Everton's new ground part of Euro 2028 bid

That Stanley Park Shoe Box with it's big stand can take a back seat.

All I could find was this cryptic note in the ESA Executive Comittee Meeting Minutes from September:

• Michael Owen asked about funding for the stadium and John Blain responded by providing him with feedback from our recent meeting with Mr Moshiri.

Ah yes, it was Tom Hughes, posting @36 on the thread about that Guardian article by Simon Goodley.

They'll have 2 big stands by next year and possibly 3 by 2028.

The main issue however is the size of their pitch not quite meeting international regulations. They don't appear to be too bothered about addressing it though.

The largest stadium in the country's 2nd biggest city. Due to be expanded too.

They've effectively closed down a section of what used to be the Anfield Road.

It doesn't matter though. Bramley-Moore Dock will be iconic and that thing can stay where it is.

It's defo a step up from Goodison and Frank @11, I don't wanna go there.

Nick@6, please don't mention his name.

The UK's second city by population only these days Tom. Manchester is now the UK's 2nd city from a business perspective.

I'm not sure how Villa would extend that footprint given it's hemmed in as much as Goodison, although they've done well over the years to make it what is is now. I remember the stand where the away supporters now sit looking like the old Filbert Street that the Match of the Day cameras used to face at Leicester. The Holte end being an uncovered monstrosity. There main stand akin to the Bullens Road.

Maybe they do have plans. I haven't seen or heard of them.

Named a new stand after a Chairman whilst still alive. That grated with a lot of Villa fans. Now there's a thought.

I remember going to Villa and standing on that open Witton End and having sharpened coins, ball-bearings etc thrown at us (and of course returned) all game, in the late '70s.

Also recall a right rumpus on the way back to the trains with roof slates and bricks flying through the air. I do miss the olden days!

Joe #12. The RS will increase their capacity by 6k once their new extension is finished. I guess the idea behind that is to house all the RS season ticket holders with a Liverpool postcode, currently 5,832, in the one area. Makes sense I suppose!

Just curious or did her sidekick give her that title!

The article revealed that of Liverpool's 27,000 season ticket holders 5,832, or 21.6%, had Liverpool postcodes, in comparison to 25,647, or 84.1%, of Everton's 30,500 season ticket holders.12 Oct 2022

if you walk right around Villa Park, you'll see it isn't hemmed in nearly as tightly as Goodison. The surrounding area is being redeveloped and capacity will be increased to over 50,000

We mirror Villa in many ways. We are both huge clubs living on an illustrious past. In 2025 (if all goes to plan) we will have an almost identical capacity to them too.

https://twitter.com/bluebailey55/status/1334162227243454467?lang=en

I think bids for the Euros are not always about capacity either. Facilities are a big factor and the modern stadiums have such facilities, which give them an edge over larger ageing stadiums like Old Trafford or Villa Park.

It would be a nice little earner, I suspect, so can we have the money now for a striker??

Of course, the other 27K in the ground are ALL tourists, because all the rest of their tickets are sold as part of a package.

With safe standing, we could go up to 60,000.

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark of a fading memory, but didn't Villa do something like the red cousins in buying up streets to build the now new Doug Ellis Stand in place of that Filbert Street like stand I mentioned?

It always had a bit of charm about it when in reality at the time, it only had one decent stand behind the goal where we used to stand as the away fans, with the home supporters above. Fond memories from those semi-finals.

I guess I'm going to spend the next several weeks reminiscing as well as being subject to being surrounded by the England mob here in West London.

Link

I would reccommend anyone down in the Midlands area who hasn't been on their stadium tour to do it. It's certainly worth it - the interior of the stadium is very impressive.

But way back in the 90s, my sister, who worked in their ticket office and still works for the dark side often commented on how many of the match going fans came from elsewhere.

Call it clever and business astute, but apparently they were more interested in one-time day-trippers who would spend a fortune in the club shop than they were in local supporters who didn't make up the majority of the match day supporters..

Me? I spend a conservative 𧶀+ going to a home game at Goodison. Sometimes I daren't look, but I know someone who does. The club only sees 㿝 of that expenditure. They would probably get another ٣ out of me if that lady in the Upper Bullens would serve me at half time.

