The Esk says MSP investment in Everton is now unlikely

This is a little concerning from a tweet by Paul the Esk:

I've heard from two very good sources that MSP's interest in investing/funding in Everton has waned and now must be considered unlikely.
4:02 PM · Mar 14, 2023

I hope there are other interested parties around who will invest, else, the stadium might be delayed?

If the rumoured ‘new investment' actually does materialise, then the Board will certainly have new membership, that's for sure. Whether or not that translates into a strengthening will remain to be seen.

Peter,

Paul the Esk has tweeted, in the last hour or so, that MSP's interest has waned and it's now unlikely they will invest in Everton FC.

Barry,

I was told by two separate people last Saturday that the MSP investment was done and dusted, although I can't find any reference to this.

I don't always believe what Paul the Esk says anyway!

Thanks, Barry.

Rob,

I hope your sources are correct and Paul the Esk's are wrong; we need change as soon as possible. Something must be going on behind the scenes because, as far as I know, the accounts for last season, although apparently submitted to the Premier League on time, haven't as yet been made public.

On the subject of accounts, I read that Huddersfield Town have become the fourth Championship club to be placed under a transfer embargo by the English Football League, joining Sheffield United in being sanctioned.

The EFL confirmed the Terriers had been penalised for breaching finance rules on its website, after being late in submitting their accounts. Burnley and Reading being the other transgressors.

There has been rumours about MSP talking to Levy about a buy out at Spurs to the tune of ١ billion. That was a couple of weeks after it was rumoured that they were planning to invest 𧴵 million into Everton.

So no idea what their plans are, maybe there not sure themselves. But they can't have investment in two Premier League clubs — that's for sure.

Maybe Moshiri is more confident about a full sale of Everton Football Club now that we have a chance of staying in the big league?

People say he won't go until the ground is built, but I think he would be happier if he never had to step inside our city ever again.

I hope it's nothing to do with the condition that Bill Kenwright allegedly has to remain as Chairman.

We could be in Kings Dock now but for his ego.

Our city, Tony. Our club. It has been since we were born. It will be until we no longer grace this planet and hand the baton on to the next generation of Bues to carry the torch and blue smoke.

I'm torn on where Moshiri's head is. I think if he gets the right offer, he'd be off like a fox running away from my Ridgeback as I look into the distance wondering if he's going to come back.

But, I think he could also stand his ground, seek investment and see it off until the new stadium is finished. The scales are balanced and I don't know which way they will tip.

Either way, just replace that board in the summer and try to repair the damage that has been done with the supporters, who have been hurting with the abuse hurled at us despite the unconditional passion and support for the team. I can't and will never forgive them for that.

No going back. It is irreparable, but Moshiri possibly has one glimmer of an opportunity if he does the right thing and removes those who won't even be bothered to go to Goodison but will go to Anfield.

I'm not unique, I'm not wealthy, but I spend a lot of time, money and effort following what I love, as do thousands of others. It's not about that, it's what I've always done when I can.

That privileged shower can't even be bothered to turn up because they have portrayed the lifeblood of our club as criminals and villains. I don't want them there. I want them gone.

Act, Mr Moshiri. Or sell and go.

Apologies. It's only Tuesday, right? Chelsea on Saturday. Don't you dare turn up. Go to the theatre. I'm building up for the weekend. London calling. You don't deserve me or the travelling blue army but you have us – even if you take us for granted and victimise us.

Shameful.

Barry, the Esk's tweet was relayed to Alan Myers who has said his understanding is that nothing has changed with regards to MSP and things will become clear 'soon enough'.

Given that Alan did the Sky article which floated the idea that change was a-coming via investment and board change, I'd have thought he was better… placed but who knows? Time will tell!

Moshiri and Kenwright have turned Everton into a Black Hole sucking all the light and life out of everything around them. Two despicable creatures who I can't wait to see the back of.

Think it could be the final stages of negotiation and could go either way. All the due diligence has been done at this stage.

I don't know anything but Moshiri‘s behavior looks like someone who knows their shit got slammed by the market and is just trying to get a deal that saves face. If he can get a ‘gentleman's deal' he is willing to bail but still has ego on the line.

This is a shame. Without additional investment, I expect it will be a very small transfer kitty for summer. Maybe just loans and frees or low-price deals.

I don't think the Gordon, Kean and Arteta money will be reinvested in the squad. Other players surplus to requirements like Gomes, Alli and Gbamin will not generate fees – and others leave for free.

Let's be serious: who in their right minds would invest in Everton?

