

Very funny link.

Thankfully our very own Basil Fawlty is no longer front of the house and this thing is going to happen.

The question is will Meis work under the contractor to develop the design, or will EFC retain Meis to ensure the design intent is upheld by the contractor's designers? I hope it is the latter.

Now it looks like this is happening.

Another point is finance. Will all be revealed after planning is granted? The way all the other pieces on the chess board are slotting into place makes me think that we have the finance structure sorted too.

It will be amazing to see the JCBs rolling in later this year. At the moment it is still fantasy, an idea, a plan, but the physical reality is about to manifest itself. There's no recent trophies in the cabinet, no Champions League football, but, in spite of that, this is an extraordinary time to be an Evertonian.

The aim was obtain a Premier League Club at value, with the prospect of major development. It also looks like Kenwright was a necessary figurehead to keep the governing bodies on side, though Moshiri and his backer got a lesson as regards making funds available. Funds will now only become available when a outcome is assured.

In my opinion there will be changes in the design plans , particularly in capacity , as the financial end hardens up, when Funds are made available in the context of realistic projects.

The Yank Plastic Paddy says:

Oh hell yes!

There should be a full Project Management Team on the Club's side to ensure that the design intent and Client Requirements are adhered to. Ideally the PMT would be from Dan Meis's firm if they do that sort of thing.