Grantchester Unsighted by Bluenose

"Stands the Church Clock at ten to three, and is there money for K D ? " BK winced, as did most Evertonians, when Everton's proposals for the waterside stadium development were scuppered, at the point, ironically where old "trust me" was convinced he had finally raised at least promises of the necessary funds. And as the fax arrived simultaneous with the deadline Everton thought they were working to, those who had already moved the goalposts and fed the press with a very public rejection were tying up the loose ends deemed necessary to avoid awkward questions and keep Liverpool's Capital of Culture Bid on course.

That was exactly one very long year ago when we seemed to be operating on a different planet. As Tomasz Radzinski blasted us into third place against Southampton, St Luke's timepiece and the referee's watch were showing two minutes overtime with the ticking Dock Clock beyond one minute to midnight. As we somersaulted in delight and, later that day, shareholders and directors met in celebratory circumstances, we looked to future Champions League glory, appetites whetted by a nice juicy friendly in Paris against Benfica, and to our new home on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey.

Not quite so idyllic as portrayed, the equation did contain some doubts and fears(Plan B anyone?) but Messrs Carter and Kenwright assured us from head and heart respectively of the work going on off the pitch to match Davie Moyes' boys' achievements on it. We drank to that, not knowing that when Benfica supposedly chickened out of the friendly two days later that was to be just the second biggest disappointment of the week. One year on with negatives compounding each other, Southampton's injury time equaliser rather neatly completed the turnaround. The footballing side has gone belly up and the very same Shareholders Association among others has provided us with the most starkly realistic portrayal of our (lack of) finances as well as our current status in English, never mind world football. The meal to mark 125 years of history isn't quite as tasty as it was last year.

What am I saying ? Firstly, that I'm annoyed, upset, frustrated that things haven't come to fruition. Davie Moyes' honeymoon is over but he's still an important key to our future. Wayne Rooney has done marvels for England, but that's only increased the clamour for him to move away and when he has turned it on for Everton we don't celebrate with the same unbounded joy we had last season. When an Evertonian accountant, and credit to him for being so honest, says that the Board would be fools not to consider offers for Rooney, I am left with a feeling of despair and inevitability.Whom do I hit out at? I'm not sure. Maybe the players for an inability to perform for 90 minutes, for a failure to win at Fulham, this season and last when it counted (magnificent seventh my derriere !) maybe the Board for a seeming unwillingness to help Moyes, to put their hands in their pockets, to sort the Finance for the Kings Dock. Maybe us, the fans, for putting up with it. I'm looking at the last 38 League games which have yielded 40 points, a calendar year, 2003, possibly one of our worst ever in League and Cup and, instead of looking for flights to Europe I'm looking for results from Leeds, Leicester and Wolves. I'm told to accept the reality that we can't hope to compete with the top 3, never mind the next 6, and that whereas Arsenal can secure £300 million or so for a new stadium, nobody in their right mind would invest a fraction of that in us, certainly no past or present member of the Board with serious money.

To them that have and all that. Part of my annoyance stems from the fact that we did have, once. He may not have been a Russian Billionaire, but John Moores made us the Mersey Millionaires, Pools as opposed to Lottery winners. It's a financial travesty that the only Club currently benefiting from the Moores connection is Liverpool. Lord Grantchester has chosen not to immortalise himself in the eyes of Evertonians but it's sad to say the least that he walked or was pushed away at a time when an appropriate loan or gift would have secured the Dock. If it's still standing empty in 2008, and we seem no closer to finding a project, there'll be a few hard questions to be asked and not only about a lack of (Liverpool) vision.

Be realistic. Yes of course. Paul Gregg, Paul McCartney, Terry Leahy and the rest didn't get rich by throwing their money away. No, but I still find it hard to believe that there is not one individual, not necessarily a Walker or Hayward, or a Bank willing to underwrite a major project. Are we really 10 times less attractive than Arsenal? Or is the Board only one tenth as competent? Neither is true, I'm sure, and the caution and conservatism may be a welcome contrast to the profligacy of others but there are times when the lack of transparency from those who inherited Johnson's legacy is frustrating. Philip "you don't need to concern yourselves with that " Carter is more Mandarin than our Kejian-sponsored Website, both seemingly unable to exploit the vast potential of a Chinese market. Maybe, in the same way as we are asked to trust the Board, they should trust the fans, many of whom are proven successes in their line of business, and still the greatest sponsors of all, as well as the most loyal.

My rantings release more heat than light and you certainly wouldn't trust the finances to me, but am I alone in seeing some bleedingly obvious ways of selling ourselves ? I may be unfair in asking what's the point of Paul Gregg along with wasps and rattlesnakes as I know he has underwritten some important dealings but am I stupidly romantic in wishing he was a fan? For sure. Just because I wouldn't miss 50 out of 350 million doesn't mean he or Lord "Nice but" should feel obliged. The way forward? Apart from avoiding relegation, pensioning a few players off, hardselling our merchandise but keeping Rooney and, in the short term, building a new tier on the Park End (talking of lack of vision) with corporate facilities, a share issue or Trust that involves fans in their thousands, as proposed by the Shareholders Association. And Grantchester invited to rejoin? Simple really. This could have been the Plan B the new stadium project so clearly lacked but that's all water under the Dock now. It would be nice to think that in one year's time there's been another positive turnaround that Shareholders, Board, fans and players can congratulate each other on some fine teamwork. Jam tomorrow, along with Cups and Culture. Sweet. More honey Vicar?. Bluenose. (29/02/04)

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