You'd need to be crackers to do so.

I don't get the hatred for Moshiri. He's made mistakes aplenty but he has put his money where his mouth is. He's certainly guilty of misplaced trust and naivety. But save the hatred for the real villain of the piece.

Just bear in mind that, without Moshiri, there'd be no new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

And there speaks the voice of nonsense!!

Esk is sort of in El Bobble territory these days with some of his insights.

An institution of English football.

A club with a huge and passionate fan base second to none. A club with massive potential.

Thousands of us will be at Stamford Bridge willing the team on having yet again sold out on the day the tickets went on sale. And many having to beg for or borrow tickets to be there. Some are still asking such is the the dedication. I'm fortunate as people on here help me out and I am very grateful for that.

An iconic stadium on the near horizon.

Showing positive signs we can pull away from danger.

Why wouldn't we be of interest to investors? I don't understand.

As we stood there watching those supporters singing after the match in the Winslow on Saturday, we commented on how just imagine when we win something again. When not if.

Newcastle's apparent more passionate than anyone's support will be made to look like Fulham.

No one compares. No one.

Paul,

Who in their right minds would invest in Everton?
You'd need to be crackers to do so.

Yet, strange as it may seem, everyone who has invested in Everton has seen their investment grow substantially by the time their equity was converted back into cash… lotsa cash.

Crackers, you say?

Rob#18.
Was that meant for my post?

No Brian, the one above you.

Cheers Rob. 👍

Esk has been back on twitter in the last hour.

Contrary to earlier reports, the deal (if it happened) was a debt deal similar to the MSP/McClaren deal. Predominantly debt with warrants (options) to convert into equity in the future. The plan was for the club to refinance the debt before the warrants could be exercised.

Asked to translate that into English, Esk replied:

If the deal happened MSP would lend Everton the money & make their return by converting the debt to equity in the future. They wouldn't take a 25% stake immediately but they would have had 2 board seats on a larger board.

Asked if the deal may still happen, the Esk replied:

I can't say for definite. Just that it seems significantly less likely, ie, most unlikely.

All as clear as mud, as per usual with anything connected to Everton and the opportunity for good news. Sounds like MSP may not be the best bet, but who knows?

Tony @8,

I think you may just be right. Nothing's simple with this club, is it!

Thank heavens for that. They sounded like professionals… we don't need people like that rocking the boat.

Seems to be a lot of ebbing and flowing between Mr Moshiri and MSP. I wonder if Mr Moshiri is seeing things a little bit differently now that we are looking like a much more stable team under Dyche and the odds now favour us staying up?

If he is starting to believe we will, the need for any immediate and personally unfavourable financial decisions will recede. The strategy (educated gamble) could be to revisit it in the summer with a much stronger hand to play.

Sorry to the Americans here but I don't want Americans at Goodison Park —unless they have the loot of the present Chelsea mob and are willing to spend it. They're clueless. This is good news.

Almost uniquely Newcastle have made a decent fist of their first forays with big money but generally the intro of new money is a clusterfuck of bad signings. You need enough to keep spending till it comes together, as per City initially and Chelsea now.

Owners like Lerner, the Venkys, Hicks and Gilette, Moshiri etc never had enough and neither do these Americans.

1 percent of me still hopes Moshiri has Usmanov up his sleeve and the all clear will be sounded. Then, with lessons learned, they take proper control and turn things round.

Michael, Everton is a good investment and a lot are waiting and hoping to get an opportunity.

I still think that the deal is more of a loan, by releasing more shares with guarantees and board representation being sought. It may evolve and change over time. It is very complex in nature.

Quite frankly, I cannot see how anyone who is not involved in the deal, can make any judgement on it's progress.

Why not Americans, Barry? By that, I assume you mean citizens of the USA.

America is a continent. Who would you prefer? Perhaps citizens of Canada (who are you could also call Americans ) and a citizen of the USA?

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds seem to be doing right by Wrexham.

Oh, and for myself and the other 'American' Everton supporters. Thanks for calling us all clueless.

Steve,

I don't think Barry is criticizing American fans. He's referring to American owners in the Premier League who generally have been clueless. Hicks and Gillette, Lerner, Short, the Swansea owners, Glazers etc. Basically rich Americans, with no clue about football, naively thinking they may make a fast buck.

And now we've Boehly who's already wasted half a billion just spending for spending's sake. There are plenty of astute football people on ToffeeWeb (mike, Jonathon, James, Jamie etc) that I'm sure Barry would acknowledge. But in terms of ownership, we tend to get the likes of Mandy Kiling from The Office naively chucking money at a club, expecting a return, then coming up short.

