Onwards Evertonians
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Everton new stadium comment: Blues challenge is to deliver the docks - but a Plan B is shrewd
Everton are considering two main options for the site of their new stadium (top right, the North docks area and bottom left, Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth)
The FBI have got nothing on eagle-eyed Blues.
No sooner had Joe Anderson tweeted a photograph of his meeting with Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright on Tuesday, some had already zeroed in on part of the agenda.
On the desk in front of them was, among other documents, the prospectus for Stonebridge Cross, one of the potential sites for Everton's new stadium.
Except in the hearts of many it's not the site they want. Not at all.
That led to some frustration, anger and even criticism of the mayor which he duly addressed in his own indomitable style.
It was not, as some feared, a sign that the dream of a new home on the banks of the royal blue is already off the agenda. Far from it.
Joe Anderson meets with Bill Kenwright and Farhad Moshiri with the prospectus for the Stonebridge Cross site, circled, among other documents on the table
The potential of building on the waterfront is lost on nobody. Anderson has already admitted that, in his capacity as an Everton supporter, it's his preferred destination.
It isn't lost on Moshiri, who has visited the city several times to take in its iconic locations, or born and bred scouser Kenwright either.
Inevitably the best things don't come easily. There will be several challenges if the Blues are to secure the right to build in the North docks region, not least striking a financial deal with owners Peel and ensuring it complies with Unesco's World Heritage stipulations.
Perhaps now more than ever in this bright new era, they are not insurmountable challenges, but they are significant nonetheless.
The good news is that Everton and the council have a sense of true partnership. They are reading from the same page and it's a heartening and powerful combination.
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The rapid and impressive construction of Liverpool's new Main Stand proves what can be achieved when club and city work closely in tandem. That project, which began in January 2015 and will be ready in time for the coming season, had to overcome its own obstacles in gestation.
But they were dealt with and both the city and the club will benefit.
The same should go for Everton's new home.
But the club would be foolish to place all its eggs in one basket no matter how much one option towers above the rest.
Everton were lambasted for the lack of a Plan B in the aftermath of failed moves to the King's Dock and Kirkby.
The proposed 50,000 capacity stadium Everton hoped to build in Kirkby
It's why they are only being prudent in at least fully investigating the prospect of an alternative in Croxteth's more easily deliverable Stonebridge Cross.
For fans it will remain hugely underwhelming in the shadow of the docks.
But it's worth remembering that any new project, wherever it was built, would be a Moshiri project.
If it had to be somewhere other than the waterfront, the Iranian billionaire and the rest of the Blues newly-calibrated board would still ensure it became a destination in its own right.
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Sure that 'destination' process would be easier in a site like the docks with all of Peels' vision for the surrounding area and the city centre only a couple of miles away.
But Stonebridge Cross, with its proximity to the East Lancashire Road and the M57, has its own logistical features that make it a viable option.
A general view of the Allianz Arena
Like Bayern's stunning Allianz Arena, which is situated North-East of Munich 10km from the city centre near to where two motorways meet, Moshiri could deliver a ground that belies its inconspicuous location.
We shall see.
The hearts and heads of Blues remain rightly on the waterfront, and to deliver that would be a remarkable achievement for the club.
It will take time and patience, notwithstanding the Mayor's optimism that when construction at any site begins, it could then proceed quickly; within two to three years even.
The challenge for the Blues is clear; deliver the docks.
Everton are considering two main options for the site of their new stadium (top right, the North docks area and bottom left, Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth)
The FBI have got nothing on eagle-eyed Blues.
No sooner had Joe Anderson tweeted a photograph of his meeting with Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright on Tuesday, some had already zeroed in on part of the agenda.
On the desk in front of them was, among other documents, the prospectus for Stonebridge Cross, one of the potential sites for Everton's new stadium.
Except in the hearts of many it's not the site they want. Not at all.
That led to some frustration, anger and even criticism of the mayor which he duly addressed in his own indomitable style.
It was not, as some feared, a sign that the dream of a new home on the banks of the royal blue is already off the agenda. Far from it.
Joe Anderson meets with Bill Kenwright and Farhad Moshiri with the prospectus for the Stonebridge Cross site, circled, among other documents on the table
The potential of building on the waterfront is lost on nobody. Anderson has already admitted that, in his capacity as an Everton supporter, it's his preferred destination.
It isn't lost on Moshiri, who has visited the city several times to take in its iconic locations, or born and bred scouser Kenwright either.
Inevitably the best things don't come easily. There will be several challenges if the Blues are to secure the right to build in the North docks region, not least striking a financial deal with owners Peel and ensuring it complies with Unesco's World Heritage stipulations.
Perhaps now more than ever in this bright new era, they are not insurmountable challenges, but they are significant nonetheless.
The good news is that Everton and the council have a sense of true partnership. They are reading from the same page and it's a heartening and powerful combination.
Read More
The rapid and impressive construction of Liverpool's new Main Stand proves what can be achieved when club and city work closely in tandem. That project, which began in January 2015 and will be ready in time for the coming season, had to overcome its own obstacles in gestation.
But they were dealt with and both the city and the club will benefit.
The same should go for Everton's new home.
But the club would be foolish to place all its eggs in one basket no matter how much one option towers above the rest.
Everton were lambasted for the lack of a Plan B in the aftermath of failed moves to the King's Dock and Kirkby.
The proposed 50,000 capacity stadium Everton hoped to build in Kirkby
It's why they are only being prudent in at least fully investigating the prospect of an alternative in Croxteth's more easily deliverable Stonebridge Cross.
For fans it will remain hugely underwhelming in the shadow of the docks.
But it's worth remembering that any new project, wherever it was built, would be a Moshiri project.
If it had to be somewhere other than the waterfront, the Iranian billionaire and the rest of the Blues newly-calibrated board would still ensure it became a destination in its own right.
Read More
Sure that 'destination' process would be easier in a site like the docks with all of Peels' vision for the surrounding area and the city centre only a couple of miles away.
But Stonebridge Cross, with its proximity to the East Lancashire Road and the M57, has its own logistical features that make it a viable option.
A general view of the Allianz Arena
Like Bayern's stunning Allianz Arena, which is situated North-East of Munich 10km from the city centre near to where two motorways meet, Moshiri could deliver a ground that belies its inconspicuous location.
We shall see.
The hearts and heads of Blues remain rightly on the waterfront, and to deliver that would be a remarkable achievement for the club.
It will take time and patience, notwithstanding the Mayor's optimism that when construction at any site begins, it could then proceed quickly; within two to three years even.
The challenge for the Blues is clear; deliver the docks.
