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Standing Areas

MBE you’re so wrong. You state that YOU greatly disliked terrace standing areas, well I and many others hate sitting. You can CHOOSE to sit on your backside and freeze to death in a morgue like atmosphere, till we score a goal in the last minute. As well as being separated from friends and family, who can’t afford a season ticket, unless you want to swap your normal seat for one behind a post. My CHOICE, if I could have it, would be to STAND with fellow Fervent Evertonians who want to support the team.

If you have a giant in front of you or you’re next to a prat, you can move to another area, preventing confrontation. Also you don’t have to sit/stand /sit every couple of minutes if someone wants to get past or we get near the goal. Hooliganism was and still is, a social problem not a football terrace caused disease, as you suggest. The thugs just used football grounds as a way of increasing their sick ideals by involving others. Heysel was a crumbling relic and Hillsborough a disaster in the making, pens with no means of escape. Both where poorly policed and involved a rush of fans. England in Belfast and Tottenham in Europe proved Hooligans didn’t mind exercising their thuggery in the seating areas. The fans in Bradford were killed trying to escape a seated area on fire, proof if it was needed that tragedies are not limited to terraces, and injuries still occur today.

I don’t know if you went to the recent games against Manure (FA cup) or Sheffield Utd and saw the fighting in the park after the games, in an all seated arena. Or if you go to town after a match. The problems are still existent although on a smaller scale. Better policing has curbed (not eliminated) the hooligan problem not seats. I agree grounds need to be modernised with better facilities and safer design, but it is short sighted to think the answer is to fence terraced areas or exclude them altogether. I advocate that we support the introduction of limited properly designed standing areas and give fans the choice of standing or sitting. STAND UP IF YOU LOVE THE BLUES. Steetender. (26/03/07)

Stay At Goodison

I think Ian MacDonald (16/02/07) makes a lot of sense, as does Alex Langley (Upper Bullens S.Ticket holder) (17/02/07). As someone who has only been to Goodison once in the last 23 years (Everton 1 Arsenal 4), I should probably keep out of this debate but I can't help myself. You see I still got the same feeling then as when I first was taken their by my dad (God rest his soul) as a lad of 12. Everton Football Club without Goodison Park is unthinkable. For me this is about a special place. I decided to "cog" something from the writings of Carlos Castenada (no relation to Mikel Arteta) to try to express how I feel about Goodison Park and what it means to me:-

"This hilltop, as it is now, will then be the place of your last dance. What do you mean by my last dance, don Juan? This is the site of your last stand. You will die here no matter where you are. Every warrior has a place to die. A place of his predilection which is soaked with unforgettable memories, where powerful events left their mark, a place where he has witnessed marvels, where secrets have been revealed to him, a place where he has stored his personal power. A warrior has the obligation to go back to that place of his predilection every time he taps power in order to store it there. He either goes there by means of walking or by means of dreaming. And finally, one day when his time on earth is up and he feels the tap of his death on his left shoulder, his spirit, which is always ready, flies to the place of his predilection and there the warrior dances to his death”.

I suspect that somebody wants Goodison really badly (as a piece of prime real estate) - maybe to build a shopping mall on it. As for it not
being a viable option to redevelop the existing site - I don't think so! Have a look at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Melbourne's Brunton
Avenue. This is how the Aussies overcame a similar problem with an aging stadium which was dear to them. If you go to Google Earth you will see
that they could have easily shifted 30 yards away from Brunton Avenue and the railway tracks – but they didn't want to move the pitch – too
many memories, too much history, too much passion. So what did they do – they thought “outside of the square'

Who ever you are get your eyes of our patch! What Everton Football Club needs is a smart Architect, a smart Engineer, and a smart Builder. The fans, the players and the manager will provide the rest. Dare to struggle dare to win. Laurie from Oz. (26/03/07)

Stanley Park

Is it possible for us to counter claim on Stanley Park and for us to build there instead of the shite, if not then i'm sure if we appeal it will delay the building of their ground or stop it altogether.To be honest this land should not be allowed to be built on at all, as it is the land of the people of the area but there is more of us than them, and we were here first.