I'm sure there are plenty of Americans who'd be much better owners but so far we haven't seen many of them,

People in alleged control of our club will delight in those of us slagging off Paul the Esk (and the plethora of sentient rightly beings in his court).

He chooses to go public with his observations. They choose to never take him to task by way of civil redress in the courts, or even social media.

The Esk, and the murky truth re Everton, deserve each other if you're a fan.

Sorry, Kieran, but Barry was most certainly slamming Americans. He hasn't the slightest idea how much money MSP controls, yet he's comparing Hicks and Gillette to Moorad and Najafi, which means he's orbiting the wrong planet.

And I'd be willing to bet you that Boehly will make a success out of Chelsea. There aren't two better sports properties in America than the Dodgers and Lakers, and this guy knows what he's doing.

I don't think any of the American investors in the Premier League have been clueless. They have all brought finance models to the clubs they are involved in, which are part of their overall objectives and have been successful financially in doing so.

What Moshiri is doing is bringing a different financial model to Everton. What he failed to understand was that existing club management at Everton are not interested in good business and will even enact the opposite to promote their own self-interest. This is a difficult concept to get one's head around. That they would effectively sabotage the business, when it is easier and more profitable to run the business proper and right.

None of the American Investors would understand or tolerate such conduct. They would not enter into such a situation in the first place, without a total change in management culture guaranteed.

The only other example I can think of is Geoffrey Robinson and British Leyland which was run to effectively enrich himself and his associates. I will have to look back over the details, but I remember it being a widely held view at the time.

I've awoken to a mini transatlantic spat!! All in good humour, I hope. It makes me think of a few things, so excuse the random thoughts.

Outrage at Russian influence and money is at least a decade too late.

Now welcoming Saudi money and potential for Qatari investment without the blink of an eye.

All of those countries have questionable or overt human rights records yet two of them were awarded the last two World Cups. One has triggered a conflict in Europe resulting in WW2 type destruction, the deaths of hundreds of thousands and millions (I think it's nearly 10M) have fled to other countries

Football, and the Premier League, doesn't care where the money comes from and, as with Russia, only reacted when the Ukraine war started, despite lots of controversy about where that money came from.

And the fact Russia actually invaded the Ukraine in 2014, shot down a commercial aircraft the same year, and has been directly and indirectly fighting in the eastern provinces of Ukraine for years. Then there was the invasion of Georgia in 2008. That didn't seem to bother us too much as we gladly took the oil money.

I've worked with US-based companies since 2016. I served alongside US military colleagues for most of my 28-year military career all over the globe. I've visited 30 of the 50 states on the continental US. I own property over there. I understand the American psyche as much as I think I can – given it is very diverse.

My opinion? I would welcome it. Firstly, the much needed investment. Secondly, one thing about American influence on the board is that it would force the club to be run more business-like, which probably scares the shit out Kenwright and his groupies. They might be held accountable – if they survive first contact.

Okay, lots of examples of perceived failure, but you could delete or insert owners of any nationality into that equation regarding success or failure. It didn't do our cousins any harm with the current incumbents. Manchester United may have fallen from their Ferguson era grace, but remain competitive and are still arguably the biggest club in world football.

And back to my much repeated point. Investment is welcome but, as we've seen, it's not how much you spend – it's how you spend it. Especially in this era of Profitability and Sustainability regulation and then FFP when we eventually get back into European competition. It should be that way anyway; we more than anyone should know that recklessly throwing money away doesn't always work.

Those that spend big and achieve success still do it sensibly. Those with lesser budgets do it wisely. We were throwing dollar bills all over Las Vegas Strip like there was no tomorrow.

Our most recent investment has been Iranian and Russian. I don't think that sits on the moral high ground, although acknowledge Moshiri has dual citizenship and has resided in the UK for most of his life, as I understand.

If they can negotiate this, American influence is welcomed by me. It might just make us more professionally run. The 25% also gives them a foot in the door for future further investment and a possible takeover. They would be sitting on an institution of English football with so much potential.

Everton are bigger than Chelsea and Manchester City historically.

If we get the right people to realise our potential, we can rise again. We are a big club and always will be. You only had to be around Goodison with the supporters on Saturday to see that. This club and our city will explode once we get back to where we should be and competing for trophies again.

Think big and aim high, otherwise you might as well just give in and accept mediocrity at best. That plays into Kenwright's hands and the Moyes era of beating the expectation out of a generation.

