You see this is what I find interesting.
TS = Mr Trevor Skempton, architect.
TS then moved onto the redevelopment of Goodison Park.
TS stated that this would need to be done piecemeal, but could be done stand-by-stand within a close-season, season, next close-season period, so revenue for the Club would only drop during one playing season.
TS stated that all four stands would be demolished, beginning with the Park End, plus moving that stand back around 40 yards into the existing car park.
The Bullens Road Stand would be next, followed by the Gwladys Street Stand, then finally the Main Stand.
TS stated by the end of this project, the stadium would hold 60 000 premium quality seats, with double-decker stands plus a triple-decker Main Stand.
TS also maintained that the design would be such that should the team be more successful, the ground capacity could be raised to 80 000 by adding a third deck to the other stands.
This sparked some heated debate and comments aimed at the Board and CP, for example from Mr Mark Denny, who accused WK of being the man who will best be remembered as “The man who tore the heart and soul out of Everton Football Club, by moving outside of the city to Kirkby”
At this point, WK stated he would like to talk to TS outside of the meeting.
SH asked how much the Kirkby stadium was going to cost in total, and how much the Club would have to pay towards that.
RE indicated that he would like to answer this question, which WK accepted.
RE firstly briefly introduced himself as a 56 year old man that largely resides in the United States of America, was a Tottenham supporter, but now is fully supportive of the Everton cause.
RE confirmed that he asked to join the Board, as he felt that with his many years of business marketing and profitability expertise, he could help maximise this Club’s “massive potential”.
RE informed the meeting that the Kirkby stadium cost was around £50 million when first floated.
After the feasibility study and the Board’s wish that supporters only received the highest quality seating, facilities, environment etc., the cost rose to about £75 million.
Due to construction costs, the figure then became approximately £100 million.
Now, because construction costs have risen again, the total stadium cost at Kirkby is in the region of almost £150 million.
At this point, some angry SH asked how the Club intended to meet these extra costs.
RE attempted to placate these SH by stating that the Board had formulated a long-term plan to pay all the stadium costs.
WK and KW informed the SH that these costs had mostly been factored into the original business plan, as they knew prices would rise before the stadium was completed.
KW was adamant that this original Kirkby stadium plan was still very much on track and financially deliverable.
SH asked the Board why there appeared to be no ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C’ if the Kirkby stadium plan could not proceed.
KW stated to SH that same as he has many times in the media, to financially maintain and progress the Club at the forefront of the domestic and European football scene, there was no other option than to move to Kirkby.
Another passionate and lively debate followed, with a lot of SH pointing out that TS had put forward what appeared to be sensible and affordable plans for both the ‘loop’ and Goodison Park.
WK then confirmed to the meeting that he was happy for him and the rest of the Board, to consider the Scotland Road ‘loop’ site as a ‘Plan B’ and the redevelopment of Goodison Park as a ‘Plan C’.
WK then declared this part of the Q&A closed.
So the stadium is going to cost £150m - £50m more than what we were initially told, and we are paying for the lot, or have I misred that. I thought that the cost for us was minimal, not so it appears.