Can't we both build on the park and share parking and other facilities and replace the existing grounds with parks, by doing this it will enable Evertonians to have their own park as non of us would step foot on the other.

I have written before of my desire to keep Goodison but better educated men than me, have on here, changed my mind, we do need to move as soon as possible as its just possible that after the Arsenal game we could be challenging for 3rd place next season and for many years to come and Champions League football requires us to have a stadium to grace it, as once we have consolidated our position in Europe and with a new ground we will be able to attract the top players.

As for Tesco I think they need their heads testing, it cannot be good business to support a football team especially Everton as they have the potential to lose 750,000 potential or present customers (kopites) and only gain some Evertonians. People will laugh at this but did you ever buy Candy or hitachi electrical goods, crown paints, drink carlsberg or did they ever buy any of our less illustrious sponsors or Sharp electrical goods or sign onto vodafone no did they bollocks. A friend of mines 3 year old daughter won't even eat red sweets or play with red building blocks much to the despair of the health visitor.

ps those of you who drink the soon to be banished carlsberg in my pub The Hawk in Wigan. We know who you are NEIL !!!! pps we are tied to the brewery and have no choice in the selling of carlsberg it has taken us 18 months to get it out but its going. SI. WIGAN. (26/03/07)

Another Site

There is a big site on Hawthorne road just opposite St Wilfreds school. it is quite big and has a KFC opposite the top end of it and there is a few pubs around so to save all this hassle about being in liverpool. It would be
great to have it there. blueboy4life. (26/03/07)

Let's Wake Up

Listen, we need to wake up and face the music. We need to move if we are to progress as a club. Yes we have the memories of the glory days at Goodison, but like modern football has, things have changed. Don’t let some of the supporters of this club hold us back any longer. Excuses will come flowing out of peoples mouths about location, but the fact is there are no suitable sites remaining in Liverpool. Do we really want to be hanging around in the at creaky Goodison, while towering over us in front of our noses will be the new Anfield. That sends out the message that we are inferior. Lets wake up!! Paul Gorge. (26/03/07)

You're Too Late Bradley

I think the moaning about moving 'out of the City' is small minded, nae pathetic. Would people be happy moving to Speke? I, for one, would prefer Kirkby any day. I hate some of the slagging off of Kirkby - Cultural Wasteland it was called on one site, yeah right, when I walk down County Road and see the hoardes of black trakky suites and KFC outlets - I think I am on the left bank in Paris. The main benefit of this proposal is that, I think, it will prove to be deliverable. Liverpool City Council is bleating, well they have left it too little to late. We are moving our training ground to Halewood - outside 'the city' y'know, Liverpool Academy has been in Kirkby for years, the writing has been on the wall for years - your too late Warren Bradley. We moved outside 'The City' when we moved to Walton - the Club continued. At the end of the day we will get a vote - let's see then. Mgjkost. (26/03/07)

Leaving Goodison

Well said professor. Anyone who expresses a desire for us to stay at Goodison must be a koppite. Let’s get on with it before the offer is withdrawn. Geoff Harrison. Season Ticket Holder and City Road Dog-shit dodger. (26/03/07)

Done Deal

Blue bill has always said he would leave the ground move up to the fans, so when is the vote going to take place? I believe in my blue heart of hearts the deal has already been done and were off. Everton football club has never been a part of the redevelopment of the city and uve only got to pick up the echo or the post on a daily basis to see that. (liverpool capital of culture my arse) liverpool city council have bent over back wards for the Shite um? bung's now theirs a thing lets ask mike Newell if he knows anything nudge nudge wink wink. There is a void in kirkby and that's were they plan to drop EVERTON..Tesco's jjb kfc etc etc..anyone been the Reebok lately? what a load of codswallop unless you drop the family off shopping and then you go the match after. No disrespect to the people of kirkby got some good mates who live the. Iv listened to radio merseyside all week and listened to the red twats calling in about Everton fans crying about moving further out of the city, put the shoe on the other foot? If they were told they were off to kirkby and we were only moving a bus length i wonder how them twats would react?liverfool city council you have a lot to answer for got your house in spain av you. Everton the peoples club. Terry. Southport. (26/03/07)