I'm not giving in. I never will on our football club. Deep thoughts for a Wednesday, but it's nearly Saturday.

Joe @26,

I think the main theme on this thread, is that alls we can do is speculate! (Once again)

If the story I heard last Friday about Kenwright telling his board they were off last Tuesday but was then telling them to hang fire on Thursday is true, then something is happening or has already happened behind the scenes, although once again, this could just be mere speculation?

A bit more speculation is that, when Don says the people running our club will love Paul the Esk getting slaughtered by some fans, but thankfully the egotistical frauds running our club have completely fucked up the job and finally exposed themselves for what they are. Or should I say ‘Que Sera!

Danny @38,

I apologise in advance for being a pendant and for briefly derailing this great thread, but Ukraine prefers to be called Ukraine and not 'the Ukraine'.

From a 2012 Beeb article:

Those who called it "the Ukraine" in English must have known that the word meant "borderland", says Anatoly Liberman, a professor at the University of Minnesota with a specialism in etymology. So they referred to it as "the borderland".

"After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukrainians probably decided that the article denigrated their country [by identifying it as a part of Russia] and abolished 'the' while speaking English, so now it is simply Ukraine.

"That's why the Ukraine suddenly lost its article in the last 20 years, it's a sort of linguistic independence in Europe, it's hugely symbolic."

Whilst we don't need to definitively know our respective positions on the outrageous, illegal invasion by the Russian political mafia, it is generally now considered to be a 'Russianism' to use 'the' and plays into their ludicrous narrative that Ukraine is somehow not a real country (numerous Putin speeches refer).

No problem, Peter, and I'll take my education. Nothing pedantic about it and I'm used to Michael pulling me up for my spelling and grammar!!

It's probably just a habit from my military days.

You're talking to someone who monitored the inner German border when the Soviets were still in Eastern Germany, Poland, the then Czechoslovakia and most other parts of Europe.

I'm probably showing my age and using outdated terminology.

Personally, I see this as quite a shrewd move by MSP. They seem to be hedging their bets. Heads they win, tails they win.

1. Lend Everton the money for refinancing. If we go down, they eventually get their money back with interest over the terms of the loan. They distance themselves from the club but know they eventually get their money back.

2. Everton stay up, we complete the stadium and our share price goes up. At this point ,they covert their loan into equity and their initial loan outlay has now increased significantly.

Me personally, I would like to see a more firm commitment from them: either you are 100% in or you're not.

In saying that, they are a business and they are looking to make a decent return on their capital for their investors with as minimum a risk as possible.

Danny 38, thanks for that post.

I am a Brit (not a US citizen) who has lived in the US for 40 years. I see it the same way as you.

Kieran @33,

Spot on and thank you.

But trying to explain to people who don't read what is written nor accept historical facts is as wasteful as feeding strawberries to donkeys.

Steven #31,

Regarding “Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds seem to be doing right by Wrexham.”

While the size of the two clubs are vastly different, there is much that Everton can learn from the North American owners of Wrexham.

Their involvement in the community and all aspects of Wrexham is genuine and committed. But the most important thing they did early on was to say something like “We're enthusiastic, committed but know nothing about running a football club, so we're going to get in a CEO and a couple of advisers who have a deep knowledge of football. We'll make the final decisions but we'll listen to them and their advice.”

The contrast between Moshiri and his board is stark. Moshiri needs money, I really hope that whoever provides it does so with conditions that say we want our investment protected by significant changes at Board level.

On the American theme, for those who have access or subscribe, here is a good article from The Athletic talking to a US-based supporter.:

Goodison Park, the return of the siren and the relegation battle – ‘The US has nothing compared to this'

Here's an extract for those who can't:

It is just before 3pm on Saturday and this is a game Everton realistically have to win.

Goodison is filling up, a melange of anticipation and anxiety. Fans flood through the turnstiles more in hope than expectation given opponents Brentford are unbeaten in their last 12.

Then, just after Spirit of the Blues, it hits. For the first time this season, the Goodison siren is back and immediately the atmosphere in the stadium changes. The decibel levels rise as the players come out to Z Cars and a crescendo is reached 35 seconds after kick-off when Dwight McNeil fires in a spectacular opening goal.

“I'd always assumed the atmosphere in the ground doesn't translate to what you see on TV” says Jacob Holton, an Everton fan from Cincinnati, Ohio, who attended his first Goodison game on Saturday.

