EVERTON FOR THE KINGS DOCK GROUP (EKD)

We are delighted to hear confirmation today that Houston Securities/Everton FC have been granted “Preferred Bidder” status to develop a fantastic new arena/stadium on the prestigious Kings Dock site on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey.

Our group has striven to support the club’s remarkable and ambitious plans since their inception, and we are sure that the new Arena, when it is completed, will add a fabulous new architectural signature to the Mersey waterfront. The Arena will provide a new home for one of Merseyside’s most enduring and popular institutions, Everton Football Club. It will also give all of the residents of Greater Merseyside and the North West of England a new, exciting venue for many concerts and events, which heretofore they have had to travel to Manchester, Birmingham and London to enjoy.

All in all, this is a great decision for all of Merseyside, and for the club we love.

We would like to place on record our thanks to all local politicians and personalities who have helped Everton in securing this site, and in particular our thanks to Liverpool City Council Leader Mike Storey for his support. We call on all Labour councillors, MPs and MEPs in the city and indeed the region to match the support from the Liberal Democrat controlled council and to help ensure that the project moves ahead quickly and smoothly to the benefit of the people of Merseyside.

During the planning and development phases of the project, EKD will continue its work, supporting the project and helping to secure a swift conclusion to the work in hand. The feelings of local residents are of paramount importance in the process, and we exhort the club and its partners to ensure that dialogue is opened as soon as possible with the residents, so that their views and wishes are a part of the development process. Wednesday 20th June 2001

OUR CITY - OUR FUTURE - OUR CLUB

EVERTON FOR THE KING’S DOCK!

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Sir Joe Dwyer, chairman of Liverpool Vision said: "The Liverpool Vision Board, when it met yesterday, concluded that the due diligence exercise - which has been crucial in considering the two excellent proposals of ICIAN and Houston Securities for the development of Kings Dock - has been taken as far as it can at the present time. The result of this intensive work, leaves the two schemes with much to commend them. After detailed consideration, Liverpool Vision has recommended the Houston Securities scheme to the English Partnerships Board for approval at their next meeting in early July. The Liverpool Vision Board reached this decision being fully aware of the hurdles to be overcome in achieving a successful outcome, but also recognise the opportunity to gain a truly world class, leading edge, iconic catalyst for the city, Merseyside and the region as a whole."

Blue Bill was delighted at the latest development. He said: "This is a tremendous step forward in our bid to provide a world-class facility for our City and for all Evertonians." (20/06/01)

Blue Kipper has learned that the vote went in Everton's favour 14 - 3. Now that is a result. Come on you Blues!!!

Blue Bill says 'Dock will be Everton's Salvation'

'If our bid is successful, it will be a huge step towards solving our money problems and add millions of pounds to what we can do,' he revealed. It is not certain we will get our new ground but I am confident about the outcome,' he said. 'It would not just be a case of having a nice new home, either. A set-up like this, with all that goes with it, would give everything connected to the club a massive lift and add millions of pounds to what we can do. We are looking at being the biggest shareholder in the venture and it would certainly be a very big and significant step towards solving our ongoing financial problems. It would be a huge part of the solution. We have drawn up plans for a way ahead without a new ground but it would mean such a lot to get the go-ahead for Kings Dock. There has to be a way of putting us on a solid footing and this is the best there is. The work and detail that have gone into it are incredible and Arsenal's vice-chairman David Dein tells me he has never seen anything like it. Because it is going to be such a massive complex with so many millions of pounds behind it, there is every chance it will open other doors for us. Our debt is under control but still needs addressing and this is going to help us enormously in that direction.' (23/05/01)

Carter Joins The Frey

At last Everton are getting their big guns to voice an opinion in the media. Chairman, Sir Philip Carter has joined the frey. He has come out & said Everton will play at the Kings Dock at the start of the 2005-6 season. Carter said: "I am encouraged by what Cllr Storey has said. He has seen the importance of such a scheme and recognised that the city needs an arena and stadium. We must go forward with confidence. We believe that our proposal is the ideal scheme for the city of Liverpool. The city needs a major venue and a showpiece development alongside Albert Dock. As a former chairman of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company I will be delighted to see such a development at Kings Dock. There will be transportation considerations but these can be resolved. I believe it would not be good for the city to have a development on Kings Dock that is only alive in the daytime. It is such an important site that it also needs to be used during the evening. Everton will play their home games there, but it will be much more than a football stadium. Even the arenas in Manchester can only accommodate up to 22,000 people. The proposed development by us at Kings Dock will be able to accommodate much bigger audiences for concerts. The important thing is that the city needs a development that sends out a statement to everyone. There are currently two bids on the table, including ours, and both are being carefully looked at. Many people are attached to Goodison Park but the vast majority realize that we cannot stay here because we need more space. If we failed to take this opportunity our fans would not forgive us."(16/05/01)

Walter says: "As a traditionalist, which most of us in football are, my preferred option would have been to stay. But when it is clearly no longer possible to redevelop to the level you want, moving on to something bigger and better has to be the next move. We would hope that in our case a move to the Kings Dock will pave the way forward for the club. It could be the start of a whole new era. During my time at Rangers, there was little doubt that Celtic created the base for their recent success with construction of a new stadium, albeit on the same site. My hope for Everton is that the Kings Dock can help us achieve something similar. There's no doubt that a new stadium can be a catalyst for change of that magnitude." (16/05/01)

Goalposts moved

Everton Football Club and partners SFX along with the other interested parties were set to informed if they had been granted preferred bidder status within the next 14 days, but English Partnerships, who own the land, will now hold back on taking a decision.