Stadium

Why is everyone fuming about moving to kirkby? It's about a stone throw away from the city border, we need to move on. Goodison is getting to old we still have wooden seats, if we stay at Goodison and re-build it will take years and years bit by bit and while where building parts of the ground the shite will have there new ground even CLOSER to Goodison and the kopites will be laughing at a building site while they've got a 80,000 seater. Look at Manchester United there stadium is in Salford look at them there the biggest club in the world. All these people who don't support the move are wrong the should stand by the club whatever the circumstances. Proper fans wouldn't be bothered if Everton moved to London or they moved to America you support Everton not matter what. Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. thanks. Chris Keeley. (26/03/07)

True Evertonians

I'm sick to death of hearing people say they won't support Everton if we move to a new stadium in Kirkby, these people are not true Evertonians, surely not. I bet it's the same fans that complain about ticket prices being too high, then complain that the board don't spend money on new players. This club is not run by a rich sugar daddy like Abramovich, the money we have comes from the turnstyles, from tv rights, from selling our better players, from merchandising etc. The only way forward is a new stadium with better facilities, plus if we do not build a new stadium soon then Goodison will probably fall down, the grand lady wont last much longer and that is fact! We have been given the chance to build a fantastic stadium which would be one of the best in the land, just like Goodison was in its day, so why are these so called fans holding us back????? These are exciting times to be an Evertonian, we should be looking forward to the future. We will have the best training ground in the country this year, and add to that a new state of the art ground and we will be able to attract more players and support, more money will follow to spend in the pitch! Remember Evertonians are chosen, we do not choose, so those of you that will choose not to support us when we move are not really Everton fans are you?! I travel 150 mile round trip to the games, if I can travel that far to the games then I'm sure fans in Liverpool can travel the extra 5 miles to the new ground! Anthony Fielding, season ticket holder from Keighley. (26/03/07)

New ground - same club

Also in my fifties. Love Goodison to bits. But we need investment at all levels. All levels. Knowsley is neither here nor there - we need a new stadium. Either we progress, or we regress. GIRALDUS. (24/03/07)

Stadium

I am fed up of all the so called professionals/experts at EFC telling us there are no other options available to supporters other than Kirkby. There are options available and what we need now is for real toffeemen to unite and put up a fight to keep the club in the we live in. Our City Our Club Our Future. H. Bradshaw. (24/03/07)

Yes To Kirkby

I can't agree with Rebucula, I'm afraid, the Stadium isn't the permanent fixture, the name of EVERTON, is....we´ve moved stadiums before we´ll move again, Everton Football club will at best stay stagnant unless we move and the sooner the better for the futures sake.
I love Goodison Park, we all do, its just we have to recycle her once every 100 years. Kirkby..........so what, just vote in a Blue on ya next council meeting and get them to redraw the City boundaries...........thats going to be easier than redevelopment at Goodison
And whilst I'm on the subject those arsewipes across the park are trying to get their stadium upped to 80,000.........well I'm calling every Blue to oppose it, as the planning is for 60,000, so if it can change for them apply for your big f++k off extension now, one rule for them, same rule for us..............plus, the more you petition on different subjects and intricacies like sound and light affecting you, the more they have to spend their little pennies appeasing you...................and it takes longer. Meanwhile down the road at Kirkby, we´ll be welcomed with open arms.... Thanks Goodison....gone but not forgotten...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The Iceman. (26/03/07)

No To Kirkby

It sickens me to hear Evertonians wanting to move to Kirkby. I agree with everything county road blue says, it will be a disaster if we go, I for one will not go anymore and I know a lot of Evertonians who feel the same, guaranteed we will get less support than what we are getting now. Goodison or north/central docks still a stones throw from were everybody knows young and old. "so please don't take my Everton away". anfield blue. (26/03/07)