“The build-up was cool but then the first siren hit. My eyes bulged and I had a tingle from the bottom of my spine all the way up. I couldn't believe it.

“The noise when the teams came out of the tunnel was like nothing I've experienced. It went from low-key and jumped about 10 levels. It was just pandemonium when the goal went in 35 seconds after kick-off.”

As a fan of US sports franchises, including FC Cincinnati and Cincinnati Bengals, Holton offers unique insight into the Goodison experience and how it compares.

“The connection with the fans is what sells it” he says. “Everyone is connected, seeing each other every home match for decades. The only team remotely close to that in Cincinnati is the baseball side. But then the connection between fans and the club is nothing like this. The facilities at Goodison aren't great but whatever.

“I thought it (the impact of Goodison) was a bit overplayed. Then you go and you get it immediately. They're egging the team on from the first whistle to the last. Everyone is pushing.

“The US has nothing compared to this. I've told everyone I'm chasing the dragon sports-wise from now until the end of time. I don't know if anything will come close to it. It was the greatest sports moment of my life.”

The guy saw us beat Brentford 1-0. Wait until he sees us win something.

Quality though and total respect. And I think I travel!

Thanks, Danny, a nice read.

Good read, Danny, it's actually been a good thread, and Phill has even just inadvertently advised us about Bill Kenwright's unfortunate role.

Probably wanted to pay online through a Silicon Valley Bank, which makes them sound right up our alley.

Don't open that door, Alan. I'm still recovering from the seminar on immigration and ideology.

Okay, a symposium.

Worrying this though, Dale. A little story from a faraway place can have massive consequences. I don't want to sound dramatic, but this is how it sounded when Covid-19, first hit the news on this side of the world, mate.

I hope this doesn't give us another wave of the banking system breaking down, not on top of the war in Ukraine, and a food crisis, that definitely hasn't got anything to do with Brexit. Whatever next?

Something or someone is definitely trying to test the resolve of the human race right now or maybe it's just the circle of life?

Aaaaagh! I'm being dragged into the quicksand! Joking of course Tony. I avoided the immigration discussion but this will probably require feedback.

I don't want to discourage winging it on deep topics; it is good for the writer and you never know when what seems prosaic and elementary actually enlightens the discussion. However, a banking crisis is no discussion for half-truths, slogans and blame games. That talk simply undermines confidence when the poor comm skills of the SVB CEO on a conference call may have been the SOLE reason for a run on a bank very concentrated and umdiversified in its holdings. We'll see what the investigations yield but those bonuses did not look good and the hysteria on social media from the Masters if the Universe was despicable.

I think I've been caught trying to wing it a few times by the boss of ToffeeWeb, Dale, and because he's a very hard taskmaster, it can be quite an unpleasant experience!

That doesn't keep you from being our favorite winger Tony!

I hated playing on the wing, Dale, because I was like Iwobi, but without his energy, mate!

It might have been a good thing though, because, although I lost at least 90% of my creative skills, I never chased lost causes and this meant I was always back to help cover my full-back!

Football without discipline is unfortunately not very good in the professional game.

Danny #45, thanks very much for finding and posting that. Took me right back to my Goodison debut... like that fan Jacob, I saw a first-minute goal and got a full blast of the intensity.

I burst into tears. He didn't.

It could be that MSP have a problem with Bill staying on in some type of role.

56, but it could be that they don't.

If MSP are wanting two Directors on the Board, they will have clear objectives for them to achieve and monitor. They will also be looking at the functioning of the Board, and whether these objectives can be achieved. If it isn't, they will be mentioning it and requesting appropriate change.

Come on, if you were about to buy something or invest in something and there was a real possibility that in 2 months time the value of that asset could plummet (relegation) and therefore you could lose your money quickly, would you do it?

I am not talking about stocks and shares risk (we all know that these can go up and down) – there is a noose around this club at the moment.

Or would you wait 2 months and then invest knowing that there is some form of security for 12 months at least and an ability to impact the next season in terms of investment on the pitch?

Moshiri won't lower his asks as we need the money for the stadium… so a waiting game it is.

Perhaps, the search for investment continues, but this information on ICE website advertising a tour of Bramley-Moore Dock, says the stadium will be complete by the end of 2024, may mean we have two more seasons left at Goodison Park, as I can't see how we could move mid-season.

Situated on the banks of the River Mersey – on Liverpool's world-famous waterfront – the 52,888 capacity arena has already won plaudits and accolades with its eye-catching design, blending the modern and the traditional.