Liverpool Vision announced that the decision on who will win the right to re-develop Liverpool's prestigious Kings Dock site would be postponed indefinatly. They say a panel of independent consultants will conduct a study of the financial structure of the bids involved, which will assess their viability and determine whether or not they can be realistically achieved. We smell somthing Fishy.

Liverpool Vision Deputy Chairman David Shelton said: "Currently, the two bids now being considered Ician and SFX/Houston securities are the subject of an extensive due diligence process.

"This is, by the very nature, a complex and critical process which needs to be completed before any recommendation can be made to the English Partnerships board to consider.

"A thorough due diligence is vital if the right scheme for this strategic site is to be chosen. While we understand and appreciate that many parties in Liverpool and Merseyside are anxious for a decision to be made as soon as possible, whatever decision is made has to be robust, sustainable and deliverable.

"When it is complete and considered by the Liverpool Vision board of directors, a recommendation will me made to the English partnerships board on the choice of a preferred developer."

It is not yet known when a decision is likely to be taken, however, it is believed that the delay will last between 4-6 weeks rather than months. This has happened after the L IVERPOOL ECHO, & more importantly, The City Council Leader, Mike Storey, have just come out in support of our bid. (03/05/01)

WE SMELL A RAT

As we all know the site is in the ownership of English Partnerships and bids are reviewed and recommended by an appointed and undemocratic body, Liverpool Vision. As you are also aware, the decision now appears to have been "postponed indefinitely" for alleged further review. This is the second time the decision has been postponed with an election imminent. we find this deeply disturbing and frankly suspicious. Again, as you are also aware, wehave been highly critical of the whole review process right from the beginning. We regard it is a secretive and highly undemocratic.

Liverpool Vision will not even release the names of the consultants carrying out the latest review, allegedly to curtail lobbying, though it is understood to be a Manchester firm, G.V. Grimley. Given that the other short-listed ICIAN bid is a Manchester-based bid via AMEC and Mr. Tony Wilson one is entitled to question the common sense of it all, let alone other points which follow.

Sir Alan Cockshaw is Chairman of EP and a board member of AMEC, indeed he was former Chairman of AMEC - the core member of ICIAN. Under the register of interests on the EP website it says his association with AMEC ended on 14th July 1997 when he retired, having worked there and with the Fairclough Group for the last 25 years. He has been a member of the board of a number of public companies and is currently chairman of the Roxboro Group plc, Manchester Millennium Ltd, and British Airways Regional. He is a past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and has held a number of public positions on behalf of central and local government.

Jim Gill, current commercial director of EP, and soon to be CEO of Liverpool Vision is a former senior Director of key AMEC operational subsidiaries (including those involved in this bid). He will assume his new position from 2nd July after a transitional period working with Liverpool Vision's current Chief Executive, Layth Bunni. He joined the Department of Trade and Industry in 1971 where he held a number of posts in London, Manchester and Liverpool, primarily in the field of regional industrial development. In 1990, he joined the AMEC group as a Director of AMEC Regeneration and then AMEC Developments where he was responsible for the company's major projects and strategic land-holdings. He became English Partnerships' Regional Director for the North-West in October 1994 where he developed the agency's largest regional programme before becoming Commercial Director of English Partnerships in April 1999.

David Shelton is a board member of English Partnerships as well as Vice Chairman of Liverpool Vision and he has led the move to delay the Kings Dock. We understand Shelton leaves his post with LV on 6th July.

From all of this it can be seen that the whole process is riddled with possible influence from a small group of men who have had previous intimate contact with one of the central companies involved in the ICIAN bid and who can seriously affect the outcome of the review and award process. This cannot be considered fair or in the public interest.

EKD are also in the process of advising these facts to members of the media. Should the Everton/SFX bid not carry the day, as it should in our opinion, we will not rest until all the facts are inthe public domain and the consequences may fall where due.

It is also essential that we know what the criteria is for disposal of the land as instructed by the DETR to English Partnerships. Also, what was in the bid documents on this point. You must be aware that no Evertonian will remotely support a bid which means we will not be majority owners of the project. In this respect I draw your attention to the original club ballot leaflet, "Moving To A Vision In Blue," which states: "The Club has the ability to secure ownership of the site as the site is owned by English Partnerships." Therefore, there is no fans' mandate for compromise on the issue. Majority ownership is mandatory in the fans' eyes. Anything less will be seen as selling out the club and our future. (08/05/01)

Feel free to use part or all of this letter to send to the usual subjects. The fight is not over yet.

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