The Old Lady Is Dead, Long Live The Old Lady

How long do you reckon we'll all be shedding our angst about the proposed ground move to Blue Kipper and to each other until its sorted and we kick off in our 'new' temple? ... 5 years ... 10 years ... forever ? We know the current guardians of our wonderful club are incapable so lets be careful and not exhaust ourselves too early, it is going to be a long long wait. But while we're at it .. why are we worrying about a ground move with the associated land costs etc etc. Why not redevelop Goodison Park. Doesn't the land belong to Everton FC? Leahy says it can't be done - well he better go and have a word with the architects of the stunning new REDEVELOPED grounds that hosted recent Europeans Championships and a World Cup (see Germany, Italy). We must have been hallucinating because it can't be done.

Lets wait till the shite get their new toilet, then move back to Anfield for two years while we redevelop Goodison Park and while we're at it ,make
sure the fucking WORLD knows that we were there first, it was our ground , we won our first League championship there, its only because we left that the shite were spawned. What an opportunity to make a statement - 'footballs coming home', 'back home', 'rest and recuperation in the old
place', 'the birthplace of the shite, first (they wouldn't understand 'third') home of the first club on merseyside', and all while the old lady has her spanking new makeover (rebuild).. And we can still call her by her lovely name ... 'Goodison Park', aaahhh, how beautiful she is and will be. But I look forward to the next ten million frustrated emails over the next ten years asking what the fuck is happening about a new ground while we splutter between 6th and 16th place season after season after season - but wouldn't have it any other way, its called 'being an Evertonian'. My kids and thousands of other kids set the example each time we go the match. What have they seen us won? - nothing - and yet they remain fanatical about this club, and what do my kids say in a hushed, breathless tone when they visit GP - 'It's heaven dad, I love it here so much'. I'm going to stop worrying, let the idiots in charge run their course and move on, they'll change as will the manager and players, but we'll still be here as will our heritage and wonderful young supporters. And so will Goodison Park. The old lady is dead, long live the old lady. Denis B. (26/03/07)

The People's Club

The Peoples club, It does say " the peoples club " on the side of Goodison park doesn't it? Then why are we not having a say on this new ground
proposals, if its the peoples club i think the loyal lifetime Evertonians deserve a say of a new home for us. I agree with people saying if we move to kirkby we maze well be called Kirkby football club. If Tranmere move out of Tranmere or liverpool moved out of liverpool or reading moved out of reading then what is the point on the clubs name being called that. I think the board are getting lazy, they just want a new stadium as quick as
possible, not for the club but so they can get investors in and sell the club so they can F*ck off on there summer holidays and not have to worry
about money and stress of running a football club. They say we get a new stadium it will bring more money to the club, I'm sure Manchester city have got a new stadium, and now are fighting for relegation, also Sunderland, aren't they in the Championship. Lets face it Man city ain't exactly spending wildly are they. And also for having a tesco rite next to our ground is just plain embarrassing. I think the club should be patient and wait to see if we can get a new stadium in the city boundaries and not rush into the knowsley safari park plans or whatever they are. No to Kirkby. Sir Osgood. (26/03/07)

We Chose Everton Not The City

While I appreciate how 'County Rd. Blue' feels, because I love Goodison Park every bit as much as he does, slagging of the one person who is prepared to seriously invest in our Club is not going to get us anywhere. Neither is upholding the belief that all the 'experts' and all the other clubs who are improving or moving their stadia are wrong and that only the Evertonians throwing tantrums and demanding we stay where we are can be right.

We cannot stay where we are and provide the Club and the supporters with the Stadium they deserve because we haven't got the money and we haven't got the room or the site depending on whether we're talking about a stadium redevelopment or a move within Liverpool. We can build
all the stadia we want in our mind's eye but it is money that builds stadia and there is nobody else going to provide Everton with the £200milion it would take.