The point is, we have to balance between our unrivalled loyal home base, those that travel, home and away, and our ability to market the brand. To do that, we have to build a brand. If we can't build on what those supporters demonstrated at the end of last season, I don't know what we can do.

Over to the board and marketing department.

Oh. There lies one of our many problems.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-stadium-euro-bid-breaking-25529449

Don't start me.

The biggest airbrush in footballing history. Right up there with a Soviet Union / Vladimir Putin style of nothing to see here. Let's not talk about that as there's nothing to talk about.

Gobshites.

Is it possible to hate an institution when about 70% of your family support them?

Fucking absolutely. With a passion. Every single one of them.

Swear jar. Thanks Christy.

Interesting stat re Liverpool area return to games

https://ncas.ac.uk/eyjafjallajokull-2010-how-an-icelandic-volcano-eruption-closed-european-skies/

As for the RS - their European Cups are filled with blood, not champagne, as I like to remind them, when they go on about their glorious European history. They usually look at me as if to say "You can't say that!" - as they say, the truth hurts.

When I think back that Blues supporters were playing a match against the Dutch police the week before and creating a real positive impression on Scousers. Maybe that's the problem – too many plastic scousers.

I know BMD is happening. I see it every time I walk out of the house.

I was talking about the extension at Villa. You said it was hemmed. I was just letting you know that they will extend to over 50,000 with plans to extend again.

We will have that drink, Darren. Be it near Goodison or at The Bramley Moore.

We'll get on fine. I have no doubt. Even if you shout at me for being a soft arse!

You tell the jokes and I'll buy the ale. If your jokes are crap, we'll need to have a "Strategic Review".

Strategic REeview? We'd probably have a more constructive one in our collective wisdom in some alehouse somewhere.

Drinks are on Rob. I'll get the 2nd round in. If we make a 3rd, it's yours.

That was a great night last season.

Michael Owen and I quoted Moshiri himself from his recent minuted meeting with the shareholder's association. Literally straight from the horse's mouth.

Fixed price contracts are still often subject to material cost increases and other unforeseeables and/or client changes. Whatever the causes, Moshiri himself stated that the stadium cost had risen to 𧾦M.

Whole Project and stadium construction costs are often used interchangeably by club owners to inflate the apparent value of their investment. In any case, they are both the same on this project.

That's something I saw a few months back and I find it deplorable that, as well as knocking down rows of houses at the back of the hole punch and knocking the houses down on Anfield Road, that they've actually blocked off the road completely.

If Everton did something like that it would be a petition to Parliament: "Stop the Eve".

It's wet and miserable outside without having to read that succinct comment.

It will soon be Boxing Day and the Blues will be back.

I guess before then I'd best think about my Christmas shopping, but I'm a Christmas Eve type of shopper and there are 2 matches in Australia to think about.

At the top, it often starts with 'the Sundays' suggesting all is not well at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge whilst lower down, dissatisfaction spawns on the terraces. But how long do you give the guy in charge before starting to calculate the 'fuck off' money?

Well, for the likes of Abromovich, a month of mediocrity was a long time and constant success was achieved by installing a revolving door. Unfortunately, the Russian approach has not had the same effect here where even a world-renowned gaffer fell short and took things into his own hands and walked out! (At least we saved the FOM!)

Of course, some advocate the Burnley approach where loyalty to a lower-order manager kept a crap side in the Premier League beyond its natural life. (Some would say Everton are about at Burnley's level now so why not appoint Mr Dyche?) It may happen yet !

But getting back to the 'how long'' question, regardless of Everton's record in picking 'em, no club can possibly risk relegation by persisting with any manager who fails to reach ~28 points by the halfway mark. I very much doubt Friendly Frank will do it!

They won trophies along the way, but it wasn't until a decade or so later they won league titles and now have 2 European Champions Leagues to their credit.

Long term vision, strategy and a plan.

Once that's in place, then you can entertain changing managers as often as you want. Because the structure of the organisation is in place. Managers almost become irrelevant.

We're focussed on blaming manager after manager when our strategy and Director's Box has been made of jelly. At best.

Here's hoping that BMD is finally that vision. And even if it's not Moshiri or Lampard who take us there, let's hope it's finally a long-term vision that attracts investment just as Chelsea did back in the mid-90s.

Let's not talk about stand naming. I'm the eternal optimist but this break is breaking me.

Driving myself nuts.