Now, 20 months into the build phase, main contractor Laing O'Rourke has completed the foundation works, substantially completed the super-structure and bowl terracing and fit-out works have now commenced. The stadium will be complete by the end of 2024.

Stadium Tour

The Bobble has also tweeted:

Everton and Laing O'Rourke's contracts for Bramley-Moore are set for a completion date of December 2024. The club are yet to confirm a date to formally move into their new stadium other than it being a three-year build.

Just reading that Spurs played their first game at their new stadium, on 3 April, which was towards the end of the 2018-19 season.

The club have known for some time that the stadium won't be ready for the start of the 24-25 season.

It'll be open for the start of the 25-26 season, barring any unforseen delays.

You've known yourself, Brian, but taking Tottenham as the yardstick, then maybe we can move mid-season!?

Brian @62

You could well be correct and probably are; however, most match-going fans that I know believe that 2023-24 would be our final season at Goodison Park.

Tony @61,

Yes, Spurs did move during the season, and they had been playing at Wembley prior to the move. Leaving Goodison for BMD mid-season might prove a logistical nightmare due to the differences in capacity. Although the technology is available to mitigate some issues, transport and other stuff might be difficult.

Kenwright leaves, Dyche wins us the cup, and Goodison goes out with a bang… could be the perfect hat-trick, Barry? I can even hear the explosion already!

Tony @65,

I'd prefer the current hierarchy to be gone by the start of next season and the delay – if that's what it is – to the stadium opening in 2025-26 will mean another 2½ years of what we have now – growl!

Paul Joyce first mentioned a delay in The Times last April. I thought was an April 1st wind-up as there was a notable lack of comment from the club who throughout last year merely repeated the line that progress was on schedule.

Moving stadium mid-season would pose logistical challenges. While none would be insurmountable, the club would need a substantial period to process the allocation of seats, sell part season tickets to the extra thousands on the waiting list as well as meet all the statutory requirements such as health and safety risk assessments and certification, organise a trial event, test transport arrangements and so on.

If the handover to the club is not until the end of December 2024 it would make sense from a practical point of view to leave the move until the following season. There would however obviously be a negative financial impact.

John @67,

It's the lack of comment from the club on any given subject that annoys many Evertonians. I know a few who only renewed their season tickets for next season because they believed it was going to be Everton's final season at Goodison Park.

Surely, a statement from the club saying "We hope to be in the new stadium at xx date, but it's highly likely that it could be later" wouldn't upset fans as much as the radio silence being employed by the hierarchy these last few months. Indeed, the communication has been appalling for far longer.

Barry, I agree.

The vacuum at the top of the club is mirrored by the complete lack of communication. I assume the silence is a prelude to a change of regime.

Thankfully, Sean Dyche has brought clarity to the footballing side of the business.

Who makes this shite up? It's got kopite journalism written all over it.

The Construction Management Plan is part of the planning application and available to the public through the planning public access site. It says, and has always said:

Weeks 50-75 will be roof steelwork to the North and South stands, with concrete superstructure to the East and West.

Weeks 76-100 concerns roof coverings and facade as well as fit-out to the North and South stands, steelwork and precast terrace units, immediately followed by steelwork roof trusses, as well as commencing lower facade and flat roof to the East and West stands

In other words, bang on schedule. Not 2½ years late.

The new stadium is in the "control" of Moshiri & Kenwright.

What could possibly go wrong?

Don - I would be surprised if Kenwright has much input into the stadium. Moshiri has got one thing right in appointing Colin Chong.

Hopefully the press release that the new ground is going to be ready 3 months early is a call to any potential bidders, Barry?

I wouldn't have a bet on that if I were you Tony. 😉

Interesting speculation that Apple are considering bidding for the next round of Premier League rights. Chelsea owner pitching in that he thinks the ٣.1 billion, 3-year deal is undervalued.

The next one in 2025-26 onwards could be ٤ or 7 billion. It highlights what's at stake staying in the Premier League.

Tony @75,

This is definitely contributing to all this "the club is for sale", "the club isn't for sale" nonsense at a few clubs including us. It also explains why certain board members and shareholders won't leave unless they are carried out in a bodybag.

They suspect the gravy train is getting faster and better and it's not a good time to depart; once you get off, you won't get back on. They aren't happy with being mega-rich, they want to be obscenely rich.

Mickey Mouse and, former partner, Minnie Mouse are expected to make a bid to buy EFC for an unknown amount. Goofy will be named Chairman while Bambi will be the new CEO. Dumbo will replace Graham Sharp as resident nitwit.

Some professionals at last!