And what about this City of Liverpool business anyway? I don't see a particular attachment here except for the fact that the city expanded
over time to include Goodison. The Club were never founded in Liverpool and at a time when the Club decided to change it's name, when there were no other Clubs in the city, the founding fathers chose EVERTON not Liverpool. Now it may seem perverse but I am quite proud of that. We are bigger and our history is greater than just an association with the city that we just happened to end up in. We have an existence and a purpose of our own thank you very much and we don't need Liverpool to represent or to represent us.

I think all this anger at potentially leaving Liverpool has more to do with the perception that we are conceding some kind of 'victory' to LFC. That is nonsense because the Club, and Evertonians are bigger and better than that! Dave Roberts. (26/03/07)

Make Everton More Appealing

I have been an Everton fan all my life. I can understand the reasoning behind wanting to stay in Liverpool. But we must all understand that to make Everton a more attractive club for investors we would need to move. I love Goodison but its time to face the facts. Its a poor ground in respect to many of the premiership grounds. We need to make Everton a more appealing club to invest in which we surely wont get while staying at Goodison Park. A ground in Liverpool would be ideal but we can't have it both ways, a ground in Liverpool with no backing from another company (Tesco) or a ground 15 minutes down the road with a very large helping hand from a major company in Tesco. Callum (26/03/07)

Save us from 'doorstep' Fans

I've read through the debates, diatribes and monologues regarding the stadium move avidly over the past few months as I was originally divided as to where I stand on it. I could see the financial sense of Kirby, but, the thought of leaving Goodison for something possibly soulless and without the atmosphere is abhorrent.

Since reading these boards though one thing has recurred time and again noticeably - the major opposition to the ground move is from those fans who just live down the road from the ground or who are local in the pubs around and about and have a nice little social routine setup every match day!. How much crap is this....we have to suffer the ignominy of still sat in a progressively degenerating ground...which Goodison is lets face it...while the shite throw up Good 'Ole Boy palace in Stanley Park and REALLY look down their noses at us just so a couple of hundred local blues can get a couple of swift ones in before sauntering down to their seats?.

I've never been able to do that on a match day and nor have tens of thousands of others - does that mean my season ticket, or theirs, doesn't qualify them a 'real' fans somehow?. Of course not. No more than living on the doorstep of the club makes you a 'better' fan. Everton are called 'The Peoples Club' not 'The Peoples Two Streets over from Goodison Club'. To me its tragic that 'die hard' and 'traditionalist' (read for both lazy and indolent) fans who live 7 or 8 miles from Kirby are vowing never to go to a match when I, now, happily travel 200 miles for the chance to see my team play.

Whats the tag line for this site 'Call Yourself an Evertonian'?. How many of these locals, unwilling to sacrifice their match day routine, can do I wonder? Steve Jones. (26/03/07)

Minority

I am probably in the minority here, but I trust Bill Kenwright with our club and if he thinks this move to Kirkby is the best for this club then so be it. Don't get me wrong, I would rather stay at Goodison and redevelop it, but apparently it is not feasible, despite what some of the writers on toffeeweb would have you believe. I'd rather have a bevvie on County Road before and after the game and then wait in the bastard cold for an hour waiting for the 68 to turn up to take me home. God knows how the feck I'm going to get to Kirkby! I am amazed the club cannot find a site in Liverpool to build a ground on. But then if Liverpool Council aren't as prepared to bend over backwards to help us in the same way they're helping the shite, then fuck them. Bill Kenwright will know what's best for this club, and if he thinks this is right for Everton, then that's good enough for me. Call that blind faith if you like, but there you go!! littlebaztodd. (26/03/07)

Ground Move

Having sent in previous correspondences in favour of the move, your piece from Tom Cannon just enforces my belief. We are all entitled to our opinion but most of the, shall we say intelligent people know a move is the only way forward for our club. Goodison Park has a great and special atmosphere, and Saturday night when AJ scored a last minute winner against the Arsenal the noise level was unbelievable, but as I remember earlier in the season when Thiery Henry scored a last minute winner for Arsenal against Man Utd, the scenes at the brand new Emerites seemed pretty special as well. Crowds make atmospheres not stadiums, great games against great opposition make atmospheres not stadiums. So if the best offer on the table is to move to Kirkby in a 50,000 state of the art stadium with decent facilities then Kirkby it must be, you know it makes sense. I pick my Dad up from Kirkby for every home match at 2.00 and we are in the ground by 2.45 so coming the other way wil not be that much of a hardship. Kevin Jones. (26/03/07)

Stay

The name of our club is EVERTON, it's where the club is. Nuff said. Effjayd. (26/03/07)

Yes to a new ground. NO to kirkby.

Fuck Terry the wanker and fuck Tescos. Everton is my life. I want these things to just go away. Why do we get pushed out? We were here before liverpool fc. Why didn't we get Stanley Park. We were there first. Just cause the city council sucks liverpool's cock. I really hate the hole idea of Kirkby and getting involed with Tescos even if the ground looks good. No matter where you get a new ground Terry, it's always going to look good so don't try and feed the fan shit talk about when we see the plan we'll wanna go. FUCK you we won't. It's all fucked up. I hope Moyesy backs the fans with this. Go let some d2 team wear Tesco on their shirts. Sorry, I am really pissed off. My heart will brake if these things happen. Davey. (26/03/07)

Kirkby Ground Move

To me Kirkby is part of Liverpool, so is Huyton and Halewood. I'm from Huyton and whenever people ask me where I'm from I always say Liverpool. I don't know whether its true or not but I seen on here that it said that when Everton first played at Analfield it was outside the city boundaries. If we are going to move ground we need to prove that we'll be able to fill a 55,000 seater, we cant even fill a 40,000. It'll look bad for the team and the fans seeing an half empty ground because the atmosphere wont be the same as Goodison. But if we can start to prove to the board we can fill Goodison they might think even harder about gettin a new ground to look at 55,000 Evertonians every home game. FROM JONATHAN MEIGHAN,13. HUYTON. (26/03/07)

Why Kirkby may be the 'best' option

I, like most Blues, would love Everton to stay where we are, or at least within the City boundary, but I think one important factor is not being taken into account in this.

Yes, Liverpool Supporters Club, sorry Liverpool City Council, have said they would look at ways to assist Everton in any plans to redevelop the Old Lady and they have offered two alternative sites in the city, but all of these options include the land only so who is actually going to pay for the building work? LCC won’t. It is not too long ago that the King’s Dock development collapsed because Everton could not come up with £30m to pay their share, even with the land and building costs being funded by other parties/grants, so why do we believe that now, with construction costs massively higher, we have the money to go it alone, either at Goodison or elsewhere? The RS couldn’t afford their stadium until the Dubai Investment Company, or ‘DIC Sheiks’ for short, turned up.

The thing that attracts Everton to the Kirkby deal would be the massive investment into the project by Tesco and Knowsley B.C. No disrespect to Kirkby, but building a new shopping development will not force people from outside the area to travel miles when they have their own developments, or the City Centre, to choose from. What would guarantee a huge amount of outside spending in Knowsley is a match at least every fortnight with over 30,000 non Knowsley residents in attendance, and KBC know it. So they’ll make sure EFC’s ‘bit’ is affordable.

Let’s see what’s on offer first, stadium design, what KBC’s ‘cut’ of our future is (Man City?), how much LCC really want us, and the then I/we can make a better judgement, I didn’t want to go to KD at first till I saw the plans for the best stadium in the country, besides Wembley. If the proposed new stadium is not state of the art, worthy of EFC, and is only another Riverside etc with one main stand complex and a shed around the rest then, even if it was next door to Goodison, I’m sure the debate would be well and truly sorted with a 100% ‘NO’ from the fans. NSNI.

If Jesus Christ is an Evertonian, he needs to get his arse in gear!!) Steve L4. (26/03/07)